Chapter 14
fourteen
Natalia
California, Four Years Ago
My sandals slap on the staircase as I speed down the steps and dash for the hall adjoining the garage bay. I push myself to move faster, spiraling at the thought of being this late to class. My heart speeds up when I catch a glimpse of his tall figure next to our usual, tinted SUV.
I spent a little more time on my makeup today, watching a tutorial that taught me how to draw the perfect cat eye.
It took me four tries and one manic episode, but I finally got it.
My normal loose curls didn’t feel right with the look, so I took an extra thirty minutes to make it pin straight down my back.
The end result has me looking a little less fresh-faced and a bit older. I like it.
“Sorry. I know I’m late. If there’s no traffic, we can probably make it—” The words die on my lips when I make eye contact with the figure next to the car.
It isn’t Matias.
His best friend, Santos—nods a me. A fleeting grin passes over his face as he takes me in, taking one last drag of his cigarette before tossing it aside.
“You weren’t expecting me, huh? Surprise.
” He chuckles quietly, reaching for the driver’s door.
“You look different today.” I glance down at my outfit.
I ditched the dressy skirts and blouses for a more casual jean and t-shirt combo that nip in right at my waist. I feel a little…
exposed. Maybe it’s too much. Does my stomach look big in this?
“Hey. You look nice.” He says, a gentle smile on his face.
Is this what having a big brother feels like?
“Thanks.”
“Alright, let’s get this show on the road.” He says, glancing at the Rolex on his wrist. “If we waste any more time, class will be done by the time we get there.”
He’s right. I run to the passenger side of the car, jumping in and slamming the door closed. It takes me all of two seconds once the door closes before I’m asking the question on my mind.
“Where’s Matias?”
He gives me a deadpan look. “What, I’m not good enough to hang with you?” I laugh weakly and wait for him to crack a smile, my heart dropping when it never comes. Did I offend him? Shit.
“No, that’s not—” I take a deep breath, fighting for the words. I really don’t want to be enemies with Matias’s best friend. “I was just wondering…he always drives me to?—”
“Ha! I’m just fuckin’ with you.” He laughs, slapping the steering wheel as we wind down the long paved driveway and turn into traffic. “You should have seen your face.” He mimics a poor deer-in-the-headlights look that has me rolling my eyes and grinning at the same time.
“Matias is right. You are an ass.”
He laughs again, the teardrop tattoo on his face bunching over his high cheekbones.
“You know, I expected you to be a little stuck up, like your sister. But you’re alright.”
“So…where is he?”
“Out on a job. Couldn’t put it off. Now you get the big guns.” I want to ask more, but I don’t know Santos well enough to press, so I lean back in my seat and decide to save my questions for later.
Santos and I walk in silence all the way to class. He moves behind me like a shadow, trailing my steps as I lead the way. The usual group waits for me in the second row. Gabby waves the moment she sees me, her wave slowing when she notices Santos.
I pause and turn to face him the moment the lecture hall doors close behind us.
“Matias sits there.” I tell him, pointing at the seat my bodyguard seems to have taken a liking to.
He looks at it, unconvinced. “I don’t get to meet your friends?”
I smile. “No.”
“That girl in the front seat looks real cute, though.”
“Santos.”
He gives up with a grin. “Esta bien, shorty. Next time.”
Gabby grills me the moment I fall into my seat. “Who is that?”
“His name is Santos. He’s Matias’ friend.”
She watches him, hair falling over her shoulder as she takes furtive glances at him. I have to admit, between Matias and Santos, the girls in my class have had some serious eye candy.
“Is he single?” I bite back a laugh, reaching in my bag for my notebook and quickly reviewing some of the concepts we went over a couple of days ago.
“I don’t know. I’ll ask.”
“Yeah. Slip him my number, will you?” She glances at him one more time, eyes flying to the front of the room when Santos catches her stare and gives her a flirty wave.
“Oh, my God. Kill me now.”
I snort. “Should I ask if he’s single now?”
Her small hand reaches out and clamps on my forearm. “I’ll kill you, Natalia. I mean it.” I laugh at the easy exchange between us. I’ve known Gabby for years, but all of our interactions up until this semester took place online. It’s nice to walk into a room and look for a familiar face.
I turn to the projector and start taking notes as the professor launches into his lecture, but my mind is elsewhere.
I feel eyes on the back of my head, but I stay forward in my seat and refuse to turn around.
I just know Deckard is a couple of rows back, staring but too chicken-shit to come up to me and apologize for the night he ditched me at the bar.
I’m glad he never showed. I had a lot more fun with Matias than I could’ve possibly had with Deckard, anyway. A sick part of me likes the way Matias stares my classmate down every time he brings me to class. If looks could kill, Deckard would be pushing daisies.
I take out my cell phone when the professor turns his back to scribble on the white board, texting Matias before I lose my nerve.
Deckard keeps staring from the back of the room. I wish you were here to scare him off again.
I’m not surprised when I don’t hear back from him. Matias rarely replies. But it doesn’t stop me from texting again a few minutes later.
Santos says you’re working. What are you doing? Buying? Selling?
Are you killing somebody?
The last text is meant to be a joke, but after I send it, it occurs to me Matias might not find it funny. I jump when my phone vibrates in my back pocket.
Haven’t killed anyone today.
A slow smile takes over my face as I re-read the text. My phone buzzes again, and I slide it under the table as I read his next message.
That might change if Dick doesn’t keep his eyes to himself.
My face warms. I bite back a laugh and put my phone away, tucking away the text for later. In Matias’ case, I know he’ll pull through on a death threat. It’s sick, but I like it.
Our professor changes the slide, and I pick up my pen, determined to leave class with something written in my notebook. I didn’t argue with Papa for days to come here just to daydream about Matias.
By the time class wraps up, I have two pages full of notes. I promise to send the girls scans of it when I get home, shoving the notebook in my backpack for later. I trip over my own feet when I slide out of the row and turn to face the stairs.
Matias is here.
He’s sitting beside Santos, quietly speaking with him as students stream out of the room. There’s something about him that looks dangerous today. I’m not sure if it’s the dark clothes or the ‘don’t fuck with me’ looks he’s giving passing students.
How long has he been sitting up there?
He’s deep in conversation, brows furrowing as he murmurs something I can’t quite hear as I make my way up the stairs. He’s so into his chat, in fact, that Santos notices me before he does.
“Done so soon, Einstein? I thought it would take longer.” Matias looks up, doing a subtle double take, his eyes tracing my hair, and then the curves of my waist and hips.
“The lecture is only ninety minutes.” I murmur, ignoring the warmth creeping up my face. Did someone turn up the thermostat on their way out?
The boys climb to their feet slowly, watching the other students trail out of the room. Matias takes a step towards me, gently nabbing my backpack off my shoulders and slinging it over his own.
“Thank you.” I say quietly, staring up at him. I forget how much space he takes up. He’s tall and wide and strong, and even now I have to crane up my neck to look at him.
“You’re welcome.” His voice is low and a little subdued. I glance up at him, stilling when I notice his gaze stuck on something in the distance. He doesn’t meet my gaze, even when the three of us walk together all the way to the parking lot.
It’s a beautiful day in California. The sky is bright blue and endless, not a speckle of clouds in the sky. An errant breeze ruffles my hair, the air tinged with the start of early fall. Just up ahead, a car rolls out of the lot, music booming through its open windows.
“You’re not riding with me anymore, short stuff.” Santos announces.
Far be it from me to argue. “Thanks for driving me to school.”
“Easiest job I’ve ever had.” He waves Matias and I off as we continue walking. For some reason, I wait until Santos is out of earshot before I start talking.
“You’re quiet today.”
He hesitates before answering. “Sorry. It’s been a long day.” It’s just past noon, but something in the way he’s shuffling beside me has me thinking his day started way before mine.
I know exactly which car is his before we stop in front of it. The matte black Bentley sticks out like a sore thumb in a sea of glossy, colorful cars. It looks like an automotive expression of the man next to me. Quick, aggressive. And not one to be fucked with.
I’m silently marveling at the sumptuous interior when he speaks up.
“Are you hungry?”
I shrug. “Yeah, I could eat.”
“There’s a burger spot on the way to where we’re going. Does that sound good?” The car roars to life beneath us as he slides out of the parking spot.
“Sure…where are we going?”
“My place.” I think I throw out a muscle in my neck with how fast I whip my head to look at him. Matias glances at me furtively from the corner of his eyes as we pull into the street, two young boys stopping in their tracks to watch us roll past them.
“I just need a second. With you. Alone. Is that okay?”
Um, hello? Is the sky blue? Do bees like pollen? “Of course.”