Page 86 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“I love Lorenzo, but some days I fear he’ll become more and more like my father… and I can never love my father. He’s tied me to this world where I have to kill people, and every person I kill, I feel like I lose a part of myself. I’m so tired of all of the death. I’m tired of so much.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to get you killed,” Arturo admits as his hold on me tightens. “I’ve… I’ve discreetly inquired about a passage out of here… but I’m afraid. There’s a man who will be coming this weekend… he has promised me freedom in the past, but I’ve never had a reason to take it like I do now.”
“This weekend?” I ask in surprise.
“Yes. I will talk to him. But no more. Not yet. It could be months or years. You’ll wait that long?”
“I’ll wait as long as it takes,” I promise as I stop Valley next to a pond. Arturo swings off and I drop down beside him.
“Okay. Let’s allow ourselves to dream, then.” He gives me a smile that reminds me why I would wait years for him. “Soplease be careful. I don’t trust Louis. Do not ever go anywhere alone with him again.”
“I know. I’ve promised you and I will not break that promise. It’s been a while since I’ve even had contact with him.”
“Good. Want to go for a swim?” he asks, pulling off his shirt.
“You… really think you could flash me skin like that, and I wouldn’t follow you wherever you want to go?”
He laughs as he turns around and pushes his pants down. “Yeah? You’d follow this?”
I grin at him while my eyes flicker down to his bare ass. “I sure would. I also wish you’d take a bit longer to get into the water.”
“But it’s so close,” he says as he kicks his underwear off so he’s standing naked.
“I actually think you’re supposed to stand naked for at least five minutes before getting into the water or you’ll sink. My momma told me that.”
“Did she? That’s what she said to all of the attractive men?” he teases.
“My father’s not worth looking at, so she had to get what she could,” I say as I pull Valley’s saddle and bridle off. I put hobbles on her because though she’s a rather trustworthy horse in battle, she’s also the type of horse that will wander off for the greenest grass, leaving me to hunt for her while the rest of my unit laughs and laughs. The hobbles limit her movement, but she’s become an expert at using them to shuffle her way off to the lush grass beyond the pond.
Arturo sinks back into the water while grinning at me. “Now you are just taking far too long.”
“I had the horse to deal with! I was trying to move quickly, but she’s a tricky one.”
“I already can’t see her. All of that work and she’s already gone.”
I look over and see that all that’s left of her is a swish of the tail as she shuffles off.
“I’d hate to see how fast she leaves without the hobbles.”
“She’s a bit difficult,” I say. “But there’s no steadier horse in battle. I swear that horse has a heart of gold. She will do what it takes to get you through the toughest situations.”
“She’s a damn nice horse, then,” Arturo comments. “If you can find her, that is.”
I laugh. “Right?”
I step into the water and wince. “This is frigid and you’re floating off like it’s luxurious!”
“Maybe I’m just tougher than you?” he says with a playful grin. I mean… how can I not suffer for that grin?
I wade in until it’s up to my chest, but I’m still not deep enough to reach him. “My balls have crawled back into my body, it’s so damn cold.”
“Oh, it’s not that cold! Do you need a big, tough man to rescue you?” he teases as he swims over to me. “Must I save you from the cold?”
“I sure would appreciate it.”
He wraps his arms around me, squeezing me to him. “Think you’re going to make it now?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure yet. My lips are pretty cold.”
