“Men and women needsomesecrets,Mi Santa. It’s not good to know everything.Mujeresneed some mystery in their men, or where is the romance, huh?”
I couldn’t stop the knowing smile that curved my lips because one thing Jacob and I had an abundance of was romance. Not even a weirdo-stalker vibe could kill that. I’d been romanced to shit over the last couple of weeks, and not in a cheesy pick-up line kind of way, but in a lingering look, whispered words way that made my skin tingle and my blood pump hard through my veins.
I glanced at her bustling around my kitchen in her beige slacks and pretty shirt with ruffles on the sleeves. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Make coffee,” she threw over her shoulder at me. “And not the weak stuff the cat peed. Heat up someCafé de Olla.” She glanced outside, then back toward me again. “Your man looks like he needs it.”
I went to the fridge and pulled out the container of coffee Catalina had brought with her, and my eyes almost rolled with pleasure as I caught a whiff of its cinnamon, spicy scent. I placed it in the microwave and set the timer, leaning back on the counter as I watched it turn.
“I’m going to miss your coffee,” I murmured softly. “Are you sure you can’t come out to New York for a while?”
Her dark brown eyes caught mine, and she gave me a smile. “Mi Santa,” she breathed. “I cannot.La bebé...” Her warm eyes held mine. “When everything settles, and my girl is in a routine withmi nieta, maybe I can try.”
Catalina’s daughter was due to give birth to Cat’s first granddaughter in a few weeks. Having grandchildren to spoil made her happy and dulled the pain of losing her husband, Carlos, the year before.
I stepped toward her and took her hands in mine. “I’m sorry, Catalina, I shouldn’t have asked. It was selfish of me.”
She moved in for a tight hug before pulling away and waving a hand through the air. “Bah! Nonsense! You havecorazon de oro.” She clicked her fingers, trying to find the words. “How you say? Ahh, yes. Heart of gold. Mi Bianca still cries with the money card you gave her forla bebé.” She lifted a hand to stroke the hair back from my face and breathed, “Santaby name andSantaby nature.”
I gave her big eyes. “I wish someone would tell that tomi padre.”
“Bah!” Cat exclaimed loudly, waving her hand again. “His loss. Men are sometimes stubborn and stupid. Even mi Carlos acted like a fool sometimes, and I had to”—she tapped her foot hard on my tiled floor, acting out what she was trying to say—“stamp my foot down.”
God. I loved this woman.
“I’ll miss you when I’m away,” I murmured.
Her smile was warm. “You’ll see me soon, and we can do FaceTime. Mi Bianca showed me how, and it's easy. You can seemi nietawhen she comes.” Her eyes lifted over my shoulder, and her face took on a brusque-like quality. “Jacob. You likeCafé de Olla?”
He pushed the bi-fold doors half closed behind him and walked straight toward us. “Love it. Diablo’s mommakes it for us when she visits the clubhouse. It’s fuckin’ awesome.”
She clicked her tongue, shooting him a glare as the microwave pinged. “Language, Jacob. And who is this Diablo? Diablo is the devil, no?”
He grinned. “Exactly.”
Her face softened, and she took out the plastic pitcher and ordered, “Cups, Jacob.”
He stretched to open the door to the cupboard above her head and grabbed a few out, placing them on the counter. “Anythin’ else you need?”
“Just your words,” she demanded. “What made you angry on the phone? Is itese idiota?”
He reached out for me, grabbed my hips, and lifted my ass onto the countertop before standing between my legs and cupping my face gently. He stared into my eyes and murmured, “There was another envelope on the porch this mornin’, though this one was left at the front door and not around back. The fucker used a courier service this time. Colt already checked their records but the asshole gave them fake ID and a pre-paid card, also in a false name.”
“Jesus.” My eyes darted between his. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Didn’t open it. Called Talia, who arranged for it to be couriered to the detective dealing with your case. He’s coming over soon to talk to us. Now that I know what was in it, we can discuss our next steps. You wanna see what the fucker sent, or do you want me to tell you?”
I stared up at him.
“You can handle it, baby,” he murmured, touching his lips to mine. “Hand to God, Saint, nothing will touch you while I breathe air.”
My life was fucked up. I had a weird guy sending me weird gifts and making weird threats—a fact that had exacerbated the band’s need to hire bodyguards—but still, I believed every word Jacob said.
Nothingwouldtouch me while he breathed air.
I knew it down to thecore of me.
“Okay,” I agreed. “I wanna see.”
