Page 73 of No Merciful Corruption

Dahlia must decide she’s as desperate to get out of here as her cousin is because she grabs her purse and jacket and they head out just as the sun begins its slow descent into evening.

Diego sits in silence for a very long time.

He doesn’t say anything as we clean up around him. Doña Ana brings the serving trays downstairs, Lyss consolidates all the utensils, and I gather the plates and chargers. Between the three of us, the clean-up doesn’t take very long and Doña Ana retires for the evening. Lyss puts the food away and I wash all the dishes. By the time I head back upstairs with wine stoppers for the bottles we opened, there’s no need because Diego’s finished them off by himself.

He hasn’t moved from that seat in over an hour.

When we were younger I always knew what was bothering him but the older he gets the further away he feels from me. I don’t know how to fix it or if it’s even something that can be remedied. For a while we only had each other. Lettie was too young to really understand what was going on and we’re the closest in age. After I ended things with Regina and made the decision to try and take the family in a different direction, I thought we were finding a new equilibrium. Balance was developing between us and I found myself relying on him more as a partner and less like a little brother. Now everything’s changed and I don’t know how to get through to him.

I pull out a chair and sit beside him. “What are you doing?”

He swirls wine around in his glass. “Finishing my drink.”

“I mean with Karina.”

“You know, you think that just because our father is dead it means you get to lord over us like some sort of authoritative parental figure.” He looks at me. “I don’t need another dad. I already had one.”

His words sting more than I care to admit. I know I’m not a replacement or a stand in for our father but I’ve always done my best to lead and guide my siblings as the eldest of us three.

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don’t need your help?”

I lean forward. “What’s wrong? And don’t tell me it’s nothing because right now you’re behaving like an unimaginable prick toward one of the only people in the world who loves you unconditionally and puts up with all your bullshit. Like impregnating their girlfriend’s married cousin.”

His jaw tightens. “Brent’s an evil bastard.”

“Yes. Agreed. But she’s still married to him. Which means she desperately needs to divorce herself from him otherwise she runs the risk of your child being legally his when it’s born.”

“Maybe we should just make her a widow.”

“Dahlia and I already thought of that. We’re going for a light touch instead, trying not to draw too much attention.”

He glares daggers at me. “This isn’t a joke.”

“And I’m not laughing. You’ve been out of it for weeks. You’re cold to Dahlia, you hardly speak to anyone aside from Karina and even then those interactions are few and far between. What’s wrong?”

“Alejandro, what do you want me to say?” He sets his wine glass down and looks at me. “I didn’t exactly have much of a choice in the matter.”

“With Karina?”

“With all of it. You think you’re disappointed? Trust me. Your disillusionment pales in comparison to mine.”

He gets up and storms out of the room but I refuse to let him off that easy.

“Are you in love with her? Is that it?” I follow him down the hall. “Or maybe it’s the complete opposite. You’re furious that a one-night stand is about to change your entire life.”

“Alejandro, shut up.”

He takes the steps two at a time and I stay close behind.

“You’re more stubborn than our mother, did you know that?”

“Who knows, maybe I absorbed it from my real mother in utero.”

We reach the landing and I catch him by the shoulder. “What the Hell is the matter with you?” He shakes me off and tries to leave but I block his path. “Are you going through some sort of identity crisis no one knows about? She is your real mother.”

“Alex, I think it’s noble you like to pretend⁠—”