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I was so mesmerized by that kiss I nearly forgot about my uncomfortable conversation with Bones. I watched him walk away, the powerful muscles in his back shifting underneath his tight skin.
“I made dinner. Are you hungry?”
Bosco did most of the cooking, so that was a nice change from my single life. But most of the time, it was greens with some kind of non-fatty meat. It was too healthy to my liking, and I’d already dropped five pounds since I moved in—not that I was looking to shed weight.
Everything felt so normal that I almost ignored the elephant in the room. “Bosco, we need to talk.”
He stilled with his back to me. A quiet sigh filled the space before he turned around and faced me, his affectionate look gone. Now he looked irritated, annoyed that we were going to have this conversation. “Alright.”
“Griffin came to my shop today—”
“I’m aware.”
“He didn’t appreciate you showing up on his doorstep like that.”
“I didn’t appreciate him sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.” The kind and affectionate man I was used to had disappeared. Now the cold ruler was in the foreground, cruel and defensive.
“He’s just looking out for me.”
“And I’m looking out for you too. Nothing good would happen if he told your family about our affair. I made sure that didn’t happen—because I don’t want to kill the people you love.”
I’d warned him not to threaten my family again, but he’d crossed the line once more. My eyes narrowed, and I suddenly felt twice as big, twice as bold, and twice as pissed. “This is over.” All the affection I had for this man disappeared when he crossed the line. It didn’t matter how much I cared about him, how much I’d fallen for him. My loyalty would never change. I was devoted to my family, my bloodline, and I wouldn’t put up with someone threatening to touch even a single hair on their heads.
He couldn’t hide his surprise as well as he usually could. “What—”
“We. Are. Over.” I turned my back on him and marched off.
His footsteps sounded behind me. “Carmen.” When I didn’t turn around, he grabbed me by the arm.
I twisted out of his grasp the way my father taught me, spun around, and then slapped him hard across the face.
He turned with the hit, but his body remained perfectly still. He clenched his jaw noticeably, his blue eyes filling with irritation. He slowly turned back to me, his skin slightly red from my palm. “You’re the only woman who’s ever pulled that off.”
“And I’ll pull it off again if I have to.” I wasn’t afraid of this man anymore. I wouldn’t let him have the power a second longer. “I’m getting my stuff, and I’m going home.”
“This is home,” he said, his eyes brimming with rage. “You belong to me.”
“Not anymore. I told you not to threaten my family again, but you did it anyway. Our agreement is off. I won’t sleep with a man who speaks about my family like that. I love them more than anything in the world, and if you ever think my loyalty to them will change, then you don’t know me at all.” I turned away, determined to grab my stuff and get the hell out of there.
He followed me into the bedroom. “Carmen.”
I grabbed my suitcase and started to shove everything inside.
He raised his voice. “Carmen.”
I ignored him.
“Goddammit.” He grabbed me by the arm again and yanked me toward him. “I’m sorry.” He released me right away so he wouldn’t get slapped again, his nostrils flaring with his frustration. It was the first time I’d ever heard him apologize for anything—and it seemed like he meant it. “Stay.”
I knew the power had changed in the relationship because he gave me a choice. He didn’t phrase it as a question, but I definitely had the option to leave.
He kept staring at me, a slight look of fear in his gaze. “Beautiful…I said I was sorry.”
I believed he wouldn’t hurt my family because he was a fair man. But now I wanted to know with absolute certainty. “I want you to promise me you will never, ever hurt a member of my family under any circumstance. And I never want you to threaten that you will, not to me or to any of them. Those are my terms. Take them, or I walk.” I was negotiating with a man who didn’t need to negotiate. He had all the power and could do whatever he wanted. But I was going to try, to use my leverage over this man.
He was quiet for a long time, like he was actually considering what I asked. “Alright.”
I couldn’t believe I actually got my way. “I want you to promise me.”
Anger flashed across his eyes. “I’m a man of my word.”
