Page 23 of Violent Attraction

His facial expression changes. He cowers back and places the beers on the table before running a hand through his hair.

He’s not going to answer.

“Protect me from what, Santiago?” I ask more forcefully.

I told myself earlier that I didn’t know what this man does for a living, but I guess I was blind to it. I know exactly what he does, I just need to hear him say the words. I need him to confirm it for me.

“Santiago.”

His hands drop from his hair and he faces me. His posture, his face, his eyes, everything is telling me what I need to know.

“From me and whatever man I turned into when I officially became a member of the Muertos. Our lines were getting blurred that day, I was even going to ask you to prom, but when we got home, I got a firsthand glimpse of how exactly the cartel works. The second I found that out, I knew that I had to give up hope that one day you would be mine, because you deserve a hell of a lot better than who I was going to become. Who I have become.”

He looks like he’s in pain as he says the words. Even his eyes look like they have a tinge of sadness floating in them.

“My father is Ronaldo Morales, the damn fucking kingpin of the cartel. Did you think that maybe, just maybe, you didn’t have to protect me from that? That you didn’t have to push me aside like I was left-over food you didn’t want any more?”

Does he think I’m that stupid that I don’t know what happens when my father’s office doors are locked? Or when I see someone coming from the hallway that houses the door to the basement?

Does he really think that I have no idea just how powerful my father is?

“It’s different with your father, hell even with your brother, you don’t see it firsthand. You’re sheltered from it. You don’t know the type of shit that goes on behind closed doors. You don’t need someone in your life that is going to bring blood and drugs and weapons into your everyday life. You deserve a lot better than that. I don’t give a shit that you’re a fucking cartel princess, you deserve better.”

I close the distance between us, my chest meeting his and getting my face within inches of his without actually touching him.

“What I deserve,” I stab a finger into his chest, “is someone that will put me first before any cartel. What I deserve is not to be walked away from and at least given a chance to prove that I’m a strong woman to make her own decisions.” Stab. Stab. Stab. “I wasn’t even yours yet and you had already put the cartel first, and I deserve better than that.”

I stab my finger into his chest one more time for good measure and that must have been the last straw of irritation for him, because he grabs my hand in an iron grip.

“I was trying to protect you.” He growls out through gritted teeth, slightly pulling me closer to his body.

“I don’t need fucking protection.”

If he wants to growl, I can growl ten times louder.

The grip on my hand grows and the distance between our bodies closes.

We are the closest that we have ever been to each other.

I look into his eyes and get lost for a second, then I do something that I’ve been wanting to do since I was fourteen.

I kiss this man.

I kiss the man that I have been wanting to own my heart.

I kiss him, like I already handed it over.

9

I don’t know how we got here.

Was it the confession as to why I wanted nothing to do with her?

Was it the anger in her eyes as she tried to get her point across?

Or was it the passion that was radiating off her body when she told me what she deserved and didn’t need protection?

I don’t know what the hell it was that got us here but there is no way in hell that I’m putting a stop to it.

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