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That was better. “Apology accepted.”
“But you should stay away from Carmen,” he said. “Going anywhere near his daughter is not the best way to get on his good side.”
“She talked to me.”
“Doesn’t matter.” His black shirt was tight around his muscular physique, stretching over his biceps. His hair was dark like his clothes, and his green eyes looked like broken shards of green glass. “Take my advice or don’t. I don’t give a shit.” He closed the gap between us until we were close together.
“Vanessa was upset for the rest of the night…after your family conversation.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “My wife was too.”
“But she still doesn’t look at me the way you do,” I said. “She doesn’t look at me like I’m my father. I hope someday you can too…because I’m sincerely sorry for what my father did to your family.” It didn’t matter whether he believed me or not. My sincerity was real. “It hurts me to see Vanessa in pain. I feel what she feels, and knowing she’s hurt over what happened to your wife and aunt…kills me inside. I’m immune to pain and emotion, but Vanessa is an exception to that. That’s how I knew I loved her…because I could feel everything she felt.”
Crow stared at me with his stoic expression again, refusing to give me any insight into his thoughts. He shifted his weight to one leg, and his black wedding ring matched his dark clothes. The scruff was coming in along his face, like he hadn’t shaved in a while. He suddenly stepped back, his arms still across his chest. “Would you mind staying later and helping me with these crates?”
It was the sun piercing a cloudy sky, a sign of hope in a storm. It was one of the rare times when Crow was civil to me, treating me like a man instead of an enemy. The more I stood my ground, the more he respected me. “Not in the least.”
“I like your cousin.”
Vanessa sat across from me at the dining table and ate the dinner I’d prepared. “Carmen? You saw her today?”
“We crossed paths.”
“Yeah, she’s great.” She grabbed her wineglass by the stem and took a drink. “She’s a little older than me and much sassier…if you can believe it.”
No, I couldn’t. Vanessa was the biggest spitfire I’d ever met.
“She said she was rooting for me…nice change.”
“I told her how I felt about you. She knows I’ve never really felt anything for any of the men in my life. They were just…ways to pass the time. So when I told her I wanted to spend my life with you, she was immediately on my side. She seems to trust my instincts more than everyone else in the family.”
“It’s not a matter of trusting your instincts.” Her family’s distrust annoyed me, but they were right to be cautious around me. I would judge them if they dropped their guard any sooner. “It’s a matter of overcoming their hatred. And trust me, that’s not easy to do…” I only spared her family because my love for her blacked out everything else.
“But still…it’s been six weeks. They need to get over it.”
That was something I could agree on. “True.” I didn’t have wine with dinner because I preferred stronger booze. I’d have wine if we went to a fancy restaurant or we were dining with her family, but when it was just the two of us, I continued my habits because she accepted me completely. “Your uncle caught me talking to Carmen and flipped out.”
She dropped her fork. “Please tell me he didn’t hit you again.”
Did pushing me count? “No.”
She sighed in relief. “Good…I’d kick his ass if he did.”
“Just told me to stay away from her.”
She rolled her eyes. “My uncle is very sweet and affectionate. I think he’s more emotional than my father, but he doesn’t understand how to control it or express it. He just wants to keep Carmen safe, but then he flips out and makes a situation out of nothing…”
“Yes, he’s a bit dramatic.”
“Thanks for being understanding. And not just with him…but with everything.” She looked down at her food, like she was embarrassed that I had to put up with so much bullshit with her family.
My hand moved to hers on the table. “You’re worth it, baby.”
She lifted her gaze and gave me the kind of look I lived for, like I was her hero. I was the one thing she was living for, the man who earned her complete devotion and affection. Her small fingers wrapped around mine, and she squeezed my hand in response, like words weren’t enough to express what she was feeling.
I held her hand on the table, feeling the never-ending connection between us. White-hot and smoldering, our love burned without gasoline to feed off of. The fire continued to roar, unable to be doused with water or anything else. I knew what we had was special because I could always feel it, no matter how good or bad our situation was. It was a love built over time, a love that defied the impossible. She should hate me, but she didn’t. And I should have killed her but never could. I didn’t believe in fate or soul mates. I didn’t even believe in love. But Vanessa made me reconsider everything.
