Page 86 of Cartel Devil

Normally, my family doesn’t think in terms of in-laws, but I didn’t grow up with Steven. I barely know him. We’d met before Tía Elle married into the family, but I’d never spoken to him. We’d been guards at sit downs when our respective leaders met. After Tía Elle became part of the family, I got to know him.

I like him, but I don’t love the idea of discussing my pregnant girlfriend’s safety with a guy she used to sleep with. It’s irrational since I didn’t expect her to be a virgin, and they haven’t been together in a decade. I know she’s had partners since him, but it’s primordial male territorial instinct.

“How’s he going to convince them?”

“He’s family too. I know it sounds absolutely horrible to say I dated my third cousin, but we’re as genetically linked as two strangers with similar backgrounds. We share less than one percent DNA overlap. It’s not inbreeding or incest.”

“Easy, chica. I know. Pablo’s a biologist and chemist. He’s always found genetics fascinating. Since we’re cousins and look so much alike, he wanted to understand how all the Diaz genes seem to be dominant. When we were in high school, he did a huge project on it. I helped him sort through photos from both sides of his family and both sides of mine. We went back to the early nineteen hundreds and the earliest photos of our families we could find. Even though similar characteristics were passed down, not every Diaz looked the same. It’s how I wound up understanding the various levels of cousins and how rare it is for so many generations of one family to pass along that many dominant traits. The Kutsenkos, Mancinellis, and O’Rourkes must have similar genetics because of how much they all look alike within their families.”

Her relief is clear. She didn’t want me to think the worst of her. She nods before continuing.

“Steven’s always been the calmest of the bunch. His brothers haven’t been sucked into the family business the way he was. Elle ensured that, but there was no way none of her sons would serve. Their father’s a senior capo, so at least one had to carry on the family tradition. Steven’s just far enough removed from Uncle Tommaso, Uncle Santi, and Dad that the pressure isn’t the same as it is for Tristano and my cousins. Since the stakes aren’t the same, the demand for machismo and measuring dicks isn’t there. He was a friend before he was my boyfriend, and he remained a friend even after we broke up. He won’t be thrilled I’m with you, but he’ll be happy I found someone who makes me feel—whole.”

She hesitates. I don’t know if she was looking for the right word or was embarrassed to admit her feelings.

“You make me feel the same way.”

“How is that possible, Joaco? We barely know each other.”

I know she’s still confused because a couple weeks as a real couple isn’t that long to get to know someone. But we’ve been inseparable when I’ve been in town. We’ve talked about everything under the sun. Once we got past our misunderstandings, we realized we clicked just like we did the night we met.

“You know me better than anyone outside my family, Tre. Fate. Destiny. Cosmic forces. I⁠—”

“Wait. I thought those things at the brunch. That they were why I was in the same house as you, tormented that you were close yet so far away… I might have also blamed the devil.”

She grins as she looks up at me, clearly meaning me at the end. I’m the devil. I gaze into her eyes, and I don’t know or care what brought us together. I just know I should thank them.

“Why is anyone attracted to a particular person more than anyone else? I can’t explain how couples know they should be together rather than with other people. Instinct perhaps. I just know you’re my person, chiquita.”

“You’re my person too, Daddy.”

I never imagined that would be my thing. I like my sex rough and kinky, but I’ve never been into age play. That’s not what Tre and I have. I’m certain most people wouldn’t understand. That they’d be repelled by the term of endearment, but I’m not interested in being her father. Sure, I want to be the person who takes care of her, protects her, provides whatever she needs and wants. I want to be her safe haven. She wants those things too. She wants to let me see her vulnerability. Let down her guard when she clings to it so tightly around everyone else. I don’t want to scold her or teach her. That’s why it feels right for both of us.

“It’s late now. You need to sleep, chica. We can talk to them in the morning.”

“Will you stay beside me?”

“I didn’t plan to get up.”

She cups my jaw and strains to kiss me. We press our bodies together, and suddenly neither of us is sleepy. She runs her palm over my cock, and I wish I’d kept those damn scrubs on. She pulls my belt loose as my hand skims up the back of her uninjured thigh and cups her bare ass. She unfastens my pants and pulls down the zipper. Then her hand is cupping the base of my cock as her fingers slide over my balls. My boxer briefs’ waistband traps her hand, and I pray she never pulls it out.

“Holy fuck, Tre.”

“Like that?”

“You know I do.”

My cock twitches as confirmation. She draws her nails along the underside of my dick before sweeping one fingertip around the head. I close my eyes, reveling in the moment.

Then she wraps her hand around it and strokes.

“Fuck, little one. You’re going to make me come already.”

“Good, Daddy.”

There’s a teasing lilt to her voice, making me look down at her upturned face. Desire fills her gaze, but she offers me a soft smile.

“God, you’re beautiful, Tre. I want to spend the rest of time staring at you. It’ll never be long enough.”