Page 35 of Punished

“Oh, gee. My bad. Hi, Brother. Nice to fucking see you, too.” My eyes narrow. “Ya. You’re welcome. Mireya is in the back. Don Mario found her in the elevator. She passed out, and then she vomited everywhere. I brought her back up here, and she went straight to the room.”

I push past her and go straight to the room while Thalia lets herself out. When I go in, I see her in the fetal position on the bed. She’s staring out the floor-to-ceiling window that looks out over my balcony.

“Diosa, are you okay?” I cup her face and bring her intome, sitting down on the mattress next to her. She finally lets out a sob, and I pull her closer to me. We stay like that for a long time, holding each other, until she has calmed down enough to look at me.

“My mom called me today.”

“What did she say?”

“She said you were just using me to get back with Diana.”

“Do you believe her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is this because of what you said this morning?” She looks back out the window.

“I was thrown off by it, but it had nothing to do with Diana. I have only ever wanted you.” She looks up and searches my eyes. Like she can detect the truth. I lay down beside her and run my hand through the long strands of her hair.

“I wasn’t sure how to say it, or if it would come out right. I’m not romantic, and I sure as hell am not Prince Charming. I want you in a selfish way. It’s toxic and possessive. I don’t want to give into what I am feeling, but I don’t want to lose you either. If we’re going to do this, then I need to know that you are okay with my lifestyle and my choices. I pledged my loyalty to the cartel, and I can’t trade your happiness for a lifestyle you may not want to be a partof.”

“I love every part of you, Adrian. I would go to the gates of Hell themselves and offer my soul to have you. I don’t understand everything you, or any of the Consuelos, do, but that has nothing to do with the way I feel for you.”

I kiss her.Kill or be killed.I will kill every thought going forward that told me she deserves better. She deserves me, and I will make myself enough for her.

A week flies by as I prepare for final exams. I have all but moved into the penthouse with Adrian. We are lying on the couch, his legs around me as I lean back into him. His arm is draped over my chest, holding my hand, our fingers laced together. I convinced him to let me watch Vampire Diaries. He hates this show, even if, low-key, he knows he’s the Mexican version of Damien.

“Do you think it’s weird we found each other again after all these years?” I have convinced myself it was fate, finding him, but I’m not sure what he thinks about it.

“No. I think if two people are meant to be, they’ll find their way back to each other.” I feel his hot breath on me from behind when he speaks, his voice deep and raw, sending tingles throughout my body.

“I can still remember that first day you walked me home.When those assholes were picking on me.”

“Mmmhmm.” His lips move to my neck. I suck in a breath as he kisses me there.

“Adrian! This is serious. Why did you stick up for me that day?” I turn to face him. There is this aching part of me that needs to know where this all started. Like the answer would be enough to understand how it would all end. He stares back at me with that familiar gaze, the darkness that drew me in.

“I saw those boys throwing rocks at you, and it pissed me off, so I did something about it.”

“But you could have left it at that. Why did you keep walking me home after that?”

“Your dad paid me to.” I gasp and move to leave when he pulls me back, so I’m sitting on his lap. He laughs as I pout.

“I’m just kidding, diosa. I kept walking you home because I wanted to figure you out. I always saw you as tempting and beautiful. After I beat the shit out of those boys, I thought you would run off. I thought you would be afraid of me like everyone else. But you smiled and thanked me, and that was the first time anyone made me feel worthy.” His confession pulls me down deeper. That day he made me feel worthy, too. I had consistently dealt with kids poking fun at my weight, and he saw past it. Iwas surprised that anyone would stick up for me.

“But your dad did thank me for walking you home. I should have asked him to pay me.” I playfully slap his arm and he laughs.

“What did he say?”

“He told me that no matter what anyone said about me, that he would always respect me for protecting you.” I picture my father and a young Adrian. My father was a man of few words, but when he did speak, he was always direct and honest. Just like Adrian. He always challenged me to embrace who I was, despite my mother tearing me down.

“I miss him. I think I would be a more confident woman had he been around to raise me, instead of the insecurities I have now because of my mother.”

“You can’t let what she’s done determine your self worth.” He pulls me closer to him and kisses me softly. His lips are soft as he moves down to my ear and kisses me again.

“Did you like taking control the other night?” I lean back as he moves to my neck and collarbone, the delicate kisses a match to the parts of my soul only he could ignite.

“Yes.” I hadn’t fully taken control, but I had felt alive in the moment. It had turned me on to speak my desires. Suppressing them doesn’t make sense to me anymore. Notwhen I am with someone so willing to give me the pleasure I crave.

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