13. Chapter 13
Ines
Thankfully, the rain doesn't progress from a drizzle as we trek through the abandoned city streets back to the Otero Estate, and we manage to avoid the patrolling Black Guard enforcing curfew.
By the time we make it through the main gate at Otero's my borrowed dress is clinging to my skin, leaving very little to the imagination of what I look like underneath the light cotton.
As adverse as I am at the thought of taking a bath, I know I desperately need one to rid myself of the foulness of this entire evening. If I'm lucky, I might get one blessed hour to sleep before Lupe comes banging on my bedroom door to play dress up.
Not wanting to disturb anyone inside the still slumbering house, we enter through the back door.
It's not locked so we make our way inside to the staircase and creep upstairs with soft footing.
It's been nice not having to listen to Remus talk, although I'm sure it would be strictly business with him seeing as my true assignment is weaseling my way into Rogelio Murrieta's life so Remus can get whatever information he needs from his rival, Severo.
Not that I'm against bringing that bastard to his knees too, but it would have saved us all a lot of trouble had Remus and Dona Otero been honest with me about my target from the start.
But I'll certainly deal with Otero when I see her. It's bad enough Remus tested me by damn near drowning me in a bathtub, but her permitting him to do so has me ready to put my hands on the old woman. A fight for later.
Right now, I need time to refresh and recoup before dealing with more lessons and last-minute scheming.
As I approach my bedroom door, I realize Remus is still tailing me. His bedroom is several doors behind us, and he should have entered his quarters by now. Instead, he's either ensuring I make it to my room safely or he's itching for a fight. My money would be on the latter option.
I quicken my pace and fling my door open, ignoring him whisper-yelling my name. I attempt to slam the door, but he catches it with ease and forces his way inside, closing it behind him, effectively sealing us in together.
His brows pinch together, and he glares at me, clearly annoyed I've been ignoring him. "Vibora – "
"Don't." I press a finger to his chest, silencing him. "You are not allowed to speak so freely and friendly with me. Last I checked, this is still my room, and I don't want you here."
He raises his hands in surrender and takes a step forward but stops when I rush to my mattress and reach underneath my pillow. I snatch one of my pistols and aim it at him.
"Take another step. I dare you." I grit my teeth as I cock it.
"You have every right to be angry," he says softly, as if his voice will lull me into a stupor and I'll forget why I'm angry with him. "But I won't apologize for my methods. It's my job to keep my people safe- "
"Even if it means you hurt me in the process?
" I scoff, placing my pistol on my nightstand before ripping my boots off one-by-one and throwing them across the room with intent to peg Remus in his face.
"I thought you said I deserved better. That I still deserve better.
Clearly every word you spew is deceitful and unkind. "
He dodges both shoes, unmoved by the attack. "I have meant every word I've said since the moment I first laid eyes on you in Otero's carriage." He says with such conviction, I almost believe him. "You do deserve better. Better than I or anyone else can properly give you."
"But?"
"In the end, all of our lives are expendable. Except Cas."
"Tell me, Remus," I cross my arms over my chest, "did you torture every member of your circle, or just me?"
"You are the only one we – "
I hold a hand up. "So, you didn't torture Carmen after you spared her from the Casa de Placer?"
A frown mars his face, and a seriousness washes over him as he takes a thundering step forward. "I think Carmen suffered enough torture, don't you think?"
"I call bullshit."
"Bullshit meaning you don't believe Carmen suffered?"
I shake my head, "Bullshit on your methods."
"What do you want from me, Ines?" He's within arm's reach, staring down on me. "All I can say is you earned my trust today – "
"And whatever thread of trust you might have had with me is dead," I interrupt with a growl.
"If we are to be partners, you will have to learn to trust me."
"Funny," I scoff. "I could have said the same about you."
A silence stretches between us. Not uncomfortable but certainly not ideal.
He rakes a hand through his hair and sighs, borderline defeated.
"We had to be sure you were on our side.
You tried sneaking off once before. How was I supposed to know you weren't going to sell us out or report us to the Soberano? "
"In all the time we have known each other, however brief it has been, have I once deceived you?
" I say softly, the fight in me dwindling and giving way to exhaustion.
When his only response is looking at me like a beggar in search for bread, I chuckle and throw my head back to stare at the ceiling.
"Ah, for once you have nothing to say! A blessed night indeed.
Now, if you don't mind, I've had the worst day of my life and if I don't have some time to myself I will, in fact, smite you where you stand. "
He reaches for me, but I escape his grasp. "Vibora – "
"Don't touch me!"
He retreats a step. "Ines –"
"You know what your problem is, Remus? Not the whole distrust issue, that's a monster all its own.
Your problem is you expect me to be grateful for your crumbs.
You torture me, physically and mentally, and spout some you-earned-my-trust bullshit and expect me to forgive and forget. Go fuck yourself."
Remus skirts in front of me, hindering my escape to the bathroom. "If you were in my position, what would you have done? Hm? My entire life has been dedicated to our cause, our rebellion."
"And if I'm actually captured by the Soberano's men? Then what? Will you risk everything to save me since I've now earned your trust?"
A fury rages in his eyes and his shoulders tense.
"You better hope and pray the Soberano's men never take you alive.
What I did to you will feel like a lover's kiss compared to what Murrieta is capable of.
If you are caught by our enemies, there will be nothing I can do to save you, you know that right? "
"It's a good thing I don't need saving." I shove my shoulder against him and brush past, once again heading toward the bathroom to bathe, but stop in the threshold. "Show me your tattoos."
"What?" He swivels to face me, eyes wide.
"I said, show me your tattoos."
Recovering from the dramatic change in subject, he smirks and teases, "Are you asking me to strip?"
"If you want me to trust you, you'll have to start being honest with me." I lean against the doorframe, arms folded over my chest. "No more hollow words. No more bullshit. Just the raw, ugly truth."
Remus eyes me head-to-toe, trying but failing to find whatever he's looking for. "How do I know you won't stab or shoot me?"
I shrug and bare my teeth, a fox waiting to pounce. "I suppose you're just going to have to trust me."
He opens his mouth but whatever rebuttal was on the tip of his tongue, he swallows.
Without further argument, he backpedals to the center of my bedroom.
I won't lie, the thought of shooting him in the leg as payback for tonight crosses my mind, but the moment he slowly starts to unbutton the cuffs of his dress shirt, my belly heats.
I'm not sure where his coat disappeared to, but I don't really care right now.
"Draw the curtains."
"Why?"
"A lady like Elena Lozano would never have a man in her room, especially one undressing. So, unless you'd like the staff to talk -"
I wave him off, shooing the unwanted flutters in my stomach, as I march over to my drapes and draw them, engulfing us in darkness.
Before I can complain about the darkness defeating the purpose of seeing his tattoos, he scratches a match against a match box and starts lighting candles placed around my room.
I'm not sure what to do with myself so I settle on my mattress and watch as he moves from his loosened cuffs to the buttons down the center of his chest. He starts with the first one, and two, three, four, five buttons later, his chest is exposed.
His bronze skin has a smattering of hair that dips below the waistband of his trousers.
The muscular planes of his chest and abs have my mouth watering.
With no sense of urgency, Remus tears his shirt off as he walks toward me.
Bare chested, he lays his shirt next to me before silently turning his back to me.
The tattoo is much larger than I anticipated, stretching from shoulder-to-shoulder and dipping down to his mid-back.
Black feathered wings, permanently etched in flesh with magical ink.
I don't know what possesses me to do it, but I reach out my hand and the second my fingertips make contact with his skin, his breathing shifts.
I retract my hand. "I'm sorry," I whisper, not sure what's gotten ahold of me.
"Don't apologize," he tosses me a look over his shoulder. "It's ok. You can touch me."
For a reason I can't explain, I sense he needs this physical contact. So, I press the palm of my hand against his taut muscular back and slowly drag my fingers from one shoulder to the other.
He's made me a believer that he has the tattoos, but now, I want to see if he indeed has the wings. "Show me."
"Show you what?"
"Your wings."
For a moment we stand in complete silence, and I fear I've asked too much of him. Without warning, he stalks away from me, and once he's half a room away, he turns around. By the look of surprise plastered on my face he shrugs. "I needed space."