Page 57 of Heart of a Villain

“How is that stupid?”

“It’s not the 1800s, little sister,” she explained. “Yet, I’m here swooning because there was something about knowing the love of my life was the only man to know my body inside and out. For years, I wouldn’t let another man touch me because of how strong my memories of being with Adrían were. We were going through one of the most difficult periods of our lives, and still, I managed to fall in love.”

“So did he.”

“That’s what he says.”

A wide-open field separated a line of trees along the side of the road. They slowly went from passing several cars at a time to one every once in a while. At a certain point, there would be none, which made her wonder how much land they truly owned.

“You’re not only Adrían’s anymore?” Ayesha asked.

“No, not anymore.” She turned away and did her best to keep her voice steady. “His name’s Lorenzo. He’s Rafael’s brother, but he’s what’s known as the tenente in Chamas. The lieutenant. Basically, he’s one step below Chefe, who’s like the don.”

“So lots of power.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me more about him.”

“I never had an opinion about him, one way or the other. I simply saw him as the man occasionally at Chefe’s side. Usually, the enforcer is Chefe’s right-hand man, but with Rafael being Lorenzo’s brother, Rafael defects more to him. The first time I met him…the first time I noticed him, really, was the day I learned that I would become a Chamas member.”

“And how did you become a member of Chamas?”

A single car passed them on the road.

“Three men cornered me behind the restaurant where I worked at the time. I was throwing out the trash. It was one of the days Cipriano—that’s Chefe—and his wife ate at the restaurant, so when I yelled, Cipriano and Lorenzo showed up. Cipriano barely breathed a word before Lorenzo dropped all three men. A bullet to the head each.”

“After that, you owed Chamas your life.”

“Yes.”

“What happened next?”

“Nothing, right then,” she said. “I thanked Cipriano. Profusely. They gave me a ride home. For the next several weeks, everything was normal. Then, one day, I got home, and the lights were out at my apartment. The first thing I thought was to check the circuit breaker, but then I noticed a man sitting on my sofa.”

“Was it Lorenzo?”

“Yes.”

“What happened next?”

“The reason Lorenzo was with Chefe that day outside the restaurant is because he saw me,” she said, and although it wasn’t the answer to the question, she didn’t have one yet. “I don’t remember him, but he’d been at the restaurant at some point long enough to notice me. He told Chefe he was interested in me, and at first, Chefe said no. That he wanted to bring me on as a private chef, and he didn’t want me to be a temptation. For a while, Lorenzo obeyed. I mean, he had no choice. These were Chefe’s orders.”

“What changed?”

“It came time to pass the torch. See, one of the requirements for taking over Chamas is that the intended suitor has to keep his hands off any and everyone while courting the intended rainha. It’s a test. If they can’t control their desires, they can’t lead the organization, and Lorenzo is the top choice for Marcela and Chefe.”

They passed the point where she believed the property truly began, several miles before the entrance gate. Something about the treeline stood out, and she’d committed the delineation to memory in the event she had to make her way back here someday, on her own.

“How did that affect Lorenzo’s interest in you?” Ayesha continued.

“It meant that he would have to keep his hands off me.”

“What happened when he showed up at your apartment?”

Again, she sidestepped the question.

“I didn’t know anything about being ‘gifted,’” she said. “It’s a thing in Chamas, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a thing in other organized crime factions. A higher-up in the cartel can request someone be gifted to them. Only Chefe can, quote-unquote, sign off on the approval of the gift. For me, the details are murky, but I grew fairly close to Chefe and Marcela’s daughter, Alessandra, while I was there. The way she explained it was that Lorenzo threatened to pull out of the running if he couldn’t have me in some way. Because I never mean shit to these people, and Chamas controlled my autonomy, Cipriano promised me to Lorenzo as a wedding present. Gifting, in Chamas, takes away your agency. I would be forced to obey him or die.”

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