As soon as I reached Cali’s room and knocked, the door opened and I quickly stepped inside, making sure the door didn’t even make a clicking sound as it shut behind me.

Cali’s dark hair fell over her face, shielding half of it from me, but I pushed it back and swallowed my gasp when I saw how badly her face was bruised. As an influencer, Cali had gained her following by doing makeup videos. She knew how to change the entire appearance of her face so drastically, she could make herself look like almost any celebrity. But right then, there was no hiding the destruction someone had violently inflicted.

Her jaw was swollen, and she had a black eye. The difference between the sides of her face was like night and day. One side flawless, the other something from a horror film. The effect made her blue eyes more striking with her dark hair and alabaster complexion. “When did this happen?” I hissed.

“Last night,” she whispered back, so softly I had to strain to hear her. “I begged him to let me see Matias, and he punched me.”

The anger that had already been boiling in my veins only grew hotter. “Cali.”

“I know,” she sobbed, then quickly swallowed her tears. “I have to get out of here, Nova. If Matias dies, Manuel will kill me. Or worse…” She shuddered, her face turning slightly green. “The only reason I’ve stayed alive this long is because Matias has been somewhat coherent. He expects to see me. But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t…” She closed her eyes, silent tears spilling down her cheeks. “You’re the only one who can help me. The only one I trust.”

I threw my arms around her, hugging her tight for a long moment, trying to offer her any comfort I possibly could. “I’ll get you out of here, I swear.”

Moving farther into the room, I went straight to her suitcase. Pulling off the hat I was wearing, I shoved it into her hands then started taking off my clothes. She was a few inches taller than me, but we were roughly the same size. My shirt might be a little tighter on her because her boobs were bigger, but it would get the job done.

Once she was changed and I stood there in only my bra and panties, I opened my purse and handed her the black Amex card Ryan had given me for my sixteenth birthday. “The pin is 0715,” I whispered. It was Ryan’s birthday, so it was easy for me to remember. “Repeat it three times so you remember it.”

She whispered it over and over again while I tried to find something else to wear from among her clothes. I needed something designer but also an outfit I would typically want to wear, so no one would question me when I returned. Finding a dress I liked, I slipped it on and then grabbed a hair tie, pulling my hair into a knot, before doing the same with Cali’s hair, trying to be gentle so I didn’t hurt her face. “Have you heard anyone in the room above?”