Diego froze, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes locked onto the gun Esmeralda was now holding with both hands in the air pointing directly at him. Her grip was firm, her expression deadly calm, and the gleam in her eyes was sharper than any words she had spoken before.
“Esme,” he began, his voice low and cautious, his hands instinctively rising in a placating gesture. “What the hell are you doing?”
Esmeralda tilted her head slightly, her gaze unwavering as she pointed the gun directly at him. “I got this from one of the guards yesterday,” she said calmly, almost conversationally. “They didn’t even notice. A little trick my father taught me a long time ago. Always be prepared for snakes like you.”
Diego swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. “Esme, put the gun down,
