Page 702 of One More Kiss

You’re associated with Tomás Souza.

He took photos of me in his bed. It was a calculated plan all along. I muster the strength to turn around and meet Shane’s lopsided smile. “I hope we never meet again—for your sake. Whatever the hell happened between you and Tommy is over, kid. It’s a level playing field. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go back home to your family and forget all about us.”

Shane winks. A cigarette dangles from his lips as he motions for me to close the door. I don’t realize my hands are shaking until I press my palm to the cold exterior.

The vehicle pulls away from the side of the curb, leaving me all alone with a gunshot wound, enough Colombian Pesos to charter a private jet to Manaus and a lingering emptiness.

Guilt makes my stomach ache. I should hate the man for everything he’s done to me. Except, I don’t. It’s like I’m losing my mind and Tomás has taken up residency in every single confounded thought.

Maybe there’s a slither of goodness in him. A warped decency that set me free, because he saw the same ghosts in my soul that haunt his own. Perhaps he'd felt the sparks of our touch too.

The undeniable attraction.

The voiceless connection.

The inescapable delirium.

I’m shaking, flustered and adrift in the middle of a city I’ve never visited until now. Yet, it’s not fear spiking my adrenaline. That’s a notably absent emotion, like I’m numb to the future. I guess being shot by a gorgeous gangster does that to a girl. Even if the bullet had only skimmed the top layer of flesh on its way past.

With freedom and cold hard cash in my hand, I’m ready to start a new life somewhere different—in Tomás Souza’s territory.

The End for now…

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