Page 165 of Arturo's Temptation

No, not pleasure. Power.

Arturo stepped toward me and covered my hand with his, gripping the handle. “Don’t pull back,” he whispered, my heart rate quickening. “Gut him.” To my surprise, terror didn’t take hold of me like I’d expected it to. Determined, I looked up and caught Henry’s eyes, loving the fear in them. With one smooth stroke Arturo and I glided the blade up from navel to sternum.

“That’s for me.” I spat, ripping my blade from his chest and holding it against his Adam's apple. “And this is for Tyler.” In one clean swipe I slit his throat, letting him take his final breath. Dropping the blade to the floor I let out a deep, steady breath and turned to Arturo. “Take me home.” I pleaded as his arms wrapped around my frame.

“Take my baby home, we’ll clean up here.” Papa said, giving Arturo a nod.

The moment we made it to the car around the back, I whispered to him in the safety of the darkness.

“Arturo?”

“Yeah?” He turned, stopping by the hood of the Jeep.

“Thank you.” I murmured.

“What for,Princesa?” he asked, caging me against the car door.

“Everything… I couldn’t have done that without you.”

“Yes, you could. I was just a bonus.” His lips brushed against mine, making butterflies swarm low in my belly.

“You’re more than that.” I smiled, pecking his lips.

“Oh, yeah, what am I then?”

“Mine.”

The next morning,I was just finishing my jog around the lake when my father appeared at my side.

“No Arturo this morning?” he asked, sinking down to sit beside me. I kept my eyes on the trees lining the other side of the lake as I replied.

“He’s sleeping. He needed it.”

“And what about you?”

“I’m good.” The tension between us was festering. And as much as I hated it I couldn’t find it in my heart to forgive him.

“Bella, please… Tell me what I can do to help you forgive me?”

“That’s not how this works.” I replied, picking at the lint on my running leggings.

“I fucked up, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I know that now, your mother made sure of it.” He rambled, smoothing his palms down his thighs.

“Someone had to, I guess.”

“I’m sorry, my diamond” A lump formed in my throat as he reached a hand out but then thought better of it. “I know I’ve hurt you, but you must understand, he isn’t what I wanted for you.”Wow…

“And what about what I wanted, Pa?” I seethed, slapping my palms against my knees. “Arturo makes me happier than I’vebeen in a very long time. He’s a good man, the only man that I have ever trusted, and besides you loved him until you found out about us.” I rose to my feet, gripping my waist.

“I did… that’s true.” he replied, standing. “But not for my little girl.” I looked up as his voice broke. “You deserved someone with family and a good heart. Arturo has neither.”

“You don’t know him like I do,” I hissed. “And he had his family torn away from him. Is he supposed to punish himself forever?”

“No,” my father shook his head.

I sighed and chewed on my lip before asking, “Arturo said you gave us your blessing to be together, is that true?”

“Reluctantly, yes.” I nodded as he stepped forward to take my hand. “Diamond… Your brother couldn’t do this. I had years to become who I was before I met your mother. What makes you think you can do this with a baby on the way?”

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