“That wasn’t the question I wanted to use for the game, Efren!”
“Still a question,” I say, smirking. “Anyways… do you thinkthiswill protect you?” My fingers hook into her necklace again.
“I thought it got rid of bad energy, but you’re still here—so clearly, it’s not working. I need a whole field of sage to get rid of you.”
“And I’d still come back the next day,mija.”
A loud laugh bursts from the main cabin. We both turn to see Lurch slamming down a full flush of cards.
“Why is he so weird?” Alma mutters.
“Beats me.” I grin. “My turn.”
She slaps my hand away from where I hold her necklace.
“You’re fucking cheating, Efren!” she exclaims. Her eyes burn through me.
“You’re so sexy when you get mad.” I laugh. She’s seemingly unamused, but I take my turn anyway. “What’s your favorite book?”
“That’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. I don’t have one. Now it’s my turn, Bruno!” She paces the room, her lips pursing as she formulates the right question.
“What were you and Ariella whispering about at Vicente’s party?”
“She wanted the chipotle hollandaise recipe.”
“The one you made me?No pos wao. And here I was thinking I was special. What, is that like your morning-after-go-to recipe?” She crosses her arms, glaring at me.
“The game is a question for a question, not ten questions to one, Almita.” I boop her nose, and her eyes burn with fury.
“Oh my god, you’re so annoying.” She turns and walks back into the main cabin.
A smile spreads across my face when I watch her dramatically drop into her seat. Following behind her, I lift her and set her back in my lap. She fights me before rolling her eyes and settling in with that icy glare that always makes me grin wider.
“No, it’s not my morning-after recipe,” I say, leaning close. “It was a special I ran at the restaurant when she came in to eat with her bodyguard—who I’m a thousand percent sure wouldn’t let me get within a foot of her, and not because it’s his job.”
“Oh.” Alma relaxes into my chest, her voice softening. “Do you think the rumors are true?”
I shrug, but my eyes are focused on her sunken expression. The worry in her voice lingers between us.
“What’s wrong?” I hook a finger under her chin and force her to look at me.
“I got angry the other day and let one of the other maids get in my head about you and Ari.We were in the bathroom, and I didn’t realize she was in there and could hear the whole conversation. I said some fucked up shit, and I think.No, I’m positive, I hurt her feelings.”
“You were jealous,” I remark.
“No. I was just?—”
“Jealous,” Ricky says. He turns to us but retreats when he sees Alma’s eyes growing cold. “What? Anyone from a mile away can tell she was jealous.”
“It’s okay if you were jealous, Kitten. There were many times I was jealous of you and Esteban.”
At the mention of Esteban, I feel her body tense. She turns back to face the window, but I don’t try to pry anythingout of her. I let her watch the clouds because hell is on the horizon, and it’s only a matter of time before she’ll remember why her body tenses at the sound of my brother’s name.
_______
The three hour flight feels like a full day by the time we land in Los Angeles. Ricky and Lurch continue on to Mexico to check the durability of the tunnels we built for Vidal.
“It’s so weird being back here.” Alma looks around the neighborhood where we grew up.
