Chapter Eighteen #2
Camila’s face heated as she closed her eyes and nodded quickly.
Hammer, no, Adrian, was quiet long enough she opened her eyes to check on him.
His jaw bulged and his face had gone red, as if it took all his strength to keep from losing his temper.
It was several more seconds and more self-control than Papá had ever shown, but when Adrian spoke again, he’d managed to lock down whatever had set him off in the first place.
“First,” Adrian brought both hands up to cup her face, “I will never hurt you. I will never lay a hand on you in anger. And I will kill any man who even tries. Second. I was teasing. I only meant to have a little fun with you. Kind of. I’m not happy you hid something so big from me.
And there will be consequences. But I will never hurt you.
At least not in any way you don’t want.”
Camila drew her brows together. That she didn’t want? Why on earth would anyone ever want to be hurt? But she wasn’t going to question him on that. Not now.
“Consequences?” She hated the idea but hoped whatever Adrian had in mind wouldn’t be too miserable. But he’d said he wouldn’t hurt her—she had to take at last some reassurance from that.
“What’s going through your head, carino?”
She quirked one corner of her mouth. “I’m a little concerned about those consequences.”
He made a face, pulling his mouth to one side as he seemed to be thinking, but she got the feeling this was for show. He was trying to play with her again.
“How much do you like it here?” he asked, suddenly serious again.
That wasn’t where she’d expected him to go, but she could play along. “I like it, mostly. The people are great, at least the ones I’ve met so far.”
“Mostly?” Adrian lifted one brow.
“There have been a couple of things that...” She paused. How did she put this without sounding insulting or judgmental? “I don’t know how to say it. There were a couple of things I’m not comfortable with.” Her face heated as she remembered Goliath and Velvet in the common room.
“Who?” His voice turned to little more than a growl. “Who embarrassed you?”
Camila closed her eyes and laid her head back down in his chest. “It’s not a big deal. He wasn’t trying to embarrass me. I’m just not used to the way things work around here.”
“Fucking Goliath.”
Camila tensed. She didn’t want to be a wedge between Adrian and the men he called brothers. Then she realized that while Adrian sounded annoyed, he didn’t sound angry.
“I’ve told him a dozen times. No one wants to see his dick or watch while he plays hide the salami.” Adrian lifted one hand and scrubbed it across his face. “I’ll talk to him again in the morning.” Adrian’s hand dropped back to the bed. “Anything else? Anyone else not making you feel welcome?”
Camila looked up at him, propping her chin on his chest. “No. Are you going somewhere with this?” she said with a frown.
“I’m trying to figure out what it would take to get you to stay.”
She blinked as she tried to figure out how he’d gone from whatever the consequences of not telling him about her virginity were to getting her to stay, but eventually gave up and addressed the last statement, planning to steer things back to those consequences later.
“I’m not planning to go anywhere.”
“Ever?”
Her frown turned to a scowl. “I can’t say that.
I told you before. I won’t want to be a burden.
I’m helping now and everyone keeps telling me it will get easier but there’s still Papá.
He will find me or at least try to. Bringing him down on your heads seems a poor repayment for everything you’ve done for me. ”
Adrian was quiet for a bit. When he spoke his voice was gentle, even as she could tell his determination was like hardened steel.
“I don’t care. I’d take on your father and all his men. Hell, carino, I’d take on the cartel or all the Mexican army if it meant I get you.”
Camila started to argue, to tell him that wasn’t reasonable.
But she stopped herself. She might not have known Adrian long, but she knew that wasn’t the way to approach him, not if she wanted him to pay attention.
She took a deep breath and tried again. “I don’t know what Papá does.
But I know he’s not a good man. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.
“One,” he met her gaze, “it wouldn’t be because of you. It would be because of him. his choices, his decisions. Two, that’s just the point.”
“What do you mean?” She frowned again.
“I’d gladly take whatever he does, whoever he sends. I’ll take care of him just for the chance to stand between you and anyone who comes after you. I want to be the one to stand by your side, to help when you’re feeling weak, no matter what comes our way.”
Camila had to try twice to swallow past the lump in her throat.
She didn’t know what to say or how to respond.
She laid her head back against his chest. “I’d like that,” she murmured as she splayed one hand lightly over the tattoo that covered most of his chest. He had a lot of tattoos, and she loved the idea of checking them all out and asking what every single one meant, if it meant anything.
The more she thought about staying with Adrian and all of her new friends, the more she realized she wanted it.
She wanted to keep all of them. But she couldn’t make that decision for them.
They had to know what they were getting into before she would agree.
But the thought of leaving, even after so short of time here, made her chest ache in a way she hadn’t hurt in a long time. Not since Papá had killed Mama.
“Everyone has to know.” Camila fought the urge to hold her breath while she waited for Adrian to respond.
“Know what?” He froze then used a single finger to tilt her head so she met his gaze. His tone had gone serious.
“About Papá. All of it. I know you know what he does. You know the kind of thing he’s into.
You need to tell them. All of them. Give them the choice if they want to put themselves and their families at that kind of risk.
I don’t want anyone blindsided by this or by what my father’s reaction is.
I want them all told and everyone gets a vote. ”
“Everyone?” The way he looked made her wonder if he knew something she didn’t.
If there was someone who wanted her gone, just one, would that be enough for her to leave?
Or did she need to set up some kind of system, say as long as seventy-five percent wanted her to stay?
She’d have to think about that and decide before they took all of this to the club.
A million questions she didn’t have answers for swirled through her mind.
She pushed them away and closed her eyes.
She relaxed into the warmth of Adrian lying under her and told herself she would worry about all of this later. Now she was going to enjoy the moment.