Page 22 of Miguel

Ramón cleared his throat. “We have a strict policy against teachers taking children off the premises, as it was explained to you. Señorita Flores cannot and will not be allowed to take Zeke off school grounds ever again.”

Ramón’s hand came up and landed against my shoulder. The contact was innocent at first, though unwarranted. I wanted to slide away from his touch, but stood firmly where I was, trying to appear impassive.

“And of course, I feel I should mention that relationships–of any kind–between staff and students’ parents are strictly forbidden.” His fingers dug hard into my shoulder as he said this, almost as if the move had been made unconsciously.

I pressed my lips together to keep from gasping in shock and pain.

Yet Señor Lopez’s eyes zeroed in on the movement. His eyes were subtle, as was his glare. And he stared at those fingers like he meant to cut off every single one and make Ramón swallow them whole. But in a flash, his expression smoothed out, replaced with an eerie calm.

“Señorita Flores,” he said, ignoring Ramón’s statement completely. “Thank you for taking such good care of Zeke. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He stepped forward, crowding into my space and simultaneously removing Ramón from my bubble completely as he leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to my cheek.

The customary goodbye flustered me and made heat rise to my already burning cheeks. “U-um, yes,” I agreed. “Tomorrow, bright and early. Goodbye Zeke!” I made sure I stared at Zeke’s face when I said it, so he could see my lips moving while I waved.

“Sorry, I don’t think I caught your full name?” Señor Lopez turned back to Ramón, startling him.

“Director Ramón Angeles.”

Señor Lopez nodded. “Right. I forgot. Well, I’ll be seeing you as well.” He smiled, a soft, unassuming look.

At least, that’s how it looked. But for some reason, something nagged at the back of my brain. Because even though he had been smiling, there were flames of hell deep within the dark depths of his eyes.

And for some reason, it didn’t frighten me at all.

Chapter Ten

Miguel

Esehijodeputa.

Those words played over and over in my head as my shaking fingers threatened to break through the steering wheel of the cage. My nostrils flared and even I could hear the rapid, heavy sound of my own breathing in the silence of the vehicle.

No fucking mantra helped. No matter how many times I told myself to relax, my mind rebelled. It whirled with a fury I’d never fucking felt before in my whole life.

All I could picture was that man’s grimy hands landing onmywoman’s shoulder. The subtle way he squeezed and the discomfort he caused.

The moment his skin touched hers, it was the end.

I’d wanted to reach a hand up and break his fingers one by fucking one, but I had sense enough to hold myself back. At least at school.

Violence was never a streak I liked to give in to.

Level-headed Miguel.

And it was something I wanted to keep away from my son as well.

But everything I was came crumbling down the moment he sneered at her and me. The moment he threatened my woman and tried to fucking tell me what to do.

I wasn’t feeling so level-headed right then. No.

I was feeling murderous.

It took all I had in me to drive safely with Zeke in the backseat. I couldn’t even breathe a sigh of relief when we made it to the compound. With forced control, I pulled Zeke from his seat in the back, guided him towards the bar area, and made one of the prospect’s fix him a drink and a meal.

“I’ll be right back,” I told him, though it felt like it was in vain. He barely looked at me, focused instead on the drink set before him.

Knowing my son was safe, I stormed away. My fingers flew against the screen of my phone to send a text as I walked straight into Loco’s office.

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