Page 38 of Life

“That’s Antonio. I know it.”

“The police will follow up with Antonio Ramirez by paying a visit to his workplace and getting his alibi. Hopefully, he doesn’t have one. Unfortunately, the neighbor couldn’t identify Mr. Ramirez from a sheet of men with similar height, build, and characteristics. That means eyewitness identification is out.”

I close my eyes and press my hands on the top of my dining table. “He’s going to get to me. Maybe not now, maybe not next week, but he will get to me. I know him. He won’t stop.” The anxiety and fear rush out of my mouth as a chant.

“Over my dead body,” Eli says forcibly.

Slowly I lift my head and look into the same face I have almost every day for nine months, only this time it’s totally different. Still comforting, but it reminds me of what’s already happened to one man I cared for.

“Be careful what you wish for, Eli. You might get it. I’m toxic. One Redding has already been killed because he fell for me. I don’t want you to suffer that same fate.” The single thought sends a knife to my gut. I grab around my waist, wincing. “Chase, can I stay with you and Gigi until I figure this…”

Eli’s pulling me away from the group and down the hall before Chase can even summon an answer. I stumble over a few pictures and broken glass until he gets me far enough away from the group of men to speak privately.

“I know you’re scared. I know you’re giving up. The fear is all over your face. But I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Wewilltake him down. I promise you. Give me a chance,” Eli begs. His confidence and sincerity warm my heart and soul.

With my arms crossed over my chest, I shake my head. “I’m not worth the danger.”

“Babe, you are.” He grabs my biceps. “You were to Thomas and you sure as fuck are for me. You think I can kiss you, touch you, feel your heat, and not be affected by you? Not be all in? I’m telling you right here, right now. From the moment I met you, there was something special there. And yeah, this situation is fucked. You being my brother’s girl first is fucked, but I don’t care. And the way you kissed me, wrapped your arms around me, pulled me closer… You can’t deny you’re feeling it, too.”

I swallow down the tears building, but they fall down each cheek anyway. I whisk them away as fast as I can. “This is not normal. Everyone’s going to think I’m a whore! My friends, your family, your parents!”

“They love you. Told me to protect you like Thomas would.”

The tears pour out when I think of Tommy’s parents and how they had taken to me, made me part of their family in such a short amount of time. “What are they going to think?” I choke and gasp, gripping Eli’s shirt in one of my fists to stay standing. He curves both of his hands around my hips, keeping me upright.

“We’ll talk about it later. Right now, what’s important is me keeping you in my sights at all times. Can you understand I need that right now? Ineedthat, Maria. Come home with me. Stay. With. Me,” he whispers harshly through a tight jaw and clenched teeth.

No longer able to fight, I nod. There’s nothing more I can do right now. I’m exhausted, emotionally spent, and fucked six ways from Sunday. I don’t even know what to do with myself, let alone verbally battle with a man who can sway me with a simple touch of his lips to my neck.

“Okay. Me and my boys got this. You’re safe with me.” I fear this is a promise he will regret one day soon.

I glance up and look into his eyes. They are honest and a brilliant green. A dash of tenderness comes and goes in a flash before his tough bounty hunter mask falls into place.

“I believe you.”

Chapter Ten

Eli iskind to me when he brings me back to his home. I go straight up to the room he’s given me to use, remove my workout clothes, and pull a tank top over my head. At least Antonio hadn’t opened the door for the laundry closet while he was destroying everything I own. The two duffle bags of clothes I’d brought to Eli’s originally were still sitting on top of the washing machine where I’d left them before I headed out to the studio earlier today.

Once I’m dressed, I yank back the covers and plop into the middle of the cloudlike bed, pulling the comforter over my head.

What am I going to do? He’ll never stop. The exhaustion takes over and I’m out.

“You have screwedaround for the last time,mi reina. Tonight’s lesson is going to be a hard one,” Antonio sneered as he took slow, calculating steps toward me.

I held up my hands and stepped backward, mimicking his steps. “What did I do, Tony? Please, tell me what I did to make you so mad!” I cried.

His eyes were black pools of hate. “You know what you did! Não minta para mim.” Don’t lie to me, he said in Portuguese.

I shook my head and got down on my knees, holding my hands clasped in front of my chest, prepared to beg. He loved when I begged. Sometimes, instead of hurting me, he’d just fuck my mouth and then take me roughly. I’d much prefer a violent round in bed than any of the other “lessons” he liked to teach me based solely on some psychotic infraction he believed I committed against him.

His lips twisted into a white snarl. “You think your pretty mouth can fix this,mi reina? Fix what you did? What you told the producers of the show?”

I closed my mouth and thought hard about any conversations I’d had with them. Yes, two of the executives cornered me and offered me a position as lead for the second half of the tour because the current lead dancer had recently found out she was pregnant and needed to take a back seat to all the lifts, tumbles, and harsh hours. The two of us switching places would be an easy change. I was already her understudy.

Antonio stood right in front of me. “Falar. Speak. You have five seconds to admit your deceit. Based on your response, I will decide your lesson accordingly.”

I shook my head and wrung my hands together in front of my chest.

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