Page 28 of Twin Deception

Hard pass.

He leered at me.

No, thank you.

I kept my head up high as I walked past him. As soon as I was out of this alleyway, I’d be around more people. I’d be safer among the crowds of tourists again, of whichever ones were still out in this rain.

He didn’t seem to be on board with my dismissing him. He wasn’t accepting my ignorance and walking by as I minded my own business.

Just fuck off. Don’t get any ideas…

Reaching out to grab my hand, he urged me to run. I wasn’t fast enough to evade his grip. I tensed, lashing out as he hauled me back to him.

“Hey! Let me go!” I flung out my arms to fight him off, but he was bigger. Stronger. Faster. He caught me easily and didn’t break his stride with my resistance.

“You think you’re just gonna walk away from me like that, you fucking slut?” He thrust his hand up to grip my neck in the start of a chokehold as he hugged me against his chest. “Huh?” he demanded at the same time he poked a gun at my opposite side, jamming the end of the metal barrel at my stomach.

I sucked in a deep breath to let out a scream, but he covered my mouth with his filthy hand, dragging me back to a corner of the alley.

11

MIGUEL

Ifound her heading into a restaurant later that night. Instead of inserting myself in her space, I loitered outside. A long patio-like area was available for guests who only wanted drinks. High-top tables offered a place to enjoy appetizers.

I took up residence at one of those to watch her from afar.

Walls stood between us. I wasn’t in the same room, not even the same building as her, but I was afforded a view of her and I took it.

Even from a distance, I could track her. And with all this space between us, I could have the freedom to sate my curiosity a little more.

Watching Isabel would never get old.

Seeing her slight reactions and smiles, the frowns too. They all made me wonder what she was thinking, what her opinions were and which observations she was making.

A gorgeous, sexy woman was one thing. An alluring and inquisitive mind was another. I didn’t want to onlyseeher. I wanted to get under her skin and admire what made her tick.

And this, I mused as I lifted my drink for a sip,is the definition of an obsession.

This chance to see her was my reward after all the time I’d spent searching for her—which really wasn’t that long since she’d already been here in Acapulco when I started this case and I’d only lost her for two days. I no longer had to imagine how her hair fell down her back and framed her lovely face. I could see it. I didn’t have to ponder and wonder if her face would light up in polite or sly smiles. I saw it. A low burn of envy lit me up at catching her smiling at the waiter, wishing she were givingmethose looks. Receiving her attention was a heady sensation, a gift I wanted to experience again.

Nursing my drink, I settled in to watch and thought about my situation. Being this close to her was proof in two conflicting ways. One, I still had it—I could still find a target no matter how elusive they’d try to be. And two, I still had it—I could still suffer from the addiction of wanting this woman.

After she was finished with her food, I got up to follow her out of here. Where she would lead me was up to debate. Because deep down, I wasn’t sure I “still had it” because killing her, like I was expected to, didn’t sound right.

I hadn’t had a chance to spend enough time with her yet.

I hadn’t had an opportunity to feel enough of her warmth.

She took a route out to the east of the building, and it didn’t surprise me. I was already familiar with how adept she was at choosing something off the beaten path—literally. If she wasn’ta master of evasion, I wasn’t sure what else to call her. Someone had taught her how to weave in and out of places, never making her routine consistent or her path noticeable.

And she did it now. Picking this darker system of alleyways wouldn’t be anyone else’s first choice for a walk home—especially a lone woman.

But she’s not alone.

I liked the idea that she would never truly be alone so long as I was near. She would always be within my sight, within my reach.

Letting her walk ahead of me was both a torment for myself and a trick to play on her.

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