AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I think the same goes for Mateo. He carries the dark parts of his past with him too. In the form of scars and nightmares. Something about the way his eyes couldn’t meet mine broke something inside of me. They were no longer beaming from pleasure, but struck with fear. I took pleasure in knowing my words eased the tension in his body. If only it was enough for him to not still cling tightly to his towel. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...I mean, I didn’t...”
“Shhh. It’s okay. There’s no need to apologize for anything.” I tuck a wet curl behind his ear. “I should get going though, and it’s not because I want to. Rather that I need to before someone finds me.”
He shakes his head and follows me into his room. I pull on my clothes facing away from him to give him his privacy. When I turn back around he is climbing into his bed dressed in nothing but a tank. He lays on his stomach, naked from the waist down and my gaze falls to the arch of his lower back and the perfect curve of his ass. “No one ever comes into my room. I would like it if you stayed.”
I release a long sigh, hating how tempting his words are. I know if I stayed, I would never be able to leave. Not without taking him with me. Now wasn’t the time for Mateo to disappear. It could make things more complicated for me and my brothers. “I wish I could, but it isn’t a good idea. I should have never come here to begin with.”
“You always say that.”
“I know, and I should really start listening to myself. Why would you want me to stay anyway? You hardly know me.”
His lower lip slips beneath his teeth. “Because you treat me differently from everyone else and not like this fragile thing that could break at any moment. When you are around me, I feel more alive and free. It’s only with you that I’ve discovered my true self and buried desires. Also, I like the way you touch me and the way you look at me. And you don't make me feel ashamed of liking things I have to hide from everyone else.”
“I can’t stay, Mateo. In fact, we should never see each other again.” Not until I figure out a way to kill Santiago without risking my brothers’ lives. There will be no wedding as intended but for different reasons than before. The Moraleses have been another thorn at my side for years and I don't mind moving them ahead of everyone else. Won't I be killing two birds with one stone anyway by destroying the alliance for both families? Clearly Miguel has a lot to lose by this wedding not happening. Way more than what sits on the surface. I just don't understand what exactly.
“Why?”
“You really aren’t like anyone else. Most people would have run away in fear after the first time. Most people would have thought it was odd that some stranger kept following them around, but not you, Mateo. Why is that?”
“Maybe, because after living with my father and knowing Santiago, nothing scares me anymore. There is nothing more fearful than what I’ve experienced being in this house. Being out there with you was my safe haven. This is the first time I’ve been able to breathe in my own home.”
“I could be this crazed killer. I could be the most dangerous man you know, leading you to your death.”
He shakes his head. “You wouldn’t have saved me so many times if you planned to kill me. You wouldn’t have killed for me. Why you’ve done these things, I don’t know, and I no longer care. No one has ever made me such a high priority the way you have.”
He's right. I have no intention of killing him. Not sure I ever did. I only wanted to ruin him and that might actually end up happening whether I intend to or not. For someone who has lost the trust in everyone around him, he still found a way to trust me when he shouldn't. I need to tell him the truth, but what good would it do telling him I kill people for a living and he’s next on the list? That I originally pretended to want him to punish him for his father's crimes?
I doubt he would trust me then. He has this dreamy look on his face and his eyes are glowing. I'm not ready for him to stop looking at me that way. “You should really start locking your door. You never know when you'll accidently let the wrong person in.”
He shakes his head. “But so far only the right person has come through those doors. How else will you be able to sneak in my showers and in my bed?”
“I won't be doing that anymore and you shouldn't ever let your guard down for anyone.”
“You won't be coming by anymore? At all?”
“Mitar.” A rushed breath escapes me. “I'm not a good person, Mateo. I'm no better than the men I hate. I realize that now.”
“I don't care about any of that and you are the only person I trust.” His eyes water and my heart hurts.
Him saying that breaks my heart in two. “You shouldn’t.”
“Why? Do you plan on hurting me?”
I shake my head. “I could never hurt you.” I'm telling the truth too. Maybe before I could, but not now. Now when I look at him, all I want to do is keep him safe. Even if it's from myself.
“Then don't leave,” he whispers, stretching his body out on the bed. His hazy green eyes stare up at me, locking me in place. Suddenly, I forget why I have to leave in the first place. Maybe I started off being the one in control, but Mateo holds all the power now. I release a deep sigh, giving into temptation, no longer caring if I wake up with a gun to my head in the morning. All I care about is changing that look of disappointment on his face, so I pull off my clothes and crawl in after him. “Okay, I'll stay but we can't meet here anymore. It has to be away from the house.” What am I doing? The plan was to destroy him, not the other way around.
He smiles and there's this warm, strange sensation taking over me. I drag him in my arms, pulling the cover over us. This is stupid and dangerous. He buries his face into my neck and his curls fall into my nose, sweet hums vibrating against my skin. Suddenly being smart doesn't sound so good anymore and I'm ready to break the rules all over again. I stay because Mateo calms the chaos in my head. I stay because I don't have to fake being content when I'm with him. Most of all, I stay because for once in my life, I'm not angry. It's not because of vengeance or closure. It's because of the beautiful man in my arms.
Twenty-one
Mateo
Dinner with my family always means business is being discussed at the table. I'm ready to escape the moment I finish my food. Especially with Santiago sitting so close to me. My father put his trust in the wrong men, and they tried to run away with his money. They were supposed to be cleaning it for him, but he wasn't getting back the same amounts he was sending out. “I'll make sure they are taken care of,” Santiago says, sitting straighter in the chair. “Once we are done making an example out of them, people will know not to fuck with our family.”
Our family. Santiago may feel fully settled in and look the part, but he doesn't belong at this table. My father welcomed him with open arms because he was good at making problems disappear, people too, which earned him a reputation. No one messed with Santiago Morales and his family.
Before recently, no one fucked with my father either, but one by one his allies were turning into his greatest enemies. People who have been working for him for years were screwing up left and right. Something wasn't adding up. Why would his right-hand man suddenly steal from him when he never did before? My father didn't even bother questioning it much. He just simply took care of the problem.
