Page 40 of Shameless in Vegas

Lili snorts and then laughs. “Holycrap.” She points at Joaquin and me. “She doesn’t want todisrespectanyone. Oh man, it’s no wonder Papá already likes her so much.”

Joaquin’s piercing gaze doesn’t stray from me, almost like this is some kind of staring contest, like he’s challenging me, and he’s actually making me a little nervous right now.

My gaze flicks involuntarily to Lili and then back to his face, and I angle my chin closer to him, lowering my voice. “Is something wrong,cariño?”

“Yeah,” he clips.

He doesn’t offer anything else, and out of nowhere, anxiety surges through me along with a terrifying hunch.

Does he know?

Based on everything Xavier told me about his estranged relatives, these people should have no idea who I am. I’m not one of their relatives. Ernesto and his family have always lived here in New York, Xavier and all the top men of Los Dolorosos are based in California with a second headquarters in Nevada, and few satellite installments in Sonora, Mexico. I’ve personally been sent to places all over the Southwestern United States for my previous targets. The only thing I can think of isEl DuqueMalachi and his team of private investigators somehow picking up information about me while they were watching the cartel during his first marriage to Isla.

It’s entirely possible, and my heart palpitates.

“Then tell me what it is,cariño,” I say carefully and with all the fake amorousness I’ve been using this whole time. “I certainly don’t—”

He silences me by dropping his lips onto mine and devouring my mouth. The kiss so deep and erotic that I’m halfway convinced he’s about to drag me into the absurdly large bedroom to fuck me against the window walls.

I can’t help quietly moaning against his lips, and Lili snickers.

“You know I’m still standing right here,mano.”

Joaquin breaks the kiss only long enough to mumble at her, “Go wait with the realtor in the lobby.”

Lili laughs loudly as her stilettos clack on the marble away from us. “Remember we’re supposed to meet Colin and Elle for lunch in about fifteen minutes.” She chortles. “Better make it quick.”

The front door opens and closes, and Joaquin’s behavior is so all over the place that I’m now shaking with lust, trepidation, and adrenaline.

If he calls me out, I’ll have to kill him right now with my bare hands. Icansubdue and kill a man without a weapon, but it’s an ugly way to take someone out, and I really don’t want to do that to him.

I don’t want to do that to himat all, but since I have to, I’d rather do it silently while he’s unconscious from the effects of a sedative.

Nevertheless, if it comes down to it, Iwilldo it right now.

In preparation, I lift my trembling hands to his neck, allowing my thumbs to rest on his skin at his carotid arteries while he repeatedly sweeps his tongue across the inside of my mouth.

After another second or two of passionate kisses, Joaquin pulls his lips from mine, meeting my eyes in preparation to say something.

I brace myself and hold my thumbs in place.

“Papá has a lot of money, Natalia,” he finally says. “He has so much money that three million dollars isnothing. So, what does that mean to you?”

I feel like my knees are about to buckle from stress. “I have no idea,cariño. Have I upset you?”

He continues to stare at me with that unreadable expression, eyes flashing, until he blinks and knits his dark brows. “Querida.” He strokes my cheek and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me flush against him. “You’re shaking. Are you scared of me right now?”

“I…” My thumbs remain in place on the sides of his neck. “A little.”

Actually, what I’m scared of is the fact that I still don’t know if I’m going to have to squeeze my thumbs down against his skin until he loses consciousness and then snap his neck.

I’m not ready to do this.

The fact that I have such a thought is as startling as the idea that he’s about to call me out for who I am. Thinking something likethatis only a step away from chickening out all together—andthatcan’t happen.

“Ohbabe,” he coos, a small laugh punctuating his words. “Please don’t be scared of me. I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just being super serious right now because I just need you to understand that Papá’s money means you never have to worry about the price ofanything. Okay?”

He presses another long kiss to my mouth, but I keep my thumbs on his neck.

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