King of Hearts: An Arranged Marriage-Mafia Romance (Rake Forge University Series Book 2)

by Ashley Munoz

  Warm gel squirted in an undignified way along my abdomen, followed by the pressure from the transducer being pressed into my skin.

  Immediately the screens hanging on the far wall came alive with flashes of white against a black screen.

  “Okay, let’s see where baby is hanging out.” The transducer wand moved over my stomach and then pressed pointedly into one specific area, revealing the baby’s head and face on the screen. The tech paused, drawing boxes around the head and typing away on his computer. “Here, you can see the lips and nose.”

  Tears fell freely as I saw my child blink and bring their thumb up to their mouth.

  “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Juan said in awe.

  I turned to see his expression, and seeing tears line his eyes shifted the glacier in my chest, melting it entirely.

  The sonographer moved on to the feet and hands, shoulders, and rib cage taking care to zoom in on the heart. The little fluttering valve was the most insane thing to witness.

  When the wand moved and we had a view in between the legs, I held my breath.

  The tech made a humming sound before letting out a sigh. “Looks like a healthy baby girl.”

  I half laughed, half sobbed, so excited and happy I was sure I’d burst. I looked over in time to see Juan was already smirking, shaking his head.

  “Of course it’s a girl,” he joked.

  The sonographer smiled. “You sound like that might be a little bit of a handful.”

  Juan leaned over, kissing my nose. “If she looks anything like her mom, I’m going to have my hands full.”

  My heart cracked. It had been chipping in little pieces from the moment Juan first kissed me in the spring. Unlike every other guy in my life, my walls didn’t keep him out, and now he’d claimed me in a way that would never make sense…it was fake, but the way my heart had just split in half for this man felt as real as ever.

  Pictures printed from the machine, and suddenly the appointment was over. The technician began to pull out the rag that had been tucked into my jeans, but Juan stopped him.

  “I got it from here. Thanks.”

  The tech raised his hands like he was surrendering and walked out.

  Juan wiped my stomach and held out his hand to help me sit up. “How do you feel?”

  Moving to stand and button my shorts, I felt my lip wobble. “I feel like my heart just split in half. It’s such a strange sensation…but she’s so beautiful.”

  Juan handed me the few photos that had printed. One had a little note written on the top that said, ‘Hi Mom and Dad.’ I kept my head down so Juan wouldn’t see my breakdown. If I had one wish, it would be to have this be real, to have Juan be the dad and me the mom, to have this little girl loved by us both and raised by us.

  I knew my feelings were dangerous. For once I wanted to keep something for myself, and it terrified me that I wouldn’t be allowed to. Even if I was able to convince my father that this entire thing was real, how long would Juan play pretend for? He had a life to live, and there was no way I could expect him to keep up pretenses, nor would I want him to. I had a baby coming soon, and that would require long nights and lack of sleep. I couldn’t ask this of him. We were both so young; his entire life was just beginning.

  As difficult as it was for me, I began to tuck away every rogue emotion that had rolled out, every feeling, every hope. It wasn’t a perfect remedy for what I was feeling, but it would help. I had to protect Juan as much as I had to protect my daughter, and in order to do that, I’d fight not to fall in love with him.

  As soon as we'd parked the car, Juan’s cousin was there updating him on everything, including the contract my father had drawn up for Markos. We settled into Juan’s room while rain danced along the windows, casting the room in a gloomy glow. Wrapping myself in a soft blanket, I began to pore through page after page of information, passing each one over to Juan as soon as I finished.

  “So, your dad didn’t lie, but he also left out the part where Markos would be the successor to the outfit if something should happen to your father,” Juan summarized, shuffling the papers back in order.

  I spun my chair to look outside, staring at the varying shades of leaves along the top of the orchards. “He also left out that our first child would be given to Ivan to secure another deal were Ivan to be in good health when the baby was conceived.”

  “Interesting that he didn’t immediately suggest that the baby be dealt with,” Juan mused while rubbing his eyes.

  I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. My stomach churned with disgust that my own father would stoop so low…that he would treat my offspring like a piece of livestock.

  “Then there’s the part about your trust going to Markos, the one you can’t access until you turn twenty-one.”

  That explained why he was so adamant about this specific birthday; it must have been a request from the Mariano family then. I had no idea what the trust included, but they must have known.

  “Come on.” Juan grabbed my hand, helping me up. “It’s colder out now, so you might want a sweater, or something warmer.” Juan walked into his closet, and when I headed toward his bedroom door, he stopped me. “It’s all in here now.”

  Letting go of the doorknob, I slowly followed him into his massive walk-in. Shelves lined each wall, along with various shoe racks. Juan had an impressive shoe collection, but it still didn’t take up all the space. He had a built-in dresser with gliding drawers on one wall, and as I turned around, I noticed the opposite wall had one set up too.

  Curious, I pulled it open. All the folded items from my dresser in the guest room were now in the drawers. I tipped my head to the side, and there, hanging to the right, were all my skirts, dresses, and shirts. I still hadn’t brought my whole wardrobe over, so there wasn’t much, but it was still nice to see it all neatly hung and put away.

  “Juan, you didn’t have to do this.” I gently touched the fabric of one of my sweaters.

  With his back turned to me, he murmured, “It was no big deal.”

  I smiled, turning once more, only to notice more hanging items on the far wall. This time, it was all the baby clothes I’d purchased so far. Tiny pink hangers held rompers, dresses, and little outfits, while the gliding drawers kept blankets, diapers, and folded onesies.

  All the ice I’d infused into my heart since the ultrasound melted again.

  “No one has ever done anything like this for me,” I whispered, slowly dragging my hand along the fabric of a soft blanket. “Did you have your men do this while we were gone today?”

  I turned to look at Juan. He was still turned away from me, but I wasn’t letting this go until he faced me. His face was stern, like my heart had been before this moment.

  “I did most of it while you were sleeping.” He tugged on a simple Henley that gaped at his throat, revealing his strong muscles.

  I walked closer to him, slowly moving step by step to avoid spooking him.

  He watched me with apprehension, a wariness to his eyes as I brought my hand up to his chest. Right when I thought he’d pull back or tell me we should get going, I made my move.

  Leaning in, I gently pressed my lips to his. Once I knew he wasn’t going to push me away, I settled more into his space, tipping my head to the side and pushing in for access. He met the smooth glide of my lips with his tongue, dragging his left hand up my back while his right hand held my hip in place.

  He broke away, pressing his forehead against mine. “We keep peeking over our walls, as if we want to climb over, only to realize how far the drop is…”

  I blinked as reality hit me, rushing in as cold as a tidal wave. He was fighting this as much as I was…except he was doing a better job. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want me.

  I stepped back; his grim expression only served to confirm that he was right. I wanted to keep him safe, but I was also falling in love with him. I had to stop this. Taking another step back, I tucked hair behind my ear and turned away f
rom him. I couldn’t watch his expression as I put up another layer between us. It was what he wanted too, so there was little comfort in each step I took.

  His warm fingers threaded through mine, tugging me out of the closet.

  “Let’s eat.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It was close to ten at night, and my cousins and other men employed by El Peligro sat around the table. Forties and glasses full of Patrón sat in front of each person, and a few blunts were being rolled at the end of the table while a few men patrolled the property. My mind kept wandering thinking of how Taylor was settling in my bed.

  I had stared at her the night prior, standing over her while she slept, just watching as her chest rose and fell. I stared until the image of her being held by her hair finally left my mind, then I reluctantly tucked myself in the damn chair. I wanted to respect her, not overwhelm her…but now that she’d told me I could sleep in the bed with her, it was all I could think about. Even if it wasn’t smart, even if I shouldn’t.

  “So, this deal…what are you planning to ask for?” my cousin Luis asked between sips.

  “In order for it to work, you’d have to marry her before he can really discover that we’re fucking him over,” Hector added, taking a drag from his joint.

  We’d lightly discussed the terms, how he’d snuck in terms without Taylor knowing, and how we could have the same courtesy when getting our deal together. Honestly, Ivan could fuck himself with the deal. All I wanted was for Taylor and the baby to be safe. I didn’t want anything he offered, but El Peligro was already foaming at the mouth as opportunity came knocking.

  “This whole thing is still crazy. I didn’t even know you had a girl…just last week, I was talking about that Angela chick coming by, and here you have this side piece. She’s so fucking hot, but—”

  Rage sputtered in my chest, running down my arms. I wanted to slam my fist into his ugly mouth. “Shut the fuck up, Kane.”

  The man, who was barely older than me, held up his hands in surrender. “Jesus, sorry bro. Just saying, she’s not marked, and neither are you. If I had known she wasn’t, I would have moved in so much faster.”

  He laughed, slapping hands with the guy next to him. I knew them well enough from parties and other shit throughout the years, but I was ready to throw them both out on their asses.

  “Taylor doesn’t need a mark.”

  Hector looked over at me, his eyes hooded while his high kicked in. “And you…do you need one?”

  These fucking marks. It was tradition for El Peligro men to mark if they were taken, so if they were to ever die in a fight, by their bodies we’d know that there was someone left behind. The women wore the mark of their man so there weren’t any issues with other men trying to step in and make a move, especially if the man was out on a job. In some cases, there were members that traveled to the border and back, forcing them to be gone for weeks at a time, if not longer.

  “She’s pregnant, dumb fucks.”

  My cousin kept his eyes on me while a cloud of smoke billowed in front of his face. “Then put a ring on it, primo.”

  I shuffled the papers in front of me and sipped on the whiskey I’d poured. “Let’s move on, finish this up. I want to go to bed.” I also didn’t want to talk about this shit anymore, not with how suspicious my cousin was already. He knew why I was hesitating, and it had nothing to do with Taylor.

  “We have to give him the final answer soon, which will require another meeting. Where is it going to be held?” Kane asked, finishing off his blunt.

  “I’ll let you know. I need to talk to Taylor about it first.”

  Everyone around the table chuckled, shaking their heads. I stilled, halfway to standing, and looked back and forth between their expressions.

  “What?”

  “Nothing, primo. It’s just…Manny never ran things like that, and neither did my pops,” Hector joked, putting his hands behind his head.

  “I’m neither of them.” I reclaimed my chair, waiting to hear them out.

  Kane and Luis started talking to each other in Spanish toward the end of the table while Hector ran a hand over his bald head.

  “It’s just…the women aren’t involved. I know you said she was your equal, but I thought that was just to piss off the old man. She can’t have that place here. You can’t make your decisions based on what she says…you’re the king, and we’ve never once had a queen.”

  I stared at each of them through the thin cloud of smoke hanging over the table. The tone in the room had grown somber, and I knew, depending on how I answered, things could go poorly. I didn’t want to fight with my family, but all of this just felt like one big-ass lie, and I was merely playing a part.

  Something I was eager to put an end to.

  “You’re right.” I dipped my head, scooping up the cards I’d been shuffling. “You don’t have a queen, probably never will…but I do. It’s her life, her future. She’s mine, which means you will show her respect, you will answer to her, you will lay down your life for her. Do you understand?” I met each stare, each gaze…and once each of them nodded their agreement, I stood. “We’ll meet up tomorrow.”

  I closed the door and locked it, keeping to the shadows. Taylor’s sunshine hair was muted by the dark, all of it fanning out on the pillow behind her. She only wore a sheet across her body, barely covering the swell of her breasts, her swollen stomach outlined. My heart did this strange fluttery, panicky thing. I could feel tears burn the backs of my eyes as I tried to wrangle the rogue emotion invading my chest.

  She was beautiful, so innocent lying there in my bed, completely at peace. Not a single worry in the world, and soon she’d have a baby. I already thought of what she’d look like, omitting any thoughts that the baby might have Holden’s looks. In my mind, that little girl would only look like her mom.

  Dragging a hand down my face, I began to strip out of my clothes, carefully placing them on the foot bench so I wouldn’t wake her. Once I stripped down to my boxers, I grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed, gently padded toward my spot, and reached for my pillow. I’d sleep in the chair again, to give her the space we both needed. I’d seen it in the way she’d backed away when we were in the closet earlier, when I mentioned our walls…though part of me had hoped she’d press in and deny it. I wanted her to fight for me, like I had fought for her. I wanted her to want me, plain and fucking simple. She knew what she was doing, just as much as I did, and still she wanted distance.

  “Hey,” she whispered, moving a fraction to pull the sheet up over her shoulder.

  I shifted, pulling the pillow free. “Hey, sorry I woke you.”

  Suddenly she sat up, the sheet falling to her breasts. “What are you doing?”

  “Just grabbing my bedding for the chair.”

  It was too dark to see if hurt flashed in her eyes, but her tone revealed as much. “What are you talking about? I told you this bed is big enough.”

  I couldn’t sleep next to her. It would start to feel too real.

  “I’m okay on the chair.”

  She moved, losing the sheet, revealing she wasn’t wearing anything except maybe some underwear. I swallowed, thankful the shadows were mostly concealing her.

  “I’ll throw on some pajamas so you’re not uncomfortable.” She turned, tossing the sheet aside.

  “No. It’s not that—get back in bed.” I moved until I was next to her.

  My hands were on her shoulders, her face tipped back, looking up at me.

  She whispered, “I want you to sleep here…I feel safer when you’re next to me.”

  I pushed a few stray strands out of her eyes and tucked them behind her ear before leaning down and kissing her on top of her head.

  “Okay.”

  Her smile was enough to get me moving until I was crawling across the mattress and settling in next to her. She pulled the sheet over us and snuggled into the crook of my arm.

  “Please don’t try to sleep apart from me again.”

>   I smirked at how tired she must have been, her little slur evident. I rubbed her shoulder, staring up at the ceiling. My chest was doing that strange ache where all I wanted was for this to be real. Eventually I closed my eyes and said the only thing I could.

  “Always.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Getting back to normal was an effort.

  Juan had promised he was handling the deal with my father even after I offered to be the point of contact so he didn’t have to, or go any further into this thing than he needed to. Juan had laughed, kissed my hairline, and told me not to worry about it, But I did, and I couldn’t stop. I was planning a way out of this; I just needed to know what my father was planning and where he was staying while in North Carolina.

  Resuming school was key to feeling back to normal. Juan had told me his men would be watching from afar, but I never saw any of them. He, however, was ever present.

  My feet ached, and my back too, so I sat in the uncomfortable wooden chair with my eyes closed in front of a plate full of food I was slightly too exhausted to even eat.

  “I think you might be ready for maternity leave, babe.” A smooth voice skittered down my spine as warm fingers brushed along the nape of my neck. My eyes popped open right as Juan spun the chair next to me and straddled it.

  “I am taking it in November. I can hold off until then.”

  “You just yawned twice.” He smiled, brushing his knuckles down my face.

  I still wasn’t sure how to react around him. He’d held me and touched me the other day, at my request. Since then, he’d been careful to treat me as if I was made of glass and a single press of his finger to my skin would shatter me. At night, he’d slide into bed late, and I always woke up each morning, somehow cocooned in his arms, but he’d merely let out a heavy sigh and quickly get out of bed so nothing would happen between us. It was getting annoying.

  I wouldn’t pressure him to actually treat me like we were in a real relationship. He was already doing enough, but he’d gone so far that day of the ultrasound, and part of me thought he wouldn’t mind doing that again…or more than that. But that had been because I’d asked him to. I wasn’t eager to do that again; it made me feel like I was using him somehow. So, when I would wake up in the middle of the night and see that he was asleep, I’d head to the bathroom to relieve the pressure my hormones kept building between my thighs. It was partly why exhaustion had taken over my life so completely.