Page 46 of Untouchable

“What do you fear, Katarina?” My chest tightens at his words.

“Death.”

His smirk catches me off guard. “A reaper scared of death, how fascinating.” That makes me smile, but then his face grows serious again.

“Why does death scare you?”

“Plenty of reasons. I don’t want to die—not yet at least. I don’t feel like I’ve lived as much of my life as I’m supposed to, but death is unpredictable and inevitable. It’ll come when you least expect it and it comes in many forms; slowly and quietly, or quickly and tragically. I fear losing the people I love, of course, but what I fear the most is that I won’t be able to stop it from happening. You may call me a reaper, but if it were up to me, I’d save every single life worth saving, if given the chance.”

“I wish you didn’t suffer so greatly from the losses you’ve endured, truly. I often think of death as an escape from the cruelties of this world. Whether someone is suffering before death takes them away, or it happens suddenly and keeps them from enduring impending suffering. Death simply frees you from that pain.” I swallow past the emotion welling up in my throat and nod, wiping a tear that has fallen down my cheek.

“That’s a very optimistic perspective of death.” I try to lighten the mood, but of course, Ace remains serious.

“You’re probably the first person to ever call me optimistic.”I have a first with Ace.Mikey and Bodine approach our table with their hands full of food and drinks.

“Ace? Optimistic? I’d love to hear what that is about.” Bodine slides onto the bench to my right while Mikey slides onto the one to my left, leaving me and Ace staring at each other from across the table. His stare is intoxicating, making me never want to look away. I’d stare into those mysterious brown eyes and try to pick apart every thought running through his brain if I thought he’d let me. I tear my eyes away from him, looking at Bodine who is sucking down his lemonade like his life depends on it.

“No way, I’m keeping the optimistic side of Ace all for myself.” I pick up my drink, lowering my sunglasses back onto my face.

“Rude.”

CHAPTER 25

Ace

“ZOO DAY”

We make it through the entire primates exhibit and halfway through the reptile enclosure before I finally get Katarina alone again. She’s looking into the glass that houses the Cobra, her legs red from the sun and her hair pulled up into a ponytail now with that same bandana tied around it like a ribbon. I want to talk to her more, to hear that sweet voice tell me things no one else seems to know, but I seem to falter when it comes to striking up a conversation with her. I’ve spent so long avoiding her, or only telling her what to do, that I’m not even sure I know how to make small talk.

“Having fun today?”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure I consider sweating through my bra while watching a snake wrap itself around a treefun…” She laughs and her eyes cut up to mine.

“Yeah, that sounds pretty damn miserable to me.”

“Eh, I’ll be fine. What about you? I take it you don’t believe in the invention of shorts?” She looks me up and down and I follow her gaze, dropping first to my sneakers, up to my dark blue jeans, and up to my gray T-shirt.

“I didn’t bring anything other than the shorts I box in and they’re…much shorter than I’d be comfortable wearing to the zoo.”

“So, we’re in agreement. We should leave here and hit the pool?” She leans over and bumps my arm with hers. I can’t stop myself from picturing her in that tiny bikini she had on at her apartment the other day and the way I’d do anything to see her in it again.

“Yes.” I don’t realize how intense my gaze on her is until hers becomes equally transfixed on me.

“Wait, really?” Her tone is guarded, yet there’s still a sense of desire in it I bask in.

“I’d hate to make you wait another minute to get out of that bra.” She laughs nervously and turns back to face the snake.

“Careful there, Hernández. You’re bordering on flirtatious conversation.” She turns to face me, a fierce look in her eyes. “You wouldn’t want to start sending the wrong message, would you?” She turns around and walks out of the empty reptile house and my eyes follow her every fucking move. Watching her like she’s my next meal, knowing damn good and well shecan’tbe. So why am I trotting through such dangerous territory, acting like I have a chance of making it out the other side without getting burned? As if the universe needed to remind me of where I stand with Katarina, where Ihaveto remain with her, my phone rings and Lenny’s name flashes across the screen.

“El Presidente, everything okay there?” Worry settles in my chest when he sighs.

“Yeah, these motherfuckers are playing dirty, but they don’t have shit on us. They’ll get what’s coming to them.”

“Playing dirty how?” I ask, walking further into the snake house to ensure Katarina won’t walk in and hear me.

“They’re trying to say that we fired shots first, that it was self-defense.”

“That’s bullshit,” I mumble, the frustration clear in my low tone.

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