The Heart of Camilo (A Camilo Madrigal x Reader Fem Y/N Story)

Clarity

*Y/N*

"No!" I screamed when I realized what Ramirez was doing, but it was too late. I heard the horrible sound as the sword's metal sheath hit Camilo in the head, knocking him out. His hands went slack and let go of me as he lost consciousness, slumping to the floor. I tried to drop to the floor to get to him, but Ramirez grabbed my arm and began dragging me towards the door.

"No! NO! Please, he'll bleed out if we leave him!" I screamed, seeing the blood beginning to drip onto the floor from the head wound Ramirez had given him.

"He'll live," Ramirez said. "I'll need his gift later." He continued to pull me out the door.

"DOLORES!" I screamed as loudly as I could. "DOLORES, CAMILO IS HURT, HE'S AT MY HOUSE! HELP HIM!"

Ramirez grabbed me, turning and slamming me against the wall. "You will shut up right now, and not try anything again, or I promise you that I will not only kill your brother, but I'll take this knife and cut your pathetic little boyfriend's heart out right now. It's worth losing his gift to show you how serious I am."

I whimpered, nodding to show I understood, my breath completely knocked out of me from the impact when he slammed me into the wall, my head singing in pain. I had a sudden urge to use my gift, drown him with water, rage burning inside me, but I had no idea where he was keeping Diego and couldn't risk him hurting Camilo further. I looked helplessly back at Camilo as Ramirez dragged me from the house, praying to God that Dolores had heard me.

His hands cut into my arm as he dragged me down the street to where he had tethered his horse. He jumped on, pulling me up in front of him, his hand still firm on my arm, hurting me so much I winced, gasping with pain, and then he kicked the horse, who jumped and raced us away into the night.

***

When Ramirez and I arrived back in his village about an hour later, he rode up to a house on the very outskirts near the trees. It was a strangely cold night, and my hands felt numb as I hung onto the front of the horse's saddle. Ramirez had eventually released the vice grip on my arm as we rode, seeing I wasn't about to leap off a running horse, even though I thought about it the whole way. I kept seeing Camilo's body on the floor, red blood staining the wooden floors, praying with everything I had that Dolores had heard me and got to him in time, terrified what state I would find Diego in, if he was even still alive.

Ramirez dismounted, reaching up to help me down. I was shaking so hard I could barely walk, both from fear and the cold of the ride, as he grabbed my arm again, escorting me into the house, making me wince with how hard he grabbed me.

"Where is Diego? Where are you taking me?"

"Enough questions for tonight," he said, coming to a door, shoving me away from him so roughly that I fell to the floor. I sat there, holding my arm, waiting, terrified, as he took out a key and began to unlock the door. Once it was open, he reached down and pulled me up again, throwing me roughly inside so that I fell once again, crying out as I came down on my bruised arm.

"We'll talk again in the morning," he said, closing the door.

I lay there for a minute, my breath once again knocked out of me, sore from him manhandling me. I turned my head to look around the room. There had been a window, but it was boarded up now - moonlight penetrating through the small cracks between the boards. I let my eyes adjust to the light, trying to slow my breathing, worried I would pass out. Slowly, I sat up, stunned at how much had happened. It must have been 1:00 a.m. by now. Camilo and I had been asleep on the couch together just a few hours ago. I gasped as I began to cry, thinking of him on the floor. Suddenly, I heard a groan from behind me.