Page 14 of Naked Truth

I tense as I always do when someone wants to know anything about my past. It’s not a pleasant story. Still, I don’t want to keep anything from this woman, the one I shall call my wife someday, the one I pray I will call the mother of my future children. I never thought of children before. Now that I have Valentina in my life, I want several, beautiful little girls with their mother’s smile, and strong boys willing to protect their family at any cost like their father.

“I grew up outside Mexico City. My mother died when I was a teen. My father, an American, couldn’t support three boys, so I came to America and quickly found work with Dom Hernandez, first as nothing more than an errand boy. I was swift on my feet and eager to please my boss, so I quickly rose through the ranks.”

“What is it you do for him now? Are you his bodyguard?”

“I am whatever it is he needs me to be,” I answer and leave it at that. I’m many things—enforcer, operative, hit man, assassin. It doesn’t matter the title, the result is the same. I remove any threats to the family by any means necessary. Sometimes those threats don’t go quietly.

“I—well, I assumed you knew how to protect yourself, honestly. You hold yourself very well.”

“I’m very good with my hands, yes.” I chuckle when she giggles. “And I know what weapons to use and when.” It’s a lesson I learned the hard way, always thinking I had to have the biggest gun, the largest hammer, the strongest club. It wasn’t until I was older that I learned the art of subtlety.

It’s time I pass that lesson on to my woman. “The weapon you choose will determine whether you’ve come to the battle to win or to simply defend yourself. I always come to win.”

“Considering you’re still here, I’m guessing you always do win.”

“Not always. I’ve lost a few, when I was younger. It’s what taught me to choose my weapons wisely now. I ask the same of you.”

She pulls back and searches my eyes, concern clouding their usual shine. “I don’t understand. Why would I need a weapon?”

I instantly flash on the Cortez family, but they have—as yet—done nothing wrong. I won’t suspect them until they deserve it. “I do not wish to alarm you, mi amor. I only wish for you to choose the weapon that will win you the battle, not the one that will simply defend you.”

Nodding as if she understands, she releases a deep sigh and returns her head to my chest. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy coming here—for me or for my grandfather—but I will admit, I didn’t expect such a cool welcome from everyone else. I guess that was naïve of me.”

I glance across the crowded courtyard and see several cousins glaring at Valentina and not making their distrust of her a secret. Seeing me with her is the only reason they keep their distance. I’m careful to keep her back to them so she can’t see their reaction to her presence. But I know who they are, and they must realize I’m taking note of their attitude.

Felix and his brothers, sons of Dom’s younger brother, are famous for bringing in the lawyers at the first hint of a potential heiress to the vast Hernandez fortune, the greed running thick from the father down to the sons. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of them had a lawyer on the phone before the end of Valentina’s first dance.

That thought holds my attention. If they plan to involve lawyers, it would be wise for Valentina to do the same. “You came here with photos and a little vase. Those are not the weapons I would have chosen,” I say quietly. “They defended your reason for being here, but did not win you the battle. Now you need to win.”

“What weapon do I need to win?” Valentina tries to turn and glance over her shoulder when a rude comment sounds above the murmurs, but I twirl her, leading her further away from the crowd that’s beginning to split as if forming sides.

“In this case, I would choose a pen.”

She lifts her head and crinkles her brow in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Your grandfather has very good lawyers, little bird. Powerful lawyers whose greatest weapon is the mighty pen.”

She frowns. “I—I can’t afford a lawyer, and I don’t want to use the law to force my way in.”

“There are members of the family already planning to us their lawyers to force you out,” I counter.

“That’s just…” she trails off and shakes her head. “I can’t understand that.”

“It will take more than DNA for you to be accepted by some, more than the words of the patriarch. Greed is a powerful motivator and blinds some to anything else.”

She sighs and glances away, and is silent for several seconds. “Promise me you’ll stay by my side, Raoul,” she finally whispers. “I don’t think I can do this alone.”

I stop our dance and gently frame her beautiful face in my hands, forcing her to hold my gaze. “You’ll never be alone again, mi amor. I already told you, you are mine today, tomorrow, and forever. My place is by your side, loving you, protecting you. I am your greatest weapon, Valentina.”

And then I kiss her, sealing my vow.

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