Page 14 of Possession

For good.

I pull over onto the side of the street and put the Escalade in park. “Landyn.”

She doesn’t move.

I reach over and brush the side of her arm with my knuckles. “Chica. Wake up.”

She jerks and shrinks away as if I woke her up with a knife to her throat.

She looks from me to our surroundings. “Where are we?”

“Look at me.” She turns her icy blues my way and frowns. I shift in my seat and take her in from top to bottom. Her hair is falling around her face in a mess, and her eyes are framed in dark circles. I wonder if it’s from the stress, tears, or leftover makeup.

“What?” she bites.

“Damian’s dead,” I state.

Her eyes widen as she motions to our blood-covered clothes. “No shit. I still have his brains splattered all over me. I might’ve been kidnapped, but I haven’t forgotten that highlight of my day.”

I put my finger up to stop her. “Drop the attitude. I’m trying to do you a favor. Again. Señor Marino does not play. I tried to get him to let you go, but he’s mourning the loss of his only son and blames your dad. He wants you back, but I have no fucking idea what his plans are. There are people all over Mexico looking for you. Consider yourself lucky that I’m the one who found you. No one else would be coaching you on how to handle this shit.”

Her expression is set to freaked the fuck out, but she still says, “You haven’t coached me on anything.”

“I’m getting to that part.” I tip my head and take her in. Even in her state, she’s got a backbone. She’s going to need it walking into Alamandos’ compound, and now I wonder how devoted she is to her father. “I have a feeling you might have a fire inside you that could get you in trouble. That attitude isn’t going to do you any favors in this life. Keep your mouth shut when we get in there. I have no idea what we’re walking into since I’ve been gone for hours looking for you.”

“Who took me?” she demands. “And why? There’s no way my father could have done that back at the church. That’s what Damian thought. If you take me back in there and they think my father had Damian killed, who knows what they’ll do to me.”

I glance at my watch because we need to get back. I can’t control the situation when I’m sitting on the side of the road arguing with a blood-stained bride. “No offense, chica, but they know your father couldn’t pull off that bloodbath if he tried. He doesn’t have that kind of pull in Mexico or the U.S. Alamandos knows it. What happened today is business that has nothing to do with you or your family.”

Her blue eyes disappear when her lids fall shut and that backbone of hers gives out. Her voice comes out in a whisper over the quiet hum of the engine. “But I’m still caught in the middle of it.”

I tell her the truth. “You have your father to thank for that. Landyn, look at me.”

She drags her tired eyes open. She’s raw and looks like she might give up or snap, which is why I need to get this through her head. “I don’t know what’s going to happen when we get in there, but whatever you do, don’t say shit about Damian. Not to Alamandos and not in front of the family. Got it?”

She gives in after too many moments of hesitation, and now I wonder how much I can trust her. “I’m heartbroken that my asshole fiancé was shot in the head. Got it. Maybe they’ll let me wear black now.”

I narrow my eyes and wonder if I should kick her out of the damn car and let her go it alone in Marino territory. I have a feeling this woman will be a pain in my ass. “You pull that shit in front of Alamandos, you’re on your own, Landyn. Trust me, you don’t want that.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and turns to stare back out the passenger window.

The silent treatment.

Fuck me.

I wasn’t kidding when I said I can wrap this up faster with Damian out of the way. I knew it the moment that bullet cracked his skull.

I thought I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, but with the roadblock sitting next to me, my task just got harder than it should be.

Damn the girl.

I put the car in drive and pray she doesn’t do anything stupid.

* * *

Landyn

We don’t stopor even have to knock. The massive double front doors part like magic as Boz leads me into the home of Alamandos Marino with his big hand wrapped around my bicep. He hasn’t taken his hand off me since he rounded the SUV to open my door.

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