I’m stricken with a fever more consuming than before when I turn to face the window, and there he is. Moonbeams outline his predatory stance. Hair tousled and chaotic. The whites of his eyes glow around peridot, darkened with exhaustion and spiked with a terrifying thirst for violence. A jet-black T-shirt camouflages a fexed torso, radiating lawless deeds. Bare hands ball as he stares through the glass like a visitor at the zoo.
Power gushes through my veins. Urgency grows louder. My pulse thrums faster. Covering the brief distance, I pad to the glass and emulate his posture. An undomesticated look fixes his features to unyielding. His chest lifts and lowers in bursts when my hands journey over pebbled nipples and travel lower. My skin bursts to life with a jolt of endorphins. I groan as my fingers visit the parts of my body where his touch belongs. His palm slams to the window. I stumble closer, watching him punish his cock with a tight fist.
He seems different. His usual air of discipline is in tatters. Furious strokes are feral and untamed. He’s fraught, charged, and uncontrolled.
Placing my palm opposite his, a thin sheet of liquid sand forged in heat cheats us of contact. With my free hand, I circle the sensitive throb of swollen nerves between my thighs, shivering to the sound of my desire.
Dante chokes and strokes his length, never taking his eyes off my face. Those severe eyes don't follow my hand—they marry mine until he explodes. At that moment, I swear the man is trying to kill me. To make my time here as difficult as possible. My insides combust and a shiver rattles my muscles with an orgasm that surges outwards from my core.
His palm slides down the glass, and his jaw clamps tightly. He covers himself by zipping up his shorts, then slots his hands into his pockets. For a split second, he just stares. My heartbeat gallops, wondering if he’ll unlock the door and let himself in. As that dangerous wish unfolds, he disappears into the undergrowth.
My heart leaps.
I race to the main door and fling it open. Dashing barefoot and naked into the balmy night air, I scan the darkness, wishing I could call out his name.
But I can’t.
He gifted me with that one secret, and I’ll keep it safe forever.
20
Five Years Ago
I take a second to process the news. “Have you told him about the baby?”
Her lower lip wobbles, and my sister looks just like she did when our world fell apart all those years ago. She was fourteen when I had to break the news about our parents. “No.” Her ponytail swishes. “What if he wants to get rid of it?”
“Then he’s a fucking asshole. If he respects you, Gabs, he won’t want that.” And if he’s that sort of guy, I’ll strangle him myself. “A real man takes responsibility for his family and his actions.”
“I’m scared, Dante. This isn’t how I planned my life. Not yet, anyway. I’m trying to make a go of the business. A baby only complicates things.” Worried eyes well up, and she flings herself into my chest. At twenty-three years of age, she’s still my kid sister.
“Look, I’ve taken care of you for years. I won’t stop now. Remember when you accused me of watching porn on my laptop night after night, and I told you I was working for some guys, and you had to keep it a secret. I did that for us. To get us out of the slums. I wanted you to have a fighting chance at a better life. Having a baby won’t fuck that up. If anything, it will make our family bigger and better, right? I’ll be here for you, Gabs. Always.”
She sniffs and rubs her eyes. “What if you get caught? You’re skimming so much money these days. They’ll come after you. People will find out who you are.”
“And by that time, I’ll be out of the game, and we’ll be living in Costa Rica with a pool for the kid and a garden full of tropical flowers for you to make those table setting things you love so much.”
Her smile widens as we both indulge in the dream we’ve designed for so many years. I’ve stored my earnings in an offshore account, amassing a substantial amount of reais for a rainy day. For the day we finally break free.
“I love you, Dante. Promise me the dream will come true and Miguel can be part of it.”
My stomach knots. Who knows how the guy will react? If I wanted to be brutally honest with her, I’d put a wager on him fleeing like a fucking coward. “You should tell him about the baby first. Then we’ll see if he’s worth including in our plans. Otherwise, it's you and me, like it’s been up until now.” I glance at the hand pressed to her belly. “And this little dude too.”
“If it's a boy, I’ll call him Dante after you.”
I laugh. “I don't think the world is ready for another Dante.”
She laughs too. “If he gets your killer looks and big heart, then the world will be a very happy place. Well, the women will be anyway.”
We had so many dark days in the beginning. Eventually, we found light at the end of the darkness and helped each other. We’ll get through this too. Bringing a new life into the world should be celebrated, especially when there’s so much death. I drag her in for another hug. “It’ll be okay, Gabriela. Trust me.”
21
Sal swivels on his stool and studies my face. “You look tired, Iris.”
He uses the reception area as his working base, which means I always know where to find him. The temperature stays stable at a cool degree, and the under-desk fridge is crammed with recyclable bottles of water. Timber beams extend the full height overhead and cream walls add warmth to the otherwise austere interior. A bold green couch lines the wall while a high-tech coffee machine sits next to the welcome desk.
I prop my elbows on the desk and sigh. “You're working me like a dog.”
