Page 82 of Worth the Heat
“That won’t end well for you,” he muses, rubbing his chin.
I shrug. “It is what it is. I’ll take great pleasure in ending your life, old friend. Remember that as you make your decisions moving forward.”
As we walk out the open door, Fernando grabs my arm. “Your daughter is lovely, Sebastian. You are a good father.”
“I know I am,” I answer. “But don’t talk about my daughter again. Evidently, you’re also a father?”
Fernando chuckles. “Touché. I wish you well, old friend. It’s unlikely we’ll see each other again.”
I note the sadness in his gaze, the way he seems resigned to his fate. “I wish you well, Fernando. Thanks for not killing us, I guess?”
He barks out a loud laugh. “It was touch-and-go, since I know you still think baseball is better than soccer.”
“You’re damn straight.”
ISABELLA
I’m scared to death and also turned on at the same time. I want out of here, away from this despicable man, but watching Sebastian threaten a drug lord’s life is actually really hot. Looking back at every relationship I’ve had, I’ve never been with a man who I thought would literally fight for me. There’s a storyline in an oldGrey’s Anatomyepisode where a guy kept hiding behind his girlfriend during an active shooter situation, and that’s how most, if not all, of the guys I’ve dated would act.
Not Sebastian.
I fight the smile that twitches on my lips. Undoubtedly, if Maria and Fernando catch on to any of my thoughts, they’ll start up some other ridiculous mind game. And if that man attempts to kiss me again, I will bite straight through his tongue. Gross.
Sebastian taps rapidly on his phone, and I assume he’s texting Trace to update him. He shoves his phone in his pocket before grabbing my thigh, squeezing it tightly. Neither of us look back at the house, and I’m glad to be putting distance between us and Fernando.
Once we leave, and I’m safely tucked against Sebastian’s back on his motorcycle, I let out a loud sigh of relief. The sun is setting behind the mountains, and the men who led us to Fernando’s compound are nowhere to be found. We’re on remote dirt roads, in the middle of nowhere, and it’s getting cold. I tuck my hands under the hem of Sebastian’s shirt, stealing some of his body warmth, and lay my head against his back. Closing my eyes, I let the vibrations of the road lull me into relaxation.
Just a short time later, the motorcycle comes to a stop. Yawning, I lift my head and open my eyes to find we’re in the parking lot of a hotel. “What’s going on?”
“I’m getting us a room. We’re both exhausted, and we need to talk,” he says curtly, extending a hand to help me off the bike. I’m quiet as he unstraps my helmet, and I wordlessly follow him into the hotel. We’re alone in a room moments later.
I feel my heart beat increase, assuming the worst. He’s mad, rightfully so. But mad enough to do what? End things? Demand I be grounded from going anywhere? Tell my entire family that I willingly went to a drug lord’s home in an attempt to clear my name?
I watch as Sebastian removes his jacket, then toes off his shoes. When I make no move to get comfortable, Sebastian forces me to sit on the edge of the king-size bed. Kneeling before me, he removes my supportive but ugly white shoes, then hesitates before laying his head in my lap. I’m too surprised to react, until his arms slide around my body, hugging me tightly. Only when I hear a sob do I move.
“Talk to me,” I whisper, gliding my hands through his hair. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen each of my brothers cry, and I’m incredibly ill-equipped to handle this. Sebastian is the strongest man I know. But today’s course of events have clearly drained him entirely. His body shakes as he lets his emotions release.
“I am so fucking mad at you,” he whispers, each word staccato as he tries to gain strength and calming, “but I’m also so fucking impressed by you. So in love with you. If something happened to you,Naranja, it would destroy me. I’m so wrapped up in you that I don’t know how I’d be able to move forward without you.”
“I love you too,” I say softly, continuing to drag my fingers through his hair, gently scratching his scalp. “I know why you’re mad, but why are you impressed?”
He leans his head up, resting his chin on my thigh. Eyes red with tears soaking his thick black lashes, I’m so overcome with his beauty that I forget how to breathe. How on earth did I end up with this man? A beautiful soul who wears his heart on his sleeve, loves fiercely, and waited years for me to finally get my head out of my own ass.
“You would have sacrificed yourself to save me, and I know you would have done it for Camila too.”
“Of course I would have. She deserves to have a parent raise her. I won’t apologize for that,” I state. Every decision I made today was for Camila. Her mother abandoned her, and I won’t be responsible for taking her father away from her.
“You know the kind of person that does that? Who is willing to die for a child?” he asks. I don’t answer, not sure where he’s going with this. He gives me a smile. “A mother is willing to sacrifice herself for the safety of her child. You get that, right? You were treating Camila like she’s yours. You have given more to her in the last five months than anything her birth mother gave her. There aren’t many women who would be so willing to do that, Isabella. That’s why I’m impressed by you.”
“Oh,” I whisper bashfully. I close my eyes, thinking about the course of events from the day. I was ready to go to a drug lord’s home, by myself, trying to save the day. By myself. What the fuck was I thinking? Fernando may have manipulated the situation to corner me, where maybe I didn’t have a way out, an escape … what if I didn’t get out? What if he didn’t end my life, but kept me there? Emotion clogs my throat as my eyes fill with tears. “Oh my God. What was I thinking?”
I start sobbing, and Sebastian mutters, “There it is.” He rises, scooping me into his arms, and turns so he’s sitting on the edge of the bed and I’m crying into his shoulder.
“I didn’t think, I just reacted,” I cry. “I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt. They said they were watching Arianna too, and I just reacted. I couldn’t be responsible for a child losing a parent!”
“I know,” Sebastian says quietly, slowly stroking a hand up and down my spine. “You did what you thought was the best option.”
“What would you have done?” I stammer, sniffing hard.
