Page 44 of Wounded Angel

Rolando snickers. “I do, and I know where this conversation is going. It’s my job to protect Xava. As soon as she came into the family, I was given my assignment and have been doing my job since then. If you’re wondering if there’s ever been anything romantic between us, there has not. We might be in one another’s proximity a lot, but she is my job. I’d call her a friend, but nothing more than that.”

“I don’t know many people in security work who live with their assignment. I found that a bit weird. I still do.”

“Well, as weird as it might look, it was Xava’s choice. She didn’t like my replacements who’d come to relieve me when I went back to my place. She felt like they constantly hovered around her, making her uncomfortable. We all have different ways of doing our jobs. I give her space, but I am still close when she needs me to be.”

I thought I’d get some sort of inclination that Rolando’s interested in Xava, but I’m getting quite the opposite. He doesn’t seem like a man who’s interested in her whatsoever, and that strikes me as odd. Xava has a natural sort of beauty, one you don’t find too often anymore since many women have been following all the plastic surgery fads.

“I know I don’t have to tell you this, but I’m going to so you really understand I’m of no threat. You’re more my type than Xava is.”

It takes a few seconds for my brain to process what he’s just said.

“Ah, I get it.” Rolando bats for the other team.

Rolando smirks. “I haven’t officially told Xava that, but I will at some point. I grew up in a very religious household. Because of that, I don’t go out of my way to tell people.”

“I understand, and I appreciate you shooting it straight with me.”

“No problem. I figure it’s better for us to talk about it now than beat around the bush when we don’t need to,” Rolando states, and I agree. In the back of my mind, I would’ve been thinking about this shit if we didn’t squash it. Little did I know there was nothing we needed to squash in the first place.

Footsteps can be heard coming from behind us, and Xava walks into the room in some silk pajamas. “Morning, you two.”

Xava comes right over to me and snakes her arm around my waist, then gives me a kiss on the cheek.

Rolando and I both tell her good morning, and then she speaks again. “Do either of you want any food? I’m starved.”

“I could definitely eat,” I reply first.

“Me too,” Rolando adds.

“Okay. Let’s see what we’re working with.” Xava goes over to the fridge and opens the doors. She begins pulling out a variety of items like bacon, orange juice, milk, and eggs and then grabs some herbs and spices. I don’t know what she plans on making, but whatever it is, I know it’s going to be delicious.

“I’m going to hop in the shower, but I’ll be back down in a little while,” Rolando tells us before leaving the kitchen.

Xava looks over at me while she’s getting out pots and pans. “Is everything okay with you two?”

“Yeah, we spoke a little bit this morning. I don’t think we’re going to have any issues moving forward.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sometimes, men need to talk it out among themselves to get to the root of the problem. Rolando and I are good now.”

“Okay, well, awesome. It would’ve been really difficult for me if the two of you kept having problems. I care about you both deeply, and if you two stayed at odds, it wouldn’t have been good long term. We would have had to deal with it at some point.”

“The good thing is that you’ll never have to worry about it anymore,” I promise her. She might not realize it, but I do mean it.

“It’s such a relief. How do you like your eggs?”

“Any way, honestly. I’m not picky.”

“Okay, dealer’s choice it is.”

Xava’s in her element for about fifteen minutes while she makes breakfast. She ends up making some bacon gravy and then grabbing some freshly made bread out of the bread box on the kitchen counter. I honestly can’t remember if we had bread when we got here, but I think Rolando grabbed some groceries last night when he was out getting me some clothes.

“I’m going to make sure the rest of my family knows that we’re together when I get back to Greece. I want them to know you’re more than a fling, that you’re important to me, and that I don’t plan on letting you go. I know we haven’t spoken about this in great detail, but I can see a future with you, Xava. Things are easy with you. Things flow naturally. They aren’t difficult like they have been with other women I’ve been with in the past.”

Xava’s just finishing plating my food and hands it to me with a fork already on it. “No lie, it’s a relief to hear you say that. I know we’re together, but I was curious how serious you really were about us.”

“I’m very serious about us. Truthfully, I can see you by my side for years. It might be a little too soon to say that by some people’s standards, but I’m speaking the truth.” I haven’t ever been someone who speaks from the heart like this, but Xava brings out a different side of me. She’s making me realize it isn’t bad to trust and just let shit be. I’m not guarded with her, though. I can find myself talking to Xava for hours upon hours about any subject. I’d even start discussing the Organization with her because that’s how comfortable I am.

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