Page 48 of Bound to the Crime Lord

“Then let me come with you.” The words just tumbled out of my mouth. But I didn’t regret them at all. In fact, I doubled down on exactly what I had just said. “I can call my boss right now and put in my days. How long will we be there?”

He paused and stared at me. “You can’t leave work.”

“I’ve accumulated enough leave days that I could be off work for the next six months.”

“Amor, no. It’s too risky. I won’t put you in the path of bullets.”

“I’m in the path of bullets right now. I work in your organization, and I see all kinds of violence.”

“That’s different.”

“No, it isn’t, and you know it.”

Manuel sighed and moved me so he could stand on his feet. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his cool. When he opened his eyes again, I could see the resolve. He was set on his decision.

“You mend my menafterthe violence has happened, Juliette. You are not in the direct line of fire, and I refuse to be the one who puts you there.”

Too bad for him I was set on mine as well.

“I’m coming.” I stood to my feet and crossed my arms over my chest. “If you are going to place yourself in the line of fire, then so will I. If you think it’s too dangerous for me to go, then it'sdefinitelytoo dangerous for you to go too.”

“My job is to protect you, Juliette.”

“And mine is to protect you, Manuel.” I stood to my feet and squared off with him. “You protect everyone around you, but who protects you? Who watches out for you? Sure, Rigo is there, but what about when you’re alone in your bed and your mind is running wild? Who is there then?”

His eyes widened, a little taken aback by my reaction. I was usually not this expressive when it came to my feelings. But back then I had been subsiding them; now I wasn’t holding any of it back.

“You wanted to do this, Manuel.” I gestured between the two of us. “Doing this means that we are a team. We will do thingstogether and make decisions as one unit. You can’t just take the initiative and do what you want.”

“Juliette…”

I held up my hands, needing to say it all. “I care, Manuel. I care so much that I feel like my chest is about to explode, at times. Going to work is already a war zone on its own, but at least you’re in the same city as me and I can get to you in time. I’m able to fix you if something goes wrong. But if you leave and I stay here, I can’t… I won’t be able to fix you, then. I won’t be able to save you, if you need me to.”

Once I had finished speaking, I was all out of breath.

There it was. Everything was out in the open now, and I not only felt embarrassed,

I felt shocked with myself at the realization of what this man actually meant to me.

Manuel stared at me with a softness that only increased my mortification. It wasn't easy for me to be vulnerable. I had placed a protective layer around myself a long time ago, when my mother went off the rails.

“Juliette…” He closed the distance between us. His large hands cupped the sides of my face and my heart eased a little. “I promise you that I will come back home to you. There is no person, or force, that could ever keep me from you. You have my word. But I need to do this, I have to. It’s for my father—my family.”

I shook my head, the sting behind my eyes intensifying the longer I stared at him. I was terrified to lose him. But this wasn’t about me. It was about finding his mother and bringing her back home.

“If you don’t come back to me,” I poked his chest, fighting back my tears, “I will bring you back to life and then kill you myself.”

His lips split into a charming smile before he pulled me into his arms.

I pulled him in as close as I could muster and breathed in his scent, wanting to commit it to my memory, savor it. I didn’t know how long he would be gone for. I only hoped that it would be little.

He had faced death many times in his life and walked away with his soul still in his body. But I feared that he may have run out all his luck. I only prayed that this time, if he faced death, he would cheat it as he always did.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Juliette POV

The sun came up all too quickly. Neither one of us slept. We just held onto each other on the bed, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

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