Page 41 of When Sinners Dare

“Who was that guy?”

“Jonny. He’s caused me some trouble in the past and still is.” He stops and grabs a rasher of crispy bacon.

“Oh, no. You’re going to do better than that. I had to pull you off him last night or you’d have killed him by the look on your face and the paint job you were doing on his wall with his blood. Just some guy isn’t going to cut it.”

“Fine,” he moans. “He runs a gang around these parts. I was part of it, have been since I was a kid. But I’m out now, only Jonny hasn’t really got that message yet.”

“Right. So, now you’ve admitted you’re no boy scout, how do you know my brother.” This one is the kicker.

He keeps eating. “Does it matter?”

“I’m not messing about, Kai. I’m assuming he’s the reason you were a cock before agreeing to tattoo me.” My accusation lands because I see the flash of anger that he showed full force last night.

“Well, what the hell were you doing coming down looking for me? I thought you’d got the message at the bar. But there you were, causing trouble and calling my bluff by inking yourself up.” I can’t stop the smirk on my lips at his words because now I know I got to him.

“What’s the matter? Don’t like your handiwork?”

“I like it well enough. I like my hands on you, too, but the fact that you made me do it, less so.”

Being a Cortez affords a certain amount of power which I’ve wielded pretty accurately since my late teens. People don’t say no to me. Or any of our family. “Not many people say no to me. I didn’t like it.”

“No shit.”

We both have a bit of a smile on our faces as we continue to eat. I want to give Kai the time to tell me on his own terms about Abel. Hell, he’s my brother, so I know that any kind of association will be on the dangerous side.

“Abel and I crossed paths when I was inside.”

“Inside?” I check while I start processing what he’s saying. Abel was inside for years before Shaw and I were even born. Dante was head of the family for the first part of my life. Maybe that’s why I’m closest to him.

“Yeah. Eight years. And I’m not going back. I’ve got another crack, and I won’t get drawn back into that life again.” I listen to his words and realise this is the reason he’s giving me mixed signals. Everything was fine until he knew who I was. And if he knows Abel, he knows that Cortez often means trouble. The knowledge does little to reassure, though, because where do we go from here?

“You want to stay clean? So, what was Jonny about last night?” I push. There’s more to it than he’s letting on.

“He needed to know his place.”

“And by beating him to a pulp, you’re staying clean?”

He pushes his plate away with a clatter, frustrated at something. “It was a one-time thing.”

“And so, what am I? Because I am not a one-time thing.”

We’ve both sort of given up on breakfast now. He stands and bends down to me. “No, you’re not. But you are a Cortez.” He kisses me on the cheek before leaving me at the table.

“What, that’s it?” I call after him. He’s been purposefully light on details. “I still have questions.”

“So do I. Remember, you owe me your story, too.”

Ahh. Mutual exchange. “I told you that was for after a long drink. Coffee over breakfast wasn’t what I was meaning.”

“Too bad. Why were you at the bar that evening?”

“Why were you in prison?” I counter, suddenly feeling guilty and anxious all at once. He doesn’t answer, though. Just stands and crosses his arms over his chest, mastering his sexy brooding look. “Fine.” The coffee will have to do. “I have an intense family. You’ve seen and know Abel. Well, I have a bunch of brothers that all watch out for me, but they don’t let me breathe, and that overprotectiveness just pushes me away.” As I start, I find the words come easier than I thought. “And then there’s my mother. She’s the archetypal matriarch of the family. Only, she isn’t loved or respected, at least not by me. We have a complicated relationship, and that’s on a good day.” I smile at the irony as I try to categorise what we had. “Had.”

“Had?” Kai picks up on my change of tense.

“She died.” I pause, letting the words sink in. My jaw tightens, and emotion stings my eyes.

“Recently?” I nod. “Sounds like you’ve had a rough couple of days,” Kai offers. And more guilt layers on top that I didn’t come clean about the full story.

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