Love Untrusted

by Tressie Lockwood

  “I was thinking about what you told me about my brother,” he said.

  The space between her brows crinkled. “Angel?”

  “David.”

  “Oh, well, he was a good man no matter what you think.”

  “Do you…” He hesitated, feeling warmth in his face and embarrassment for blushing like a young boy. “Do you still love him?”

  The brown eyes widened, and she lowered her head, staring at the ground. He tensed, thinking he had his answer, and anger rose in his chest. A desire to fight came over him, but how could he fight against his own brother, especially when he was gone?

  “I don’t love him,” she said.

  He didn’t believe her, but she held her head up and looked him in the eye.

  “At first I blamed you when I realized David stayed single because of you.”

  Miguel clenched his jaw. “You—”

  “No, hear me out.” She raised both hands, letting go of his. “I blamed you, but at the end of the day, David made his own decision. Your family is so crazy, you’re all running around hurting each other and then going to extremes to try to fix what you screwed up.”

  “Thanks.”

  She laughed. “I think the Torres family could use a little common sense.”

  “You don’t bite your tongue, do you?” he grumbled, but for some reason he wasn’t offended.

  “Sometimes I do.” She almost glowed with amusement, and he had to resist taking her into his arms or at the very least lacing his fingers with hers. Maybe she was right. There was something wrong with him if he was drawn to her despite her saying he and his family had made a mess of their relationships. Leaving her at this time, when he was still figuring out what she meant or could mean to him seemed impossible.

  “If David wanted to prove to you that he wasn’t like your dad, then he should have just found a wife, had kids, and been faithful to his family. Then you would see he was okay.”

  Miguel thought about what she was saying. “He was afraid.”

  She looked at him in surprise.

  “Afraid?”

  His face warmed, and he found the clouds particularly interesting at that moment. “He was afraid he was just like Thiago, and he didn’t want to cause the suffering Thiago caused. Not after…”

  “Not after what?”

  His gut wrenched. He didn’t want to face up to some of the thoughts and feelings that had gone through him back then and various times over the years. Pain scored his insides, shocking him. David was gone, and he couldn’t make things right with his brother even if he set his pride aside.

  “David was like a father to me. He was there when Thiago wasn’t. There was a time when I played baseball, and David came to every single game. He never missed one. Sometimes we didn’t know where Thiago was, but David was there, cheering me on.”

  “Oh, Miguel.” He heard pain in her tone but refused to meet her gaze. A featherlight touch on his chest made him flinch, and he took a step back.

  “I was so angry,” he whispered.

  “He didn’t blame you. He loved you with all his heart.”

  “I threw his love in his face that last day, when I told him I wouldn’t come back. I told him he was like Thiago because he was drinking so much and womanizing.”

  “From what I saw, he stopped.”

  “For me.” The words were torn from him, and regret choked anything else he might have said.

  “You were young and hurt. He forgave you. Forgive yourself, Miguel.”

  This time he did look at her and managed a slight grin. “What about you?”

  “Me?”

  He drew her close and kissed her lips. “Do you still hate me?”

  “Trust and believe I wouldn’t have slept with you if I hated you. I’m not that kind of woman.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I blamed you for a little while, but I’m good at reading people. David wasn’t the only one who suffered. You did too. While he’s gone now, and you can’t tell him how you feel, you do have a family left. They need you.”

  He bit down, clenching his teeth together.

  She chuckled. “I see that look on your face. Don’t worry. I’m not going to lecture you. Just wanted to put it out there.

  He decided not to address her comments. “Let’s get a move on and find Angel.”

  “Si, jefe!”

  Chapter 13

  One side of the cabin looked like it had been hit by the tornado. The roof had collapsed on that end, and all the windows were broken out. From the dated appearance of the wood, Jasmeka wasn’t so sure the damage hadn’t already existed before severe weather hit.

  “Angel!” She shouted as she ran up to the front door. Miguel caught her and jerked her back.

  “Wait,” he ordered. “I’ll look.”

  “But he might—”

  “Wait there, Jas!”

  She might have argued, but fear gripped her heart. While the surrounding area was serene with a few birds chirping here and there, she and Miguel had seen the uprooted trees on the way over. The tornado must have grown stronger and completely touched the ground to have ripped apart trees that way. She faced the fact that heaven had surely shined down on the two of them what with the bouncing truck and busted tires. They could have lost their lives.

  Let Angel be okay.

  “Angel,” Miguel called out and began testing the framework around the door, whether he could open it without bringing down the rest of the cabin.

  Jasmeka thought she heard a muffled sound and ran around to the back of the cabin. The damage here included the entire back wall. It had collapsed under the weight of a thick tree. Heavy branches and leaves were everywhere, but between a couple of them, she spotted a waving arm.

  “Miguel, here!”

  He appeared in a heartbeat and began digging. Jasmeka refused to stand around. She tugged and pulled, but the branches were too heavy to lift. Miguel’s arm muscles strained, and his face reddened, but he was able to clear the debris. There was Angel, cuts on his face, tears in his eyes, and from the angle of it, a broken leg.

  “Hermano,” Angel cried and sobbed. “Lo siento, lo siento.”

  “Shush,” Miguel hauled him up into his arms, and Jasmeka’s heart broke seeing Miguel crush Angel to his chest, holding onto him as if he might never let go. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, watching Angel bear hug his big brother. He kept muttering how sorry he was, and Miguel kept telling him to hush.

  “We should go,” she said. “He must be in a lot of pain. We have to get that leg set, and who knows what else.”

  “I’ll carry you on my back,” Miguel instructed Angel. “It’s going to hurt like a mother, but you’ll have to endure it. We’ve got a good walk to the road. If you feel like you have to throw up, just do it.”

  Angel grew paler than he had been before. Jasmeka realized he was telling his little brother, if he threw up on him, it was okay. She knew Miguel was a good guy, but he was really making it crystal clear in this situation. A woman could fall deeply in love with him if she wasn’t careful.

  Jasmeka picked the way forward through the trees, holding branches aside so they wouldn’t smack Miguel or Angel in the face. Angel pushed a finger between his lips and bit down. His expression was a mask of misery. A couple times, his head lulled, and he fell unconscious, but then he would come out of it, probably from the pain.

  Miguel walked as fast as he could, which was a good clip. She had jog to stay ahead of them. Near the road and before they broke through the trees, she picked up voices. During their earlier walk, she and Miguel had come across Laredo driving his pickup. They had hitched a ride and when they arrived within a mile and a half of the cabin, they started into the trees, asking Laredo to send for help just in case.

  “You’re saying there’s a cabin back there?” someone said.

  “That’s what Jasmeka said.” This was Laredo.

  “Get out of my way! I’m going to get my brother.” Antonio�
�s voice rose above the others after truck tires screeched to a halt.

  “Wait, Antonio,” Carmen called. “I’m coming too.”

  Jasmeka rolled her eyes, hearing Carmen.

  “We’re here,” Miguel said loud enough for everyone to hear, just before they broke through the trees.

  “Miguel.” Carmen launched herself at him, but he stepped to the side, frowning.

  “Control yourself, Carmen. I have to take care of my little brother.”

  She slid to a halt, blinking at him in surprise. Antonio ran over, his eyes wide with terror when he saw that Angel was unconscious.

  “Angel,” he cried out. “What happened to him? Is he okay?”

  “He’s fine, just in pain,” Miguel said. “Let’s get him to the hospital.”

  Jasmeka climbed into the back of one of the pickups, along with Miguel, Antonio, and Carmen. Laredo drove. Soon they were standing around in the waiting room at the local hospital while Angel was being cared for in the back.

  Miguel dropped with weariness into a chair and pushed both hands into his hair. She imagined his muscles were on fire, but he didn’t complain at all. Antonio paced, and Jasmeka sat down on one side of Miguel, while Carmen took up the left. Jasmeka was grateful that Laredo had elected to drive around to see if there was anyone else out there who needed his help.

  “Miguel.”

  Carmen spoke in a throaty voice and curled her fingers around Miguel’s forearm. She leaned in close to him until her breasts touched his arm. He kept his head down as if he were lost in thought and didn’t hear her. She raised her voice a little, capturing all of their attention and the other people that were in the waiting room.

  “Don’t you think all of this is too much?” Carmen asked. “I mean you could have been killed out there all because of that boy who doesn’t care anything about you.”

  “Hey!” Antonio glared at her. “That’s my brother you’re talking about, and you don’t know anything about us. Why don’t you mind your business?”

  Carmen gasped and touched a hand to her chest. “You’re going to let him talk to me like that, Miguel?”

  Miguel glanced up at Carmen, then at Antonio. His little brother clenched his hands into fists. He looked so much smaller than Jasmeka remembered him being, and she knew behind all that anger was fear. Right now, Antonio was scared that Angel had more than a broken leg, that for the first time in his life he might be alone. Her heart ached to reassure him.

  Miguel stood, effectively knocking Carmen’s hands away. He approached Antonio, and Jasmeka tensed. Surely, he wasn’t going to fight with him right there. She surged to her feet, ready to leap between them if necessary.

  Miguel’s heavy hands came down on Antonio’s shoulders, and he squeezed just a bit. “He’s fine, Tony. It’s just a broken leg. You guys have had broken limbs before, right? This is like every other time.”

  “I know!” Antonio turned his head, but he didn’t pull away from his brother’s touch. He stayed there, and Jasmeka imagined he drew strength from Miguel.

  The door opened, and Aunt Rosa rushed in. “Mi bebé! Mi bebé!! Donde esta el?”

  Miguel dropped his hands to his sides and swung to face Aunt Rosa. “He’s in with the doctor. He’s going to be fine, Aunt.”

  She scowled with intense dislike at Miguel. “This is your fault. You shouldn’t have come. My babies were never in danger before you came! Go home. You don’t belong here. Go home!”

  Miguel didn’t argue with her, and Jasmeka couldn’t just stand there and let Miguel take Aunt Rosa’s abuse. She never saw reason when it came to the twins, and she needed to know that.

  Before Jasmeka could get to her, Antonio stepped in front of his brother. “Stop yelling at him, Aunt Rosa. My brother saved Angel’s life. No one else did it. No one else knew about the cabin except him.”

  Jasmeka figured her jaw hung as low as Aunt Rosa’s for Antonio defending Miguel. They both stood there in shocked silence as Antonio, still angry, took Miguel’s side. He didn’t disrespect Aunt Rosa, but when he finished it was crystal clear that during all the hoopla, Miguel had earned Antonio’s respect—maybe even his love.

  Aunt Rosa drew herself up to her full height and raised a stubborn chin. “We’ll discuss this later at home, when I know my Angel is fine.”

  She left them standing there and managed entry to the back where Angel was. Not too long after, they were told he was fine and that all he needed was a cast for his leg. The hospital released him when he was ready, and Jasmeka and the rest of the family headed home.

  Jasmeka checked the time when they walked in the door and found that it was nine at night. She felt like she’d been up for more than a day and decided to go to bed and sleep until the next morning. From the moment her head hit the pillow, she was out—until there was a knock at her door in the middle of the night.

  Chapter 14

  Jasmeka dragged herself from bed and opened the door. She didn’t have the energy to ask who it was. Her eyes were half closed, but her nose worked great. Miguel smelled like a fresh shower. He moved past her into the room and shut the door. Turning her around by the shoulders, he led her back to her bed. She collapsed onto it.

  “You were sleeping in your clothes?” He tsked and began removing her blouse and shorts. She was surprised and relieved when he left her under things on.

  A cool breeze filled the room. She kept a fan going because Aunt Rosa didn’t like the central air turned too low. The opposite side of the bed sank down, and Miguel slid into position beside her. He raised her head and set it down on his bicep.

  “I’m too sleepy,” she murmured with her eyes closed now.

  “Rest. I just want to be here.”

  She bit her lower lip. Talking like that would rob her of sleep. The man made no sense. “Carmen will—”

  “Forget about her. I’m going to talk to her tomorrow and send her home.”

  Jasmeka’s eyes popped open, and she tried to see his face in the room’s dim lighting. “You what?”

  “Sleep, Jas. We can talk in the morning.”

  She yawned. “I want to hear now.”

  He kissed her—long and gently—drawing a sensual response from every part of her body, even down to her toes. She wished she had the energy to do more than cling to his chest. He’d come in dressed but took off his shirt and jeans before he lay down. Her fingers curled of their own accord into his taut warm skin. He wrapped an arm about her waist and hauled her closer, until their entire lengths met. The man was killing her.

  “All I know is I want to be here, in your room, with you.” He paused, and she sensed his impatience. Probably more with himself than with her or the situation. “I want to be here in Texas—with you. And with my brothers.”

  “Not Thiago?”

  “Jas.”

  She grinned. If he stayed longer, he might come to forgive his dad. That part about wanting to be with her though, it warmed her to her core.

  “Me and Tony will probably butt heads a million more times, but we reached kind of an understanding today.”

  “I think so too. He even defended you to his aunt.”

  “We’re a lot alike.” She heard embarrassment in his tone. “They didn’t know me very well, but it didn’t stop them from feeling abandoned. Jas, if I go now, it’ll do damage. They don’t have David anymore.”

  Tears spilled down the sides of her cheeks, and he cuddled her to his chest. She thought she felt a shudder go through him. They stayed silent for a long while before he spoke again.

  “I can’t make up with David, but I don’t want to run away again and not get to know Tony and Angel. When I think about them moving away, alone, cut off from family, I realize I don’t want that future for them. If the Torres family is going to change, then I’ll have to be the one to initiate it.”

  She chuckled. “You sound like you’re going to arm wrestle it into changing.”

  Amusement entered his tone. “If I have to.”

  “We
ll, good. I like the plan.”

  “What about for you?”

  Nervousness stirred in her belly. “For me?” No sense letting him off the hook. He could spell it out for her.

  “You’re not going to make it easy?”

  She cut her eyes at him. “Not on your life. Do you know how I felt seeing her cling to you?”

  He let out a small sound of regret. “I’m so sorry, Jas. I’m not that type of man. The last thing I want to do is make you feel insecure. I’m ashamed.”

  “I’m a strong woman.”

  He cupped her cheek. “No, don’t brush it aside. I’ll spend time making it up to you.”

  “How?”

  He kissed her until her toes curled and moved his lips to her ear, speaking low and sensual. “Any way you like.”

  She shivered, and he looked into her eyes.

  “I’ll start by being here. We don’t know where we’ll go, but I don’t want us to just be lovers, satisfying our physical desires and nothing else. I’ve had that, and I realize it’s not what I want. Maybe you still do?”

  She almost enjoyed him being unsure of himself. He had swept in and unsettled their lives with his accusing attitude and his anger. Yet, she’d seen deeper, even from day one. He’d been hurt, and he didn’t trust anyone. Right then, he was taking a huge risk that she wouldn’t shoot him down. There was no way she would do that. Miguel might be the man she had dreamed of meeting one day.

  “I want to see where we can go from here,” she admitted. “If you’re serious.”

  “Deadly serious.”

  They laced their fingers together, and Jasmeka felt like she couldn’t get close enough to him. She thought of David and searched her feelings. He was still someone special she had known, but her love for him had faded. Maybe she would need more time to solidify whatever was growing inside for Miguel, but that was okay. She sensed he was willing to wait for her.

  “Stay,” she said, breathless, her heart hammering. “It’s risky with a career change and—”