Our worlds were opposites, and I thought taking her had saved her life.
Seeing her hardened scowl and the determined bloodthirst in her eyes, I realized I’d ruined it.
An hour later, the front door slammed open as Emilio pulled his gun, engaging all four deadbolt locks and punching in the security code. Lifting my head from its propped position at my bar, I followed his movement with mild irritation.
“Reyes, what the hell? This is my house, not a bomb shelter.”
Emilio’s face held no amusement as he checked the windows then swung his gun from where I sat to the middle of the living room. “Move. Now!”
My blood ran cold. “Emilio,” I asked, drawing out every syllable to buy time. “What are you doing, man? Put the gun down.” Shifting a glance toward Eden, her eyes widened and I barely shook my head, indicating for her to stay still. I had no idea what would go down in the next few seconds, and I didn’t want her caught in the crossfire.
Moving quickly, Emilio turned his back to me, pointing his gun steadily at Eden. “I’ve asked you before, but now I want a fucking answer. Who are you?”
“Put the gun down, Emilio.”
“Can’t do that, jefe,” he replied, his elbow straight and finger locked on the trigger. “Just got off the phone with one of my men. The gas station where we stopped to fill up the SUV just went up in flames. Convenient, don’t you think?”
No, it couldn’t be possible.
The muscles in Eden’s neck tightened as she stared down the barrel of Emilio’s gun. “And you think I jumped out while you pumped gas, dropped a few cell phone bombs out of my bra while in the ladies’ room, and climbed back inside just for the hell of it?”
“How should I know what you crazy bitches do? From where I’m standing, all I see is the fact that every place you’ve been has blown the fuck up. Now, just how do you think that happened, huh? We”—he waved the gun around the room, implicating the rest of us”—are all Carrera men, sworn to protect and die for this man.” I raised my eyebrows as he waved the gun in my direction. “You’re an outsider who’s caused everything to go to shit since I put you in my damn car!”
“Enough!” I yelled, moving to reach for my own gun. I’d let this play out long enough. Emilio served as a high-ranking lieutenant, so I’d indulged his rant and let him blow off steam. But the way he spoke to Eden pissed me off.
Eden, however, had passed pissed off and turned explosive. Before I could reach for my piece, she shot to her feet, boldly shoving him in the center of his chest with locked arms. “Don’t you dare put this on me, Emilio Reyes! Don’t forget that I watched you torment my brother right before you mutilated him. You may not have pulled the trigger, but don’t think I won’t put a goddamn bullet in your head for what you did!”
I’d never seen Eden so callous and brutal. All the blood rushed south of my waistline, constricting my pants as I watched her transform before my eyes.
Fuck, I wanted her.
Emilio laughed, his eyes taking in her small frame and dismissing it. “You don’t have what it takes, little girl.”
Before anyone could move, Eden reached behind her and pulled something metal from the back of her shorts. Splitting her stance, she raised both arms and pulled the slide on the top of the gun back, advancing the first shell into the chamber. “You sure about that? Why don’t we find out?”
The minute I saw the gun in her hands, I recognized it.
All but falling off the barstool, I raked both hands across the waistband of my pants, shoving my fingers under my shirt, searching for the weapon I knew wouldn’t be there. With one glance into her vacant eyes, I knew the small show of affection on the couch was a means to an end.
Karma certainly was a bitch.
“Cereza,” I called out in a calm voice as I moved slowly toward her. “Give me my gun.”
“This doesn’t concern you, Val.”
Two more steps, and I stood beside Emilio, yet her eyes never moved off her target. “I think it does when you threaten to shoot one of my men with my own gun.”
“He cut my brother’s fingers off while he screamed. I should blow his dick off in trade.” Lowering the gun, she aimed it at Emilio’s crotch.
Emilio backed up. “Jefe, this bitch is crazy.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. This was the life of a criminal. Point a gun in our face and we barely flinch. Aim it at our nuts and we tap dance like a motherfucker.
“Okay, Eden, you’ve made your point. Give me the gun.” I held my hand out again.
“Go to hell, Danger.”
The last thing I wanted to do was play on her already volatile emotions, but desperate times called for even more desperate measures. I wasn’t worried about Eden hurting my men. They’d seen enough gunfire and could protect themselves. However, the woman holding my gun didn’t know the life I lived or the men who stood by my side. In her world, it’d be reprehensible for a man to attack a woman for being angry. In mine, the only recourse for the stunt she just pulled would’ve been a bullet to the head.
The only reason she still stood was because Emilio inherently knew if he harmed her, the next bullet would land between his own eyes. However, he’d also taken a sworn oath to protect me with his life. If she turned the gun on me, even innocently, honor would force him to act.
So, I did what I had to do.
“Cereza,” I whispered, stepping in between them. “It’s not worth it. Let me deal with him.”
“What the fuck, jefe?”
Ignoring him, I continued, staring into her flickering eyes. “Don’t soil your hands for me.”
Her hand shook. “I can’t…Val, I can’t just…do…nothing…” The trembling climbed up her arm, taking hold of her body.
Closing the rest of the distance, I held her cheek in the palm of my hand. “I’ll do it. Stay who you are. Don’t become me, Eden. This isn’t you.” Turning her face into my hand, her finger slackened on the trigger. Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed her wrist, holding it toward the ceiling as the gun went off, blasting a round of sheet rock around our heads.
“Liar!” she screamed, twisting out of my hold.
Reclaiming a fierce hold on her, I shoved her to the carpet, both of us wrestling for the gun. Prying her fingers open, I pulled it from her hold and threw it across the room where Emilio picked it up and tucked it away. She kicked like a wild animal let out of its cage as I lay on top of her, holding her arms above her head.
“Get off me! I hate you! God, I hate you!”
“Well, you lasted longer than most of them.” The words were meant to hurt her enough to make her forget this fantasy we’d created between us.
Halting her struggle, she stared horrified into my eyes and whispered, “I hate you.”
We lay there shooting daggers into each other’s eyes as Mateo rounded the corner, emerging from my office, his face pale and dampened with beads of sweat.
“Mateo?”
“Jefe, I need you to come with me.”
The monotony in his voice unnerved me. “What is it? Tell me.”
Glancing from me to Eden, then to Emilio standing off to the corner, Mateo ran the pads of his fingers across his mouth and nodded. “It’s your father.”