Page 63 of Twin Deception

“And she knew?”

She nodded, frowning. “Yes. When I was young, she’d always act worried, asking, ‘what about the other girl?’ I think she was concerned that he would hurt his lovers somehow. But she was always dismissed. Between her drug addiction and the psychiatric help she needed but often ignored by taking more drugs, she sounded loopy and crazy.”

“Then when that man said that about Louis’s woman, he couldn’t have meant her.”

Sad again, she nestled up against me, burrowing her face on my chest. “No. Definitely not her. She’s in rehab and powerless. The staff called me recently to warn me that she might not have much time left.”

“I’m sorry,” I replied, kissing her forehead. I didn’t know Esmeralda. I didn’t care to meet her. But I did hate that Isabel could feel down at all, for any reason. She was quickly becoming my priority, and I wouldn’t apologize for that.

“Thank you. But my mother is not an answer to any of this.”

I didn’t think so either. “The only answer we’ll get is from Louis. And to figure out where he’s hiding so I can deliver him instead of you as a finished kill, we need to backtrack to whatever he could’ve done to have such a big and hurried hit on him.

“Okay.” She yawned, slow to open her eyes as wide as they had been open.

“Tomorrow, we’ll head out first thing. I’ve got a confidant in the Carmello Cartel. We’ll go there and start asking some of the tough questions.”

She nodded, closing her eyes again and snuggling toward me.

I watched her fall asleep, feeling like a king, like a god, hell, even like a mighty, invincible hero.

In my arms, she could trust that she was safe and wanted.

And I would never slack in that mission.

As I closed my eyes and held her, the sweet promise of a deep sleep approached.

Isabel was my mission now. She could be this bright and different future instead of any more hit jobs that could be dangled my way.

24

ISABEL

The next morning, Miguel woke me up by kissing me. This was no standard good morning kiss after the longest and best night of sleep I’d ever experienced. It was the feeling of his lips and tongue on my pussy that encouraged me to wake up and realize this wasn’t an exotic dream, but my reality. The reality of what it was like to sleep with a sexy man who would always want me.

Dating wasn’t easy for me with my solitary life. Like I told Miguel the night before, Louis was a pariah. And therefore, I had to be a pariah because of his actions and wrongdoings.

Yet, I wasn’t sure that Miguel and Iweredating. Were all menthispossessive when they were dating a woman? Did all men get to know a woman they’d like to date by reading up on them in a file sent to them from hackers and other criminals in the Cartel?

Probably not.

I didn’t care, though. I couldn’t. I was finally not alone. I’d finally found someone I wanted to be with, a man I could enjoy and trust.

At breakfast, we acted like a normal couple in love.

Then on the walk to the garage where he’d parked his car, we held hands and kissed every few steps.

Unable to keep our hands off each other, we looked like newlyweds. Like two partners. A pair.

“Are you being like this because you want anyone who’s following me to know that it won’t be so easy to get to me?” I asked before we got to the garage.

“No.” He pulled me to the side again and kissed me deeply, lowering his grabby hands to squeeze my ass. “I’m being like this because I can’t imagine not touching you.” He squeezed again, digging his fingers into my ass cheeks.

My breath hitched.

“I’m being like this because I want you so bad, right now, right here.”

I growled, kissing him hard and rubbing up against him.

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