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Emma shook her head. “I’ll have one on a plate for you when you’re done,” she promised and, impulsively, tugged her in for a hug.
“Come on,” I said and held out my hand. “We can’t keep him waiting.”
CHAPTER29
Lyse
“Am I going to die, Omar?” I wanted — no,needed— him to tell me before it happened. I didn’t want to walk into anything blind.
“I’m not going to let that happen,” he said as we moved through the hallways of his home.
He’d been so sure that he could get Angel to understand, but it didn’t sound like there’d been much understanding. “Stay behind me,” Omar said, low and only for me to hear.
My throat tightened, and my eyes started to burn, but I was determined not to cry. Instead, I held onto the back of Omar’s tee shirt and followed after him, hoping that I was putting my trust in the right place.
When Omar opened the door to his brother’s office, I couldn’t see the other man at first — the only thing I could see was Omar’s back — but I peeked out around his massive shoulder to get a good look at the leader of the Castillo family.
Angel wasn’t as big as Omar, obviously, but he was still tall and broad and deadly. His injuries should make him look weaker, but if anything, he looked that much more menacing. The moment his black eyes locked on me, he stood and pointed a gun in my direction.I yelped and ducked behind Omar.
“What the hell are you doing?” Omar demanded.
I couldn’t see Angel anymore, but I could hear the snarl in his voice. “What you should have donedaysago if you weren’t going to return her to her father.” I heard the gun’s safety click off. “Move out of the way, Omar.”
For a horrifying second, I imagined Omar doing what his brother said, moving out of the way and leaving me exposed. But then… “No.”
“Perdona?”
“No,hermano. I’m not moving.”
Angel scoffed. “So much for your loyalty always lies with me,” he said.
I felt Omar take a breath, and I ached for him. His siblings were his life; he would do anything for them…how was it possible that he would chance losing them now? For me? “I would die for you and our family,hermano,” he said. “I would follow you to the ends of the earth.”
“But you won’t move.”
“I can’t.” I couldn’t help but hold my breath as they stood there, staring each other down. Neither was willing to back down. “Angel, hear me out,” Omar tried.
“Shehasto die,” Angel insisted. “You should know that better than anyone! At this point, she’s a liability. You don’t hold onto a hostage forweeks. You don’tfuckthem!”
I cringed. “You told him?”
Omar didn’t take his eyes off his brother. “I didn’t have to.” He didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t really want to know.Not while Angel was waving a gun at me. At us.
“Luis Rojas contacted me,” Angel said. “He wants your head for taking his precious daughter. He’s promised to end the feud between our families, but only if I give him you.” I risked a look around Omar’s large body again. Angel’s fierce expression was now marred by sadness. When his eyes landed on me, he aimed again, and only Omar pushing me back kept him from pulling the trigger.He’d be willing to risk probably hitting Omar too. The man was terrifying. “I figured we could dump Lyse in his territory somewhere. A message to leave the Castillos alone for good.”
Omar tensed again. I pressed my face between his shoulder blades, wanting so badly to comfort him, but this wasn’t the time or the place for it. “They don’t want me back,” I called from behind Omar.
“What?”
“My father told Omar to do whatever he wanted with me,” I said. “Why would he demand your brother’s head if he wrote me off for dead?” I poked my head out from behind Omar, and after a moment, took a step out of my hiding place. The gun was aimed at me instantly, but I refused to hide again. Instead, I put my hand in Omar’s and threaded our fingers together. “He wants you to kill me, so that he has a reason to go to war with you.” I glanced up at Omar. “Jesus told me as much on the island.”
“Who is Jesus, and why was he on my island?” Angel demanded.So, he doesn’t know everything, I thought.
“Jesus is my cousin,” I said. “He tracked me to the island, and when I resisted returning with him, he let slip that he was supposed to kill me and dump me somewhere that they could blame you. If you kill me now, you’ll be doingexactlywhat my father wants.”
I glanced up at Omar, who had a fiercely proud look on his face. It almost made me forget about the gun being pointed at my head. “My girl is smart,hermano,” he said. “She’d make a good Castillo.”
Angel’s eyes bulged. “You’re telling me that you want to marry this girl?”
