The iron gates of the Costa estate groaned open, swallowing the SUV into a world of manicured lawns and blinding security floodlights. The gravel crunched under the tires as the vehicle pulled up to the grand stone entrance of the main mansion. The massive structure loomed over me like a fortress, its limestone walls casting long, scary shadows in the night.
The door was snapped open from the outside. The cold night air rushed in, but it brought no relief. Augustino stepped out first, not once looking back to see if I was following. He didn't need to. He knew the invisible leash around my neck was pulled too tight for me to do anything else.
I stumbled out after him, my legs nearly giving out the moment my sneakers hit the pavement. My hands flew instinctively to my chest, clutching my b
