Page 66 of Privilege

“If she’s even got a phone,” Renzo said, “she’s using it to pick up men, or to call in someone to supply her habit. She doesn’t use it to call us, but that’s fine, too.”

“But—”

“She only upsets him,” Renzo interjected firmly, giving her a look that told Lucia he wasn’t willing to fight the point. It was what it was. “Diego, I mean. Whenever she calls fucked up, it upsets him. When she shows up, and then takes off again, it upsets him. When she’s here and she’s causing chaos, it upsets him.”

“And you.”

Renzo let out a heavy sigh. “I’m used to it now.”

But wasn’t that kind of fucking terrible, too? He shouldn’t have to be used to it. He shouldn’t be numb to any of this because it shouldn’t be happening at all.

Yet, it was.

Lucia kept her thoughts to herself.

“It does upset me when Diego gets upset,” Renzo muttered, “but at the same time, he loves Carmen. He’s still at an age where ignorant innocence takes importance over the self-preservation of his own emotions. So, even though she keeps hurting him, he still misses her when she’s gone. He still asks me where she is. He loves her; like I did when I was just a kid who had to depend on her even though she proved over and over again that she was never going to look out for me.”

Lucia fidgeted with the sleeve of her shirt, whispering, “And that’s why you let her keep coming back, isn’t it? That’s why you don’t shut her out from him. Because—”

“He still thinks he needs her, yeah.” Renzo cleared his throat, and picked up the can of soda to finish it off in one long gulp. Nodding his head toward the kitchen, he asked, “Was there any of that left?”

Lucia grinned. “A bit. Why?”

“I might want more.”

“There’s more.”

“Good.”

Lucia followed Renzo into the kitchen, and waited as he dropped the can into a small green pail.

She set herself up on the edge of the counter, content to watch Renzo make himself another plate of food. Her mother had always told her that the way to a man’s heart was absolutely through his stomach. Men were easier to deal with when they weren’t hungry, and that was definitely true with Renzo.

Trying to get her mind off the fact that she really liked the sight of him enjoying her food, Lucia toyed with the small bottle of honey that had been left out on the counter. It was shaped like a small bear, but it gave her something to do with her hands. Not that it helped all that much. She still ended up staring at him like an idiot.

She couldn’t help it.

Who would?

Of course, her staring didn’t go unnoticed by him. Passing her a glance, he quirked an eyebrow. “What?”

Lucia grinned. “I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re over there staring and smiling. Why?”

“I can’t stare at you, or smile?”

“Well—”

“I can’t like what I’m looking at?”

His tongue peeked out to wet his bottom lip as he shot her a smirk. Setting the plate of food aside, he made his way over with a gleam in his eye that promised fun.

It’d been a while, she thought. Maybe too long since the last time she’d had him between her thighs. Now seemed like a good time to remember exactly what it felt like for him to be losing control while he was fucking her.

Yeah, why not?

“And do you?” Renzo asked, setting himself between her widened legs.