Page 56 of Fortune's Kiss
Lo realized that she was the one screaming.She slapped a hand over her mouth and sat up.
Her chest heaved, and a cold sweat chilled her.It wasn’t real.That wasn’t how it happened.
But what if Mamáhaddied like Carmen?The two were connected by the same motivation, like a ribbon intertwining their hearts.What if the same ribbon of fate had strangled them both?
No.Lo abruptly sat up, ignoring the ache in the back of her skull.It wasn’t true.
Her mind wandered to her sisters.How were they doing?Maybe now, with their father gone, Sera would be able to domore than just studying and needlework.Maybe Sofía would be able to spend her days in the stable without interruption.
Lo missed them.
She desperately wanted to see them.Her heart raced.“Please …,” she whispered.“Let me see them.”If it worked for Mayté, then it could work for her.“Show me my sisters.”
Just when she was about to give up, the mirror across the room flickered.Her reflection morphed into the image of her sisters.They both sat on a bed.Sera brushed through Sofia’s curly hair.
Lo scrambled to get a closer look.Were they okay?Were they sad?Were they taken care of?Were they—
The image changed into her father lying in a pool of blood.
With a scream, Lo recoiled.Why was this happening?Her hand shot to the vanity, knocking over jewelry as she searched for something to destroy the mirror, but when she looked back up the glass was back to normal.
Did her sisters hate her for killing their father?
Murder was a sin.She had heard that preached countless times.But what about when the person in question was a monster?Her father would have done terrible things to her—and eventually her sisters—if she hadn’t acted.
He’ddeservedto die.
A knock at the door tore her from her thoughts.That must be lunch after all.She hopped off the bed and hurried to answer the door.What she didn’t expect to see was the Banker holding a tray with a silver-domed platter.“Hello,” he greeted her, voice smooth as silk.
“It’s you.”Lo stepped back, letting him into the room.A familiar scent hit her nose, but she couldn’t quite place it.“Youactually came.”She felt like a fish about to be beheaded, wide eyes, gaping mouth and all.She quickly pulled herself together, glancing at the tray in his hands.“You aren’t a servant.”
“I’m not.I could say something fanciful like perhaps it was your desires that pulled me here, but in reality I was intrigued by our conversation earlier.”He set the platter on the table and leaned against the wall with a smile.His gaze never left her.
Maybe now things would finally go her way.
“Couldn’t it be both?”She sweetly smiled.
“You think so?”
“Iknowso.What’s your name?”Lo approached him.“Surely it’s not Señor Banker.”
“You’re right.”He pushed off the wall and closed the space between them.“However, I don’t give away that information for free.”He leaned in close.Much closer than a proper gentleman should be to a lady he wasn’t promised to.Their lips were mere inches away from each other.
“Oh, really?”she purred, matching his boldness.This was fun.When all else failed, mimicking one’s opponent’s energy always worked.Let them think they had control over the interaction.“I must thank you for this wonderful suite.”
“And how will you do that?”he asked.For just a moment—in the blink of an eye, really—his wolfish grin slipped and his eyes dulled as if his mind had gone elsewhere.In that moment, Lo realized exactly why this was so fun.Men were always a game to her, a self-imposed competition to see how quickly she could get what she wanted, but, for the first time, she had a companion playing with her.Playing heras much as she played him.Flirting with him felt so familiar, because he treated her exactly how she treated other men: saying and doing all the right things until he won his prize.
But what was that prize for him?What did he want from her?
This had never happened before.She didn’t know what to say.“I—I’ll have to think about it.”
“Mm.”The Banker slickly moved away.“Do that, and perhaps you can tell me another time.”He turned for the door.
“Wait!”
He ignored her.
There was no time for careful words.“Can’t you see that I’m going to win this entire game?”Both Fortune’s Kiss and whatever was going on between the both of them.“You would be wise to ally with me.”
