Page 69 of Unmasking My Dark Knight

“Shut up, Tal!” I scolded her.

“Hey, hey, don’t tell my bride to shut up…” Gustav butted sarcastically. “Only I can.” We all laughed, but Tal gave him a quick side-eye. My brother would never, Tallulah would have his balls before he could utter those two words together.

The two of them went back to carving.

Romeo squeezed my thigh, leaning in to whisper. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” he growled. “How sweet you sounded, how you felt coming on my cock.”

I blushed hard.

“Ah, no, no, no, mija!” Mami appeared out of nowhere, springing up behind me before I could even stab my pumpkin. She had the most bewildered look, her smile firm and unwavering. “I’ve been looking all over for you all. Where have you been?”

“What do you mean?” I said, waving the small carving knife around. “I’ve been right here. Sitting with Ro.”

“Hi, Mrs. Castellanos.” Ro smiled with a short wave.

Mami didn’t even look at him.

“I’m not talking about now. I meant last night! You weren’t in your room,” she said, lowering her voice. She may have smiled pretty, but the way she suddenly wrapped her hand around my arm let me know she meant business. Before I could even answer her, she gave a frantic glance, scanning my body like a robot sent to kill me. “What on earth are you wearing!?” Her mouth dropped open.

I looked down at my outfit.

“It’s my halter dress,” I said, adjusting the black lace down to my knees. Mami gave me a double take.

“Where is your pretty dress?” she asked quickly.

“This IS my pretty dress!”

“But it’s not the pink Givenchy?”

“So? That’s upstairs!” I clenched the knife in my hand, annoyed.

“Lower your voice…”

“Is everything okay?” Ro intervened, calmly placing his hand over Mami’s. She was still squeezing my arm.

“Oh, yes. Everything’s fine. I’m so sorry to interrupt you, Romeo,” she said sweetly, her eyes creased into little crescent moons. I could tell I embarrassed her. Mami’s fake pleasantry was as terrifying as the beheaded skulls on the table. “I just need to steal Ivy Jade for a moment… Come on, mija, put the knife down.”

“No,” I snipped, looking at her like a lunatic. “I’m carving pumpkins.”

“Not with Romeo. I’m sorry,” she snipped back.

“Yes, with Romeo. Why are you being so rude?” I barked.

“Ivy Jade, we have company!” she faltered for a moment, her eyes darting up to the other side of the large outdoor patio. “Dios mio!” She signed the cross over her chest. “He’s here!”

Without warning, she pulled me up from my chair.

“Ow!” I squeaked; my arm pinched in her grip. “What the heck is happening?”

“It’s Antonio…” Mami took a deep breath. “He just flew in from New York. He’s standing there with your father!”

“Antonio?!” I gasped, dropping the knife.

It clambered loudly on the table.

Tallulah looked over, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Antonio ‘the doctor’?”

“Brain surgeon,” Mami and I corrected in unison.