Page 95 of Chris

Maria looked over her shoulder and nodded. Still, her gaze drifted to Chris for a moment, meeting his. He swore, in the depths of her irises, he saw the little girl’s secrets, all the things she had seen and known, staring back at him.

“Remember,” she said to him, “you promised.”

His heart ached.

All over, so painful, and unrelenting.

It hurt.

Chris nodded. “I did, Maria, and I’ll keep it.”

In the doorway, Valeria called for her daughter, the flash of worry on her face disappearing when Jorge looked her way. “Come on, Maria, and we’ll get the kitty milk in a bowl, so she’ll be sleepy.”

“Okay, Mamá.”

Maria darted up the stairs, and into her mother’s waiting arms. It killed Chris to look away from them, but he did it. He was not good at hiding his affections. One of his only flaws, but he couldn’t afford for it to be on display.

Jorge shifted on his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets as his attention came back to Chris. “And what did you promise my daughter?”

He chuckled.

Dry and tense as it was.

“Just that I would come back and say hello someday,” Chris murmured. “She’s a sweet child. You should be proud of her—fathers and their daughters, hmm?”

Jorge arched a brow. “Proud, sure.”

Fuck him.

He didn’t deserve that child, or her mother. Jorge might have helped to create Maria’s life, but he had nothing more to do with it than that. He provided the sperm, but Maria didn’t reflect the man.

She deserved a good man in her life—a father who would show her what real love and care was between a daughter, and her dad. She needed someone to show her how she deserved to be treated by the men in her life, so she didn’t go looking for it somewhere else.

Jorge understood nothing about that; his reaction wasn’t shocking. It still annoyed Chris to no fucking end, and only strengthened his resolve to make sure Maria, and her mother, found the happiness they deserved far away from this place, and the people here.

Including Jorge.

Any man could be a father.

All it took was the spunk from his balls.

Being a dad was not the same.

“A car will meet you at the gate,” Jorge said, nodding toward the dirt road, “like when you arrived.”

Right.

Because the only vehicles allowed this far into the ranch brought the family back to their homes, or ones carrying drugs. Jorge’s rules never changed, not even for a guest who had promised to make him billions on a smuggling deal.

Whatever.

Chris didn’t mind the walk.

“Pleasure doing business with you and your father,” Jorge said. “Have a good flight, Chris.”

He smiled. “Oh, I don’t think it’s finished yet.”

Chris didn’t allow Jorge the chance to question him on what he meant because he had already spun on his heels and headed for the road. He figured … let him wonder. It would be good for him even if he wouldn’t see what came next.