Page 84 of Falling for the Enemy

“I think you want Stefano’s blood on your hands as much as I.”

“Fuck that pendejo.” Again, his response isn’t the one I was expecting. “I’m going with you, si, but not wholly because of him.”

Intrigued, I tilt my head. “Why then?”

He kisses me sweetly, then pulls back just enough to speak. “In chess, the queen may hold all the power. But this is real life, Hermosa, and in my world a king always protects his queen.”

I swallow, my heart once more threatening to climb into my throat as butterflies, the same ones he conjured weeks ago in my study, return. “We’ll stay by one another’s sides, da? Just like we agreed?”

“Always, Manzana. Until our deaths.”

He kisses me, stealing my breath with a simple touch, as his vow echoes through my head, repeating on an endless loop.

Always.

The word is yet another I could get used to.

TWENTY-TWO

Alejandro

It’s the calm before the storm.

As we sit parked on the side of a desolate road three miles from the rundown farm Stefano is using as a safe house, my mind is silent.

The calculating and killer instinct that was instilled into me as a boy soldier has awoken from its slumber, taking center stage and silencing all else as I double-check Manzana’s bulletproof vest, ensuring its fit is correct.

“Are you ready for this?”

She doesn’t hesitate. “Da.”

With a wink, she turns, giving her back. The sight of her round ass in jeans, a vision I’ve never glimpsed before, but that I demand more of in the future, is almost enough to steal my attention from the promise of death that hangs in the air.

Keyword: almost.

“And you?” My woman peers at me over her shoulder as she slams a magazine into one of her guns, the rifle almost as big as her. “Are you prepared for what’s to come?”

I nod, my bloodthirsty demons silent.

Laying her weapon on her SUV’s front dash, she slides a silver knife into the leather sleeve secured to her thigh via three hand-tied straps and spins, her chest facing mine once more.

My hand cups her neck, my thumb brushing across her jaw. She exhales softly and nuzzles into my touch. Cunning, yet sweet.

It’s a lethal combination.

“Stay with me.” Anxiety settles deep in my gut, a feeling I’m unaccustomed to. “I know you can handle yourself, but if things go awry, I want you within arm’s reach.”

If something happens to her...

I grit my back teeth, pushing away the thought. The last thing I need is for my mind to delve headfirst into an ocean of worse-case scenarios, where I’ll undoubtedly drown in paranoia, possibly hindering myself from flawlessly executing the two tasks required of me.

Keeping Ari safe.

And capturing Stefano.

Once those are complete, the time for Manzana and I to sit down and have a conversation regarding our future together will arrive.

I won’t push her, not when I’m still warring to break down her remaining walls, but she needs to be reminded that there’s no escaping me.

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