CHAPTER 18: BEHIND IRON GATES

Xitllali

Guillermo opened his door first and stepped out. He then came around to my side and opened my door.

He offered me his hand. His large palm was warm against my fingers as my boots touched the damp stone driveway.

Valdo and Mateo moved ahead of us, unlocking the heavy wooden front door and stepping inside to check the area.

“Let's go inside," he said softly, keeping himself between me and the open courtyard as he guided me through the doorway.

I stepped into a large living room with a simple, rustic design. Thick wooden beams crossed the ceiling, and soft yellow lamps filled the room with warm light. Heavy dark curtains covered the large windows facing the private garden.

"The solar inverter is fully charged, Boss," Valdo reported, returning to the living room after checking the utility closet. "I turned on the gas heater and the water pump.

The emergency pantry is fully stocked with canned meat, dried p***o beans, rice, and cornmeal. Mateo and I will take watch at the front gate tonight."

"Good," Guillermo said. "Keep the radio jammer on low power and watch the valley road."

Valdo nodded, then stepped outside with Mateo and pulled the heavy wooden door shut. The iron latch dropped into place with a solid click.

Silence filled the warm room.

Guillermo carefully unbuttoned his dark wool coat with his right hand and let it fall onto a nearby chair. He made a quiet sound of pain when the fabric pulled against his left shoulder.

I looked at his tired, pale face, then down at my own boots and pants. Even though I had changed into clean, dry clothes in the SUV, my body was still cold and sore.

"Guillermo, you need a warm shower first," I said, turning toward the hallway. "Your skin is still covered in dirt and sweat. Go wash it off so I can clean the wound properly again."

A small smile touched the corner of his mouth, but he shook his head.

"You go first, Xitllali," he said softly. "The master bedroom is down the hall on the left. It has a strong locking door and an attached bathroom. There are no windows, so it's secure."

"Guillermo, your shoulder..."

"I am not getting into a shower while you're still cold," he interrupted calmly. "Go, take your time. I'll wait here."

I stared at him for a moment, knowing there was no point arguing with him when he was being this stubborn.

"Okay," I whispered.

I walked down the dark hallway and entered the master bedroom. It was a large, quiet room with heavy wooden shutters over the windows and a wide wooden bed.

I crossed the rug and opened the door to the attached bathroom. It was exactly as he described, a windowless stone room with rustic tiles, a large copper shower head, a wooden vanity, and a brass rack holding thick white towels.

I turned the brass knobs, and within seconds, hot water began pouring down, filling the room with steam.

I undressed and stepped under the hot water.

The heat hit my shoulders, making me close my eyes as a long breath left my chest. I took a cedar soap from the wooden vanity and rubbed it between my hands until it foamed, washing the mud, sweat, and smell of gunpowder from my hair and skin.

The heat reached my sore muscles, and for the first time since the gunshots had torn through La Calandria, my body began to relax.

When I turned off the water, the bathroom became quiet except for the sound of steam against the stone walls.

I stepped out of the shower, completely naked, with water running down my skin and my wet hair hanging down my back. I walked toward the rack and I reached for a towel.

Then I stepped out of the bathroom and started moving towards the bed.

Suddenly, the door opened.

"Xitllali, I forgot to tell you where the spare..."

Guillermo stopped in the doorway.

My heart jumped into my throat, and the towel in my hand fell to the floor. I quickly picked it up and wrapped it tightly around my chest.

Guillermo stood completely still, one hand gripping the doorframe.

His eyes widened in surprise before his expression changed. His gaze dropped briefly to my bare shoulders, then quickly moved back to my face.

Heat rushed to my face as I held the towel tightly against my body.

"Guillermo!" I cried, my voice shaking with embarrassment.

He swallowed hard and looked away, fixing his eyes on the wall above my head.

"I'm sorry," he said roughly. "I thought you were still in the shower. I'll wait in the living room."

He stepped outside quickly and closed the door behind him.

I stood frozen, breathing hard as I held the towel against myself. My face still felt hot.

It took me a few minutes to calm down. I dried myself quickly and pulled on the same clothes again. They were still clean.

When I stepped back into the living room, drying my hair with a smaller towel, Guillermo was standing beside a large cedar storage closet near the entrance. His back was turned toward the hallway.

His eyes lifted when he heard me. A look of regret was still on his face, but he cleared his throat.

I looked at him, still feeling embarrassed. "You should go take a shower now."

He nodded and looked down at his boots.

He took a pair of clean dark trousers from the closet shelves and grabbed a clean white towel before heading down the hallway toward the bedroom.