A.N - Hey guys, you may or may not want to know but I've come up with an ending to this story, finally. And I'm warning you now, there will be character death. Sorry!

On the plus side, there's always SWAK, my happy go lucky fluff fic. And, once those two are finished, a Te Amo Querida sequel. So, yeah. Not all bad.

Chapter Nine

Diego, as it turns out, was a slow walker. Whether his actions were purposeful or not, I couldn't tell you. But I was getting increasingly annoyed, as it was getting increasingly harder to not alert him to my presence.

The path he was travelling was familiar – after all, I walked down it nightly before shutting down the saloon house – which was how I knew he was going to see Paul.

Diego was going to see Paul, and tell him what he heard between Susannah and I. The very thought filled my heart with fear over what Paul would do to Susannah out of spite.

Eventually, after what felt like hours of walking purely due to Diego's twisted routes around buildings and slow pace, we were greeted by the soon-to-be-demolished building. At present, wooden planks boarded up the windows and a large yellow sheet covered the door, proclaiming the establishment had been closed down.

Ignoring the notice, Diego strode purposefully towards the door and threw it open with a crack as it bounced against the surrounding walls.

As quietly as I could manage, I too travelled towards the building, crouching down beneath a window, wincing at the scuff of my shoes against the gravel.

I strained my ears for the sound of voices, only to come up short.

I cursed, silently, and resisted the urge to kick the wall out of anger. Instead, I chose to walk once around the perimeter and pray that Paul Slater was revealed to me.

There was no way on earth I was going to walk away and subject Susannah to whatever fate Paul deigns to give her alone.

My search proved fruitful. Paul Slater's threatening voice reached me soon after I began looking. I knelt by the source, desperate not to make a noise that would get me discovered and force me to leave before I found out his plans.

I fought back an ironic laugh. Apparently, I was a Sheriff by day and a performer of Espionage by night.

"She did what?"

Paul's voice reached me through the cracks in the buildings walls startlingly coolly.

"I didn't hear what was said, sir." The heartbeat that had been pulsing in my ears so loudly died down at Felix's words. "Not clearly, anyway. But I saw the couple engage in a kiss, and hold each other like old friends."

Paul spat in disgust at the word.

"Yeah," he agreed sardonically. "Friends. More like lovers."

Both Diego and myself were rightfully disgusted.

"You actually think that of Miss Simon?"

Paul stood; the scrape of a chair against the floor could be heard.

"At this moment, I think her capable of anything."

It took most of my strength to force me down against the wall, instead of barging in and showing Paul just what I thought about what he was saying of Susannah.

Paul's heavy footsteps were slamming against the floor now as he paced in agitation.

"You're right," he eventually sighed. "I don't blame Suze."

The fist around my heart loosened at his words.

"I blame that blasted Sheriff De Silva!"

I froze a moment in reprehension before reminding myself that if it weren't me getting the blame, then it would be Susannah. It would be so much worse for her.

"Who does that man think he is?" I heard Paul snarl to Diego. "Some Casanova reincarnation?"

I stopped to pause at that. Loving another man's betrothed, I may be guilty of, but I did not go around bedding women for the sheer fun of it!

"I'm telling you," he continued. "He can shut down my business, but he will not steal my woman! Susannah Simon will be my wife."

"Paul?" Diego began sarcastically in an effort to get his attention. "Don't you think you are overreacting?"

"Not at all, Felix." Looking through a small hole in the wooden boards, I saw Paul's face twist into a sneer. "First, I'll deal with that rogue you call Sheriff. Then, Susannah will pay for cheating on me."

My heart furiously pounded against my chest and, in my effort to leave this place, I stumbled over the many rocks scattered over the floor, slamming against the wall I'd been using as a support.

I cursed myself for my stupidity and waited only for Paul's voice to send Diego out to find out what - or, more realistically, who - had made that noise before I ran off, not caring how much noise I made in the process.

That action may have forever branded me as a coward, but I cared not for reputation right now.

My querida was in danger, I could tell that Paul was going to do something to harm her.

My fists clenched as my eyes narrowed in steely determination even while I continued to pound along the rough floor.

There was no way I was letting Slater do anything to Susannah.

I couldn't believe how late I'd been out. Now, dawn was upon me and I had yet to close my eyes in sleep.

After running away from Paul - shamed as I am to admit it, it is the truth - I remained hidden in a dark, narrow street and stared at the ground as the darkness slowly faded into light. I was thinking. Thinking over my options, all the ways I could keep Susannah safe.

Tears built up behind my closed eyelids - closed out of exasperation, not exhaustion. I was distraught at the thought of what was our only option.

I couldn't marry Susannah.

I couldn't take her away from Paul, from here, and elope, for that would only get her hurt in the long term. I knew that Paul would never give up looking for her. He would always want that final act of revenge.

Susannah didn't deserve a life of fear and cowardice.

The best option would be for me to marry Maria, as had been planned since our birth, and forget all about one Susannah Simon and her marriage to a certain Paul Slater who may make her life intolerable.

So, it was with sleep clouding my thoughts and drugging my eyelids that I picked myself up from the floor I'd spent the better part of two hours, and began the weary journey on foot back towards the Ackerman household.

It pained me to do so but, for Susannah's safety, I had to crush our plans of elopement.

And, consequently, kill my dreams of a life with my querida.

My Susannah.