Page 36 of King of Hearts

Juan’s scoff skittered down my chest, darting into my heart like a bullet from a gun.

“Well did he upset you? You seem…” He assessed me, and he should have just saved himself the time.

“I’m fine. I need to go.” I slammed the car door and pulled away from the lot, refusing to see if Juan stood there watching. My heart galloped with panic, and my baby kicked as if aware that something was wrong.

What if another one of his men was sent and saw that I was pregnant? What if he decided to call me back sooner than my twenty-first birthday?

I sniffed, forcing the tears to stay at bay as I drove toward the opposite end of the city and headed back home to my mother and stepdad’s house. At least there, I wouldn’t have to face Juan, and if his men followed me, it wouldn’t endanger him.

Chapter Fourteen

Greying clouds overcrowded the sky,erasing any natural light that would normally pour in through the kitchen windows. It put me in a shitty mood. I might as well have been a fucking house plant for how much I loved the sun; it always made me feel better and more alive.

I continued chopping bell peppers, hating that I was curious if Taylor had taken her coat or not. I wondered about her more often than I should, and it was happening more frequently than I would ever admit.

I was so involved with chopping and worrying I didn’t even notice when the front door opened.

“Primo!” my cousin Hector yelled from the living room.

“In here.” I moved the peppers to a plate and started on the onions.

“Look at you, Martha fucking Stewart.” His laugh was muffled by his meaty palm coming up to smother it. I couldn’t help laughing with him. He could be goofy as fuck when he wanted to be, and I was sure I looked ridiculous wearing the apron over my suit. “Why you dressed so nice?”

I cut the vegetables, keeping my eyes on the knife in my hand and my curled fingers. “I had an interview with one of the head coaches for the Bears.” I looked up in time to see the blank look on my cousin’s face. “It’s another hockey team, up the coast a bit.”

“Oh…you know you’re set for life, even without lifting a finger. We’re here for you…Pops was talking the other night about how you’re supposed to be taking over.” Even though my cousin’s tone softened and his posture went lax, I snapped.

“I’m not fucking coming back.” Not to the outfit, not the family…none of it. I checked on my parents out of duty, and I checked on my little sister because if I didn’t, she’d end up as used as a communal toothbrush. She loved the attention of El Peligro and the lifestyle. Riding in low riders, packing, fighting, fucking, and stealing—she lived for it.

Hector stayed quiet for a second, his dark brows wrinkling while his hands came out in front of him.

“Why you here, anyway?” I dumped the onions into the sauté pan and began stirring.

“My dad told me to come over and make sure you knew about the panic button.”

I paused mid-stir and stared at him. “You fucking with me?”

His chest moved as laughter rolled through him; contagious, it filled my lungs as well.

“Serious, man…let me show you.” He stood and waited for me to follow.

Once I turned off the burner, I untied the cloth around my waist and followed him.

“Pops set it up for himself, because he was going to live here, until his new wife said she wanted to live closer to the shops.” Hector shifted left into the study and walked toward the massive desk in the middle of the room. Flicking his hand underneath, he suddenly froze.

His black tee didn’t seem to move an inch.

“Dude, you gotta come over here and see what I’m actually pressing.”

“How many buttons are under there?” I joked, moving closer and ducking down. Sure enough, there was a silver switch built into the sturdy wooden writing desk, along with a 9mm strapped underneath. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“El Peligro is your family whether you want it or not…we’re here for you.”

I stood, watching my cousin with confusion.

“Is there something you know that I don’t? Some danger you happen to think I’m in?”

Our entire lives, Hector had never been a good liar, so long ago, he’d stopped trying. If he had to hide something, he’d kill first just to avoid having to spill it. But with family? He didn’t waste his time. He didn’t play poker, didn’t do anything at all that could lead to him having to lie…so now, staring at him as he waited to tell me what he knew, I wasn’t sure why, or really how he was still hesitating.

---