Page 60 of El Malo

Javier

Istare at her and wonder how it came to this. It’s been nearly two months since Michael raped her. This entire time hunting and not finding that dirty bastard. What I have found are pieces of a puzzle. A picture that’s becoming clear before my very eyes.

Deception.

Betrayal.

Lies.

And yet, I stare at her from across the dinner table, salivating for her. She’s a little weaver of lies and I can’t look away. I let her lie to me. I fucking like it. It fuels me like a shot of heroin to the system. I’m always high from it. Just waiting for it all to unravel.

She can’t lie forever.

One day, all her secrets will be laid before me.

I’ll be forced to cut her open and watch her bleed.

I may as well cut my motherfucking soul out when that happens.

Fuck her for doing this to me.

Fuck her for digging in so deep, threading herself into my entire being. She’s in everything. Seeps from my pores. Saturates my cock. Infects my mind.

An illness I’ll never recover from.

I’ll die from her.

A broken heart is real.

My father nearly died of one when my mother died.

I have no doubt it’ll be the same for me.

“It’s so warm today,” she says, a smile tilting her full red lips. Her head is turned to look out at the ocean. The black strapless dress hugs her curves in a way that has every male in the vicinity turning his head to look at her. All it takes is seeing who she’s with before they’re quickly looking away.

She’s mine.

The thought is possessive and maddening.

I’m fucking crazy over her.

My duties to my father—to El Malo—fall by the wayside because I can’t get her out of my head.

“Great day for a swim,” I muse aloud.

She nods before turning back to me. Her fingers nervously twist her bracelet around her wrist. It’s one of the many I’ve gifted her. Even liars deserve to feel pretty. Her brows furrow together and she won’t meet my eyes.

“After dinner, I wanted to stop off at one of the shops.” She swallows and her hand shakes. “To buy you a gift.”

Liar. Liar. Fucking liar. “Of course, manzanita. I suppose it’s a surprise?”

Her brown eyes lift to mine and she nods. How can someone lie straight to your face and look so innocent about it? Does she believe the shit she spews? I sure as fuck don’t. It’s my job to sniff out liars and expose them. I’m good at it. It has taken some unraveling, but I’m peeling Rosa apart piece by piece until I get to the center. I’m so close.

“I won’t be gone long,” she promises. “I think you’ll love it.”

I lift my hand and wave the server over to bring me the check. She’s so eager to deceive me. I’ll help her along. The quicker we get to that point, the better. I’m not into torture unlike my victims who visit the shed from time to time. I fucking hate torture. Especially the emotional kind. It’s worse than any blade or tool. She’s cutting my heart out day by day.

And yet I can’t hate her.

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