Luis clung to Sheridan as they approached his mother's house. How could this be happening? How was he going to tell his mother this? She had lit that candle every damn night—only for it to come to this?
All of these years, he had doubted her, had questioned her unwavering faith. How could he have not believed her when she insisted that his father was an honorable man? She never would have settled for anything less.
Why had he wasted so many precious moments hating a man who would obviously do anything for him?
What he had done the other day, risking his life to save Sheridan's . . .
Luis pinched the bridge of his nose.
His father really did love him.
"Luis?" Sheridan's voice swelled with pain. "He's got to pull through this, Luis."
Luis blinked back tears and tightened his grip around her. "I just wish I hadn't wasted all of those years doubting and hating him."
Sheridan buried her head in his chest. "I wish he hadn't saved me."
"What? No." Luis's heart dropped. "Don't say things like that, Sheridan."
"But if he hadn't, he wouldn't be fighting for his life, Luis."
"Please, Sheridan . . ." Luis gulped for air. "I can't bear the thought of losing you either."
Sheridan curled up into his arms. "I just can't stand the thought of what this is going to do to your mother."
Luis took a deep breath in and squeezed her tighter. "I know, Sheridan. I know."
The front door to Pilar's house opened.
Pilar flew out of the house.
"¡Gracias a dios! You're both all right!" she cried, pulling them both into a tight embrace. "Ever since Sam told me about Alistair going to Mexico, I've been so worried about both of you."
"We're both okay, Mama," Luis reassured her, his voice catching in his throat.
"Luis?" Pilar leaned back. "Luis, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?"
Luis inhaled and bowed his head.
"Is it the baby?" Pilar's eyes flew to Sheridan. "Is my grandbaby okay?"
"It's not the baby." Luis curled his fingers around Sheridan's waist and splayed them across her abdomen. "The baby is doing just fine."
"Well, then, what's going on?" Pilar looked back at Luis. "You're really scaring me, mijo."
Luis ran his hand down his face. "You might want to sit down for this."
"I don't want to sit down, Luis," Pilar insisted. "Por favor, tell me what's going on."
"It's about Papa." Luis's eyes welled with tears.
"Your father?" Pilar fell back on her foot. "¿Qué pasó, Luis? What did you learn about your father?"
"I don't know how to say this." Luis rubbed his temples and then looked back at his mother. "Papa . . . Papa's been shot, Mama."
"What? No!" Pilar's hand flew to her heart. "This cannot be!"
"It's true, Pilar," Sheridan cried. "He got shot trying to save me."
Luis grabbed ahold of his mother as her body started to falter. "I'm so sorry—I couldn't save him. I failed you and our entire family."
"No, Luis! No!" Pilar fell to her knees. "Your father cannot be dead!"
Luis dropped down beside her and pulled her into his arms. "He's not dead, Mama."
Pilar blessed herself, her entire body trembling. "Where is he, Luis? I need to be with him right now."
"He's at Harmony Hospital," Luis whispered. "The doctors in Mexico were able to get him stabilized enough for Eve to have him medevaced up here, but he's still unconscious."
"Mijo, I don't understand," Pilar beseeched him. "How on earth did this happen?"
Luis took a deep breath in and tried to steady his racing heart. "Sheridan and I found him hiding out from Alistair in a small church in Puerto Arena, but then Alistair caught up with us." Luis closed his eyes and paused for a second. "Alistair blew up the church, Mama—and then, when we all survived, he came after us again."
Sheridan frowned and squatted down beside them, her eyes welling with fresh tears. "My father took me hostage."
Luis reached over and squeezed her hand.
"Alistair grabbed Sheridan, Mama," Luis said, fixing his eyes on Sheridan's. "He threatened to kill her and the baby."
"That's when Martin stepped in," Sheridan cried softly, touching her fingers to her abdomen. "He saved both of us."
"Gracias a dios." Pilar picked up Sheridan's hand and pressed it to her heart. Tears sprang to her eyes.
"You should have seen Papa, Mama." Luis's eyes watered as he looked back at her. "He was the man you've always told me he was."
"My Martin could never be anything less." Pilar bowed her head against her hands; tears spilled down her cheeks. "How could this have happened, Luis? How could this have happened to him?"
