Page 78 of Hidden While In Sight

“Maybe,” Diego grumbled, jiggling Emma in his arms to free a hand to ruffle Connor’s hair. He was rewarded by the way their son’s face softened. “No need to worry, boy. I can beat him up if I have to.”

“Fuck off,” Ramiro said.

Hannah’s smile dropped as she pursed her lips, but she didn’t tell him not to curse around the kids like she’d been telling Diego. Her face tightened to that blankness he thought he’d seen the last of.

“Ramiro is a jerk, but he won’t physically hurt you, mami,” Diego said. He sighed, his glare a little softer as he used it on his friend. “Tell her whatever you want. She already knows the worst of it.” His heart still thumped at all Ramiro could say. He nudged Connor’s back as he turned toward the hall. “Let’s do as your mom says,” he told the kids.

His time with the children soothed him even while nerves wound tighter in his stomach.

Hannah knew who he was, he reminded himself as he read a story to the kids. It was about a mouse tricking animal after animal as he made his way through the woods.

Ramiro was no mouse, but he definitely could use his words to trick people like that.

When Diego left the already sleeping Emma and a drowsy Connor behind, Ramiro was sliding a phone across the table to her. “It’s already programmed with my number if you ever change your mind.”

Hannah didn’t glance at it; she stared down at some papers in front of her instead. She had the tightest, most locked-down expression Diego had ever seen.

“Ram—” Diego started toward him.

“I’m leaving,” Ramiro interrupted, rising.

Diego paused. Hannah hadn’t looked up at him yet, just continued staring down at those papers.

Ramiro clapped Diego on his shoulder, the squeeze coming to him as if from a distance.

“I wanted her to have the opportunity to choose.” Ramiro looked back at Hannah. “If you want some distance to think, I can take him with me now.”

She shook her head.

Ramiro released Diego. “You can cuss me out later,” he told him, heading toward the door. It clicked shut loudly in the silence that had fallen.

Diego drew closer to the table, scanning his eyes over the top document. It was a marriage certificate, the forged one Diego had asked for.

“It’s just the legal stuff. I never meant—”

A tear ran down her cheek, making all his words die on his tongue. Another followed.

“Ram can undo it,” Diego said, his own voice rough with emotion. “It’s just paperwork. We can rip it up right now.”

“Stop,” Hannah choked out, shoving herself up from the table. Then she launched herself at Diego so hard, he staggered back. He wrapped his arms around her to protect her as they collapsed to the ground. Their fall made that barely there laugh fall out of her, but it mixed with a sob.

Diego pulled her face into his neck. “You’re confusing the hell out of me, mami.”

“Sorry.” The apology was muffled against his throat.

He loosened his hold enough to let her pull away, hating the tracks of tears on her face, which hovered above him.

“I’m sorry. It’s overwhelming.” Her elbow almost clipped him as she swiped at her cheeks. “I didn’t realize the name part would affect me like this.”

“It’s all fake. I don’t have a last name, so Ramiro created one for me. We can change it to something else if you don’t like it.”

“Not that. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s not Ashford.” Her lips trembled. “It feels different. Like I no longer belong to him.”

Diego’s hands sank into her hair, pulling her face closer to his. “You’re mine. How many times do I have to tell you that you’re mine?”

Her eyes held his. “I never want you to stop saying it.”

Fuck, she was fanning the flames of his obsession into an inferno. He groaned as he kissed her, his body rapidly becoming aware of hers sprawled on top of him. Her hands moved to his sweatpants, stroking his growing erection through the cloth, greedy and eager.

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