AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Trust me, Romero, I plan to.”
TWENTY-ONE
VICENTA
“You Were In Love” by Bryska
“How’s your leg?” I ask my brother when we sit on the warm wood of the boardwalk, our legs hanging over the edge.
Vicente looks at me, his face showing he couldn’t give two fucks about his leg.
“Fuck my leg, Vi.”Yup, I was right. “Tell me what’s happening between you and them? You seem to have them going crazy. Alvaro is offering me all kinds of shit like if I’m treatedjust so, you’ll love him. Then you have this guy, who by the way looks like a psychotic asshole, promising to spend the rest of his life worshiping you.”
My eyes leak and I can’t stop the sob from climbing my throat. Vicente clicks his tongue when he sees the tears, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close, whispering words I can barely make out over my cries. How could my life get so turned around in just a little over a week?
I pull back and wipe my eyes, swallowing the rest of my sobs as best as I can, but my breathing continues to hitch while tears fall unhindered.
“I’m sorry, Vi. I just—I don’t understand this.”
“Me either,” I tell him as we both stare at the ocean in contemplative silence. Every once in a while, the wind carries Alvaro or Romero’s voices to me, making me turn to look at them on the balcony of the resort.
“You said that Alvaro was making you offers. What kind of offers?” I ask my brother when my breathing is normal again.
He scoffs. “To fight for him. Apparently, MMA is a big deal in the cartel world and he said he’d make sure I had the best trainers. You should have seen him though.”
My brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
He shakes his head and leans back on his hands, his shirt blowing open with the wind. “I can’t believe you don’t see it. Then again, you never noticed how guys looked at you.”
I scoff. “That’s because I didn’t care about guys until these two. But what is it you think I’m not seeing in them?”
He looks at me, his light brown eyes that match my own, glow with the sun. “Desperation. They look at you like you hold all the answers they’ve been searching for.”
I drop my gaze, not wanting him to see how those words affect me. I don’t want Romero or Alvaro to want me, but at the same time I do. It’s a yo-yo of emotions and thoughts.
Vicente takes my hand in his and dips his head to catch my gaze. “I don’t know that feeling myself, but I am a man. I can spot it from a mile away, and those two, they love you with madness.”
I hum under my breath. “Love? In a week? Nowthat’smadness.”
My mind replays both of my cartel men’s words,Let me worship you forever, Diabla. You are my beautiful curse, Bruja.
My sarcasm isn’t appreciated. Vicente gives me a look that says I’m being absurd, but really, this isn’t love, not in a week, not even in a month. This is obsession, intrigue, a need to have a taste…it’s pretend.
“They’re cartel men, Vi, they don’t follow society’s rules or decorum. They’re taught to take what they want, to know what they want, to kill for what they want, and right now, those two are gunning for you. Are you willing to play a role in such a dangerous game?”
I used to love dangerous games, but only I would have paid the cost of dancing with death. Now, I’m dancing with two partners, two men who will also pay for it. But what do I do? I can’t stop the music from playing, I can’t stop our feet from moving. All I can do is continue to dance and pray none of us fall.
“No, I'm not, but I'm also not willing to walk away.” I sigh and lean into my brother, holding onto him and soaking up his familiar warmth and comfort.
“Then I'll be with you through it all, Vi. It’s always been me and you, that’s not changing…even if you’re crazy.” He blows a breath as he holds me. “Mi hermana, tan loca.”
I chuckle into his chest. “Says the guy who punched a cartel don.”
He begins to say something, but Romero’s yell has us turning in our seats.
“‘Varo!”
We get to our feet when we see both Alvaro and Romero standing, the table pushed from between them as they yell at one another. Romero shakes a piece of paper in his hand and my heart lodges in my throat when Alvaro pulls his gun out and takes aim at Romero’s face.
