Mateo’s car pulled up quietly in front of Emerson Global. I stepped back from the building, my legs trembling. He opened the door and waited. I hesitated, gripping my bag tightly, my heart hammering in my chest.
“Atasha, are you okay?” he asked as he helped me with my things.
“Yes,” I said, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound steady, “and I need to go to the police station ASAP, Mateo. I need to see the detectives and Officer Delgado.”
“No worries,” he said, nodding. “I’ll get you there safely. Just stay calm.”
Stay calm. How can I stay calm when everything is falling apart? My chest tightened and my stomach churned. The baby… I tried to focus on the baby, but fear gnawed at me from the inside.
The car moved through the streets. I felt jittery and I’m unable to sit still. Ev
