“I’m here.”
Tears sting my eyes as my cousin pulls me into a hug. His gold necklace presses against my temple, cold and soothing. He holds me tight—so tight the stupid tears won’t stop leaking.
Eventually, I try to push him away. “Okay. Stop. You’re going to kill me.”
He chuckles, and the low sound vibrates from his chest to my ear. The bastard doesn’t let go. “You’ve got my Colombian blood. Nothing can kill you.”
“Seriously though,” I gasp. “Can’t. Breathe.”
He pulls away, frowning, and I grin.
“Wow. That was easy,” I mutter. “You’ve gotten soft. It’s kind of embarrassing.”
He smirks, arches his brows. “Soft? You seen my guns lately?” He lifts his arms, flexes, and a laugh bubbles up my throat. He really is jacked.
“Gag me.”
“I’ve missed you too.” His expression goes grim. Dark, almost black eyes settle on me with something somber, and it reminds me how rarely my cousin’s goofy, lighthearted side shows.
When he’s serious, there’s no mistaking he’s a man laced in darkness. His black hair is shaved closely on the sides, but the top is long enough to brush his ears. He’s always had a strong face, with hard angles and a straight, defined nose. Black ink peeks above the collar of his T-shirt, hinting at the tattoos hiding beneath.
My smile slips, and I wipe the wetness from my cheeks and look away. “You got my letter?”
“I did.”
“What did you find out?”
“First ... good job getting your grades up again.” He looks at me. “Have you started applying to any colleges?”
I roll my eyes, but something about the question grounds me in a way I didn’t realize I needed. “With my sparkling resumé? I don’t think so.”
“Would you rather come work for me then?”
I have no idea what he does, but I wrinkle my nose at the thought, and his lips quirk.
“You gotta take this more seriously, Evangeline. There’s something out there for you, a bigger purpose. You just gotta find it.”
Unease settles in my stomach, forcing me to look away. What he doesn’t know is, I’ve already decided I’m going to college. But it’s not because I believe there’s a bigger purpose for me. It doesn’t matter how many times Alejandro says it, or how many times my mom said there was more out there waiting for me. I know who I am, and I won’t fool myself with thoughts that will never be fulfilled. No, the only reason I’m going to college and getting some fluffy degree is to prove I can.
Anyway, none of that matters right now. My grades aren’t the real reason he’s here.
“Alejandro ...” I say, returning my attention to him. My throat tightens with the next words out of my mouth. “Tell me what you found out. Is—is he alive?”
My cousin doesn’t respond right away, and his expression ties my stomach in knots.
“Tell me.”
“He’s alive,” he says quietly.
A stupid sob chokes me, and I hate myself for it. I hatehimfor it. Anger crawls up my body and traps a fiery scream in my chest. He’salive. How could he have survived? Monsters like him don’t deserve a heartbeat. I should have stayed and ripped his heart out when I had the chance.
My eyes burn as anger boils over. Who am I kidding? I froze when my own cousin snuck in to see me.
Pathetic.
“Evangeline—”
“And my dad? My mom?”
