Page 49 of Queen of Ruin

“I’ve got them.” Diego leans back and pats his thigh under the table. “I’ve been holding on to them in case I saw something or found someone who could help track down the owners.”

“Wedding rings are weird, right? Did I attack a happy couple and steal them?”

Diego snorts. “Given how you attacked that cop, it’s a possibility. But they looked really new so either you attacked newlyweds or you were holding onto them for some reason. Family or friends or… or they’re connected to something you thought you’d remember with just those rings.”

“Maybe…” Nodding slowly, we’re briefly interrupted by the smiling waitress bringing us coffee. It’s my first hot drink in too long and the liquid burns its way down my throat, spreading a welcoming warmth through my gut.

“Good?” Diego murmurs over the lip of his cup.

“So good.” Another few sips and my racing heart, something that’s become so common, I barely feel it, starts to slow. “If you had to think about everything honestly… do you think I’ve done something bad?”

Diego’s mouth twists to the side as he thinks, then he shakes his head. “No. Well… I think I’m biased because I don’t know if you can tell, but I kind of have a huge crush on you. But I don’t think you’re a bad person. The wedding rings, your injuries, that weird car, the cop that came to the bar, and those black cars all following us around… if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’d stolen state secrets or something.”

“Would justify why I didn’t want to go to the cops.”

“True.” He smiles lightly and battles a yawn. “I think you got messed up in something. Something bad. And someone clearly hurt you over a long period of time, so maybe… maybe you know something that someone else wants.”

“I can’t think what would be so important to go to these lengths to get me back.”

Diego’s brow dips and he shakes his head. “Me neither. But you remembered your name. Pieces of the night we were run off the road. Hopefully with these meds, you’ll heal faster and everything will start to come back. Just…” He pauses and winks at me. “Remember I did all of this for you if you do get your memory back and turn out to be some terrorist or something.”

Laughter bubbles in my chest and I reach across the table, taking his hand. “I’ll never forget this, no matter how much I remember. You’ve risked your life for me and you don’t even know me. You have a big heart, Diego.”

He grimaces slightly but turns his palm into mine. “Not everyone would agree.”

Mindy. The thought of her brings a bloom of sympathy through my chest. “She really hates you, doesn’t she?”

“She blames me. And I think she’s right, mostly.”

“I don’t see how. She made her own choices.”

“That’s true,” Diego replies with a wince. “But the situation… that was me.”

“Is what she said about your brother true?”

He meets my eyes and nods. “Yeah. Uhm… long story short, my brother was killed. Hit and run. He was all I had left and I took it pretty hard. Drugs became my lifeline and my life melted into one big disaster until I nearly overdosed. I recovered, though, and it was a pretty decent wake-up call. Been clean for five years now. I tried, for a long time, to get Mindy clean as well, but she…” He lets out a dry laugh. “She’s stubborn.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Diego pauses, as if my words are some kind of shock to him, then he nods just once and starts sliding out of the booth. “I’m gonna call the bar just to check in, make sure everyone’s alright.”

“Okay.”

While he’s gone, the waitress brings our food and talks me through a couple of different syrups for the pancakes. I request them all rather than making a choice Diego won’t like. She brings them all, as well as some fresh coffee, and then leaves me to enjoy the aroma of the food and the quiet nightlife outside.

No wonder Diego has such a big heart. Given everything he’s been through, he throws himself into helping people, likely because of what he lost. His determination to help and save himself the pain of another loss is admirable, but how far will he go? Helping people isn’t worth losing oneself.

Then again, without him, I’d be dead. Or worse.

Three mouthfuls of thick, fluffy pancake later and Diego’s back with me looking somewhat relieved.

“Everyone’s okay. Work is going smoothly and the cop hasn’t been back. The owner’s pretty pissed at my absence, though, so I might be out of a job. Luckily, I’m good at selling drugs.”

My eyes widen and Diego laughs.

“I’m kidding. I’m kidding.”

“I don’t want you to lose your job because of me. Don’t you love that place?” Why else would he call up to make sure everyone is alright?