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“Look.”
Refraining from rolling my eyes, I looked back at the marble headstones, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Okay, I couldn’t really see them at all due to the weather, but I knew every marker by heart.
“There are five graves here, Elena, but not all of them contain a body. Who do you think is missing?”
My brows slanted together as I studied the graves for a second time, skimming over each one.
I knew my grandfather was dead. Molly was most certainly dead. Eva was in a box, and my mother had been in her casket during calling hours, so unless one of the three I knew was buried had risen from the afterlife, that only left one other person.
My mind immediately rejected the notion. It didn’t make any sense.
“It’s Eva, or my…father.” I looked up at Mateo, needing him to say something.
“It isn’t,” was his blunt response.
“What isn’t, Mateo?”
“The answer’s not simple enough for me to give you a yes or no.”
Shaking my head, I looked back at the graves at a loss. If my father was alive, then where the fuck was he?
Chapter Nine
The most poisonous, dysfunctional people I knew were all disguised under the illusion of family.
They were liars, criminals, and ridiculously selfish. They fit right into this fucked up clandestine world. I had a plethora of issues of my own, so I sincerely hoped I didn’t inherit their toxic dysfunction on top of them. If I did, I was doubly fucked.
Now back at the cozy Mediterranean villa, I stood beneath the hot spray of water, wishing I could stay there forever.
This whole venture was leading me down a path I’d never intended on walking. Not one thing I’d discovered boded well for how this would end.
I knew the truth wasn’t going to be black and white; it never had been. Hell, the way things were going, I wasn’t entirely sure I even wanted it anymore. The Rias name was a curse, a noose slowly tightening around my neck. I understood now why Mateo insisted on me severing all ties with it and taking his surname.
“Dammit,” I muttered, leaning against the wall. My brain was throbbing. I felt like I’d overslept, and there was too much shit bouncing around inside my head. Was it wrong to hate them for the mess they’d made of my life? My family’s secrets and lies were overflowing and never ending.
I’d never been well equipped to deal with things like this. I needed to do something before I self sabotaged.
Shutting the water off, I stepped out of the shower and didn’t bother grabbing a towel. I made my way back into the exuberant master suite I shared with Mateo, and found him sitting on the edge of the bed, looking deep in thought.
His eyes met mine before slowly perusing every inch of my body, lingering exactly where I wanted him to be.
I’m sure I’d one day be judged harshly by all the do-gooders with self-righteous moral conduct, but it was what it was.
I’d always been a tad bit reckless. I suppose I was selfish, too—unashamedly so. I still had a lifetime of bad decisions left in me, and he was always going to be my favorite one.
I didn’t want to pretend anymore, not with him. I just wanted to be myself.
He let me approach him, allowed me to straddle him, and didn’t pull away when I placed his hands on my slick hips.
“I want you,” I told him, resting my hands on his shoulders.
“Do you? After you ran away from me, vanishing for four days? Do you know the danger you put yourself in?” he asked, sliding his palms around to my ass and beginning to knead the flesh.
“How would I know that when no one has ever told me what I should be afraid of?”
“You should be afraid of me.”
I tilted my head to the side and smiled. “I know you’re a dangerous man, Mateo. I always have. I’m not afraid of that side of you. In fact, I really like it.”
