by Julia Sykes
It’s not for as long as we both shall live. It’s a few months. Just a few months.
The memory of Ortiz’s hands pawing at me flashed across my mind. I could do this. I had to do this. The officiant was looking at me expectantly. I swallowed hard.
“I do.” I could hardly believe I managed to get the words out past the lump in my throat.
“As a symbol of your promise, please place the ring on the gentleman’s finger.”
Ana pressed a thicker gold band into my palm. With shaking hands, I slipped it onto Javier’s finger. My mind detached from what was going on around me. It was all too surreal. It was as though this was happening to someone else.
It’s not real. It doesn’t mean anything.
The officiant spoke again. “In as much as you both have consented to be united in the bonds of matrimony, and have exchanged your wedding vows in front of us all here today, then by the power vested in me by the laws of the great state of New York, I now pronounce you married. You may seal your vows with a kiss.”
It was over. How was it over so quickly?
Then Javier’s arm closed around my back, pulling me into him. His lips met mine, and their heat helped melt my mounting panic. The kiss started sweetly enough, but he wasn’t content with a chaste peck on the lips. I wasn’t sure if he was putting on a show, or if he felt the same electric connection to me as I did to him when we touched. He kissed me long and deep, until my body softened and my arms came up around his neck to brace myself against him. Ana clapped, and Miguel wolf-whistled.
By the time Javier pulled away from me, my head was spinning. His grin was still in place, his eyes alight with joy. How could the man fake it so convincingly?
Then I realized I was smiling like a fool, too.
Idiot. My smile wavered. Javier leaned into me again to whisper in my ear.
“At least pretend to like me, muñequita.” His warm breath tickled across my neck, and I couldn’t help shivering. “That’s better.”
My smile returned. It wasn’t nearly as hard to pretend as it should have been.
Chapter 11
One Month Later
I frowned at the singular tube of toothpaste as I squeezed some of the peppermint-flavored gel onto my toothbrush. Since when did we only have one? We were sharing now?
And what was with all this we?
As I glanced around the bathroom, it became apparent that my life had melded with Javier’s without me really realizing it. His arctic spring soap was tucked in beside my more feminine Bath & Body Works body wash, and his black razor hung beside my pink one in the shower. Disconcerted, I placed my toothbrush back into the cup on the sink. Mine was blue and his was green. They sat there, side by side. So mundane, yet so unsettling.
Over the last month, his apartment had become our apartment. It seemed like a year had passed since I lived with Rachel. Sharing space with Javier had become my norm. Even more upsetting than this revelation was that it didn’t bother me nearly as much as it should.
I do have the bedroom all to myself. That’s nicer than sharing with Rachel. I tried to rationalize my lack of panic at the realization that I was actually kind of content living with a member of the Latin Kings.
Javier stayed on the couch every night, and he had even moved most of his clothes into the living room so that he didn’t disturb my privacy. True to his word, he hadn’t made a move on me since we were married. It was still weird even thinking about us like that: married. We were more like roommates. And maybe even friends.
Only, I didn’t usually have decidedly sexy dreams about my friends. Even though he hadn’t kissed me since the wedding, his light, casual touches were enough to drive me crazy. Each one was a little reminder of just how good his body felt against mine.
I shook my head slightly and pushed the thoughts away. I was going to be late for class if I didn’t hurry up. Within minutes, I had applied a dusting of powder over my freckles and accented my eyes with mascara. I didn’t wear much makeup anymore. I told myself it was because I didn’t care about attracting boys’ attention, but secretly I knew Javier liked my more natural look.
He also liked me curvier. Although his comments about me being too thin weren’t sexual, I had seen the heat in his eyes when he absently studied my curvier body, as though he didn’t realize he was doing it. His obvious appreciation took away the sting of having to buy larger jeans.
And his cooking certainly made the upsize worth it. Even better than his culinary skills was the sense of being cared for. Although he respected my space, Javier was constantly focused on me and my needs. No one had ever treated me that way. It made all the we stuff easier to swallow.
Just then, the scent of his cooking wafted into the bathroom. Deeming myself ready for class, I turned from the mirror and stepped into the hallway.
I bumped into something solid, setting me off-balance. Warm hands closed around my upper arms, steadying me. I looked up into Javier’s gorgeous face. His sharp features were even more pronounced than usual. That sharpness was matched in his eyes. They seemed to cut into me, seeing straight to my core. I was struck by the sensation of being caught by a predator, and all the fine hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. It awoke a tingling on my flesh that flashed across my skin, making me shiver. But I wasn’t cold. Heat burned just under my skin, concentrating where his hands gripped my arms and somewhere forbidden, deep within me.
My head tipped back, exposing my vulnerable throat in recognition of the alpha. His eyes darkened in response, his gaze fixing on the racing pulse that thrummed at the side of my neck. My breath quickened as anticipation built. The air around us seemed to crackle with unfulfilled lust, and I knew in that moment I wasn’t the only one who harbored secret fantasies.
Achingly slowly, his head dipped toward mine. I watched his lips, craving the feel of them upon me. At the last second, he altered the angle of his approach so his forehead rested against mine. His warm breath teased across my mouth, increasing my need.
“Charlotte.” My name was a strained whisper, and the fine lines around his eyes betrayed the effort it was costing him to hold back. After a few seconds, he pulled away with a grimace. My stomach did a funny little twist, and I wasn’t sure if it was from disappointment or relief.
He took a slow, careful step back from me and released my arms. “Come eat so you can get to class on time.” I was impressed his voice sounded almost normal except for the slightest rasp; I couldn’t even formulate words in that moment. I was too caught up in our almost-kiss.
He stared at me expectantly, waiting for me to snap out of it. I realized I hadn’t moved at all since he released me. Embarrassment gave me the resolve I needed to give myself a little shake and come back to the real world.
“Okay,” I agreed in a squeak. I tore my eyes from his and made my way to the kitchen, careful not to so much as brush against him as I passed. If I touched him again, I might just spontaneously combust.
Despite the fact that I hardly looked at him during breakfast, he remained in my mind for the rest of the day, distracting me during class and later in the evening when I tried to study. And that night, I had the dirtiest dreams about him yet.
The next day, my stomach was in knots as we approached the entrance to Decadence. Even the heat of Javier’s hand against my lower back wasn’t enough to calm me.
“Don’t worry, muñequita,” he murmured. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I touched my thumb to the smooth gold band that encircled my ring finger, taking comfort in its presence there. Even though I took it off while I was in class, I wore it at all other times. It was my protective talisman, the mark that said I belonged to Javier and everyone else better stay back if they knew what was good for them. Touching it helped soothe my mounting nerves.
“Why do I have to be here?” I asked, my voice small. I wanted to see Derek, but I was scared to attend a Muertos meeting. Ortiz would be there. I hadn’t seen him since he attacked me, and I did
n’t want that to change.
Javier’s hand shifted from my back to wrap around my waist, pulling me closer.
“Your father asked me to bring you.”
I stiffened in his hold, and my footsteps faltered. If my father was in the club, then I most definitely didn’t want to go to this meeting.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Javier swore again in a low voice. “They will respect my claim over you.”
“How can you be sure?” I asked shakily. He had proven he could best Ortiz in a fight, but my father was another matter. I knew just how brutal Jonas could be.
He paused and touched his fingers beneath my chin, lifting my face to his. “You’re safe with me, Charlotte. Trust me.” His features tightened. “When we’re in there, I might have to say some things you don’t like. But you know I would never hurt you, right?”
Oh, god. This didn’t sound safe at all. I swallowed hard. “I know you wouldn’t, but -”
“Do you trust me, Charlotte?”
Do I? Javier had never harmed me. In fact, everything he had ever done was meant to help me, to protect me.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I trust you, Javier.” It was insane that I was confessing this to a King, but it was true. I trusted him enough to walk into a Muertos meeting with him as my only protection. I knew he wouldn’t let anyone touch me. No matter what it cost him.
His thumb brushed along my jawline. “Good girl.”
His praise helped push back some of my anxiety, and I was further bolstered when he took me by my waist again and started guiding me toward Decadence.
I blinked several times when we stepped from bright daylight into the dimness of the club. As my eyes adjusted, a group of six men came into focus. They were seated in the lounge area on red leather couches. Jonas occupied his armchair like a king on his throne. Derek was the only man standing, his arms crossed over his chest.
“What is she doing here?” My brother insisted angrily as soon as he saw me. His golden eyes blazed. “Leave now, Charlotte.”
Javier’s fingers pressed into my waist, pulling me up against him. “She’s not yours to command.” His accented voice lacked all the softness that imbued it when he spoke to me. He sounded hard, cold.
My big brother’s arms dropped to his sides, and his hands curled to fists as he drew himself up to his full height. He was taller than Javier, but I had no doubt the King could do some real damage if it came to a fight. I didn’t want to see either of them hurt.
“It’s okay, Derek,” I said quickly. “I’m okay.”
His eyes narrowed on me, but I held his furious glare until he drew in a deep breath. The angry tension didn’t leave his muscles, but he didn’t advance on Javier, either. It was the best I was going to get.
Javier settled down into the only empty armchair. For a moment, I was surprised he hadn’t offered the last seat to me. Then his free hand closed around the other side of my waist, and he tugged me down onto his lap. My eyes flew wide, and I squirmed against his hold. This was far too intimate, especially in front of all these imposing men. Javier had hardly touched me in a month, and now he sat me on his knee?
A low, warning noise rumbled in the back of his throat, and his arms closed around my middle, pulling me against him so my back was pressed to his hard chest. I stilled instantly in response, but he didn’t ease his hold on me. Heat flooded my system as my body gloried in the contact with his. He hadn’t been this close to me since our kiss, and my body remembered just how good he could make me feel.
I sensed the curious eyes of the Kings on me, and my cheeks flamed. Oh god, how obvious was it that I enjoyed being held by Javier?
“I see you’re handling my daughter well,” Jonas drawled. My eyes snapped to his, and my gut clenched. He didn’t mind one bit that a Latin King was handling me. In fact, his sly smirk said he approved.
“We’re getting along just fine.” Javier’s tone was almost bored. If he was at all bothered by the way my father talked about me, he didn’t show it. The man who held me now was so different from the one who cooked breakfast for me every morning. Unease stirred in my belly.
“Excellent,” Jonas said with false enthusiasm. Then he turned his attention to Derek. “Now, let’s hear what my son wants to bitch about.”
It suddenly became clear why Jonas had insisted that I come. Derek was causing problems, and I was there as a reminder for him to cooperate. The look of pure hatred he aimed at my father said he knew it as well.
“I’m not trying to upset the operation,” he began through gritted teeth, as though it was killing him to defer to Jonas. In a way, it probably was. All his dreams of freedom from our father were being destroyed, just as surely as my dreams of normalcy had been stamped out. If he noticed my sympathetic look, he didn’t show it. Instead, he stayed focused on Jonas. “Reyes and Ortiz can’t deal directly at the club,” Derek chanced a decree. “You can move the product through here and the surrounding area during the day, but my customers are starting to use during club hours. It’s dangerous for them, and it’s dangerous for you. It calls attention to what you’re doing here.”
Jonas’ expression turned stern. “If you hadn’t called an ambulance for that girl, the cops never would have come here.”
Derek growled. “They drugged my friend Rose and almost raped her. Of course I was going to get her to the hospital. Would you have rather she ODed in here? My friends on the Force made the problem go away. They wanted to handle it off the books. They couldn’t have done that if she died.” His lips twisted around the words.
Jonas studied him for a moment, considering. “We deal coke, not rohypnol. Reyes and Ortiz weren’t responsible for that.”
Derek shook his head sharply. “It’s their fault there’s a drug culture here now. I won’t have it in my club.”
“You will,” Ortiz declared, a mocking lilt to his gravelly voice. “Or I’ll pay another visit to tú hermanita.” He turned a wolfish grin on me. “I’d love to get between her legs again.”
I could practically feel his hands on me, tugging my sweatpants down my thighs, his hard dick pressing against my leg…
Javier barked something in Spanish, and whatever he said wiped the smile right from Ortiz’s wide face. If the man weren’t so tan, I would have said he went pale. Javier stroked a calming hand through my hair, calling me away from the memory. I realized I had pressed into him in my distress, looking to him for protection.
But words weren’t enough to erase my brother’s fury at the man who had touched me. He closed to distance between him and Ortiz in a matter of seconds. His hands fisted in the King’s shirt, and he lifted him to his feet before slamming him back against the wall.
“Carter!” Javier had gone cold again, and his sharp voice cut through the violence. Derek’s eyes snapped to his, and Javier wrapped a hand around my throat. He didn’t squeeze, but the threat was clear. “Stand down.”
Derek’s nostrils flared, and he snarled. His sense of helplessness was tearing him up. I could see it in the wildness in his eyes. I needed to help calm him, or he was going to get into trouble.
“I’m okay, Derek,” I said quickly. “Ortiz didn’t-” I was cut off on a gasp when Javier’s fingers tightened around my throat. It took me a moment to register that I could still breathe normally, but he was pressing against my arteries, stemming the blood supply to my brain. I began to feel lightheaded.
“Be quiet, muñequita.” He spoke softly, but the threat of his hold on my neck was very real. “Stand down, Carter,” he ordered again.
Derek shoved away from Ortiz with a curse, his face dark with fury. Javier released my throat. The surge of blood back to my brain hit me like the sweetest drug, sending me flying high. I seemed to float away from all the fear that had engulfed me. I melted back into Javier, enjoying his warmth enfolding me. His forefingers idly traced along the side of my neck where they had pressed into me, soothing away any lingering pressure.
“Don’t treat my siste
r like that,” Derek seethed.
“I knew you were a pain in my ass, Carter, but I didn’t know you were a hypocrite,” Javier remarked coolly.
Wait, what? I didn’t really understand what Javier was implying. That he treated me like Derek treated women? That was just too weird to contemplate. I could think about my brother like that.
As I watched Derek’s face nearly go purple with suppressed rage, my high began to fade. The sound of Jonas’ laughter was enough to obliterate the last of it. Still, I remained huddled against Javier. He had warned me I might not like what happened in here, but he asked me to trust him. He had managed to keep Derek safe and avoid hurting me to keep him in line. In fact, whatever it was he had done to me felt kind of wonderful.
“Do you trust me, Charlotte?”
The way he diffused the situation with Derek without angering my father proved to me that I could trust him. And I did. Implicitly.
“I knew I liked you, Santiago,” my father praised, his voice colored with amusement. “It’s not difficult to handle my daughter, but you know how to deal with my idiot son, too. We should talk more about how things are being run at Decadence.”
“Me and Reyes are running Decadence,” Ortiz interjected.
Jonas fixed him with an icy stare. “You ran things so sloppily that the cops came in here to deal with a date rape case. You’re not controlling the territory properly. I’m moving some of the premium product to Santiago’s territory until you get this one under control.”
Ortiz opened his mouth to protest, but one look at my father’s forbidding expression was enough to shut him up. I was only mildly surprised to find that Jonas had already worked his way to the top of the Muertos food chain. He was ruthless and manipulative, and he wouldn’t have been content staying at the bottom for long.
And now it seemed Javier was rising, too. With my father’s backing, he was gaining more influence. He had claimed his alliance with my father was meant to help protect me, but there were other benefits for him. Did this power play have something to do with why he said everything would be over in a few months? What was his endgame?