AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Damn,ese," my brother says, "That smells goooood!"
It does. I didn't know Santiago knew his way around the kitchen.
"Elena needs to eat. I'm making her favorite," Santiago says quickly. I close my eyes. He doesn't know what my favorite… "Cheese enchiladas. No sauce."
"I know this great Mexican place that makes the best enchiladas," Scotts says, looking at me. "I could take you some time." I look at him, and it’s no surprise, he is leering at my chest.
He leans close. Like we are having an intimate conversation. The scent of his cologne floats over me, making me want to gag. His nose is slightly crooked. It looks like it was broken. His hair is too long. An ugly shade of brown. He reminds me of the type that doesn't care if a girl says no.
A kitchen cabinet slams harder than necessary. Ezekiel looks behind me. Suddenly, the air in the room changes.
Everything happens in slow motion. Santiago walks behind Scott. Ezekiel blinks. Xavier grins. Niko smiles. Scott doesn't see Santiago behind him or when he circles his hands around his throat, squeezing. Scott's eyes flutter and then widen. His arms flair.
"You're a little too close,pinche cabron," Santiago says, clenching his teeth. He tightens his grip. "Disrespecting us in our own home." He turns Scott's face so he is looking at me struggling when Santiago pushes his elbows down on his arms. He leans close to his ear. ''You see her… don't you ever look at her. You touch her, and I'll slit your fucking throat and play with your intestines."
"Santiago," I say in panic, "You're going to kill him." I look around at the others for help but they just watch. They're fucking crazy. "Xavier?"
My brother leans over the table, and his grin widens when Scott makes gurgling sounds. His face changes colors.
"Don't you ever…come near her again. Slitting your throat will be the least of your worries," Xaviers warns.
I look at Ezekiel, knowing Niko is a lost cause. He'll kill him. "Ezekiel?" But he shrugs and laughs, pointing at Scott. "I'm not going to do shit. The world needs less ugly patheticputos like thisCabron."
Santiago releases him. Scott is trembling, gripping his neck with both hands. Color returns to his face. "You crazymotherfuckers. You were going"––he gasps for air––''to kill me." He gets up, and the chair topples over.
"Damn,ese. You need to work on your manners,'' Ezekiel says, righting the chair.
Scotts backs away with a stricken look on his face, like he realized for the first time he was hanging out with a bunch of psychotic murderers.
He isn't wrong.
Scott runs out of the house like someone is running after him. Silence blankets the room.
I slowly turn to glare at them. "Are you guys fucking crazy? You were going to kill him."
"I was," Santiago admits. "What saved him was he didn't touch you."
"Do you know how stupid you sound? I wasn't entertaining him."
"He got too close. That is a sign of disrespect."
I scoff. "I can take care of myself."
Niko nods. "Maybe, but around us, you don't have to."
"The Russian speaks," I snap.
In Niko's mind, women don't fight. In his mind, they have bodyguards. The men protect the women, and the women go to the men when they're in trouble. I wasn't raised that way. My grandfather taught his girls differently.
"That is my call. I decide…not you."
"Get used to it,Princessa," Santiago calls out from the kitchen.
Xavier sits where Scott was sitting. "Look, Elena. We know how guys think. That guy was disrespecting you … it was wrong. He felt he had the right to ask you out. To fuck you with his eyes in front of your us. We don't tolerate disrespect. Santiago was right in what he did." He points toward the front door. "Thatputowill think twice before talking to you…or look at you like you're a piece of ass."
I understand where he is coming from as my brother, but Santiago is… unhinged. It was easy for him. He liked it. There are times I don’t know who he is.
Sitting in my bed, I look around my bedroom, pondering what woke me. I check the time on my phone connected to the charger, and it's two am.
