Page 5 of Bad Blood
I sneer in her direction, shoving away the slices of cake she kept making me try. “Is that what you think? Sticking me with just any man would make me happy because he has a dick? “
“Language,mijito. I’m just saying times have changed. Your father is being very accommodating considering it’s still something seen as against tradition.”
I stand from the chair. “Look, do whatever you want with the wedding. I don’t care. I don’t even wanna be in it, but I am, because it’s important to the family. Maybe you should be the ones who are more appreciative.”
Before she can stop me, I head out the front door of the bakery. I’m glad to be away from the smell of flower arrangements and lemon and vanilla. It reminds me how real this all is. I would be walking down the aisle with the man I hate most in this world, and he wasn’t even the worst part. His family is the definition of vindictive. The more I am around them, the closer I feel to hell.
My father may have been a bad person, and Santiago may have been a monster, but Gilbert Morales is the devil himself. I slip into the back of the car, yelling at the driver to take me home. I needed to get dressed into something else. Something that doesn’t have me smelling like frosting and my mother’s awful perfume. Something my mother didn’t suggest I wear today.
The minute I’m home, I rush off to my room and yell at the driver to wait in the car. I never take too long to get ready. The thing that took the most time was putting on my corset, but I would only be changing my outer clothing.
I put on a new shirt, making sure it’s loose enough to cover what’s hiding underneath. I slide on a pair of black slacks to match the white button down and fix my hair until I’m satisfied with my reflection. The black sports coat hugs firmly around my small frame. I’m already running downstairs before I fully get it buttoned. The driver is still there glancing at his phone, not seeming to be bothered by how long I took getting ready. “Take me to Kryptonite. It’s a new club on main street.”
“Yes, sir.” The driver doesn’t bother looking at me before pulling out of the driveway and heading in the direction I told him to go.
I get out of the car, slamming the door shut. The vibrant lights and crowd of people outside the door of the club has me inching closer. “Back of the line,” the bouncer yells at me.
I walk closer to him, putting my lips near his ear to mention who I am. He nods. “My apologies sir. Go right in.”
It makes it easy to get into the high end clubs when everyone knows who your father and fiancé are. I walk through the dark entrance, pushing my way through the crowd of dancing bodies. The lights and crowd of people become too much, making my head spin. I search the bar for Maria, but she is nowhere to be found. She is usually easy to spot in her bright dresses and the crowd of men that always seem to surround her. Resting my hands on the bar, I close my eyes, feeling the loud music vibrate through my body. A voice coming from behind me has me jumping where I stand. “You must be new here? I’ve never seen you before. I would definitely remember if I had.”
“Is that right? How is that? Surely there are tons of people in here you have never seen before.” I turn around to meet the dark eyes of a tall man with dark blonde hair that stands out against the fluorescent lights coming from the dance floor.
His smile makes me feel uneasy and has me moving past him. He grabs my arm, preventing me from moving any further. “Where are you going? At least let me buy you a drink before you go disappearing on me.”
I shake my head, staring at his grasp with disapproving eyes. “I can buy my own drink.”
Putting some more distance between us, I grab the bartender’s attention. A hand slides onto my shoulder and a warm body is being pressed into the back of mine. “I always did appreciate the guys who played hard to get.”
I cringe when the heat of his breath tickles my ear and his hands continue to remain on me. “Look, I’m not interested and I’m meeting someone here.”
“Is that right? Is it your boyfriend?”
I sigh, nodding my head. “My fiancé actually and he will be here in any minute. So, if I were you, I would back the fuck off.” I step out of my chair after grabbing my beer, but he pulls at my arm.
“You shouldn’t talk to people like that you know. I think you should apologize, or maybe make it up to me another way.”
His hands wrap around my neck, tilting my head back. I nearly drop my drink when he swipes his tongue across my cheek. “Let me go!” I yell but the loud music nearly drowns me out.
“And if I don’t?”
“Then you may end up regretting the day you were born,” a voice says from behind me. It’s deep, strong, and goes right to my dick. I know that voice.
The man releases me and turns around. “Oh yeah, and who the hell are you exactly?”
The mystery man punches the creep hard in the face, making him land on the floor. He delivers a few strong kicks into the man’s stomach causing him to curl into a ball. “Your worst fucking nightmare. Touch him again and it will be the last thing you ever do.”
The man struggles to get off the floor and my eyes lock with the mystery man’s dark ones. “I’m sorry I’m late, baby.”
“That’s okay,” I say stepping over the man on the floor. “I’m sure you will make it up to me.”
His head tilts to the side and steps closer to me. His lips brush over my ear. “Try to be more careful next time, little prince. Next time you might not be so lucky.”
My heart rate is off tempo and I suddenly struggle to breathe with him being so close. “People like you don’t belong in places like this. Run back to your tower, little prince.”
Before I can say anything, he pulls away and disappears into the crowd. I stand there motionless. Someone tugs on my arm and my eyes are met with Maria’s.
“There you are,primo. Where the hell have you been this whole time?”
