They all look over to me, and Mateo nods, encouraging me to speak my piece. Emma bites her lip, forcing herself not to speak up to defend her brother and wait until I get out what I have to say.
“What will we do about Ramón now that we know he is working with Mr. Martinez?”
The girls both look to Mateo for answers as I wait patiently to hear his response.
He clears his throat. “Well, I think I need to confront him, but I don’t think his house is the best place. Maybe at the cafe where we usually play chess?” He looks to me for what I can only assume is my opinion on the matter.
I nod. “I just worry about Evie because she always goes with you. Maybe I can tag along, or Emma, Eduardo, and I can show up there for your next meet-up?”
He seems to ponder the idea over and nods in agreement. “Yeah, I think maybe that would be best.”
Evie squeezes his hand, walks over to me, and sits on my lap. “When do we see him again, Mateo?” She shifts her hips over my thigh, making my cock jump into action. She feels it as she wiggles her ass over the rigid outline as it is trying to push upward as if it has a mind of its own.
I hold her from shifting further and stifle a groan. She giggles, and Emma squints her eyes as if she has x-ray vision that allows her to see through clothing.
Mateo speaks, interrupting my thoughts of slipping my rock-hard cock into Evie’s slick heat. “We are set to meet on Friday around midday.”
I look at Emma, and she nods. “I can be there. I’ll bring Eduardo. Just give us the details, and we’ll see you there.” She stands, and Mateo rises with her.
“You leaving, Em?”
“Yes. I have to work tonight. It’s such a zoo there, and nights are the worst, but Eduardo thinks it is safer. I don’t work much now, but it’s part-time. At least for now, until I do other things.”
Evie and I look over at her, and Emma walks toward the door. Evie turns to me and mouths ‘other things.’ I shrug, not knowing what that means as we walk to say goodbye to Emma.
She kisses her hand and then waves. “Love you, but I gotta run, or Eduardo will throw a fit before he takes me to work.” With that, she closes the door, and we stand in the window watching her sashay to her BMW Eduardo had dropped off to her earlier, as she drives away.
Evie scoffs. “Let’s not pretend that Eduardo doesn’t always know where she is.”
As if right on cue, another vehicle with someone who strangely resembles Philip follows Emma out of the parking lot and onto the street.
“Told you,” Evie barks out, pointing to the car driving off after Emma.
“Baby, that’s not the half of it. And I can’t say I blame him.”
Evie looks over at me, searching my eyes for something she won’t find. Because if there is one thing that I have learned from Eduardo, it is that there is nothing we wouldn’t do to protect the women we love.
I pull her to me as I hear Mateo move away.
“I think I’m going to order some greasy food and go back to bed,” he says.
I tug Evie toward me. “I think we will skip the first part of that and go straight on to the second.” I lead Evie back to her room and close the door.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
EVIE
“Lovers Rock” by TV Girl
Midweek, I decide to call Emma and see if she wants to have a girl's day. I know she doesn’t work tonight, so she agrees. We are meeting up with everyone this evening for dinner to brainstorm ideas for when Mateo will confront his grandfather, Ramón, on Friday. The anxiety of that meeting has me on edge, and I need a distraction. What better way to do that than to go for afternoon margaritas at our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant? It might be fun to see if Liv wants to come along.
I remember all the times when I witnessed Emma and her friends out and about having a good time eating lunch or clubbing at night. I felt that pang of jealousy as I watched from the shadows, never to be invited or even known about. The sister who died more than anyone else would ever realize. I died a thousand deaths in the shadows, feeling dead inside.
Now, all these feelings rise to the surface, overpowering me as a turbulent storm of emotions which constantly swirls around me, trying to break through my carefully crafted façade. SinceEmma told Liv about us and our family, it seems like a weight has been lifted.
I feel lighter. I feel free. I feel seen.
I thought the day would never come when I was able to sit at their table, talking and laughing with my sister and her friends. To partake in conversation and camaraderie is something I have longed for and will never take for granted.
