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She’s dressed in a bright red pantsuit, complete with crimson blazer and pants, her black blouse tucked in neatly. There’s a long string of white pearls decorating her neck, her chocolate brown hair pulled up into an elegant low bun. Her gun, as always, is holstered securely to her hip.
Renata shakes her head. “Don’t be rude. He has a point.”
I walk toward my aunt, deflated but still determined. “Will you teach me?”
Natalia pulls a cigarette from her pocket, lighting up casually before taking a long drag. “What makes you think I want to?”
“You want to win this war,” I say easily. “You need more soldiers. So teach me everything you know and I’ll fight for you.”
She blows smoke out of her nostrils. “You’re not fighting for me, chiquita. You’d be fighting for the Marrones Family, which—quite frankly—you only just learned you’re a part of. If you ask me, I think you might be a mole.”
I cross my arms. “I’m not a mole.”
“I think it’s amusing how quickly your loyalties switched over. Cause for concern, I think.”
“My last name might be Allegra, but I have never once felt an ounce of loyalty to my father. Not when he’s spent my whole life treating me like a dog.” I grind my teeth, so sure in my decision I can feel every fiber of my being singing. “Train me and I’ll redefine the definition of loyalty.”
Natalia takes a long, contemplative drag of her cigarette, the tip burning bright red. “I’m a tough teacher,” she warns.
“I learn fast.”
“You could get hurt.”
“Then at least I’ll finally feel something.”
My aunt casts Renata a questioning glance. My grandmother simply nods. It’s all the permission Natalia needs.
“I have three rules,” she starts. “You show up on time, you don’t talk back, and if I catch you crying… you better not cry.”
I nod, eager and ready. “You have my word.”
“Excellent. We start now.”
Chapter 27
Willow
Iland on my ass. My face. My back.
If I didn’t know Natalia was on my side, I’d be convinced she was secretly working for Esteban and attempting to kill me before I could ever get my hands on him.
“Giving up already?” she taunts heartlessly. “I’m not going to take it easy on you just because you’re my niece.”
“At least let me catch my breath,” I argue, struggling to pull myself upright.
Natalia comes at me with a swift left hook followed by a well-placed kick to the back of my knee. My body jerks forward, crumpling in on itself now that my joint’s given up. I land on the hard tiles of the courtyard, groaning up at the sky in agony.
“You wanted me to whip you into shape,” she says, “so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Now, quit your whining. If you want to hit me, hit me.”
I let out a mighty roar, charging at Natalia with my fist raised—
She sidesteps me with ease.
With nothing to catch myself, I end up tumbling over the ground and into one of Renata’s flower bushes. I’m quick to get on my feet, but my aunt leaves no time to think, only to react. I duck out of the way just in time to avoid being nailed in the face. I give Natalia a hard shove to put distance between us, mustering all the force I can.
“Better,” Natalia says. “But not good enough. You telegraph all your actions, which makes it incredibly easy for me to defend myself.”
I brush my hair out of my face, redoing my ponytail slipping from its elastic. “Can’t you just teach me how to shoot a gun? I won’t have to worry about telegraphing if I can kill them at a distance.”
