Chapter 13 - A Father's Confession
Mateo looked down at his side, where a crimson stain was spreading rapidly through his black shirt. A stray bullet had grazed his ribs during the escape on the dock.
""It's just a scratch,"" he grumbled, though his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel as he pushed through the pain.
""Sit down,"" Elena commanded, her nurse's authority cutting through his stubborn pride. ""You'll bleed out before we reach the safe house.""
Mateo hesitated, then let out a slow breath, cutting the engine to a drift amidst the thick lake fog where no radar could easily spot them. He slumped against the bench, allowing Elena to cut away his shirt with a pocketknife from the boat's emergency kit.
As her warm hands applied pressure with sterile gauze, Mateo watched her face in the soft red glow of the dashboard lights.
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""Why are you doing this?"" he asked softly. ""You could have run. You could have walked away.""
""Your son deserves a chance,"" Elena said, her eyes meeting his. ""And whether you believe it or not, I think Clara knew you were the only one who could truly protect him.""
