Stolen Love (A Cartel Romance)

22

Harley's POV

My shins burned as I raced through the corridors. The fucking heels I was in did nothing but disable me. I threw them to the side once I left the basement. It pained me since they were red bottoms and probably cost a fortune, but I had to hurry. I could smell smoke fill the air as I sprinted to the kitchen. No one was there. I checked every washroom leading up to here, and she was nowhere to be found.

Retracing her footsteps from earlier, I turned towards the opposite side of the kitchen and saw a small opening that leads to a set of narrow steps. I didn't see her come up here, but who knows. I race up the steps with a quickness. I wish I could rip this fucking dress off. It was tight and halting my movements. I would've worn shorts or something underneath if I had known I'd be on some mission impossible shit. I couldn't help but notice how deserted the entire estate is. We've only come across four guards the entire time we have been here, and Henry took them all out alone.

The stairs led to another dimly lit hallway. Unlike downstairs, there weren't rooms branching off on each side. I could only make out three rooms, to be exact.

"Consuelo!" I hissed, "Consuelo, Are you up here?" I stalked to the first door. It was empty. I moved to the second door after. "Consuelo!" I said a little louder this time. The second room was only a small bathroom with no one in it. "Consuelo, I have Maria!

"What the fuck are you doing?" A voice roared behind me. I jumped at the abrupt noise. It was one of Huncho's guards. A very large one.

"I w-I mean I-" I stuttered all over the place. This was the end of the road for me. How the hell was I supposed to get past this big-ass guard?! So I opted for the best option, and that was simply....tell the truth. "I'm looking for Consuelo, the chef. Do you know where she is?" I asked. I cocked my head to the side like a lost puppy and offered a sad smile to emphasize my distress. He didn't move, only twisted his face in confusion. I moved my mouth to speak to him again since it seemed like telling the truth wasn't working in my favor, but before I could speak, I saw a body walk around the corner towards it.

"Consuelo!" I shouted, jogging towards her. I pushed past the guard, no longer paying him any mind. If he were going to hurt me or stop me, he would have done it by now. Ignoring him seemed like the most efficient option. "Thanks for your help! I found her!" I shouted to the guard and grabbed Consuelo's hand, pulling her with me down the steps. She was elderly, of course, so our steps were slower but that guard was even slower. He just shrugged and went about his day. No wonder Huncho was in a deep shit; his guards couldn't protect him at all.

"Que está pasando?" (What's going on?) Consuelo asked. Once we were in the clear, I stopped us and turned to her.

"Maria told me to come find you. She is waiting for you to take you home." I explained to her. Her face morphed from confusion and frightened to relief and sadness.

"Mi María?" (My María?) She pointed at herself. I guess she really hasn't seen Maria in a long time. She didn't even know Maria was trying so hard to find her and bring her home.

"Yes, she's outside. Let's hurry." I nodded to her and smiled.

"Gracias, Ms. Gianna," (Thank you, Ms.Gianna) she cried.

"It's Harley. Call me Harley." I smiled as tears escaped her eyes.
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"Finally. Where the fuck have you been?" Emilio barked at me once I made it to the back of the house, where Maria stood with her fingers in her mouth and a frown on her face and looking down at the bricked driveway.

"Sorry." I was out of breath again, but Consuelo followed close behind me. "I tried to get back as fast as I could." I stopped and bent over, placing my hands on my knees to catch my breath. Damn, I did not think that this was how today was going to go. I deserve a day off after this shit.