Page 128 of No Merciful Corruption

“I want to take you on a tour of the house.” Dahlia says.

Karina makes a face. “That’s your idea of a date?”

Lettie flings a piece of broccoli across the table which hits Karina square on the nose. Caught off guard, she reels back and Diego has to grab her chair to keep her from toppling over.

“Lettie!” she exclaims.

“Sorry, it slipped.”

Dahlia casts a glance of disapproval at my sister who begrudgingly rolls her eyes.

Diego’s brows furrow as a thought occurs to him. “Does this have anything to do with the God-awful drilling I heard earlier? I was sitting in the living room trying to work and it was driving me crazy.”

Dahlia narrows her eyes at him. “You mean my living room? In my apartment?”

“Your living room gets better lighting. Sometimes I go there to read.” Karina adds.

“All right!” Lettie slams her hands down on the table and stands. She points an accusatory finger at them both. “You and you let’s go. Dinner is over. Grab the little one too.”

Diego and Karina’s protests overlap.

“But I just poured myself another glass of wine.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Out!” She orders.

Lettie comes around to scoop Allegra out of my lap before dragging her parents out by their ears. Diego tries taking his wine with him but Lettie pushes him out like a drill sergeant and the glass ends up tipping over instead. Dahlia drops her face in her hands and hides until the door eventually slams shut. I stare at their empty seats in disbelief.

“What just happened?”

She peeks out from behind her fingers to make sure the room is empty. When she’s satisfied, she gets up from her seat and tugs on my arm. “I have a surprise.”

“What—”

“Let’s go!”

She practically yanks me out of my seat and I knock over a wine glass and breadbasket on my way out. I stumble after her as she leads us down the hall only for her to turn around at the last minute and send us crashing into each other.

I grab her shoulders to steady her. “Dahlia, Dios mío⁠—”

“Close your eyes!”

I glance over her shoulder. We’re in the galley—the main hallway connecting all the different pathways in the apartment. We just came from the direction of the dining room and up ahead are the formal living room, office library, and foyer. In one direction is the hall that sections off into Lettie’s private quarters. Doña Ana’s room is toward the back of the apartment where the stairs take us down to the main kitchen. In the opposite direction is our bedroom, a few guest rooms, and a door connecting the playroom in Karina’s apartment to ours. The entire thing is labyrinthine and it's just the way Dahlia likes it. It makes living here feel like living in an old castle.

“You’re acting very strange.”

“Can you please!” She giggles and lifts my hands to my eyes. “Follow me.”

I keep my hands over my eyes as she pushes me from behind. I take purposefully slow, small steps that frustrate her as she tries to steer me in the direction she wants. She huffs and groans with irritation behind me and I smile every time she pushes between my shoulders to insist I go faster. Judging by how far we’ve walked I imagine we’ve already passed our bedroom which begs the question: what exactly is she trying to surprise me with? The only thing past this point are empty rooms and the door leading to Allegra’s playroom.

“Okay, we’re almost there. Keep your eyes closed!”

“Is this some kind of sex game?”

“Alex.”

“I just want to make sure. This is me consenting in advance.”