Because of me.
The satisfaction was all-consuming.
I hadn’t even met Isa, or Izzy, at the time. I had heard of her via my mother’s many stories about a funny, smart, beautiful young lady whose smile could light up a room.
But I didn’t need to meet her.
I didn’t even need to know who she was.
Because the second that tabloid started circulating, it awakened the protective side of me that I never shy away from.
Because as long as men likehimexist, men like me will be here, waiting to pick up the slack. Reminding those fuckers thatwe’ll always be here, and we’ll never hesitate to help right their wrongs.
I’m still so lost in the memories that I don’t even hear my phone ringing on the table in front of me.
Instead, what I hear is a “No fucking way, Martinez.”
My head snaps to Torres, and I internally curse myself. I’m such a such a fucking idiot.
He’s holding my ringing phone up by his head, with his jaw dropped open. Pointing at the device, as if there would be any confusion for his shocked reaction.
Because there, lighting up my screen, is Isabella’s contact picture. A photo she took with Anna while we were in the Dominican Republic.
In it, they’re both smiling and in their bathing suits.
Anthony’s mouth closes just enough to stretch into his signature smile.
“Okay, so I’m only gonna ask this once, Martinez.”
“Don’t,” I warn.
“Respectfully…”
“Torres, I swear to God.”
“Are youfuckingthe nanny?”
fourteen
“He didn’t pick up,”Anna pouts as she hands me back my phone.
“I’m sure he’ll call as soon as he sees the notification, munchkin.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Munchkin? Of all the cool nickname options I’ve given you, you decide to go off script and call me munchkin?” She sighs dramatically. “This is why I have to provide the adults with princess names. They’re hopeless without me.” She throws her hands up in the air as I pull her in for a side hug and suppress my laughter.
“I fear my Mateo has his hands full with this little one,” his mother says as she walks with us toward the awaiting SUV. “Serves him right. He was an absolute terror growing up. His toddler years were enough for his father and me to call it and decide that we couldn’t handle two Mateos running around, causing havoc. So if you’ve ever wondered why he’s an onlychild, now you know.” She chuckles, and so does the tall, muscular man in a suit next to her.
Not only do we have Hank, Mateo’s driver, moving us around town, we also have Charlie, Mateo’s head of security. He has short, black, perfectly combed hair and deep green eyes that assess every square inch around us as we walk.
His main job is supposed to be guarding Mateo at all times, but according to Bethzaida, Mateo asked for the best of the best to be put on security detail for Anna.
Doesn’t surprise me. The more I get to know Mateo, the more apparent it is that this man will go to any lengths for his daughter.
Charlie opens the back door for us to get in. Beth helps Anna settle into her middle booster seat as I round the car to the driver’s side, where Hank is waiting with a warm smile as he opens my door.
Once the five of us are settled, we pull into traffic and finally start our journey home.
We’ve finished having dinner at a local pizza joint that Bethzaida mentioned they love to eat at when they’re done with Anna’s ballet class. Before that, we stayed an extra hour in her classroom for after-school homework prep… homework prep for five-year-olds.
