Page 5 of Sin and Seduction

“So what about Columbia? Is it just us going?”

“Us as well as my brother and his assistants, also Gabriela once we bring her home. We expect her rescue to be a...sticky situation, so your bags are packed, and everyone has been notified. We have a private jet on standby.” He says this so casually, meanwhile my heart is going to thump right out of my chest.

“As soon as tomorrow then? Dante, I don’t have a passport—”

“Sergio already took care of it. Don’t worry, and don’t ask questions,” he interrupts, silencing me quickly.

Don’t ask questions? I guess that statement shouldn’t piss me off too much. He does let me in on everything I need to know. I don’t really need to know the logistics of how everything works. To be quite honest, I’d much rather be ignorant when it comes to certain aspects of his...business.

“So your mom...is she intimidating?” I ask, breaking the silence of the last five minutes.

We’re just now entering the outskirts of LA. Dante drives like a speed demon usually, but he’s faster than the speed of light in this car.

“Some could say. Though I will tell you, if you’ve managed to be in good graces with my siblings, meeting my mother will be like riding a bike.”

I doubt it’ll be that easy.

I pull my hand away, starting to chew on my fingernails as he tracks the movement from the corner of his eye. He frowns, confused by my anxiety. Men really are dense. Even if they do own an entire cartel.

“Why are you nervous, mi amor?” he asks, and I shrug, unable to get the words out.

“Spit it out, Emmie.”

I sigh, my hands fidgeting in my lap.

“I’ve never met someone’s mom before. Just Ricky’s, but that doesn’t really count since she helped raise me. I’ve never been…brought home to meet the parents.”

I’m quiet for a moment, reflecting as he soaks in my words. Dante almost looks sympathetic, but he mostly just looks concerned as he usually does.

“It will be fine, Emmie. Seriously, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure she’ll just make you a pot of tea as soon as you walk in.”

It sounds nice, but I can’t slow my anxiety so easily.

“We’re married, Dante. We’re married, and your mother didn’t even know about it. And now, the first time we’re going to meet her, I’m either going to introduce myself as your wife, or I’ll have to hide my ring and lie to her about it. Already, her first impression of me will be sour.”

He thinks this over before grabbing my hand, forcing me to look at him as he drives into downtown LA.

“We will figure it out, Esmeralda. Whatever you want to introduce yourself as, I am okay with.”

“Do you plan on telling her the truth about my father? About how her daughter was abducted by a member of his cartel? A member of the same business who helped orchestrate her husband's murder?”

The words bite, and I can see that, but I don’t care. These are the things that he needs to think about—the things I need to know before walking in blindly to yet another compromising situation.

“I’d rather she didn’t know about any of it. She’s older now; she can’t handle these kinds of things. It’s why we take care of it all. My mother… she’s quite fragile.”

I get where he’s coming from, I really do, but we have to think of something convincing enough to tell her. Suddenly, an idea pops into my head.

“We tell her that I worked at one of your clubs. You hired me on as an intern, since I am nearly finished with my business degree, but we fell in love quicker than expected. I come from a wealthy family who owned their own line of restaurants, but they died when I was eighteen, so I used the inheritance to buy my degree. I could’ve continued their legacy, but I’m a hard worker, as you know, so going to college and starting my own business just sounded right. It is my dream, after all.”

I say all this with a smug tone, pleased with myself and my lie. I shouldn’t be happy with lying, but that sounded pretty damn convincing. Dante stops outside of a funeral home, and I look at him before turning to the window. He looks proud of me, admiring me from his spot in the driver’s seat.

“Sounds brilliant enough, mi amor. I’ve taught you well.” He winks at me, and I look away, staring at the funeral home we’re parked in front of.

The space in the car has turned somber. As much pride as my lie has brought us, all has been sucked away by reality once more. The reality of my parents’ actual deaths, except for rich and loving parents, I was left with a dead, drug dealing father and an addict of a mother who died saving me from said father. What a sordid fucking tale.

Dante grabs his door handle, getting ready to leave the car, but my hand reaches out to stop him.

“I appreciate you wanting to do this with me, but I need to do this on my own. It’s always been just her and me from the beginning. That’s how it should end, too,” I say quietly, and he nods.

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