Page 134 of Forbidden Fate

The men coming to kill us.

All of it falls away.

Cruz doesn’t grab me. Doesn’t deepen the kiss.

That ruins me more than if he had pulled me against him.

I press my lips to his harder, parting them, because I need to know. I need to know what I’m walking away from. I need one true thing in a morning full of horror.

He tastes like coffee, blood, and grief.

I pull back before I can change my mind.

His eyes are closed.

“I’ll take Señora Valentina’s car to the embassy,” I say. “I saw the keys hanging in the kitchen.”

“No.”

“Fine. I’ll take the stolen car. You take Señora’s. I don’t give a shit.”

“Robin, I’m not letting you drive alone.”

“You don’t get to decide what I do.” I exhale sharply. “I don’t care which car I take. I’ll go to the embassy. I’ll tell them what happened here. I won’t say anything about you killing Zabala unless I have to.” I draw in breath, hold it for a moment. “And I won’t tell my family what you did to Eagle.”

“Rob—”

I hold up a hand.

“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it because if my brothers find out, they’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth.” My voice steadies. “And I don’t want more blood. Not because of me. Because you rescued me, I’ll spare you that.”

He exhales slowly and pulls bills out of his pocket. “At least take these. It’s not much. Worth maybe a hundred US dollars.”

I nod and take them. “So this is what happens,” I say. “You go. You live honestly from this point on. You stay away from Vega. Away from Adriana. Away from my family. If you do that”—I close my eyes and run my hands through my hair—“you won’t face repercussions from the Bellamys. Not from me. Not through me, anyway.”

“You can’t promise what your brothers will do.”

“They won’t know.”

“And if they find out?”

“Then I guess you’d better make damn sure they don’t. I’ll do my part.”

I turn then, wearing socks and sweats that aren’t mine, and walk up the stairs.

36

CRUZ

I stand in the basement with blood on my hands and the taste of Robin’s final kiss still on my mouth, and I can’t move.

I don’t care.

Vega’s men are on their way. They can arrive anytime, and I can’t make my feet fucking move off this concrete floor.

She said her piece. She made her choice. She kissed me goodbye, and then she turned her back on me and left.

I let her.