Page 58 of A Dish Best Served Hot

Abuelo brightened up. “Good. Now let’s talk about what’s happening with her now.”

“I’m not talking about that with you.”

“Why? You think I don’t see what’s going on here, the real reason you want to help with El Hogar so damn bad?”

“I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do.”

Abuelo snorted. “Don’t try to lie to me. Más sabe el diablo por viejo que diablo.”

Fine. He wasn’t pulling one over on Abuelo, but that didn’t mean that he had to talk to him about it. Especially since Saint himself didn’t know what was going on between him and Lola. He knew that he definitely still had feelings for her, more flirty than friendly feelings considering that he couldn’t ever stop himself from checking her out. There was attraction between them, there probably always would be, but that didn’t mean they could have a relationship. She’d made it clear time and time again that she had her own path and she wasn’t going to veer from it for anyone. It hurt, but it was best for him to get it through his head that they both had their own priorities and being in a relationship wasn’t it. It was why he needed to focus on being friends only, no matter how hard it was to remember when they were together. “Just get in the car, Lucifer.”

“What in the ever-living hell is that thing?” Lola asked in his ear. Most likely so that Ronnie, the Realtor, couldn’t hear from where he stood in the middle of the room.

Saint looked at the small, square, covered pit in the floor. “I think it’s some sort of draining system from when this was a slaughterhouse,” Saint replied, although he couldn’t be sure.

“Nah. That’s a murder hole,” said Lola.

“A what?”

“A murder hole. You know. Where murderers dump the dismembered body parts of the people they just murdered.”

Saint bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. He’d known the run-down building, which had been everything from an old slaughterhouse to a car shop to an underground boxing gym, would be a hard sell for Lola, but it was surprisingly affordable. Well, more like unsurprisingly affordable because the place was a dump. “Besides the murder hole, what do you think?”

She leaned close again. “I think that I’m almost positive my dad used to move drugs out of here back in the day.”

“Seriously?”

Lola nodded her head and pointed to the mural that covered the entirety of a wall at the far end of the open space. “My brother’s friend Berto painted that mural. I remember watching him do it while Iván and I were waiting for my dad, who was in the back talking to the owner. My dad came out a while later with a smug look on his face and busted knuckles. I always knew what that meant. He’d just made a deal with someone who didn’t want to be making deals with him.”

It always amazed him how Lola could just say these things. He loved that she wouldn’t allow her father’s actions to make her feel shame. Even when she’d been treated like nothing more than his daughter by others, she never lost her sense of self. She was not Rafael León’s daughter. She was Lola León and his sins did not reflect her character. “I thought you mostly stayed with Benny back then,” Saint said.

“I did, but as soon as Benny would get on my dad’s case about his lifestyle and choices, my dad wouldn’t let me go. I’d stay at the house with him and his crew. Then he’d forget about it or he’d get a new girl who didn’t want his kids around and I’d be allowed to go again.”

“Was it a relief when you stayed with Benny for good?”

She nodded emphatically. “I mean I was still upset about Iván going to prison, but I was so glad to be with Benny and not have to worry about going back. Obviously, he’s not the easiest person to live with and Benny has never been the affectionate type, but he taught me so much and always encouraged me to learn more, dig deeper, and think for myself. He taught me to speak up and do something when I saw something that was wrong. He’s a lot of the reason that I am who I am.”

“I can relate to that. It may not seem like it, but my abuelo Papo is a large part of me being who I am,” Saint shared.

“I remember. You became a soldier because he was one.”

“It was more than that though. I wanted to be like him. I know he seems reckless and carefree now, but he’s not.” He tried to think of how to explain it in a way that she could understand. “When I was in second grade the twins started kindergarten. My parents would send the three of us to the bus stop and tell me that I was in charge. It was right on the corner, so it’s not like it was far, but I felt so grown. Anyway, the twins would always play around while we waited for the school bus. I’d have to basically chase them down the street and wrestle them onto the bus every morning. One day I got sick of them always playing around and running off, so when the bus came I got on without them. I figured that they’d miss the bus and then our parents would have to take them. They’d get in trouble and learn to stop playing around. But when the bus left without them, they decided to walk to school instead of telling our parents what they’d done. I was sitting in class feeling smug when I got called to the office because my parents were there.”

Saint remembered walking down the hall planning everything he was going to say. When he reached the office, he saw his mom standing there crying with Kamilah on her hip and Leo holding her hand on the other side. Papi was yelling at the poor staff about them losing his sons while Abuelo Papo tried to calm him down. “The twins had never made it to school and no one knew where they were.” They’d asked him where the twins were and he’d said that he didn’t know. Then they’d told him to confirm that the twins had gotten on the bus. He’d thought about lying, but couldn’t. “I will never forget the looks on my parents’ faces when I told them that I got on the bus without them because they were playing hide-and-seek. They were so disappointed. They didn’t even yell at me. They just turned away and told the principal to call the police.” Saint had sat in the office with Mila, Leo, and Abuelo Papo while his parents, school staff, and police officers went to look for his brothers. “While we sat there my abuelo asked me why I would do that. I tried my best to explain myself and he listened to me. When I was done he told me that he understood my frustration then he said something I’ve never forgotten, ‘Junior, in this life we all have responsibilities. Duties. My duty as your abuelo is to protect the family and make sure they have everything they need to be happy. Your duty as the big brother is to protect and lead your little brothers and sister because they’re not ready to do it themselves. Fulfilling our duties is hard, but it’s the most important thing we can do, because it keeps people safe and helps them be happy.’” Saint realized that he felt bad because he’d failed at his duty. He’d vowed to never do that again. “I saw a completely different side of my abuelo that day. After that I paid more attention and I noticed that he did take his duty seriously. He was always the first one there whenever one of us needed help; he still is. He will do whatever is necessary to make sure we have what we need even if that comes as a detriment to himself. He does it all with a smile on his face and without making you feel bad about it.”

Lola smiled at him. “I can see that. He loves helping and so do you.”

“It’s not very different from what Benny taught you. When we see a need, we should do what we can.”

“True. It’s weird that we both went on to serve others, just in completely different ways.”

Saint didn’t think it was weird at all. He thought it made them a good pair.

She took another look around the building before saying, “I think we can both agree that this one isn’t it.” She started for the door.

He watched her walk through the open space and couldn’t help but notice the damn leopard print skirt that hugged her hips and ass in a way that made him unable to look away. She hypnotized him like a watch on a chain.

He was not surprised by the actions of Trevor’s mom earlier that afternoon—he honestly couldn’t remember her name even though she’d tried to pass him her name and number. The way Lola worked that skirt, the whole outfit really, was enough to make any woman envious. Lola looked lush and soft in a way that made him want to nestle into her body, but the way she carried herself let him know straight off that she was strong, capable, and she knew the power she held. She was an immortal warrior queen walking amongst mere mortals.

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