“Did he say what his name was?”
“No,” she said as I approached, “but he said you’ll know it when you see him.”
“What?” I walked around her and made my way through the foyer. At the end of the hall, the front door was cracked open just a sliver, allowing a slice of light to spill onto the waxed floor. I could see some of the person’s shadow through the crack. Gripping the knob, I pulled the door open wider.
When I saw the familiar man in the suit and tie, with tan skin and nearly black hair, my entire mood deflated.
“Javier.” He removed his aviator sunglasses and tipped his chin, revealing dark-brown eyes. “I think it’s about time we have a chat.”
It was him. Rafael Acosta.
The man whose mere existence had caused me to lose sleep for almost a year.
The man I’d wanted to kill with my bare hands.
The man Eloise had cheated on me with only a few months before she died.
Thirty-Two
Javier
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I growled, stepping onto the porch.
Rafael backed away, throwing one hand up to try to calm me. “Just relax, all right. I just need to talk to you.”
“Showing up at my doorstep like this isnotthe way to reach me.”
“Well, you didn’t have to open the gates.” He shrugged and smirked.
“You have five seconds to tell me why you are here, or I am going to punch that stupid smirk off of your fucking face.” I took another step closer, clenching my fists. He took one backward, the back of his foot nearing the edge of the stoop.
The door creaked behind me, and Octavia and Catalina rushed out, eyes wide and worried.
“Listen, I just dropped by to tell you that I know about Aleesa. Okay?”
“What are you talking about?” I snapped.
“I think that she might be my daughter. Not yours.”
My heart sank like a rock to my stomach. Catalina gasped behind me. I clenched my fists tighter, feeling my nails pierce my palms as my throat became raw and thick.
No. That could not be true.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Catalina demanded, walking around me to get in Rafael’s face.
He took a step down. Three more and he’d be off the stoop.
“What? Did he not tell you about me and Eloise?” Rafael flashed an arrogant smile at Catalina before putting his focus on me again. “I guess it makes sense. Don’t want to taint her reputation.”
I shoved past my sister and gripped the lapels of his suit, then stormed down the steps until I was on flat ground. I threw him down and dropped to my knees, ready to beat the shit out of him ... until I heard the one voice that always centered me.
“Daddy!”
I froze, fist midair, then twisted my upper body to see my mother standing on the porch, with Aleesa in her arms. Aleesa’s eyes were wide and panicked as she studied me. My mother stared at Rafael, her face warped with confusion.
I hurried to a stand, breathing raggedly.
“Jesus, now I see why Eloise wasn’t happy with you.” Rafael got up and dusted himself off. “All that anger can’t be healthy.”
