My Mother-in-Law Treated My Son Like a Dog While Raising My Husband's Mistress's Baby… But She Forgot the House Was Still Legally Mine

"Mateo!" Mariana shrieked, breaking free from Elena’s grip and bolting into the open. The black SUV roared past her, kicking up gravel and dirt. Through the tinted glass, she saw the terrified eyes of her son, a large man in the driver's seat holding him by the collar.

Mateo hadn't stayed at the center. He had hidden in the trunk of Vargas’s cruiser.

"They have him!" Mariana screamed to the arriving tactical units, pointing frantically down the dock road. "The black SUV!"

Two police interceptors immediately spun their tires, flipping on their sirens and tearing off in pursuit of the cartel vehicle.

Inside the SUV, Mateo fought wildly. He clawed at the driver's thick arms, kicking the dashboard.

"Stop moving, you little rat!" the driver snarled, backhanding Mateo across the face. The strike was heavy, tasting of copper in Mateo’s mouth, but it didn't break his spirit. He had survived years of beatings; this thug was nothing.

Mateo looked around frantically. The doors were locked, child-safety engaged from the front. They were hurtling down the coastal highway at ninety miles an hour, weaving through sparse evening traffic.

"Where are you taking me?" Mateo yelled over the roaring engine.

"To finish what your father started," the driver laughed cruelly. "You cost us a lot of money today, kid."

Mateo noticed the driver was driving with one hand, his other hand gripping a heavy pistol resting on his thigh.

The police sirens wailed behind them, growing closer. The driver cursed, slamming on the gas and sharply swerving onto a narrow mountain road that led up toward the cliffs. The tires screeched against the asphalt.

"You're not going to make it," Mateo said, his voice surprisingly calm. He wasn't the frightened boy in the doghouse anymore.

"Shut up!"

Mateo unbuckled his seatbelt.

"I said stay put!" the driver yelled, raising the pistol.

Mateo didn't hesitate. He didn't cower. Instead of pulling away, he lunged across the center console, grabbing the steering wheel with both hands and jerking it violently to the right.

The SUV swerved hard. The driver screamed, dropping the gun to grab the wheel, but the momentum was too much. The heavy vehicle crashed through the wooden guardrail, launching off the side of the embankment.