AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He licks his bottom lip before turning to me. “You think you’ve got it all figured out, huh?”
Before I can answer, his hand strikes out, grabbing me by the throat and slamming me to the wall. “Did I force you to come into my territory? Did I force you to fuck me? In case you need help remembering, Diabla,” he leans into my ear, whispering my words back at me,‘Make me forget.’I gave you exactly what you wanted and you can deny it now, but you know you want more.”
Staring into his blue eyes, I wrap my fingers around his wrist. “You’re a savage in bed, Romero, but you’re no Alvaro.”
He smiles at me, his hand sliding down my neck to the towel at my chest. “Trust me, Vicenta, I know I’m better. Or do you need a reminder?”
I stand on my toes, my lips only a hair's breadth away from his. “I’d rather fuck a cactus.” I shove him away from me, holding tightly to the towel.
“I am sick and tired of being played with. First Alvaro, now you. No, you’ll never have me again, Romero.Neitherof you.”
“I wasn’t using you, Vicenta.”
Swinging my hand toward the laptop, I scream, “I saw the messages, Romero! Don’t lie to me!” I breathe deeply, my voice shaking with tears. “I want my brother and I want my life back. Nothing else.”
“Listen, I may have started out wanting to use you against a man I’ve had a vendetta against for the last five years, but—”
I scoff and slide past him, making sure I don’t touch him as I move into the bedroom I slept in. I seethe as I search the floor for my discarded clothes. I’m so beyond sick of these men and their bullshit vendettas.
“But that’s not how I feel now.”
“Boo-fucking-who, asshole,” I grind out as I find my clothes and scoop them up.
“What are you doing,Diabla?” he asks from the doorway, his eyes watching me as I drop the towel and roughly pull my pants and shirt on, minus my bra and panties.
“What do you think? I’m going back. He has my brother and I’m not letting him deal with this shit alone. I’ll do what I have to do to make sure he’s safe and out of this stupid cartel business.”
I zip up my pants and search for my sneakers, but Romero grabs the tops of my arms, his eyes burning. “So, you’ll marry Marío; be his and Alvaro’s bed whore? That’s your brilliant plan?”
“Why do you care?! Get off me!” I shove at his chest but he holds tightly.
“Because I do! You are not going back to them. I’ll get your brother out of there, I swear it. I just want…”
He trails off, his eyes trying to speak the words he can’t say.
“You want what,Don Romero?” I ask sarcastically. “Let’s see how you use my brother as a bargaining chip.”
My words are acidic, bitter and filled with hate, but his voice comes out soft and pleading.
“I want just one month with you. Thirty days of pretending.”
I shake my head, my brows furrowing. “Pretendingwhat, Romero?”
He stares at me, his face suggesting he doesn’t understand himself either, but he can’t stop the words from coming. “That I’m just ‘Mero and you’re falling for me.”
My breath catches, my heart stuttering in my chest for a few beats, but then his lies and deceit come barreling back.
I knock his hands away from me. “You’re insane! Do you really think I could fall for you after the humiliation you’ve put me through?”
“Just one month. At the end of it, if you decide you want nothing to do with me, I’ll get you and your brother back to America and you’ll never have to see me again. I’ll even make sure Marío never bothers you again.”
I sigh, my brother’s face in my mind’s eye, his life and freedom in my hands once again. This decision, though it angers me and makes me want to scream. Is the devil you know really better than the devil you don’t?
Marriage to Marío, or play pretend with Romero.
“How will you get my brother to safety?” I ask, dropping down to the mattress.
Taking my question as an agreement, Romero breathes deeply before his shoulders relax. “In six days, I have a meeting with Alvaro. I know what happened to his mom, some information that was kept from him. I will use that as leverage to get your brother back.”
