Monsters Like Us (Book 1 in The Huntress Series)

Chapter Two

Luz peered nervously out the window at the choppy waves below. She had never flown in an airplane before, much less a private jet, and her nerves were setting in, making her legs weak and her insides all sloshy like she might be sick. On the other hand, Nerilla Hemlock—Lavinia's sister and co-CEO of Hemlock Inc.—was in her element: gold depuffing eye masks glued above her sharp cheekbones, earbuds smashed into her head, third martini underway. "You don't look so well," she noticed. "Can Paul whip you up a drink? Virgin, of course. How about a piña colada?"

Before Luz could respond, Nerilla snapped her fingers. "Paul, darling? One virgin piña colada for Luz. My new friend."

Nerilla winked at her, and Luz put on a timid smile. By some miracle, she had secured the highly sought-after position of Nerilla Hemlock's personal assistant out of thousands of other hopeful applicants, and for whatever reason, Nerilla had taken a swift liking to Luz, hiring her on the spot. It's why she was now on her way to one of the world's most secluded and beautiful islands, to a resort known as the billionaire's playground, an establishment the Hemlock family had built themselves. In all honesty, Luz hadn't wanted to be a part of her sister and aunt's master revenge plan. Not at first, anyway. She was perfectly content moving on with her life and forgetting the past, focusing on coding and passing time with her brand-new 3D printer—something she sadly couldn't fit into her suitcase.

Luz thought about yesterday evening. Esperanza was in the backyard, delivering blows to a punching bag. Sweat poured down her back, soaking into her sports bra. Her long, black braid bobbed with each punch, with every kick. She dealt one final kick with a savage grunt. When she noticed Luz, she smiled. "Want to spar?"

"No, thanks," Luz declined. Esperanza was merciless. She'd be flat on her back before the first minute was up. "Dinner is ready. Oh, and I got a phone call from my new boss."

"Oh, yeah?"

"She wants me to fly to Isla Paraíso with her. Tomorrow."

"That's short notice." Esperanza wiped the sweat from her brow. She gulped from her bottle of water, finishing half in one go. "Did you already tell Tía?"

"Yeah."

"And what did she say?"

Esperanza waited for the answer, removing her boxing gloves. Luz nibbled at the skin around her thumb nail. "She says she has to think about it."

Esperanza came up to Luz and set a hand on her shoulder. "Well, then. Wait to see what she says. Marta knows best."

At the dinner table, Luz slumped in her seat, staring down at the piece of plastic her 3D printer had spit out an hour ago. A Princess Leia figurine. She kissed it for good luck. Outside, thunder rumbled. Their town of Eden was known for its unfortunate weather—cold and rain and snow. Luz missed Florida, where the girls had lived with their aunt for the past ten years before moving back to put their plan into action. She missed her friends, the life she'd created there. Even with being homeschooled, the community had been so tight, she never felt alone. Not like she did here.

"What's for dinner?" Esperanza asked, interrupting her thoughts. She had showered and changed into a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. The braid was back.

The oven door clanged shut and Tía Marta fluttered into the room, cradling a large steel pan with two oven mitts. She lowered the pan onto a placemat in the center of the table and lifted the lid, swirls of steam curling up to the ceiling. "Vegetarian Paella," she announced ceremoniously.

Ever since Luz had become a vegetarian, her aunt had tried to accommodate, even modifying her favorite recipes from Spain. "Are those chickpeas?" Luz asked.