How I wanted people to know they better stay the fuck away from my family.
The Romans invented the word vendetta.
The modern Italians perfected it.
I’m unprepared for him to lift his chin and sit forward to kiss me. It’s so tender. I don’t know what to do other than return the affection.
“Chiquita, I’m sorry someone in my family wronged you and yours. Nothing about your story surprises me. He’s barely missed.TíoEnrique didn’t even go to the funeral. Rafael wasTíoEnrique’s extended family through marriage, but he’d normally attend forPapá’ssake. They’ve been friends since high school.Mytíodidn’t even glance at his calendar to see if he was free before saying he was too busy.”
I feel marginally better, but who knows what Alejandro’s parents will think when they find out. Maybe his father was close to his second cousin.
“Thank you for understanding.”
What else do I say?
“Why did you accept this job?”
“Honestly? Besides the money and knowing I could take out a Diaz without anyone stopping me, I was curious to see you.”
“See me? There are photos of me online.”
“Yeah, some shitty ones from public events. You have next to no social media, and what you do have are profile shots of you at sporting events. It’s just enough to make you look normal without giving away anything about your life.”
“And you have an active social life online?”
“More than you. I hide in plain sight.”
“What did you want to see about me?”
I suck my lips in between my teeth. My cheeks heat, and I try not to laugh as I gaze down at his uncovered abs and pecs.
“I wanted to see if you’re as hot as people claim. Like untouchable hotness.”
“And?”
“And what?”
We’re back to tormenting each other. It lifts a crushing weight off me that’s threatened to flatten me since I agreed to tell him the truth.
“We both know I’m very touchable for you. Am I hot?” He waggles his eyebrows at me.
“Egotistical.”
“Because I’m hot enough to be proud of it?”
“Arrogant.”
“My mother says charming.”
“She does not! There is no way she finds your arrogance charming.”
“Because I hide that and only show her my best manners.”
I laugh hard enough to snort. He groans when my cunt contracts around him. We freeze as desire courses through us. We fight to ignore our urge to move, our need to get off.
“Seriously,chiquita. You said you don’t know who hired you, but you have to have some hypothesis. You wouldn’t take the job if it wasn’t someone you could trust even a little.”
“I’ve ruled out the families here and theCosa Nostrain Chicago and Boston. But it could be anywhere with a cartel presence. Your family isthe Cartel, so you have more enemies than most. It could be Triad or the Golden Triangle. But I suspect they’re European not Asian.”
