Page 159 of When Lies Unfold

Once I’m standing before him, I tip my head back to meet his eyes, dark and stormy—the kind that hold trauma and secrets. I’m granted a view of the man who was striking from afar, but up close… Up close, he’s a brand of handsome that’s a unique mix of rugged, dangerous, and sleek.

Even beneath his button-down shirt and slacks, it’s evident he only has the utmost respect for his body. His pants mold to his thick, muscled thighs, and his shirt draws snug around his firm-looking biceps.

With a sharp jawline, his eyes are so piercing, it’s as though his gaze threatens to delve directly into your mind.

He doesn’t bother attempting to speak over the cacophony. He simply offers me his large palm in silent question.

When I place my hand in his, it feels…meaningful somehow. Life-changing, even though I know that’s impossible.

My life is already set on a path. But tonight, I’m allowed to pretend to be someone else.

Someone different. Someone free.

Tonight, I can give in—just a little—to the magic of what this night and this man offer.

PRESENT

My heart lodges in my throat at the memories that still remain so vibrant in my mind.

I run my fingertip over the metallic-blue feather and let it envelop me in a sense of rightness.

Pulling out the notepad, my hand trembles as I write each painstaking word. I blink rapidly against the tears threatening to spill free.

My abuelita had been right all along. She somehow knew fate would intervene at that carnival.

I never could’ve imagined how powerful fate really is.

Once finished, I set the pen on the wooden surface, sadness permeating every fiber of my body. When I trace a finger over my inked words, I can almost feel the emotion emanating from my heartfelt sentiment.

Regret blankets my movements as I carefully and painstakingly fold the paper around the feather.

The sudden appearance of a shadow darkening the doorway has my head snapping up in alarm.

1 Granddaughter

2 Yuca fritters

73

LOLA

I’m not surprised to discover the familiar wide, muscled body standing sideways.

Gordo leans his thick frame against the doorjamb, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You takin’ over management now?”

A tiny laugh spills out of me. “Hardly.”

His brown eyes drop to the paper-enfolded feather in my hand, his dark brow furrowing. Before he can say anything, I shove it in my bag.

Grabbing my boots, I dart up from the chair. “I need to get something important from my place.”

He steps into the room and fully faces me. When he crosses his arms, I wonder how his shirt doesn’t rip at the seams where it draws so tightly across his broad torso. “You know that’s not gonna happen.”

“Gordo,” I say on an exhale. “You know very well that I could’ve just gone out the back instead of asking.”

A smirk toys at his mouth. “That’s ’cause you wanted me to join you.” Cupping a hand at the side of his mouth, he pretends like he’s sharing a whispered secret. “After all, we are LoGo.”

I hold his gaze while he stares back at me silently.

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