Page 117 of Corrupted Deception

But maybe it had… sort of.

The pieces of the puzzle slid into place—thanks so much, Cielo—and the picture made sense.

Val looked at the phone, then at me, but that was a mistake. I could see the fear in her eyes plain as day.

She reined it in fast, but not fast enough.

“Did you know I sent one of your father’s fingers to Julio. I did it to be kind,amiga.To give you proof that he’d been captured… killed,sí? I tried to—what is it called?—give you closure.” She scoffed. “At least until he upped and disappeared on me.”

I shrugged. “Family trait.”

He’s alive.My heart squeezed like someone was giving it a giant hug. If he’d upped and disappeared on her, he was alive.

“Julio was as stubborn as the rest of you, though. He didn’t say one word to you about it, did he?”

“No, because he knew my dad was alive. And you didn’t send a part of my dad to him to give me closure, Val; you sent it to try to make me stop searching. Because you knew I’d find you, didn’t you?”

I took a step toward her.

“I found Nic. I foundEl víbora. If you couldn’t throw me off the trail or get me to stop searching, then you knew I’d findyou.”

That was why the cartel had contacted me, why they’d come for me, thinking I had whatever ‘it’ they’d been looking for. She’d sent them.

I took another step, heedless of the guns in the room or the tank hovering next to Aiden, looking to Val for instruction.

“And now that I know everything…amiga,”I said, emphasizing each syllable, “Nacio’s going to rip you apart.”

Her finger hovered over the trigger as dark determination flared in her brown eyes.

But I wasn’t worried. I could feel him. And then I could smell him, bergamot and sandalwood.

It came as no surprise when gunshots rang out, one and then another.

The first slammed into Val’s shoulder, the second hit the tank center-mass, and they both hit the floor.

“Are you sure you didn’t want to wait a bit longer?” Aiden joked. “Maybe see if she’d get back to taking my fingers off?”

Without turning, I could feel Cielo there, right behind me. He wasn’t alone, but I breathed in deep, focusing on his scent as he entered the room and wrapped his arms around me from behind slowly.

When I didn’t pull away, he held me tighter, then shrugged his shoulders.

“I suppose it could have helped to ensure you’d keep your hands to yourself,” Cielo mused.

He leaned in closer until his lips brushed the shell of my ear.

“But I trust you,tempesta,” he whispered.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Cielo Luciano

There was a storm brewing. I had no doubt about it. Her body had melted into mine at first, but then it stiffened, her spine straight, her back rising and falling with each breath, faster and faster against my chest.

It was only a matter of time before the tempest unleashed her fury.

Three.

Two.

---