Page 71 of Love at First Ink

Marisol was prepared to blow it off. Shewantedto blow it off and leave, no longer wanting to listen to any more slander. But when she looked at Cisco’s face, something made her pause. He looked…angry, sure, but there was something else there. Was it panic? Dread? A combination of the two?

“Cisco?” Marisol’s voice was gentle, barely above a whisper, but he heard her all the same. He met her gaze. “What are they talking about?”

She made up her mind that it didn’t matter. If what they were saying was true, and Cisco had some sort of illegal past he didn’t tell her about, she didn’t care. She knew the man he was today, and that was all that mattered. Did she wish he had told her beforehand? Sure, but it didn’t mean she wanted to learn about it this way.

“I’ll tell you about it when we get home,” he said, pressing his lips into a thin line. She knew he was barely containing his anger, so the best thing to do for both of them would be to get out of there.

Except Archie couldn’t read the damn room.

“Your boyfriend was arrested for selling illegal substances. His involvement was discovered when one of his clients was found unresponsive. Police found copious amounts of cocaine in his car,” Archie said with all the smugness a man who thought they one-upped another could muster.

“How the hell do you even know that?” She wasn’t going to believe Archie simply because he said something. She knewthis man was a liar and would say anything if it would advance his own career or status.

“It pays to know people in high places. Especially cops.” Archie laughed.

But it didn’t last long.

The next second, Cisco moved from behind her, cocked back his arm, and slammed his fist into Archie’s nose with a sickening crack.

Then the room exploded into chaos.

CHAPTER 31

Cisco

His past was being brought to light, pulled from the deepest crevices he long ago buried. That moment in his life had nearly ruined him, and all because he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The cops took one look at him, pegged him for a druggie, and falsely accused him of something he had no part in.

There’s noinnocent until proven guiltyfor brown men in the justice system. It is always a fight for innocence when people in power see you as guilty. At that time, his family didn’t have money to afford fancy lawyers. He was appointed one who didn't seem particularly interested in him or his case.

If it weren’t for his entire family scraping together every last penny to afford a semi-decent lawyer, he’d be left rotting in prison. It was because of this lawyer that Cisco had a solid alibi with various witnesses. He had been at the library that night, working on a group project. The true perpetrator was his roommate, a guy named Matthias, who sold drugs around campus for extra money. He was paranoid the cops were ontohim and would blame him for the student’s overdose, so he planted all his supplies in Cisco’s car.

Matthias was a wealthy white kid, son to a wealthy white family. Last he heard of the case, Matthias only received a pretty steep fine and community service.

Even years after the trial, Cisco faced backlash from it. Always having to explain what happened and how he hadn’t been involved. Nothing he said mattered though; people already made their minds up when they heard about his situation. He had missed out on many jobs. So, the moment he started to make money as an artist, he put in effort to wipe everything from that part of his life completely away. And it had worked.

Until Archie.

It all made sense now. The denied building. The cancelled clients. It was all Archie’s pathetic attempt to isolate Marisol and have her all to himself. Anger like he had never experienced before coursed through his body. It was one thing for someone to try and fuck up his life, but another thing entirely for a person to try to control Marisol’s as well.

Marisol, the woman who loved him. And the woman he loved more than anything.

His body acted of its own accord. He cocked his fist back before his mind could process the fallout this would cause. The moment his fist collided with Archie’s nose, Cisco had to admit he felt a lot better. Archie lost his balance, his arms pinwheeling before he fell down on his ass.

Someone screamed. Maybe multiple people.

“Call the fucking police!” Archie hissed, getting back up. His expression could have obliterated Cisco on the spot. The deep-seated hatred in his eyes made Archie look crazed. That was only cemented when Archie lunged for him.

“Cisco!” Marisol screamed.

He didn’t have time to acknowledge her though because Archie came at him swinging. It was clear the man had never been in a fight in his entire life because his swings were wild and unhinged. Still, one managed to connect with Cisco’s jaw. It didn’t hurt as much as it pissed him off even more.

But Archie wasn’t stopping, and Cisco wasn’t just going to stand there and let the man throw punches at him. No, fuck that shit. Someone needed to put this spoiled dick in his place, and Cisco was just pissed enough to do that. All his inhibitions went out the window seeing his smug face. He’d regret this later, but he didn’t have the ability to do so now.

Cisco wailed on him again, hitting the bastard in his stomach. Archie keeled over, gasping for breath. It was the distraction he needed to tackle him to the floor before Archie could come for him again.

“What the hell is going on here?!” a loud voice boomed behind him. It sounded like Travis, but he couldn’t be certain. The room was bathed in blue and red lights, and he didn’t hear the cops until it was too late.

Someone grabbed his arms, pulling him back. Cisco’s body was in fight-or-flight mode, and he tried to jerk out of the grasp until he saw another person charging for him. A man in uniform.

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