Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Vita
I wish Alejandro were still in his private meeting with his relatives because we weren’t arguing then.
“Jandro.”
I hiss his name to interrupt him, but I don’t want his cousins to hear me use the nickname.
“I am not going to Enrique and Elodie’s home. How on earth can you believe that’s a good idea? Are you trying to get me chained up by my fingernails?”
“We don’t do that type of stuff at home.”
I practically snarl at him. “That’s not reassuring.”
We’re in the dining room now while his cousins remain in the living room. We abandoned the food since none of us could stomach it. Alejandro introduced the idea of us going over to Enrique and Elodie’s home by suggesting we could have a proper meal there.
I was tempted to listen at the door while Alejandro met with his cousins since I’m certain they included Enrique and Pablo in the conversation, if not Alejandro’s father and other uncle.
But I knew they were likely using the Amerindian indigenous language his family speaks.
There’s no way I would’ve understood, so there was no point in attempting to eavesdrop.
“Going to my tío and tía’s house is the best option for you. It’ll keep you safe.”
I shake my head hard enough to make my hair swish across my back. “No. Stick me in a hotel somewhere. Out of sight, out of mind.”
“That didn’t exactly work the last time.”
“Yeah, because I wasn’t alone.”
“Chiquita, you have to face Tía Elle at some point. It’s better she be on your side than not. Let me introduce you to her as someone other than a rival mercenary.”
I clench my jaw.
“Jandro, this is not a good idea. In fact, it’s probably one of the worst ideas you could ever have.”
“Chiquita, you’re going to be around them at some point. May as well get the introductions over with now.”
He makes it sound as though we have a future.
If we hadn’t met under the circumstances we did, I might believe that.
Reality’s setting in. I can’t picture any of his family welcoming me.
And I certainly can’t picture Enrique sanctioning our relationship.
He may have found out about his wife’s past, but she never worked against the Diazes.
“Chiquita—”
“Will anybody else be there?” I cut him off before he can try placating me again.
“Probably.”
I cock an eyebrow, and he has the decency to look down before meeting my gaze again.
“Yes, there’s a good chance my parents will be there too.”
“Because they heard about me, and your mom wants to skin me alive, and your father’s sharpening her knife.”
“No, not entirely.”
His casual tone grates on my nerves. I try to turn away, but he shifts to block my way as he speaks.
“Chica, people will be at the house because we always gather for Sunday dinner. They’d be there anyway.”
“Marvelous. You want to introduce me to your entire family during a time that’s set aside for just the family.”
I’m rigid when he hugs me. I can feel an invisible noose tightening around my neck.
Today is surely the day I will finally die.
He strokes the hair down my back and kisses my temple.
My forehead falls to his chest. This is yet another time where his touch is soothing.
However, the circumstances keep it from calming me the way it has in the past.
“Do you fear Tía Elle more than you do meeting my parents?”
“No, I dread them equally. How could I not? I told you your mom is probably waiting to kill me, and your father will hand her the weapon. How could I not fear meeting them? Pablo’s probably told them all about me already.”
“I told them about you.”
“What?”
I jerk away from him, or at least I try. He loosens his hold enough for his hands to rest on my waist.
“I sent a text to my cousins and tíos when I was in the bathroom in your hotel room. I asked Pablo to come with extra guards and wait outside the room. Right after that, I sent a message through our family group chat saying I’d be introducing them to someone soon and that they’d better not pass judgment until I explain the situation.
That—as usual—there’s more to this than the obvious. ”
“I can’t believe you did that, Alejandro.
What the hell? You didn’t even know I wouldn’t still try to kill you, and you told them you’d bring a girl home to meet your parents?
Great. Not only are they going to dislike me because of my job and how we met, but they’ll dislike me in general because I’m some stranger to them who they think is after their son.
I can’t believe this is happening. This is truly one of the shittiest days I’ve ever had. ”
I stare at Alejandro as though he sprouted a second head. When he opens his mouth, I glower at him.
“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. The last thing you do is tell an irate woman to calm down.”
“You are not funny.”
I curl my hands into fists to keep from jabbing him in the chest with my index finger.
“You’re assuming the worst before anything even happens, chica.”
“They’ve had hours to plot my demise, and you’re just springing this on me now, telling me that we’re leaving in ten minutes? I don’t appreciate this, Jandro.”
“Well, I don’t appreciate you trying to kill me, but I’m not holding that against you, am I?”
Now I try to pull away in earnest. “That’s a seriously fucked-up thing to say.”
“But am I wrong? I think if I can get over you stalking me, intending to put a bullet through my brain or heart, then you can get over the surprise of Sunday dinner with people you’re going to get to know pretty damn well.”
“Why? Why would I get to know them well?”
He stares at me as though I’m the one who sprouted a second head.
“Do I really have to spell this out for you, Vita?”
“Clearly you do because I’m missing something.”
“We talked about this already.”
“Maybe in your head, but definitely not out loud. What are you talking about, Alejandro?”
“Well, Vittoria—” The sarcasm in his voice makes me want to throat punch him.
“Don’t do that. You’ve called me Vita since you learned that’s my name. I called you Alejandro for a lot longer. It’s not the same.”
“Yes, it is. You stopped using my full name when you started calling me Jandro. So, if you don’t want me to scold you, then don’t you do the same to me.”
We glare at each other. Our tempers flare to boiling.
“You know damn well that neither of us would’ve shared anything about our real life if this thing between us was going nowhere, chiquita.
You also know two hot people who like to fuck isn’t a guarantee the sex will be as good as what we have.
You know it’s because there’s more between us than just physical attraction.
Don’t pretend there isn’t. I’ve told you before, don’t lie to me about your feelings.
I get you may not be able to tell me the truth about everything.
But if I can tell you the truth of my feelings, then you can give me the same courtesy. ”
“How we feel about each other isn’t what will keep me alive.”
“Vita, it’s about the only thing that’ll keep you alive.”
He practically snaps at me. It’s his turn to take a calming breath.
“Look, we can go around and around, chica. Or you can admit what we both know. If there was nothing between us, one of us would be dead by now. And it’s no guarantee it would’ve been me. You know I see a future for us, and that’s why I’m taking you to my family.”
“There might be a future between us, but we barely know each other. Neither of us can say something with such certainty.”
I can tell I’m sorely testing his patience as he takes another deep breath before responding.
“If you deny you’ve imagined what things could be like between us, then you’re only fooling yourself.
I know I’ve been thinking about it nonstop since Chicago.
That means we’ve both had far longer to consider our choices than we normally would for most things.
You and I both make life-changing decisions in the blink of an eye.
As often as we might plan our course of action and do our best to create scenarios we control, we both know that’s not always possible.
Our minutes are like days for most people.
Hours are weeks. Days are months. None of us think years in advance.
Will you deny considering what a future would look like with me? ”
I don’t want to lie to him. It would be pointless to try. I bring my palms up to rest on his chest.
“Yes, I’ve imagined that. But all it was, was imagining. It’s not real.”
“Only because you say it’s not. Only because you won’t let it be real. It could be if you wanted it.”
He’s so insistent that I could almost believe him.
“In what world does this work out?”
He stares at me as though I’m stupid, and I feel my temper flare all over again. He must read it in my expression even though I didn’t think it changed.
“Chiquita, the very couple I want us to go to are the ones who prove it’s possible.”
“That’s different, and you know it. This lifestyle never consumed Elodie like it has me. She left it behind.”
“No, she didn’t. She could’ve killed me, and she chose not to.”
The words tumble out of his mouth. My eyes widen to where they hurt.
“Vita, she did a job where I was the only one who walked away. If I didn’t look just like Tío Enrique, I’d probably be dead too. She took out all the men around me and left me alive.”
It couldn’t have been that long ago. I know Elodie and Enrique have been together for less than two years.
“I thought she retired years ago.”
“She thought she had too. But there was a job she couldn’t avoid. If Tío Enrique—or more importantly my parents—could overlook the danger I was in, then they can accept you.”
“But you were never her primary target. Just the opposite. That you weren’t her target at all is why you survived. They’re going to see things with me differently.”
“Can you please just trust me to know my family better than you do? If I bring you home with me, they know it’s because we’re together.”
“For now, until we resolve all of this.”
I fight against the possibility of a future with Alejandro because I don’t want to be disappointed when it inevitably doesn’t happen. If I don’t open my heart, then it can’t be slammed shut when this fails.
“No, not just for now. There’s no ‘just for now’ with couples in my family. Either we’re all in or not in at all.”
I stare at him. That’s a lot to take in. It’s not a declaration of love, but it could be a life sentence.
“Look, Jandro, I’m not ready for this yet.
It would be better if I went to a hotel rather than stay with your family.
That’s assuming my waiting for you to return is the best option.
I know you’re not just going to your family’s for dinner.
Wherever you’re going afterward, I should be there too.
If somebody else took on this job, then I’m the best person you can have with you to protect you. ”
“Absolutely not. I’m not making you a secondary target.”
“But would you recognize all the mercenaries out there? You didn’t even recognize Patrick, and he’s worked for you before. If somebody’s around that’s there to kill you, I’m far more likely to recognize them than you are.”
“You don’t even have a change of clothes, let alone any of your disguises.”
“I don’t need my disguises to be able to point out who’s there to kill you. I have better tracking skills than anyone else in your family purely because of my job. If my tracking skills were such shit, I wouldn’t have found you.”
He has the audacity to laugh.
“Chiquita, it’s not like it was hard to figure out who I am.
It’s no secret I’d be in Jackson Heights.
I was the richest man there each day you visited.
It’s not like I tried to blend in. It was obvious who I am.
You’ve met Tres J’s. They practically look like triplets.
And everybody knows I’m a younger version of Tío Enrique, and Pablo’s a younger version of Tío Luis.
There’s no way anybody could’ve confused me for any of my cousins.
Plus, I’m sure you had photos of me in your dossier, and we met in Chicago and the club.
It’s not exactly like you had to be Sherlock Holmes to find me. ”
He word vomits, and it does nothing to endear him to me. He may not be wrong, but his tone certainly has the opposite effect on me from making me want to comply.
“Jandro, that’s not the point.”
“Of course, it’s the point. Hell, I caught you. That’s why we’re together right now.”
“Don’t you think if I wanted to hide, I would’ve tried a little harder? Maybe I didn’t mind getting caught.”
Now it’s my turn to vomit my thoughts. His hands cup my jaw as he swoops in for one of those kisses that leaves me drunk.
I fist his shirt and tug him closer. I know Tres J’s can hear our argument, and they probably think we’re fucking or killing each other right now.
But this is what we both need. When we pull apart, we rest our foreheads together.
“Fine. Come to the house with me, and you can be part of the conversation.”
While that’s what I wanted, I know that means Elodie will be part of it too.