I grin as I navigate down another winding road, turning right at the fork, moving away from the city onto a cobblestone road. When we pull up at another house that belongs to Romero, I park the car and gently turn her face to mine.

“You do belong to us,Bruja. You may not want to admit it, but you do, and we belong to you in return.”

I pull her to me and kiss her soft lips once more before exiting the car and helping her out of her seat.

“What is this place?” she asks, looking around the property. “Are those horses?”

I chuckle as she squints against the sun. “Yeah, this isEl Rancho Herrera, the first of many ranches Romero owns.”

Just then, three powerful horses come running out of the barn and past us, making Vicenta jump even though we’re safely behind the fence.

“Have you ever ridden one?” I ask her as she shields her eyes from the sun and watches the horses speed through the grass.

“Absolutely not. I would be too afraid to fuck up and have it throw me off.”

I click my tongue, shaking my head teasingly. “I never thought I’d see the day when my littleBrujais too scared to try something new.”

She shrugs and looks up at me. “I’d try it if you rode with me.”

I lean down and press a soft kiss to her plump lips.

“I’ll take you horseback riding on the beach. The ocean sounds will soothe their spirits.”

I kiss her one more time before leading her up the cobblestone pathway toward the house. Like all of the homes Romero and I both own, this place is huge and guarded very well. I’ve always felt like this place was a castle fit for a king.

Vicenta’s eyes widen as she takes in the Hacienda. It’s bougie as fuck, but it’s always been one of my favorite properties. A place that is mostly untouched by painful memories of my mom or even ‘Mero.

I watchBrujaas she gazes up in awe, taking in the white stone and gray brickwork. Large bay windows take up most of the front of the property, the borders painted in a stark black to make them stand out against the light building. The slatted roof work is various shades of red, which sounds more gaudy than it actually looks. Whoever designed the place knew what they were doing.

The oak double door entryway is open, showcasing the marble foyer as we enter.Brujaspins in place, looking around her. When the timer switches on and causes the water fountain on the front lawn to come to life, she giggles excitedly and grips my hand tighter. While her eyes are on the property, mine remain firmly on her, committing her smiles to my memory during this fleeting moment of happiness.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I know I won’t let her go without giving my all in a fight for her heart.

“As a kid, we didn’t come to this particular ranch very often even though it was the first ranch purchased by ‘Mero’s father. But that’s exactly why I chose this place when he and I agreed to keep you in his territory for our date; it has no painful memories attached to it.”

She looks up at me, her hand squeezing mine. “We’ll make new memories here.”

I give her a wink, ignoring how my mother’s unopened letter burns in my pocket, and push open the front door.

When we enter,Brujagasps, her hands covering her mouth as she looks around at the hundreds of vases filled with her favorite blue Celosia flowers scattered throughout the foyer, living room and dining hall. Some of the vases are large and overflowing, others are small with only one delicate flower inside.

“Omigod, ‘Varo.” My brow raises when she uses the shortened version of my name, the one only Romero calls me. She sees my surprise and quickly registers what she said.

“I’m sorry, I just heard ‘Mero calling you that and it sort of stuck.”

I shake my head, pulling her flush to me so I can feel her. “I like the sound of it on your lips.”

“‘Varo,” she whispers, pressing her mouth to me and dipping her tongue in to dance with mine.

Maybe her voice will soon replace his when I hear that name.

I pull back and gesture to the room so she can see that I’ve filled every space with her flowers. She moves to the nearest vase and bends at the waist to delicately inhale the flowers. “Didyoudo all this?”

I chuckle at her shocked tone and wrap my hands around her still bent waist. “Is it so difficult to believe that I would fill our date with your favorite flowers?”

She straightens and turns to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Of course not, but how did you know they're my favorite flowers?”

I grin down at her. “I’m not giving my secrets away so easily.”