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When we reach a colorful play center bursting with activities, they take off, leaving me to catch up with Horatio. As surly as ever, the guard plods along beside me without any acknowledgment. At least until he inclines his head my way without warning.
“You don’t need to be afraid,” he says. His voice is so gruff I can barely make out the individual words, but I sense that he rarely makes an effort to speak to anyone apart from Jaguar.
“Of?” I ask.
In response, the man cuts his eyes to the two figures bounding ahead of us, trading jokes and laughter so freely that I’m gritting my teeth watching them. Is this jealousy I’m feeling? Or relief…?
“He’s good with the boy,” Horatio mutters. “You don’t need to be worried.”
I open my mouth to respond but wind up saying nothing. Instead, I copy Horatio and just watch the man in question interacting with a child less than half his size. As Franco chatters excitedly, Jaguar reaches down and ruffles his hair. I rock onto the tips of my toes, but I suppress the urge to intervene. Heart in my throat, I merely watch. Jaguar himself draws the most attention, from not just me. I can’t deny that the man cuts a bold figure, decked out in black, his tattoos in full view, his feral smile… Tamed for once. That’s the scary part. It’s not that he’s ingratiated himself with Franco nearly to needle me.
It’s that he seems to genuinely enjoy doing so. Much like he’d been in the game room, he’s stern with him at times, but always gentle. He fosters a friendly rivalry when they play but never lets Franco get out of hand or too upset. He never lets him win, either. He makes him work for his fleeting victories.
He acts like… Well, like his father. A better one than Braulio ever was. Admitting that guts me. I feel like such a bad Aunt, having stood by in silence all these years, convincing myself that it wasn’t that bad. After all, Franco had a roof over his head. He had his own bedroom and went to sleep at night with a full belly. He never had to endure the horrors that my sister and I had.
He never had to wake up one day to the grim realization that his parents had sold him to pay off debts. No… Not now. I don’t like to think about that—though I was the lucky one. Tiena wasn’t always the way she’s become. Once, we were truly sisters, who did everything together. Until that terrible day when my sister’s joyful innocence was stolen forever.
“You look so sullen, Lupe,” Jaguar scolds once we break for lunch. We’re seated at a colorful table while Franco stands at an all-you-can-eat ice cream buffet nearby, helping himself to multiple scoops under Horatio’s watchful eye. “Remember our bargain? Smile.”
“You’re too good at this,” I tell him hoarsely. “You have your own children. Tell me how many.”
Ha ha. The joke’s been on me all along.
Taking a deep breath, he answers, “No children.” His low tone makes me do a double take—he isn’t smug and boastful when it comes to this topic. He’s guarded as hell. Sensing my curiosity, he winks. “At least, noneyet. Don’t be naughty now. Put on that smile. Franco deserves one fun day, don’t you think?”
Because he’s preparing him to face a storm of bad ones. That’s why he’s trying so hard and doting on him so much. To soften the blow when I’m killed.
Or sold.
Still, Jaguar has a point. I smile wide, and he cradles my chin against his palm in approval.
“That’s a good girl,” he tells me, his voice sinfully deep as he caresses my jawline with the pad of his thumb. “I almost believe you mean it. Now go put on a convincing show for me.”
Wrenching out of his grip, I stand and skip over to the buffet to help Franco make his decision. Once we’ve eaten, we take a detour to the park, and Franco tires himself out on a jungle gym while Jaguar and I watch from the sidelines like the unworthy pseudo parents that we are.
I haven’t let the guilt get to me until now—but when it finally hits, it hits me hard. I don’t belong here. Tiena does. This is her child I’ve stolen away. Her son I’ve formed my future around. Her life to cherish, wherein Jaguar wouldn’t even have a role to play. He’d be relegated to the dark, dangerous men Franco would normally be taught to run from.
What am I doing?
When we return to the house as night falls, I’ve made up my mind on at least one course of action. Damn Jaguar and his senseless ultimatums. I’ll decide what is best for my nephew, and it isn’t him.
“Jaguar!” Franco chirps from beside me, rubbing his eyes. “Can we play video games before I go to bed?”
“Oh, I can do better than that,” Jaguar promises while helping us out of the SUV.
We head straight to the game room, where Franco gleefully picks up a controller.
“You can play a different game tonight,” Jaguar tells him before loading the software. “This one you can play by yourself. Let me know if you beat my score. I need to speak with your mama for a moment.”
Uh-oh.Despite the ominous warning laced within those words, I don’t hesitate to follow him down the hall and into an adjacent room. It’s barren, filled with large cardboard boxes, and dimly lit by only an overhead light. I observe them and miss the moment Jaguar snatches my wrist.
“I warned you.” With a bruising grip, he drags me inside, closing the door behind us. “I’ve let you get away with running that spicy fucking tongue more than once, but I—”
“I’m a liability to him.” My voice breaks. I don’t even care about facing Jaguar’s wrath anymore. “I should have never taken him from Braulio.”
“This isn’t like you,” Jaguar accuses, his breath hot on my throat. “The spicy viper-kitty’s lost her edge. This isn’t entirely because of that bounty, either, is it?”
“No. It’s because I’m the kind of woman who does horrible things,” I admit, staring down at my pale fingers. They might as well be covered in blood. “Who attracts the type of men who cause harm and wreak havoc. I can’t be trusted to care for a six-year-old child, let alone a baby.”
