Chapter 30
thirty
Matias
Los Angeles, Four Years Ago
“Natalia, are you sure about this?” I follow her across the room, resisting the urge to still her hands.
“I’m sure, Matias. Get out of the way, you’re going to slow me down.” She darts across the room with a heaping pile of clothes in her arms, dropping them into the waiting duffel bag on her bed and shoving everything inside unceremoniously.
“We still have time.” I tell her quietly, glancing across my shoulder to make sure her bedroom door is closed before caressing the slope of her neck.
“No, we don’t.” She swings to face me, her hair swinging with the movement.
“You heard Papa. They moved the deal, and it’s happening tonight.
We don’t have time!” She sighs. “I told Agent Brady to hold off his boss, but it’s not like the FBI is going to listen to me.
You were right. This situation has gotten out of control. ”
Usually, I would gloat about being right. But the worry shining in her eyes makes it a hollow victory. I didn’t want to be right. I don’t like her scared.
“Hey, hey, hey. Slow down a second.”
The scent of her favorite lotion, a sweet vanilla with a smoky edge, teases my senses as she comes to stand in the circle of my arms.
It’s a risk, standing like this in her bedroom in the middle of the day, but I don’t give a fuck anymore. I’m not scared of her Dad—I never was. But I never wanted to upset the careful balance of Natalia’s life.
“Papa is going to make a deal with Ernesto tonight. He’s probably going to just hand me over to him!”
The picture makes me twitch. “You know I’m not going to let that happen.”
Natalia sighs. “That’s what I’m worried about. I don’t want anyone getting hurt, Matias. I don’t want—” She bites her lip. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
The glance she slides my way almost makes me blush. The women in my past always wanted something from me. Money, drugs, violence. Sex.
I can’t remember the last time someone just wanted me to be safe. That someone wanted something good for me without wanting anything in exchange.
It’s equal parts heartwarming and terrifying. Because knowing this good, kind woman worries about me adds a new layer of complication to every step I take. It’s scary how much I care about the way she thinks of me.
“It’s going to take more than a couple of middle-aged drug lords to hurt me.” I tell her quietly, smothering a laugh when she gives me a frustrated look.
“You don’t know Papa the way I do. He’s pushing to replace you with Ernesto. After tonight, if he doesn’t have any use for you…”
“Hey.” Her heartbeat thrums beneath my fingertips when I reach for her. “I’ll be careful. I swear.”
She shakes her head, pulling away from me. “No, we are leaving.”
A thought occurs to me. “Is that why you want to go all of a sudden? Because you’re worried something is going to happen to me?”
Natalia slows and gives me a guilty look. “Partly?”
“Natalia, I want you to come with me because you want to be with me. Not because you’re trying to protect me.”
Her gaze softens. “I do want to be with you. It’s the only thing I’m sure about,” she says, pink blooming on the crest of her cheeks. An errant beam of sunlight streams in through the window above her bed, a halo shining around her head.
She looks so soft and pretty and perfect, I can’t help but wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close.
“Stop stressing, baby.” I whisper against her hair, playing with the strands until she’s looking at me with those big doe eyes. “This is what I do. Let me take care of it, okay?” Natalia lets out a big breath, and then nods, relaxing into my arms.
“I just want to put all of this behind us.” The words are heavy and muffled against my chest.
“I know.” I plant a soft kiss on her lips. And then on her cheek, her nose, her eyelid, until a little smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. “This will all be over soon.”
The words make her smile, but something twists in my gut. As much as I’ve been trying to pretend, leaving all of this behind doesn’t quite sit right with me. Natalia looks so happy, that for a second I almost blurt out the fact that I bought us a house.
She would want to leave. Immediately. And I thought I wanted that too, but…the thought of being a nobody, by her side, nags at me.
“Listen, Florecita…”
The door to her bedroom slams open. “Can you believe this bullshit menu Ramona is throwing—” Natalia stumbles away from me, but it’s too late.
Sylvia’s eyes narrow like a snake, taking in the picture before her.
“What’s going on?” Her eyes flit between us. And even though my girl avoids her sister’s gaze, I don’t. Sylvia is worldly enough to know exactly what the fuck is going on between her sister and I.
“You’re hooking up?” Sylvia watches Natalia, and then lets out a rasping laugh. “With him?”
Natalia gives her sister an admonishing glance and closes her bedroom door.
“Keep it down.”
“You’re having sex with the help? I thought you were saving yourself for marriage.” Sylvia’s eyes flash, like she’s trying to get a rise out of me, but I don’t give a fuck what she thinks. I’ve got bigger problems to worry about.
Natalia pinches her nose. “Sylvia, please. I don’t have time for your jokes.”
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you only had time to fuck him.”
Natalia’s head rocks back, and I instinctively take a step away from the sisters.
“It’s not like that. Just…please stop talking. Can you give us a minute?”
Thanks to Natalia’s careful mothering, Sylvia looks better than she’s looked since I met her.
The hollows under her eyes have started fading, some life coming back to her hair and complexion.
But when she stands next to Natalia, there’s no doubt as to which sister has her life together, and which one is a recovering addict.
“‘It’s not like that’? Do you have any idea how dumb you sound?” Sylvia laughs choppily, twitching as she takes a step closer to my girl. “He’s a dealer, Nati! All he does is play tricks! Please don’t tell me you’re dumb enough to fall for his shit!”
“You don’t know him.” Natalia says softly.
“I don’t need to. I’ve been in your shoes a million times. He’s got you wrapped around his fingers with a few nice words and some dick. Wake up! Don’t just fall in love for the first man that gives you a little attention.”
“Oh, my God. Sylvia, you have no idea what he’s like!” Natalia zips her bag closed with more force than necessary, turning to face her sister with a reckless gleam in her eyes. “What do you know about love? The only thing you love is—” Natalia bites her lip and forces down a deep breath.
“What? I love coke? Well, guess what? The coke is a hell of a lot more reliable!” Sylvia’s eyes slide down her sister, to the bag laying on the bed. She freezes, and then slowly cocks her head.
“…What is that?”
“It’s nothing.” Natalia moves to block her sister, but she’s not fast enough. Sylvia’s slender arms strike with devastating speed, snatching the bag off the bed and inspecting its contents.
It takes her two seconds to piece our plan together.
“You’re leaving?” I don’t like Sylvia. The only redeeming qualities about her are the ones Natalia insists on. But even my stomach twists at the pitch of her voice.
Like a kicked dog, Sylvia’s arms drop, the backpack forgotten in the blink of an eye. “You’re leaving me for him?”
“It’s not like that.” Natalia takes a step for her sister, reaching out and then thinking better of it.
“Oh? So you’re not going anywhere?” I watch the sisters, wanting to intercept, but knowing better than to get mixed up in a family dispute.
The silence in the room is heavy like a blanket, smothering us until Natalia finally opens her mouth.
“I…I can’t do this anymore, Sylvia.” Natalia stands a little straighter, her eyes heavy as she meets her sister’s eyes. “This life is draining me. I need to go.”
Sylvia shakes her head. “You’re leaving because of him.
” She grinds out, turning to give me a scorching look.
“I really thought you were smarter than that, Natalia. But you’re just like every other dumb bitch that believes in love.
” She says scorchingly. Natalia rears back, her brows pinching together as she tries to desperately mask the hurt from her sister’s words.
She doesn’t deserve this.
I cross the room, standing beside her and looping my arm around her waist.
“Enough.”
“Or what? You’re going to shoot me just like you do all of Papa’s enemies?”
“Actually, I think that miserable life of yours is punishment enough,” I volley back. Natalia may not have the heart to verbally spar with her sister, but I do.
“Fuck you.” She spits out, turning on one foot. “Fuck both of you, actually. I hope you two get the stupid lives you deserve.” She’s almost at the door when Natalia stops her.
“Don’t tell Papa.” The words linger between us. Sylvia seems to mull it over for a second, before the hint of a mirthless smile tugs at the corners of her calculating mouth.
“Why would I? Watching this train wreck implode is going to be much more entertaining.”
The sun beats on the back of my neck, but I’m not sure if the sweat beading on my forehead is from the California heat or the scene in front of me.
We’re seated outside for what seems like a friendly meal.
There are fresh flowers on the carved wooden table, and steaming food in front of me.
Ramona flits around the table with a big smile, running an absentminded hand on Sylvia’s shoulder and chatting with Antonio before heading back inside to get dessert ready.
The food in front of us may be steaming, but the air between the two women is arctic. Antonio doesn’t notice, though. He’s too busy courting his latest business partner, the one he’s trying to replace me with.
Does he really think I’m too dumb to notice?
“And how soon could you get that here?” Ernesto Cepedas shrugs.
“No later than a week.” He says quietly. “I have very good transport routes. No…disruptions.” He says, sliding over a look at me.
I’m too busy stroking Natalia’s thigh under the table to pay him much mind. She relaxes under my touch, and the feeling does something to me. I suddenly feel more powerful than the biggest dealer in Los Angeles.
The two men go back and forth quietly, chatting about a drug deal I’m not planning on being around to witness.
I glance around the property wearily, wondering just how long we’ll have until the inevitable moment the FBI comes with a warrant.
Surely, we’ll have until tonight. It’ll take them several hours to get a judge to sign the paperwork, anyway.
The sun sets over the horizon, washing the teak patio furniture in shades of molten yellow and orange. Ernesto and Antonio rise to their feet, walking to the edge of the courtyard and chatting about the property.
Ernesto looks back at Natalia, his eyes fixed on her pretty face before he says something quietly to her father.
The old man turns to glance at his daughter, completely oblivious to the giant rift between the two sisters.
Antonio meets my gaze absentmindedly before turning back to his business partner, pointing at my pool house at the other end of the compound in a way that doesn’t sit right with me at all.
They continue speaking quietly, and then Ernesto holds out his hand. Whatever their shady deal was, Antonio accepts with an eager handshake, a sharklike grin flitting over his face. Did he seal the deal by selling off his daughter?
Natalia glances at me, for the briefest of moments. Her face is devoid of its normal shine, worry gnawing at the light in her eyes. Something’s not right. We need to leave. Now.
I’m climbing to my feet when I hear it. “This is the FBI! Put your hands in the air!”
But the people in this compound aren’t ones to surrender. All I can do is drag Natalia under the table when bullets start cracking in the air.