Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
My heart, already shattered, aches for him from a million different facets. “I love you, too.”
His eyes widen, and then he kisses me again, pulling me over the center console and pressing my body to his as he holds me in his arms. We kiss until I can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t do anything except melt into him.
“Say it again.” He drops a kiss on my lips.
“I love you.”
“Again.” He nibbles my neck.
It pulls a laugh from me, even through the tears. “I love you.”
Someone taps on the window.
It’s Red and Benny, both of them with guns in their hands.
“What happens now?” I wipe some of the blood from his cheek.
He opens the door and lifts me from the car. “Now,” he looks around as his soldiers begin to assemble around us. “We go to war.”
29
MATEO
“Jesus, what did you say to her?” Sonny peers at my face.
“Her mother told her I killed her brother.”
His face sours even more. “Of course she did. Lying windbag.”
“What happened after I left?”
Lucretia hurries in with a first aid kit in her hand.
Sonny glances at her, then back at me and shakes his head.
“You can speak freely in front of her. Don’t hold anything back. She needs to know the situation—and that goes from this point forward.”
Lucretia stands beside me and dabs alcohol on my cheek.
“This really isn’t necessary.” I look up at her.
“I feel so bad.” She dabs some more.
I pull her into my lap.
“Mateo!”
“You need to make up for it somehow, princess.” I kiss her chest as she reaches for a Bandaid.
Sonny shakes his head. “Sarita tried to get the council to agree to hand me over until you turned up, but they wouldn’t allow it. Then she said she’d give you 24 hours to hand yourself over to the men she has stationed out front or she’ll come for you.”
“God, I can’t believe I did this,” Lucretia whispers as she dabs more alcohol on my forehead.
“I liked it, my little minx. Your claws are sexy.”
Sonny groans. “We’re about to go to war. Can you stop flirting for two seconds and pay attention?”
“I’m paying attention. Sarita doesn’t concern me.”
Sonny gawks.
“Vincenzo does.”
He sobers quickly. “That motherfucker. I should’ve known he was out to double-cross us.”
The door bursts open, and Lito hurries in, a half cucumber slice beneath each of his eyes. “Oh my god, what happened? I just saw Benny and Red in the hall loaded down with weapons like Rambo. Are you all right?”
“I’m fi—”
“Not you.” He cuts me off and gives Lucretia a half hug. “You.” He bends over and peruses her face. “Your makeup is all runny. You’ve been crying.” He turns to me. “I worked on this masterpiece for almost an hour, and you’ve got it all streaky. What did you do to make her cry, asshole?”
“Me? Nothing.” I hiss when she wipes alcohol across the bridge of my nose.
“You’re such a baby,” she huffs.
I squeeze her ass. “Keep teasing me, princess.”
“Fill me in. Give me the details.” Lito perches on the edge of my desk.
“This—” Lucretia points to her face. “Is from Mateo admitting that he’s been stalking me forever because of what happened to your parents.”
Lito’s brows lower as he gives me a death glare.
“But that was only like ten percent of it. Ninety percent of the runny mascara came from my mother telling me that Mateo killed my brother.”
“That’s a lie,” Lito says, then looks at me. “Isn’t it?”
I almost roll my eyes. “Yes, it’s a fucking lie!”
“See? No need for tears, my pretty one.” Lito runs his thumb along the corner of her eye. “Too smudged to save, I’m afraid. I’m guessing you’re the one who did that to his stupid face?”
Lucretia blushes and gives a rueful nod.
“It’s fine. He deserves it after that whole ‘French maid’ thing.”
“Fair point.” She turns to me. “That was a really dick thing to do.”
“I’ve got a dick thing you can do.” I bite her shoulder.
“Gross.” Lito scoffs.
“Are you done?” Sonny asks, his tone verging on petulant. “Can the grownups talk?”
“Fine.” Lito waves a hand. “I’m just here for the scoop. Continue.”
“Vincenzo is joining Sarita and Leonard—”
Lito gasps. “He what?”
Sonny pinches the bridge of his nose. “He’s turned on us. Voted against Mateo and offered his head to Sarita on a platter. We have to get ready. They’ll be coming at sundown tomorrow if not sooner.”
“Unless I give myself up.”
Lucretia cradles my cheeks. “Not happening.” Then she goes back to putting Bandaids all over me.
“I trusted him, and maybe I shouldn’t have. When Mom and Dad were hit, I knew Vincenzo was supposed to be there that day, and he wasn’t. It always seemed like a niggling little coincidence, but after tonight, I’m not so sure. What if he’s been the one behind the scenes this entire time? Watching me work and rebuild what was stolen from me, just waiting until he found the right time to swoop in and take it all for himself.”