I always feared they would also be what ended us.
Mateo cleared his throat, his dark eyes bouncing between us. “Right, well, I’ll give you two some privacy.”
Val’s gaze didn’t stray from mine as his second in command crossed the office, eyes downcast and guilt etched across his face. Mateo Cortes was a deadly killer. One known around the world for two things: his loyalty and stone-cold facade.
But the man closest to Val had three weaknesses.
His wife.
His daughter.
And me.
The woman he helped abduct and hold captive. The one he befriended and risked his life to save. The unlikely ally he could never bring himself to look in the face and lie to.
Seconds before he crossed over the threshold into the hallway, I tossed out my arm. He stopped inches away, not daring to move it.
The heat of Val’s stare burned the side of my face, and I knew Mateo felt it too.
He was a deadly killer, but Val was a vicious god.
“When this wedding is over, you’re going to tell me exactly what the fuck is going on,” I whispered, “or you’re not going to like the shitstorm I’ll cause. Got it?”
Mateo’s nostrils flared. I felt a twinge of guilt in pulling the boss’s wife card, but not enough to fall back. Glaring at me out of the corner of his eye, he gave a slight nod before stepping a wide circle around my arm and disappearing into the bowels of the estate.
“Bad girl, Cereza.”
I turned to find my husband leaning against the desk, with his arms folded across his chest, wearing a smirk that could ignite the sky. God, that man drove me crazy. The way he effortlessly flipped from soulless to seductive was both infuriating and addictive.
Cocking a hip, I planted a hand on what remained of my waist. “Why? Because I don’t play by your rules?”
“You’ve never played by my rules.” Pushing away, he walked toward me with the stealth of a predator. “It’s why I married you.”
I gritted my teeth.
It wouldn’t work. Not this time.
“However,” he continued, bending his head to brush light kisses along my neck. “I’m referring to your not-so-subtle attempt to threaten information out of my men.” I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Val shut me down with a firm finger against my lips. “While incredibly sexy, it undermines my authority.”
“Mateo will—”
Val lifted his head, his eyes swimming in arrogance. “Say nothing. He respects you, Eden.” His warm breath fanned across my cheek as he brushed his mouth against my ear. “But he fears me.”
Damn it.
Pulling away, I put some much-needed distance between us. “What’s going on that I don’t know about, Val?” I asked, gathering my dress in my hand and pacing the room. “If it concerns this family, it concerns me too. Holding back because it’s dangerous is a dick maneuver.”
“What makes you think it’s dangerous?”
“Because when I’m pregnant you treat me like I’m made of glass.” Tears burned my eyes, but now wasn’t the time for emotion. I needed him to trust me to weather the storm, not drown in it. “Damn it, Danger,” I swore, spinning around. “I’m not going to break. Don’t shut me out.”
My throat tightened at more silence, but then a deep horizontal line darted across Val’s forehead, and he scrubbed a hand across his face. “You don’t understand. If anything happened to you—”
“Two weeks.”
He glanced up. “I’m sorry?”
“Two weeks,” I reiterated, holding up two fingers. “I knew you two weeks before I risked my life for you, Carrera. Before I shot a man for you. Before I spent hours on my knees in a hospital waiting room covered in blood praying to a God I didn’t even believe in to bring you back to me.” Mimicking his earlier tactic, I clenched my fists and stalked forward. “So don’t stand there and lecture me about my safety,” I warned, jabbing my finger into his chest. “I can damn well take care of myself.”
“You’re right.”
Wait, what?
“I am?”
Too easy. Valentin Carrera didn’t relent for anyone.
Val’s eyes softened, both hands cradling my face. “Cereza, you, Santi, and this baby are my world. If anything happened to any of you, I’m not sure I could go on. So, I can’t help it if I get a little overprotective sometimes.”
I arched an eyebrow. “A little?”
A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Don’t push it, Lachey. But, yes, you’ve proven time and time again how strong and capable you are. You don’t need me to protect you, Cereza.” His voice trailed off as he leveled a hard stare at me. “But I need you to let me.” A strange intensity lit in his eyes.
A spark of finality that scared the hell out of me.
“Val…”
And just like that, the flame flickered out, bringing with it, his usual shield. “However, you’re my wife, and you deserve answers.” Dropping his hands, he shoved them in his pockets and walked toward the window overlooking the courtyard.
Biting the inside of my cheek at the new splinter of silence, I waited for him to speak, only to be met with a third round of silence.
A silence of hidden chaos.
I waited, staring at his muscular back as he looked down at the rows of guests already seated for the wedding. I didn’t have to see his face. I knew this man. His mind was always working. Always plotting to ensure he remained two steps ahead of everyone.
“Dante Santiago is coming,” he said finally on a harsh exhale.
My mouth dropped open. “Why?”
Rocking back on his heels, Val glanced over his shoulder with a half-smirk. “Because I invited him.”
“I don’t find your sarcasm attractive right now, Carrera. I’ll take the real answer now if you don’t mind.”
I waited for a lengthy explanation. Something to justify this ridiculous game of verbal hide-and-seek. Instead, Val shrugged, turning away from the window in disinterest. “Because I need more than one road into Colombia, Cereza. Thanks to my soon-to-be brother-in-law, the Carrera name isn’t exactly held in the highest regard at the moment.”
I was almost insulted. He really expected me to buy that.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I cocked an eyebrow and said nothing.
Eventually, Val shoved a hand through his carefully slicked back hair and tugged at the roots. “For fuck’s sake, he wanted me to fly to his fucking island fortress, Eden. Fight me if it makes you feel better, but you’re nine months pregnant. I’d rather have access denied to the entire goddamn country than risk missing the birth of my daughter.”
Better, but I still wasn’t buying it.
“Even so, at your sister’s wedding, Val? The man is psychotic.”
“True. I won’t argue with facts. However, despite what most people think, most cartel business can be conducted with a drink instead of a gun. You’d be surprised how far a good party can go in subduing the most unstable of men.” When a fourth round of silence hung in the air, I steeled myself for another argument when he tossed out a grenade he knew damn well would throw me off course.
A wicked grin peeled across his face as he moved in behind me and kissed my neck. I managed to resist giving in until he pulled the pin and wrapped his arms around me from behind, settling his hands protectively on my belly.