Page 24 of No Darker Temptation

“Nothing’s the matter. I wanted to hear your voice.”

“You never call at this time. Something must be wrong.”

It takes him a while to respond. In that time, I almost fall back asleep. “It’s been a long day.”

That snaps me back awake. “A long day? How long could it have possibly been, it isn’t even ten in the morning over there.”

“Every day is a long day without you.”

A burst of laughter erupts from my lips and I have to dive under the comforters to smother the sound. “Alex…I love you.”

He inhales a sharp, shaky breath. When he exhales, the sound catches at the end. I still under the sheets and wait for him to speak but he isn’t eager to continue the conversation. At least, not at first.

“I can’t see you right now,” I say quietly. “You have to speak.”

“Tell me again.”

My grip on the phone tightens before I move my head and place it on the pillow beside me. “I love you.”

Another deep breath. More silence.

“Did you need to hear that today?”

He avoids the question. “Sandro’s planning something. And he’s using Regina to do it, turning her into a weapon against me.”

I struggle with responding. “Does it hurt? That she’s turning against you?”

“In a way. I always believed at the very least we respected each other. More than that, she knows things from when we were together. Not enough to completely dismantle the entire organization.”

“But enough to make it hurt,” I provide.

“Certainly enough to draw a broad outline. She’s smart and resourceful—she can fill in the rest herself. Sandro’s been gunning for control of the city for years. A turf war would be bloody, messy, and prolonged and he knows that. So instead, he’s going after the business. Peeling paint in corners wherever he can until eventually, he finds something he can tear apart completely.”

This is the most Alejandro has ever shared with me about this side of his life. Over the summer, when Montenegro and Ibanez were still alive, such details were mandatory. It was my life and safety on the line. He has no reason to tell me any of this now unless he’s trying to either let me in or scare me away. I haven’t decided which it is yet.

I often wonder why control is so important to him. At one point, whether it was his father’s dream or not, he believed in a legitimate Narvaez family legacy. Deep down, part of me suspects he’s either afraid of such a monumental change or he doesn’t want to leave this world behind. I’ve had glimpses of the darker, more malevolent side of him and those are all I ever want to see. He is as vicious in the underworld as he is tender with me in the real one. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for him to balance those sides of himself without one destroying the other. What if one day, his darkness leaks into me? Or worse.

What if, one day, someone strikes where he’s most vulnerable and the whole thing comes crashing down?

He is not altogether a danger to me but he is still a danger. I can never forget that. No matter how dark a temptation he may be.

“My cousin thinks you’re hot.”

Turning to the guy standing next to me, I give him a once over. White, average height, brown hair, brown eyes. I sigh and tilt my head back before downing another shot. “Your fly is open.”

The guy looks down then swears under his breath. When he’s gone, I wave at the bartender and he refills my glass to the rim so I shove a twenty in the tip bar to show my gratitude.

Mimi comes up behind me and gives my shoulders a little shake, making the flounces on her dress sleeves wave back and forth. “Why don’t you come dance with us?”

“Yeah.” Stacy clasps her hands together. “We told the DJ to put some Bad Bunny on!”

Yulissa joins us and slams her empty glass down on the bar. “What is it with these people and Journey? They’ve played ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ six times already and it’s not even midnight.”

“Brent was very hands on with the playlist,” Mimi says. “He was a DJ in college.”

“And now he’s an investment banker.” I reach over the bar and grab the tequila bottle. “What’s that tell you about his DJing skills?”

The other bridesmaids murmur their agreement and wait for the bartender’s return.