He looked at her again. “You never dated or remarried.”
“How do you know I never dated?”
“I might have been gone, but I kept an eye on you when I could. The first couple of years, I was… busy.” His jaw twitched, like he was holding himself back from saying something in irritation. “When I became free of my obligations and came to work for Tribe, I looked in on you andMadre. Made sure she was still safe. Broke into the house a few times, but she didn’t recognize me anymore.”
He’d come to see his mother. Not her.
“There’s been no one,” she confirmed. “At first, I needed to find a way to make money. Witness protection covered some of the basics, but your mother needed care, and I refused to let the agency put her in a nursing home. I was convinced I could take care of her, but that meant I needed a job where I could work from home. Day care seemed like the easiest solution, and the government allowed me to work for cash. Less of a paper trail for them, I suspect.”
“You were always good with Tobias,” he told her. “You were a natural at being a mother.”
But what about being a wife? Apparently, not so much.
“It was tough at first. Eventually, it made me feel closer to him, even though he was gone.” She pushed back the tears that wanted to fall. She didn’t cry. The only time she had in her life was the day she’d held her son in her arms as his soul slipped away. “Between taking care of the children and your mother, that took all of my time. The only men I met were fathers, and they were all married. Even if they hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have had a relationship with a client. And to be honest, the idea of being with someone else… it didn’t feel right somehow.” She shrugged. “Maybe part of me knew deep down that you weren’t really gone.”
His face took on a pinched look, as if he found that confession too intimate. Too close to an admission that she still loved him. Of guilt.
“You should get some sleep while you can,” he told her. “Not sure exactly where we’re switching planes. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
With that, he leaned back in his seat as best he could and closed his eyes. Within seconds, his breathing evened out in sleep.
She tried to do the same, but sleep wouldn’t come.
He was here. Her Fanso was alive and well, sitting beside her. He’d known she was in danger, and he’d come for her, despite not wanting to.
17
AUGUST 22, 2024
Steel
Every pulseof his blood sparked at her nearness. His skin tingled with electricity leaping from her to him. It took every ounce of control to slow his breathing down and fake sleep. To not reach out and touch her.
From the barest of slits, he watched her shift restlessly next to him. She studied the folded hands in her lap, her fingers twisting around each other. She crossed her legs. Then she switched and crossed them the other way. She looked out the window briefly, then back to her hands. Shifting was her tell. The fact that it was happening so rapidly meant she was extremely agitated.
Despite her discomfort, he realized she had nowhere to go since the plane was so small and he was blocking the way to get to another row. He allowed himself to slip into a doze. While he did, his mind drifted back in time to their wedding night.
He leaned back against the door, the snick of the lock soundinglike a gunshot. Daleyza stood in the center of the living area in his suite of rooms, a soft golden glow from the table lamps forming a halo around her still form.
From his position against the door, he said, “In the bedroom, on the bed, is a nightgown. I want you to put it on, get in the bed, and when you’re ready for me to come back in, turn off the light next to the bed.”
Her voice was soft and unsure. “I need help,” she whispered. “I can’t reach the buttons.”
He pushed off the door. When he arrived at her side, he took her by the hand and led her into the bedroom. At the side of the bed, he turned her so her back was to him, and time slowed to an infinite crawl as he slipped each one of the pearl buttons from their crocheted loops.
With each button released, another small portion of skin was revealed to him. His heart pounded against his rib cage, and his blood surged throughout his body until it all gathered in his cock.
He took a deep breath through his nose and allowed it to escape in a controlled exhale. Control. Control. He mustn’t scare her yet. Not any more than necessary.
The final button released, and he backed away. “I’ll be out on the balcony.”
Once outside, he leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette. The harsh burn of the nicotine, combined with the smoky flavor of the tobacco, soothed the tumult he felt inside. Over the stone balustrade, the dozens of jacarandá trees and their purple blossoms reminded him of Daleyza. Beautiful. Vibrant. Strong. Like the wind moved the trees, she moved with her circumstances. Bendable, but not breakable.
The light in the bedroom went out.
He took a final drag of his cigarette, then dropped what was left on the stone floor and crushed it out under his foot.
After reentering his suite, he poured himself a shot of tequila and shot it back. The smooth agave settled the burn in his throat.
