Voice heavy by the gravity of missing her, I implore, “Turn around, LeAnna.”
A few feet away from the bedroom door, LeAnna’s spine stiffens.
“Drop your phone, mami. It’s disabled.” The cellphone shakes in her trembling, gorgeous, little fingers, which once brought me so much.
“That’s right, mami. Turn around. Papi’s here. I missed you so much.” I remove the glove from my hand and press my index finger to the cool glass to outline her shape.
She moves around slowly, and my lungs have filled to capacity. I remember the taste between those thighs, filling her up hard. I remember the day she surpassed anything Alejandra and I ever had. With my other hand, I hold up the photo of us lying in bed.
“This isn’t real,” she mumbles, meandering toward the glass door.
“I thought you’d forgotten. For seven hundred and forty-eight days, I assumed that you had forgotten or that my attempt to turn you into an ángel during our last encounter was an unforgivable act.”
LeAnna stares up at me through a tearful, sparkling gaze. One hand fists her cellphone. Dominic’s on her mind. She’s considering calling him. I’ve been gone so long. I can’t fault her for such a grave mistake.
I gesture toward the photo I’m pressing against the glass. “Then I got the photos of us. It took me this last year to formulate a fail-proof plan. This one says Santa Barbara on the back.”
She places her hand where my palm is. The index finger of her other hand drawing across our shape.
“Talk to me, LeAnna.”
“I’m dreaming. Dario, I felt so sorry about what happened to you as a child.”
She’s not listening. I’m not listening. As she mentions my cousin, Miguel, I growl, “This is no dream, mami.”
Frigid fury masks her face. “But I don’t feel sorry for you any longer, Dario. Fuck you! You’ve been out of my head for a while now. This is a dream because you’re in my head—”
“No, silly.” I laugh a little, recalling how she slipped on the green when I noticed her stalker. “It’s all technology.”
“You’re in my head . . .” She glances around.
“We’ll get to that later.” I lick my lips. Her innocence always did make my cock stiff. “If you need, I’ll call you Aria. I remember how you preferred it.”
“No. Dario. Fuck you! I’m asleep. I’m still dreaming.”
Moving my hand off the glass, which separates me from her, I pop it with the side of my fist. The thick windowpane echoes.
She inhales deeply. The warm undertones of her mahogany skin fading fast. “Dario, how did you get out? How did? Gael . . . Gael . . .”
“Don’t run, mami. Don’t—”
She takes off in a full-on sprint.
By the time mi amor shuffles into the nursery, I’m at the window, waiting. Her hurried pace falters. She clings to the crib rail, falling to the ground in a fit of sobs.
“Un momento, mami.” I smile at her pointless hysteria.
“No. I told you, Dario. The last time I saw you that I would fight for my child. I would . . .” She climbs to her feet, cursing my very existence.
I meet her at the glass door, wheeling the stroller before it. Through the Bluetooth in my ear, Aria’s shouts have died out. When I look up, she’s staring at me, holding Gael.
I stroke a hand across his chubby cheek. “He called me Da-Da.”
“No. No! He’s mu-mbling, Dario. Nothing more.”
“He’s mine, Aria,” I grit out, embracing our son tighter.
“I haven’t seen you in almost four years, asshole. He’s Dominic’s baby.” She stops talking, holding out a shaking hand. “He’s yours. You love Gael. Sit our baby in the stroller. He’s not ready to see you yet. Come back later, o-okay?”
My mouth tips at the edges. “I’m leaving now with my woman and my son. Go ahead, open the door for papi. Do it now, so that I don’t get angry, por favor.”
“Place him gently back in the seat, Dario,” she groans. “Please, put my baby down.”
“Don’t think I can’t let myself in. I did.” I hold Gael higher as proof of her delusions. His big hazel eyes widen as he smiles. “Now, what I need you to do is let me in like you used to, Aria.”
“Just set him down.” Her fingers quiver at the latch. “Promise me that we can talk, and you’ll leave.”
I rub my hand over his silky curls. “Aria, mi amor. I’m holding the baby, but my paciencia is wearing. All you have to do is LET ME IN SO WE CAN LEAVE!”
Gael shutters in my arms as my voice rises like a tsunami. Mouth turned upside down, he cries. I softly pat Gael’s back, holding him against my chest. My lips plant at the crown of his curly head. “Papi’s here, mi amor. Mami needs to listen, sí?” I slam a hand against the door again. “You’re making him angry, Aria! Let me inside.”
She opens the door, and the rage in me recedes like a wave drawing back into the ocean. Aria slips into my arms, and I hold her and our son. That’s where I was always meant to be. Inside Aria Jones’ head, body, heart . . . soul.
Thank you for checking out Diablo Inside! The Alternate Ending was written purely for my enjoyment, although, I hope you got a kick out of it too. I’d love your opinion in the form of a review.
Lastly, if Siobhan and Lincoln were familiar to you, your constant support is greatly appreciated. If not, here’s a challenge: grab Aria’s cousin’s story ASAP! Siobhan deals with a similar dynamic in Devil in Her Bed, where the pages of the story are just as scorching as they are suspenseful. Devil in Her Bed is now available on Audible and was Top #3 in the Audible Multicultural Best Sellers List.
Other similar books by Amarie you might like, that are available in wide distribution are: have sexy mystery include:
An Alpha’s Desire
The Good Mistress (Also in Audiobook)
Black Queen, Dark Knight
August. (Also in Audiobook)
Make Me Stay (Also in Audiobook)
FEAR (Includes another sexy Brit)
Zaccaro
For Russian Mafia consider:
Fearless (Also in Audiobook)
Lawless
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Amarie’s Next Release “Savage Husband”
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SKYLAR
My wife, Trista, is gorgeous as a trophy, and vigilant as a hawk. While there’s only one word for me: liar.