The Future Chosen by Mina V. Esguerra

Author:Mina V. Esguerra [Esguerra, Mina V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mina V. Esguerra

23

Maybe Rufus did it.

It was second nature to Lourdes to take her bodyguard along on this suspicious, secret trip. She’d done so in one way or another, several times the past year. How could he even tell that this was any different from when she was sneaking off with her lover instead? Rufus had been working for the Riorosa family for a long time—since she was ten years old, first as part of family security detail, then exclusively protecting her.

What that meant, in practical terms: a traveling companion, during work visits, and anywhere three kilometers away from the family home. He was with her in Rose Bridge; first to respond when she’d gone down.

What did she know about Rufus, apart from this? He had a family. He asked for time off two years ago, because his wife gave birth to their second son. He was in his late forties, used to be in the military, until he was injured during…she wasn’t even sure which year it was. But not in battle, a humanitarian mission instead, helping with rescue and recovery during an earthquake in another country.

They talked sometimes. He never initiated it; he knew it was beyond his pay grade. Lourdes did, because it seemed like a decent thing to do, when someone was always in the same car as you, or was waiting by the door while you mingled with future constituents. Rufus gave very little back, in terms of personal information. Didn’t ask her any questions. Maybe only to ask her how she was, what she needed.

The point being—would Rufus be the type who would betray her?

Today, she asked him to drive to the appointment to meet Marquetta. He didn’t drive anymore, not since he was “promoted” to primarily hover over and around her. There were drivers, a pool of them, but none in particular were clued in on Lourdes’s recent secret, and she didn’t want to involve anyone else if this happened to go to shit.

First they dropped off Mel at the hospital, then proceeded further east, using a map Marquetta had sent, going into the heart of the Ricar farmlands outside the district limits of Plaridad.

Practically the middle of nowhere.

Lourdes didn’t start any conversations, this time around. She watched him in silence, intermittently, as he drove, instead asking herself the questions.

Rufus knows about Andres and me. What would he do with that information?

He hasn’t seen us together…but he’s seen enough to know I’m not exactly faithful to my fiancé. When had he put two and two together, and what did he know of what went on when he wasn’t on duty?

When she was shot, and blurted out to Rufus that she was in love with Andres, she did it as a dying declaration. Silly girl, never been shot before. She survived it but couldn’t take back what she said, and maybe it was biting her in the ass right now.

How loyal was he to her? Or was his loyalty to her family? Because Lourdes’s choice of

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