afraid to stop for even a second.
"We'll work your farm together, Rubio. I want to meet your mother and sisters. Do you think they'll like me? I want them to, so much. And I'm a good worker, caro. You'll see. I've never worked on a farm, but I'll learn. We'll make it the best farm in all of Spain."
She spent the afternoon talking to him, bathing his fevered body, changing the dressing. The bleeding had almost stopped.
"You see, caro! You're getting better. You're going to be well. I told you. You and I will have such a wonderful life together, Rubio. Only, please don't die. Please!"
She found that she was weeping.
Lucia watched the afternoon shadows paint the church walls through the stained-glass windows and slowly fade away. The setting sun dimmed the sky and finally it was dark. She changed Rubio's bandage again and, so close that it startled her, the church bell began to ring. She held her breath and counted. One… three… five… seven… eight. Eight o'clock. It was calling her, telling her it was time to return to the
Casa de Empenos. Time to escape from this nightmare and save herself.
She knelt down beside Rubio and felt his forehead again.
He was burning with fever. His body was soaked with perspiration and his breathing was shallow and rasping. She could see no sign of bleeding, but that could mean he was bleeding internally. Goddamn it. Save yourself, Lucia.
"Rubio… darling…"
He opened his eyes, only half conscious.
"I have to leave for a little while," Lucia said.
He gripped her hand. "Please…"
"It's all right," she whispered. "I'll be back."
She rose and took a long last look at him. I can't help him, she thought.
She picked up the gold cross and turned and hurried out the church door, her eyes filled with tears. She stumbled out onto the street and began to walk rapidly, heading toward the pawnshop. The man and his cousin would be there waiting for her with her passport to freedom. In the morning, when church services begin, they'll find Rubio and get him to a doctor.
They'll treat him and he'll get well. Except that he will not live through the night, Lucia thought. Well, that's not my problem.
The Casa de Empenos was just ahead. She was only a few minutes late. She could see that the lights were on in the shop. The men were waiting for her.
She began to walk faster, then she was running. She crossed the street and burst through the open door.
Inside the police station, a uniformed officer was behind the desk. He looked up as Lucia appeared.
"I need you," Lucia cried. "A man has been stabbed. He may be dying."
The policeman did not ask questions. He picked up a telephone and spoke into it. When he put the phone down, he said, "Someone will be with you in a moment."
Two detectives appeared almost immediately.
"Someone has been stabbed, señorita!"
"Yes. Please follow me. Hurry!"
"We'll pick up the doctor on the way," one of the detectives said. "Then you can take us to your friend."
They picked up the doctor at his home and Lucia hurried the group to the church.
When they entered the church the doctor walked over to the still figure on the floor and knelt beside him.
A moment later he looked up. "He's alive, but barely. I'll call for an ambulance."
Lucia sank to her knees and said silently, Thank you, God.
I've done all I can. Now let me get away safely and I'll never bother you again.
One of the detectives had been staring at Lucia all the way to the church. She looked so familiar. And then he suddenly realized why. She bore an uncanny resemblance to the picture in the Red, the top-priority circulation from
Interpol.
The detective whispered something to his companion and they both turned to study her. Then the two of them walked over to Lucia.
"Excuse me, señorita. Would you be good enough to come back to the station with us? We have a few questions we wish to ask you."
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Ricardo Mellado was a short distance away from the mountain cave when suddenly he saw a large gray wolf trotting toward the entrance. He froze for a single instant, then moved as he had never moved in his life. He raced toward the mouth of the cave and burst through the entrance. "Sister!"
In the dim light he saw the huge, gray shape leaping toward Graciela. Instinctively, he reached for his pistol and fired. The wolf let out a yelp of pain and turned toward
Ricardo. He felt the sharp fangs of the wounded beast tearing at his clothing and smelled the animal's fetid breath. The wolf was stronger than he had expected, heavily muscled and powerful. Ricardo tried to fight free, but it was impossible.
He felt himself begin to lose consciousness. He was dimly aware of Graciela coming toward him and he yelled, "Get away!"
Then he saw Graciela's hand raised above his head, and as it started to descend toward him, he glimpsed a huge rock in it and thought: She's going to kill me.
An instant later the rock swept past him and smashed into the wolfs skull. There was a last savage gasp and the animal lay still on the ground. Ricardo was huddled on the floor,
fighting for breath. Graciela knelt at his side.
"Are you all right?" Her voice was trembling with concern.
He managed to nod. He heard a whimpering sound behind him and turned to see the cubs huddled in a corner. He lay there,
gathering his strength. Then he rose with difficulty.
They staggered out into the clean mountain air, shaken.
Ricardo stood there, taking deep, lung-filling breaths until his head cleared. The physical and emotional shock of their close brush with death had taken a severe toll on both of them.
"Let's get away from this place. They may come looking for us here."
Graciela shuddered at the reminder of how much danger they were still in.
They traveled along the steep mountain path for the next hour, and when they finally reached a small stream, Ricardo said, "Let's stop here."
With no bandages or antiseptic, they cleaned the scratches as best they could, bathing them in the clean, cold spring water. Ricardo's arm was so stiff, he had trouble moving it.
To his surprise, Graciela said, "Let me do it."
He was even more surprised by the gentleness with which she performed the task.
Then, without warning, Graciela began to tremble violently in the aftermath of shock.
"It's all right," Ricardo said. "It's all over."
She could not stop shaking.
He took her in his arms and said soothingly, "Shh. It's dead. There's nothing more to fear."
He was holding her closely, and he could feel her thighs pressing against his body, and her soft lips were on his, and she was holding him close, whispering things he could not understand.
It was as though he had known Graciela always. And yet he knew nothing about her. Except that she's God's miracle, he thought.
Graciela was also thinking of God. Thank You, God, for this joy. Thank You for finally letting me feel what love is.
She was experiencing emotions for which she had no words,
beyond anything she had ever imagined.
Ricardo was watching her, and her beauty still took his breath away. She belongs to me now, he thought. She doesn't have to go back to a convent. We'll get married and have beautiful children—strong sons.
"I love you," he said. "I'll never let you go, Graciela."
"Ricardo—"
"Darling, I want to marry you. Will you marry me?"
And without even thinking, Graciela said, "Yes. Oh, yes."
And she was in his arms again, and she thought: This is what I wanted and thought I would never have.
Ricardo was saying, "We'll live in France for a while,