She narrowed her eyes. “Watch it.”
I grinned. “Beautiful, amazing, pain in my ass who wouldn’t let me kiss her. When she told me why, I stopped wanting to steal one, and started wanting to earn it.”
“Brody…”
“Once this woman gave me her kiss, I knew that was it for me. I never wanted to kiss anyone else for the rest of my life.” I ran the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip, and it was like coming home. Adriana closed her eyes, and I waited.
Waited for the answer of a lifetime.
When she finally opened her eyes, that smirk that I loved so much curved under my thumb.
“Does Houston have any decent food carts?”
Chapter Forty-Four
Adriana
Mexico City, Mexico
Six Weeks Later
I was getting cabin fever.
Well, if one could get cabin fever inside a mansion.
Still, in the six weeks since becoming the proud owner of my brother’s kidney, I’d barely been allowed to lift my own fork. Val insisted on doing everything for me, and when I argued, he swore he was just protecting his investment.
Right.
However, the minute I got out from under Val’s watchful eye, Eden was there to serve as his stand-in warden.
Yes, I said Eden.
I couldn’t believe how much had changed in such a short amount of time. Not that we were best friends, but the animosity was gone. There was peace in the Carrera house, which only made the cartel that much stronger.
And deadlier.
Brody flew back and forth from Houston to Mexico City as much as he could, which ended up being every week. Val just rolled his eyes, but I saw the smile when he turned his head. Those two weren’t best friends either, but they’d found their peace too.
If the four of us could get along, anything was possible.
I zipped my suitcase closed, shaking my head at the mound of clothes Leighton was making me take to Houston. I didn’t have the heart to tell her half her stuff didn’t fit, so I’d just donate them.
I did charitable shit like that now.
“Do you have a minute?”
I glanced toward the door where Eden stood, her bright red hair piled high on top of her head, and Santi cradled in her arms.
“Sure. Is everything okay?”
She nodded, fidgeting as she walked into the room. “I owe you an apology.”
I waved my hand. “No, you don’t.” We’d had six weeks of peace. There was no need to open up old wounds for words that weren’t needed.
Eden sighed, sinking onto my bed. “Adriana, we have more in common than I wanted to admit. We both had rough childhoods where we had to grow up too fast and rely on ourselves to survive. I didn’t have a real family.” She ran her hand over Santi’s dark hair. “Nash was all I had and after he died, well, Val and Santi, they’re my whole world. You scared me, and when I’m scared, I lash out. I can’t apologize for protecting them because I’d do it again. But I will apologize for not trusting my husband’s judgment.”
“Eden, it’s okay.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not. Please let me get this out.” Pressing her lips together, she took a deep breath. “You had my brother murdered, and I killed yours. I can hate you for it, but Nash wouldn’t want that. In fact, I think he’d be pretty ashamed of me right now. My big brother was my hero, Adriana. He was the best man I knew, and the only one who saw the good in me when everyone else put me down. He always said, ‘Edie, people do bad things, but it doesn’t make them bad people. What makes them bad is when they fail to forgive.’” Her voice broke as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Santiago Nash Carrera is named after my brother, and I want him to grow up being as proud of his mom as I hope his uncle would’ve been. That’s why…” Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. “That’s why I forgive you.”
Before I knew what I was doing, I flung my arms around her. Startled at first, she soon leaned into it, pressing her cheek against my shoulder. After a few awkward moments, we pulled apart, both of us wiping our eyes, looking anywhere but at each other.
“Well,” I said, glancing toward the open door, “I should probably go downstairs. Brody will be here any minute.”
“Adriana, wait.” She grabbed my arm, a genuine smile pulling across her mouth as she glanced down at the wiggling baby in her arms. “Santi, it’s time you officially meet your Aunt Adriana.” Scooping him up, she held him out to me, and I waved both hands, backing up like he was a ticking bomb.
“Oh, no, I can’t…”
Her grin widened. “Come on. Consider it practice.”
I didn’t have time for another protest. Eden stood up and dumped him in my arms. It was either take him or drop him. Paranoid, I tugged him against my chest, looking down at the little boy I risked everything for.
“Hola.”
It was all I could think to say. One word that meant nothing, but then again, sometimes everything could be said without saying anything at all.
Kind of like a kiss.
Val stood at the bottom of the stairs outside the estate, shuffling from foot to foot as Brody grinned and kissed my cheek. “I’ll wait near the car and give you two a minute.”
I nodded, watching him walk away as Val scratched the back of his head. “You’ll be back for Santi’s baptism, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“You sure you’re okay to fly? You can rest here for a few days.”
“Val, It’s been six weeks. I’m fine. Stop being a big brother.”
He chuckled. “Give me a break, I’ve got twenty-four years to catch up on.” An awkward silence passed between us again, and he took a step toward me, his expression turning serious. “Thanks for saving my son.”
“Thanks for the kidney.”
“Yeah well, don’t expect another one.”
It was my turn to chuckle. If anyone had told me two months ago that I would’ve risked my life to save a Carrera, or anyone but myself for that matter, I would’ve laughed in their face. That definitely wasn’t the person I was raised to be. Self-sacrifice was for the weak and the stupid. I thought the only way to survive was to ensure others didn’t.
Then Brody Harcourt turned my life upside down, and it would never right itself.
I never wanted it to.
I’d learned to love. I learned to be loved.
I learned to forgive. I learned to be forgiven.
On instinct, my eyes found him, his gaze already locked on me. Those green and brown swirls that commanded such passion saw me like no other.
Val stepped beside me. “Keep that one in line.”
I glanced up to see his eyes focused on Brody, the beginnings of a smile on his face. “Not a chance,” I shot back with a wink.
“Hey, Adriana?”
“Yeah?”
“I…” He scratched his chin, whatever he was going to say lost as the cartel boss pushed the big brother to the back of the line. “Don’t go soft on me just because you’re in love and shit.”
Sometimes I really liked the cartel boss a lot more. But I’d never tell my brother that.