Page 31 of Temptation: Discreet

A momentary lapse in judgment overcomes me, and I desperately wish I could simply blend into the wall behind me. The anger and disappointment are etched across his face, as if he were wishing for my death a hundred times over. Like in a heartbeat he would trade my life for my mother’s.

“You want to partner with the Columbians? Then you can keep them. But they are not welcome in LA,” I state firmly. The room falls silent, and you can hear is the sound of my father grinding his teeth. I will my body to remain unfazed, hoping that he can’t see the doubt swirling in my mind. Should I have answered him like that? Should I brace myself for the violence that is about to rain down on us all?

“Puta madre. You are taking liberties with dealings you know nothing about. What about you boys? What the fuck is your excuse? How could you defy my order! If you weren’t my kids you’d be dead for having betrayed me.” he shakes his head, “estoy decepcionado en los tres.” His voice breaks slowly. He storms out of the house without a second glance. Tears well up in the corner of my eyes, no matter how hard I try to hold them back. The emotional wall I’ve built over the years, crumbles slowly, allowing the tears to flow freely.

The tears aren’t of sadness, but of simmering anger. They are ones that have been building for what seems to be like years. My brothers don’t say much else. They’ve always been unwilling to confront our father anyway. They'll let me do all the talking, let me be the one to take the fall. It only serves to deepen my disappointment in them.

Enzo wraps his arms around me, giving me the space to fully express my emotions for a while. He’s allowing me to channel the anger that comes with speaking with my father. Allowing me to convert it into the strength I need to move forward with my plans. As Julian attempts to get closer, Enzo’s grip tightens, like it had been Julian who broke me seconds ago.

Marcelo approaches Julian's side, “He will move up the wedding with the Columbians and attempt to relocate us all to Mexico to be sure we do as we’re told.”

I’m stunned, how could he? “He would feed us to the wolves? For them? For the Columbians?”

My hands wipe away the remnants of tears that shed for my father and the little girl I once was to him. I nod, more to myself than to my brothers, in understanding.

“Then we go to war. The Italians will back us. You’ll have to marry the Italian first.” Marcelo says, glancing once more at Enzo. I face Marcelo and place my hands on my hips, waiting for any news that might indicate that we’ll survive this torture.

“We will discuss the details with Dario, so you can be wed by the end of the week. We can make sure that father has his hands full,” he continues.

The shrill ringing of a phone instantly captures the attention of everyone in the room. Marcelo looks down at the phone now in his hand. “It’s father,” he says, his tone laced with concern.

With a press of a button, a man’s voice crackles through the line - but it’s certainly not father. “Oye, it’s Romero. Don Alejandro was attacked on the way to the airport. We didn’t even make it 5 minutes from the house. He’s in the hospital. It doesn’t look good, boss. It was the Columbians. I… we fought them off as much as we could. You should get to the hospital right away.”

The air grows thick with tension. Romero’s call means Marcelo is standing as head of the business and our family until we find out whether or not our father is alive.

“Is he…” Julian’s voice cracks slightly as he speaks.

“He's alive for now, but you should get here. We have guards at the entrance and the doors in case they try to attack. We just need to know what else to do,” Romero says with worry in his voice.

Trying to stop the panic attack from arising, I grab my purse and head to the back patio without acknowledging anyone else in the room. Was this all my fault? All I’ve ever wanted was his love, and now it might be too late.

Pulling out a cigarette from my purse, I place it between my lips and frantically search for my lighter. I light the cigarette and inhale the first drag, savoring the toxic chemicals that fill my lungs and provide a momentary sense of calm. I walk towards the lounge chair and sink into its cushions. The night sky is full of stars dimmed from the lights of the city.

I go through two cigarettes before I decide to cut myself off. My throat burns, and my hands reek of the deadly habit. My legs are shaking uncontrollably as a light wind blows across my skin. I continue to fidget, my nerves fraying as I wait for Enzo to come. The longer I sit here, lost in my own troubled thoughts, the heavier my eyes become until I finally welcome the encroaching darkness as they close.

Warmth surrounds me, filling me with a sense of peace. One that I haven’t experienced since Mama was alive. The feeling of strong arms around my body reluctantly wakes me. I already know it’s him by the woodsy scent that surrounds me before I even have a chance to open my eyes. It’s Enzo. His scent is now seared into my memory. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since we first met. Hell, how could I think of anyone but him? This undeniable chemistry and spark that surrounds us in a bubble of our own making.

“Shh, Princess. Get some sleep,” he whispers, trying to soothe me back to sleep. I have no worry in the world as he carries me back to my room. Gently, he lays me in bed, removing my heels and the rest of my clothes before tucking the blanket around my bare form. He begins to walk away, but I take control of what I want at this moment.

“Stay,” I say softly. He freezes momentarily as the words leave my mouth, then slowly moves back towards me, removing his jeans before slipping into bed beside me. My face is on his covered chest, the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat lulls me to a peaceful slumber as our legs intertwine.

The warm rays of the sun wake me, I can feel Enzo’s strong arms draped over me. My back is pressed against his chest, instinctively, I wiggle my ass right against his hard cock. I can’t help but grind myself on him, loving the sensation of him thickening beneath me. His hand grip my waist, stilling my movements, “Lina,” he warns in a low voice.

I pout and turn to face him. His eyes soften as they meet mine. I can’t imagine how I must look this early in the morning, but I don’t care. Reaching up, I place a gentle kiss on his soft, plump lips. He groans but pulls away before we can deepen the kiss. Sitting up against the bed frame, he removes his warmth from my body, seeming lost in thought while all I want is to be lost in him.

“Come on, we need to get ready,” he says softly. “If your brothers find out I’m even in here, they may just kill me. I’d rather not die today. I need to protect you.”

“Do you know if they went to visit our father last night… Is there any news?” I question, sitting up and pulling the blankets up to my chest. Not allowing any type of distractions from this conversation.

“They should still be at the hospital. They said they wanted you there first thing,” he replies before turning towards me and running a knuckle underneath my chin before looking into my eyes.

“He’s in rough shape. They said he may not make it,” the words I dreaded hearing spill out in a hushed whisper. I nod, struggling to contain my emotions - the heart aches for a father who never cared for me as he should have. My heartaches for the father he once was until the death of my mama, a wound that I don’t think I’ll ever heal from.

I go through the motions in silence, getting dressed and showered. I don’t think I even get a chance to eat breakfast. Motion after motion, until I find myself standing in front of the guarded hospital doors. Everything is still ablur and while my mind races with unanswered questions. What will become of my family? The Columbians started a war but will we survive? How will we defeat them when my father is supposed to be the one who is unstoppable?

He’s the one who is supposed to protect our family.

As the hospital door swings open, Julian comes out more disheveled than normal. His hair is unkempt like he’s been pulling at it for hours. With long, purposeful strides, he reaches for me, and the tears I carefully held back come out.

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