Page 28 of Shattered Queens: Veronica
Chapter 15
I’ve been replaying what happened at the sex club over and over again. I was so stupid.
That was a line I promised myself never to cross. It’s Veronica, for fuck’s sake, the Kayde brothers’ little sister. If they don’t cut my balls off, the cousins will. Or Felix—that fucker would definitely enjoy it.
I close my eyes, but I hear her moans. I hear her begging me to let her come. The way her pussy clenched around my fingers. Her soft body in my grasp. The sweet taste of her still lingers in my mouth. My cock responds to the memories of her. Let’s be honest, it responds just at the sight of her. What the fuck is wrong with me? She hates me, and I’m not too fond of her either.
God, she willingly let a fucking stranger do that to her. I’m not jealous, never have been, never will be, but it could have been anyone. I knowwho attends those parties, and the thought of her being with them sets my blood on fire. I tell myself it’s for her protection.
I place my hand over my stiff cock and squeeze it, hard. I unbutton my jeans, but then I hear a knock at the door. Tia Susana. Fuck. It’s like being a teenager again. Like having a cold bucket of water poured over me.
I compose myself, grateful for being seated. “Adelante.” I’m just glad she’s out of bed. A couple of days ago, when she let me know she wasn’t feeling well, I was immediately worried, so I flew home right away. These spells come and go, lasting a couple of days. I promised her that I'd stay as long as she needed me to. I can work from anywhere. I've asked her to travel with me and even move, but she always declines. She loves this house.
“Como te sientes?” I ask again. I keep asking her how she feels because she doesn’t want to worry me.
“Mijo, me siento major quando tu estas aquí.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Tia. You had me worried.” My voice trembles. I worry about losing her. A wave of sadness washes over me, and I get up, my dick having settled down. “Tia, let me take you back to your bedroom so you can rest. She tries to fight me on the subject, but I don’t relent. “Tia, you know I worry about you. Let me take care of you, like you’ve always taken care of me.”
“Esta bien.” She puts her arm through mine, and I walk her to her room. After making sure she’s comfortable in bed, I go downstairs and out the back door. I stand in front of the garden. Walking to my favorite flower, I inhale the scent of not only the flower but all of nature.
When I close my eyes, I can hear my mother’s laughter as we explored the Colombian jungle. Here is where she was most herself. She loved the outdoors; my abuelo taught her how to fish—something that she passeddown to me. Every time she caught something, she insisted on cooking it herself. She made the best pescado frito.
My father worked for my abuelo. They never saw eye to eye, but my mother was the apple of my abuelo's eye. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her—that included tolerating my father. Growing up, I would question why my parents stayed together, why she stayed. The idea of love, I’ve learned, blinds people and makes them do unspeakable things. I pull myself from the memories and head back to my office.
My phone buzzes, a sharp vibration against the desk. It’s a message from Veronica. Immediately alarms go off; Veronica never reaches out. Not unless I’ve done something drastic, like freeze her bank accounts. I know it’s serious when she doesn’t jab back. When was the last time she actually spoke to me? A year? It feels longer. I call her immediately.
I attempt to push her buttons but realize that something is wrong. It’s her tone in which she speaks to me. It lacks the bite that usually accompanies our interactions. She tells me the reason she needs me. The logical move is to call the Kayde brothers. But her plea gets under my skin. It does something to me that I can’t explain. Maybe it’s because out of everyone she could have called, she called me. So I give in. I agree to keep this secret, at least for now.
Veronica
Chapter 16
“So grocery shopping isnow considered adulting?” Felix asks from over the speaker.
“For me it is.” I’m walking through the produce section at the grocery store. I see a bag of potatoes. “How many potatoes does one person need?”
I hear him laugh, and then a mumbling in the background. “Are you in a meeting?”
“No, your cousin is. I’m just observing.”
I bet you are. I don’t say that out loud. “We can talk later.”
“Not at all, it’s so exciting hearing about your potato excursion.” He loves teasing me.
Felix always makes time for me. Not only is he my cousin’s second-in-command, but he’s like another brother to me. He’s always understood me. No matter where he is, I can always count on him.It’s been like that for years, but because he is so close to my brothers and cousins, I refrain from telling him some of the things. Overwhelmed by the choices of potatoes, I mutter, “Well, let me continue adulting, and you go back to your job.”
He laughs. “Deal, and Veronica.” He pauses. “Don’t burn the kitchen down attempting to cook.”
“Deal, and Felix,” I whisper, “take care of my cousin.”
“Always.”
With groceries weighing down my arms, I enter the lobby of my apartment building. I can’t recall the last time I checked the mail. I panic a bit, then take a deep breath. I tend to be forgetful, and knowing what I know about my mother’s health worries me. I return to the task at hand, trying to push past my fear.
Three seventy-one. I find it. After opening the mailbox, I see that it’s full. Crap, I guess I didn’t check the mail recently. I’m surprised; not many people know where I live. I shove the letters and ads into my tote and head to the elevator.
“Miss, let me help you with that.” It’s Will, the bellman. I didn’t notice him approaching the elevator. I'm about to refuse his help, but I start to lose the feeling in the hand carrying four bags of groceries.
