Page 17 of Outcast

"Like fuck, I am." I dashed my fingers across my cheeks. "I don't fucking cry. But this prick is going to take me to my father right now. Or else, he'll be missing more than a ratty piece of tissue. Got me?" I pointed my finger in his face, almost stabbing him with my nail.

"Ms. Aguilar! He just needs ten more minutes to wake up! This is procedure!"

I zeroed in on his neck, ready to wring it. They couldn't keep me from my father. They couldn't keep me from the only man in my life who had ever loved me unconditionally.

He meanteverythingto me.

"Doc," Esteban said as he stepped up next to me, trying to take my hand. I yanked it out of his reach and did my fucking best not to look at him. Gritting his teeth, he kept his gaze on the scared as fuck doctor in front of me. "He's in recovery. There's no harm in letting his daughter sit by his side until he wakes up."

"There are processes in place in case we run into any issues–"

"There's no harm in it. I'm sure you can make an exception this one time." His voice dropped into a threatening tone and the doctor started nodding before he shook his head.

"Sir–"

"Call me Esteban."

"Esteban–"

"The next words out of your mouth better be that you'll arrange for a nurse to take Ms. Aguilar back to see Javier, or theentirewaiting room is not going to be happy." Esteban stressed entire, like the doctor didn't have a clue there were thirty plus men in the room behind me, all waiting for word aboutPapá.

He was loved and respected and every single person here with me would tear this place apart to get to him. That's how much he was loved.

"I need two minutes." The doctor dashed away so fast that his jacket flapped behind him like a cape.

"Can you give us a second?" Esteban asked Amorette.

She nodded, glancing at me before she walked over to where Andre stood in the corner with his arms crossed. The Dirty Dogs gave him a wide berth and he gave not one fuck.

Letting my eyelids flutter closed, I shivered from all the adrenaline racing through my veins. I only needed to see him. That was it. Just to know he was okay. Then I could stop feeling like I was crawling out of my skin.

"Are you okay?" Warm fingers trailed across the back of my neck and I stepped forward, breaking the contact. I didn't need his comfort. I needed to see my fuckingPapá.

"Fine," I bit out, skating my gaze over his face.

Fire flashed in Esteban's light brown eyes as he leaned closer. "Stop lying to me. You've never been good at it."

I scoffed. "That's a lie all on its own." I wasn't a compulsive liar, but when I needed to be the cover, or mislead crooked assholes for the gang, I did. Without issue.

Esteban gave one tiny shake of his head and came so close, only an inch separated his chest from my arm. He didn't touch me, knowing that would push me away.

"You've never been good at lying tome, Rita." His eyes shifted back and forth as he watched me, as if he was trying to work something out.

A warmth started to curl in my stomach just like it had that one night last year. I had been drunk. Esteban had been there. He was a sexy man. Black hair cropped close to his head and a strong, square jaw. Ripped in all the right places with dimples on his cheeks and the small of his back.

He knew how to drive a woman wild, and I needed that. For one night.

Then the splash of cold reality the next morning put everything into perspective. Exactly likePapá'slife being on the line now.

I didn't respond, instead watching the hall the doctor disappeared through.

"You're not okay."

"What's your point?" I returned, louder than I intended. Some of our people were already watching and a few of the top members rose from their seats.

Shit, I had to be careful. Esteban was well liked. But he was young and hadn't been in as long as some of these men I'd known my whole life. They'd teach him a lesson if he upset me.

He glanced at the men in the waiting room before turning back to me, this time with hurt-drenched eyes. "I know you better than you think I do. I care about you, even when you're a bitch. So I'm going to make sure you're okay. I'm going to make sure you get to see Javier when you want to see him, because that's who I am. Fucking deal with it."

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