Page 42 of The Complete Truth Duet
It felt like a punch to the stomach, tearing the breath from my throat.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d survived a lot in my life at the hands of the Guerreros.
A lot of pain.
A lot of suffering.
A lot of…fighting.
But this? This was a whole new level of emotional terrorism.
Pushing on his chest, I fought to get free. “Let me go.”
His hands instantly fell away. “Cora?”
Bile rose in my throat, causing me to swallow back the urge to puke. Racing out of the kitchen, I went straight to the front door. With frantic hands, I snatched open each and every lock keeping the world out—or, in this case, me trapped inside.
I swung a pointed finger into the breezeway and ordered, “Get out.”
“What the hell?” he grumbled, planting his hands on his hips, the defined muscles of his forearms making an appearance.
Of course I’d been attracted to him. The Guerreros had custom chosen him for me.
And hook, line, and sinker, I’d taken the bait.
God, I was such a fucking fool.
Barely able to get the words out around the lump of emotion, I spoke with an increasing intensity. “Get out. Get out. Get the fuck out!”
“What just happened?” he asked while not getting the fuck out of my apartment. “Talk to me.”
My hands shook as I reached up and caught my necklace.
I would not cry.
I would not cry.
I would not…
Shit. Why did this hurt so much?
Oh, that’s right. Because I’d dared to dream that maybe I hadn’t lost the only decent man left the day Nic died.
I’d dared to hope that I could actually have a genuine connection with another human being.
I’d dared to feel, because when Penn touched me, no matter how chaste, I had no other choice.
And, now, it was over. Before it had even gotten started.
“How much are they paying you?” I asked.
His brows sank. “To work here? Like two-fifty a week. Free rent.”
I crossed my arms over my chest to hide the trembles. “And if I give up any information on Cat, how much, then?”
His eyes darkened and his already large body swelled until it was daunting, but I’d faced far bigger men than Penn. And while I wouldn’t say I’d come out of those interactions unscathed, I’d come out alive all the same.
“How much!” I exploded.
He lifted his hands in surrender. “I have no idea what you’re accusing me of right now.”
“Liar!” I yelled, my traitorous voice cracking at the end. “I don’t know where Catalina is, okay? Go. Run back to Manuel and let him know. And then take your brother and get out of my building.” I gasped for breath, but according to my burning lungs, there was no oxygen in that room anymore.
And then the strangest thing happened. His face softened. His eyes lit. And his entire body slacked.
Taking a cautious step toward me, he kept his voice low and even as he said, “You’ve got the wrong idea. Hear me out. I’ve never met Manuel. I sure as hell am not here to relay information to him.”
I was something of an expert with lies, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t look like he was telling the truth. But my gut had been wrong for over a week.
“Bullshit.”
He took another step toward me. When I instinctively backed away, he threw the brakes on. My back T-boned on the corner of the doorjamb, but I locked down the wince.
“I’m not going to touch you.” He lowered his hand. “I just want to talk.”
I shook my head and whispered, “Please leave.”
He folded his hands in prayer, bringing them up to tap his lips. “I’m not here because of Manuel. I only offered help because you told me she’s a woman with a kid on the run from her fucked-up family. You don’t know much about me, but I have some pretty strong opinions about a man putting his hands on a woman. It’s the reason I’m so hell-bent on making sure Marcos and Dante steer clear of you. And it’s the reason why I’d be willing to put my ass on the line for this Catalina chick, who I’ve never even met. Just stop, take a deep breath, and think about it. I’ve spent the last week trying to make you stay away from me, not pumping you for information. This doesn’t make sense.”
I blinked, all the gears in my head spinning in different directions. God, why did it look like he was telling me the truth? Not the first flicker of deception was showing on his face.
Or maybe I just couldn’t see it. Hope could blind the strongest of radars.
“Why are you here, then?”
“Currently? Because a beautiful woman asked me over for dinner.”
“And a week ago? What about then? Don’t bullshit me. You’ve got marketable skills, you don’t have a record, and you say you owe nothing to the Guerrero family. So explain to me what the hell you’re doing here.”
