“It’s getting close to your bedtime, Alejandro. Hurry up.”
“You’re the one who needs to catch up on his beauty sleep.”
“Boys.” Sera’s voice interrupts, and I giggle.
“We’re coming from New Jersey, Sera. We’ll be there soon.”
I don’t know how long it’ll take to get from northern New Jersey to Queens. I’m guessing half an hour at least. We hang up the call and join the others in the living room.
“We didn’t learn much from my dad, but I’m confident he’ll dig now that he knows I might be in danger. He’ll check in with me soon if for no other reason than to make sure I’m still breathing.”
“We’re headed to Serafina and Carmine’s.”
Alejandro’s announcement puts scowls on everyone’s faces. I feel like I should speak up, explain that Sera and I grew up together. I fear that’ll only make it worse though. Enrique assesses me before he speaks. It doesn’t help that I already feel like I’m standing before a firing squad.
“How well do you know Serafina?”
“She’s my best friend.”
I want to wince since I didn’t explicitly tell Alejandro that. I probably should have. His arm’s around my waist, with histhumb against my back. He rubs it up and down to reassure me. I suppose it wasn’t hard for him to figure that out from what I already told him and from how Sera and I sounded on the phone.
“She won’t tell you anything about her father or your father’s dealings if she knows anything.”
“I wouldn’t tell her either. We’ve never talked about it. I don’t expect her to tell me how the Mancinellis are involved—if they even are. But she’ll tell me if the Mancinellis know whether I’m the new target. Carmine knows what we mean to each other. He wouldn’t keep that from her, even if I am Alejandro’s?—”
Fuck!
“Girlfriend.”
He fills in the blank, and I breathe easier. I didn’t know what to label myself as, and I didn’t want to presume what he’d tell his family. There are knowing looks on the older generation’s faces, andTres J’sappear bored. I donotneed Catalina and Matáis thinking I’m sleeping with their son as mere fuck buddies. I mean, I’m certain they’ve guessed what we’ve gotten up to, but ugh!
I’m not a prude but having them know I’m intimately involved with their son just feels icky. Not just because of how we got together but in general as his parents. Their expressions tell me they know what Alejandro’s already told me—I’ll be his wife sooner rather than later.
Frankly, if I weren’t in this for good, I wouldn’t be standing here. My silence on the matter has been consent. If I didn’t want this, I wouldn’t have come here. I would’ve dug my heels in or escaped—at least tried to. My resistance comes from what I’ve felt like I should think and say.
As I gaze up at Alejandro, I know my resistance is futile. I don’t want to fight this. When he stares down at me, the rest of the world slips away.
I’m yours.
It’s as though I can read his mind, and he can read mine. Some energy passes through us, and I’m positive we’re thinking the same thing. When we look at everyone else, I lean my head against his chest. I don’t realize it until Alejandro tightens his hold on me. When I attempt to lift my head, embarrassed by the slip, he squeezes my waist.
“We need to get going. Sorry we delayed dinner, but we’re going to skip it.”
Alejandro makes our excuses. I didn’t even think about keeping the family from their meal.
“Let me fix you both something to take with you.”
Catalina rises from the sofa and looks at me. She tilts her head toward the kitchen. She speaks as though this is her home rather than her brother and sister-in-law’s. I leave Alejandro’s side and follow his mother into the kitchen. She immediately pulls plates from the cabinet, and it takes no time for me to realize she’s as comfortable here as she would be her own home. I stay out of the way.
“Keep my son alive, and I’ll learn to love you like you’ve always been my daughter. Endanger him, and you’ll wish you’d never been born.”
She speaks while piling food onto two plates. She covers them in cling wrap and hands them to me with a smile like she’s giving me brownies at a bake sale not a death threat.
I respect and admire her while being terrified.
“Mrs. De Santos, I?—”
“Catalina.”
