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“She’s been here a week and hasn’t gone to a single party or event. She’s rarely seen without Belluci or Ross.
What do you think she’s been doing?”Sergio asked, interrupting my deep reverie.
“Recuperating. A week isn’t that long–” Elias shrugged. “You have to remember Gio, she spent half her life away from here and only came back for a double funeral. She was never fully inducted into this life. Her father wouldn’t allow it. And you know how everyone felt about her sister.”
“He’s right. This is a work in progress. Like I told you, she didn’t seem to care who I was. She isn’t like the rest. She isn’t near ready to be what I need her to be–who I need her to be.”
“How can you be sure she ever will be ready, considering…recent events?” He shot a pointed glance at the whore on the ground.
“I know you’re new at this and don’t know better, but as often as we’ve done this, there’s nothing to worry about. In or out of the game she will be everything my brother needs her to be for him and our family.” Elias cut in to save our cousin’s ass.
“It’s just, she tried to––never-mind––I have faith in you completely. I know what you’re capable of. Forgive me Patrón if I’ve offended you.” Sergio bowed his head as a sign of respect.
I waved him off unperturbed. I fully understood his concerns. She had a dark spot in her past that couldn’t be overlooked. This didn’t bother me in the slightest, instead, it prodded my curious nature like a ringmaster draws attention from a beast. Her being the way she was greatly swayed things in my favor.
She thought I was a nice man, yet she fully understood what I did. She spoke to me with both desire and fear, but without a filter.
She was deadly nightshade, beautiful belladonna. Elena was my enigma, and I was a master at solving riddles. It would all be well worth it in the end.
She was my last play, the one card I needed to win. This went much deeper than the usual game.
She was my sole responsibility from this moment on. I’d made a sordid promise to a friend and I intended to keep it.
“Enough of this. Let’s go see my father.”
As I began to stand another gunshot rang through the air, the second whore meeting the same fate as her friend.
Chapter Four
Settling into the back seat of Peyton’s Telsa I closed my eyes, letting the air conditioner vent blow over my face.
“Are you going–––.”
“Nope, you two aren’t allowed to ask me any customary funeral questions, remember?”
I peeled my eyes open to Melody scowling at me from the front seat. “It was about the house.”
“Ugh, not that, either,” I huffed, glancing over at the home in question. It looked like something out of Martha Stewart magazine, white stucco with light grey accents and a tiny rose garden in the very front.
“So, is this plan of yours we recently discussed still a go?” Peyton asked.
I met his gaze in the rearview and nodded. “I can’t just accept my sister is lying in a ditch somewhere, or that she’s terrified right now, running from something, and didn’t ask for help. Eva isn’t dead. I would feel it.” A disparaging sigh slipped out when I saw my grandmother watching us from the front window.
“And what are we going to do about that?” Melody asked, not hiding her dislike for the woman.
“Placate her for now, at least until I know what she really wants.”
“Damn, Eva.” Peyton turned and grinned at me.
“What?”
“Your mama would be proud.”
“Would she? Papa wouldn’t.” I said, feeling the familiar pang in my heart when I thought of them. It had been years and the ache was still there, a slow burning fire that would never go out.
“I think they’d both be proud of you for coming back here when you have every reason to run,” he said softly.
I gave him a small smile in place of the emotion threatening to take hold of me. “This is going to be…dangerous. You two don’t have to help me.”
