“I didn’t say anything,” I lied.
“Are you fucking lying to me?”
Yes. “Don’t you think if I told them anything about your business and what I saw that night, they would have taken you in?”
“What did you say then?”
“Can you let go of my neck and talk to me normally?”
He stared at me for a few beats, and I thought he wasn’t going to let go, but then he did. He walked over to where he had a decanter of alcohol next to the bookshelves and poured himself two fingers of the amber liquor. He turned.
“I’m waiting.”
“The woman fed asked me who I was and stuff. I told her I used to work for you at Red Diamond before we got involved. Then she asked me about my time there and what I did and yada-yada. She asked me if I knew Tony. I told her I met him once at a party here, and she asked if he ever went to the club and talked to me or any of the other girls. I told her no repeatedly and that I only met him that one time.”
“What else?”
I thought for a moment trying to come up with more. “That’s all.”
He stared at me again, and I hoped Scarlett’s acting was believable. “Are you lying to me?”
“No.” I shook my head and walked the few feet to him. His gaze stayed glued to mine as I ran my hand down his chest. I needed to be sweet Tessa and seductive Scarlett at the same time. I needed him to think I was coming around and I wanted to be with him. Fuck, somehow I needed him to think I wanted to get married. “Why would I lie to you?”
“Because you want to leave me.”
“I wanted to leave you,” I fibbed. “But now that I’m pregnant, I want to stay.”
“You do?”
“Colton needs a father figure in his life. So will this baby. I want a family and not a broken one either.” That was the truth. But I didn’t want to raise a child with this man. Even if he could provide for me like Valentina had said, my life wasn’t crime. My life was watching PAW Patrol and baseball games. My life was lobster and steak dinners cooked by the only man I wanted to be with. My life was Vinny.
Sebastian took a sip of his drink and then set it on the cherrywood table between the two brown leather chairs near us. “You have a family now. You don’t have to raise either of your kids alone again.”
I smiled, trying to make it seem as real as possible. “Okay. I’ve also been talking to Valentina, and she told me what you did for her. You’re a good man, and I know you’ll be a good father.” Just those twelve words on my tongue felt wrong, foreign. He may be a good man to some, but he wasn’t to me. And there was no way I’d ever let him raise either one of my babies.
“I have to admit, Tessa Baby. The Feds coming here isn’t good for me.”
“Shh.” I silenced him with a finger to his lips. “I don’t want to know anything. It’s better I don’t so if they question me again, I have nothing to say.”
He cupped my cheek. “You’re learning. I like that.”
And then I went for it. To get him to think I wanted to marry him, I needed to make the first move on occasion. At least, I hoped it worked. “You know what else you’d like?”
“What’s that?” He slowly smiled.
I gently lowered to my knees.
For the next few days, I tried to help Valentina around the house. She was my ticket to freedom even if she didn’t know it. She was the one who could get Sebastian to want to marry me if it was her idea. So, I was trying to be content. I was anything but happy, but the more I seemed to want to be here, the better my chances were.
“Whatcha makin’?” I asked Valentina, coming into the kitchen while Colt watched his latest PAW Patrol obsession.
“Arroz con pollo,” she replied as she cut up a whole chicken.
“What’s that?”
“Rice with chicken.”
“Sounds delicious.”
“Si, cariño. It’s one of my favorites.”
“Why haven’t you made it before?” I asked, leaning a hip on the counter.
“It was my oldest son’s favorite too, and it makes me sad.”
“Oh? Why are you making it then?”
“Today would have been his birthday.”
I smiled warmly at her and rubbed her back. “I’m sorry, Valentina. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Colt. What was his name?”
“Santiago.”
“That sounds like a strong name.”
“Si, he was very strong.” She started to dice a red bell pepper after she washed her hands.
I moved to take the knife from her in a silent gesture for me to help. “How old would he have been today?”
“Thirty-five.”
“Do you mind if I ask how he died?”
“No.” She shook her head and started to dice a yellow onion. “He was shot.”
The knife I was holding stopped mid-chop. “How?”
“My sons were in the business too.”
“The coke business?”
“Si.” Well, that made even more sense as to why she was loyal to Sebastian. “They ran the largest cocaine operation in Colombia, and other cartels wanted a piece of it. There was a war, and almost everyone died.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I knew it would happen one day. My country isn’t like your country. It’s very dangerous.”
“I’m sorry,” I said again. “How did Sebastian get involved?”
“He was a buyer for here in Las Vegas, and when he heard what happened, he went to my country and saw the devastation, the people, the dead people. He cleaned up my town and helped a lot of people.”
“So, he did it to keep his cocaine flowing?”
Valentina stopped chopping, and instead of answering me, she said, “Santiago’s favorite dessert was Merengón de Fresas. I make for dessert.”
I didn’t ask why she was changing the subject. “What is merengue de frittata?”
She chuckled. “Merengón de Fresas. It’s meringue, whipped cream, and strawberries—Santiago’s favorite.”
“Sounds delicious too.”
“Si. It melts in your mouth.”
“Can’t wait. I’m happy to be learning all these recipes. Then I can make them for my kids and husband one day.” Yes, I went there. Fingers were crossed.
“Husband?”
I shrugged. “Hopefully one day.”
She started to pat the chicken with a paper towel and then seasoned it with salt and pepper. “You mean with Mr. Delarosa?”
I shrugged again. “Maybe? I’m hoping I don’t keep having children out of wedlock. I’ve always wanted to get married. Have the big fancy wedding and honeymoon.”
“That would be nice.” She smiled.
“Yeah, and maybe before I get too fat to look good in a wedding dress.” I laughed, pretending I thought it was funny when really I just wanted the wedding to be soon. I wasn’t sure how Joss would know, but I had to trust her. Though, if this really happened and she didn’t show, I’d have to marry the devil.
“You’ll never be fat, cariño. Being with child is a beautiful thing.”
“True. I can’t wait to eat your strawberry dessert. Calories don’t count now.”
I wasn’t sure if that was true or not. When I was pregnant before, I wasn’t stuck in a house, so I was able to burn calories. Now, I probably didn’t take three thousand steps each day. But the dessert sounded delicious, and I couldn’t wait to try it.
“Put your faith in God’s will, Jefe. You’ll see that this is the best decision.”
I only caught that line coming from Valentina’s room as I passed by on my way to put Colton to bed. I didn’t know who she was talking to, but Sebastian was the only other person here besides the guard at the front door.
I hurried to my room to put Colt to bed before I was caught eavesdropping.
Three long days later, Sebastian came home, smiling. It was unusual, to say the least. Not because I didn’t see him smile, but because he was usually all busine
ss. In the time I’d been there, we’d never watched TV together, never had a glass of wine together—which was good considering I was pregnant, and I didn’t like wine. In fact, we never did anything together except have sex. Colton and I had dinner with Valentina each night, and honestly, I didn’t know when Sebastian ate because I rarely saw him in the kitchen. He’d come home, go to his office, do whatever he did, and then call for me to pleasure him. After he was done with me, he’d fall asleep, or sometimes he’d leave. Of course, I never asked questions. I didn’t care.
But now he was smiling.
“You seem happy today,” I observed as he poured himself a drink from the bar in the living room.
“It’s because I am,” he replied.
“Why’s that?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out later.”
I arched my brows. “Okay?”
He grinned some more. “Trust me, Tessa Baby.”
I returned to helping Colton do an animal sound puzzle.
“In fact, let’s do this now.” Sebastian downed the amber liquor.
“Do what?” I questioned.
“Come.” He reached out his hand for me.
I swallowed and took his hand. His office was a bad place to me and nothing good ever truly happened there, but I was trying to show him I wasn’t scared of him anymore, so I let him help me off the couch and then lead me up the stairs and to his office while Valentina watched Colt. I was on alert as I watched him walk behind his desk.
“Sit.” He gestured for me to take one of the high back chairs in front of his desk. I did. “Do you know I’m Catholic?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. Do you go to church?”
He smiled. “Not as often as I should.”
“Okay?”
“Do you know what’s frowned upon in the Catholic church?”
“Murder?” I sassed.
He chuckled. “There’s my feisty Tessa. I knew you were still in there.”
“Just stating the obvious.” For the past few days, I’d been really trying to make the first move, and even though I wanted to throw hateful words at him for just breathing, I hadn’t because I needed the plan to work.
“Yes, I guess you’re right. But do you know what else?”
I shrugged. “I’m not really religious.”
“But you believe in God, yes?”
“Of course.” I wasn’t sure why he was bringing up God. Did murderers think that just because they were religious, God would save their souls when they died? I didn’t think so.
“So do I, even though I don’t go to Mass to recite a bunch of Hail Marys.”
“Why are you talking to me about God?”
“Because.” He stood and walked around the desk toward me. “We’re having a baby, and I don’t want to have a baby out of wedlock.”
My mouth fell open. The plan worked. It fucking worked like a charm. “You want to marry me?”
He dropped to one knee and held up a massive oval cut diamond ring on a gold band. I didn’t know how big the main diamond was, but I was sure it was going to cover two fingers. “I’ve always wanted to be a father, and I’m certain you will grow to love me. We can be a happy family.”
Our gazes stayed locked, and I waited a few moments, pretending I was thinking it over. The sad part was I’d manipulated Valentina because she missed her sons. But I needed this. I just hoped Joss followed through.
“Well?” he prompted.
My gaze moved to the diamond and then back up to his blue eyes. I started to smile slowly. “Okay.”
His eyes became huge. “You will?”
I nodded and smiled wider. “Yes.”
Before I realized it, he engulfed me in a hug. “Our relationship might have started off on the wrong foot, but like you once told me, things happen for a reason. You won’t regret this.”
I hoped I wouldn’t. This plan would either hasten my escape or seal my death, because if I had to marry him, there was only one way out. I couldn’t live under his control forever.
“They do,” I replied to the first part of his statement. “When do you want to get married? I’ll be showing before we know it.”
He slipped the ring onto my left hand. “Then we will make it soon.”
“Will we have it here?” I questioned.
He thought for a moment. “No. There are too many people I want to invite to have it here.”
I nodded. “Okay, then when?”
“I know a place. It can hold five hundred people.”
“Five hundred people?” My eyes widened in shock.
“I know a lot of people, Tessa Baby.”
“Okay, five hundred people then.”
“And that includes your friends and family too.”
I gave a tight smile, not because I didn’t like the idea of my friends and family sharing my big day, but because if things went according to plan, this wouldn’t be my big day. “It’s okay,” I replied. “They’re my old friends and family. You and Valentina are my new ones.”
“Even Melony?” he asked.
“Yes. I just used her to get my job at Red Diamond.” I swallowed down my lie.
“Good. Now, because I’m not a very good Catholic boy, go get naked.”
Present Day
I looked around at the guests at Tessa’s wedding. No one looked familiar. In the short amount of time I’d known her, the only people I’d met were Melony and Sophia, and I didn’t see either one of them.
Melony hadn’t told me she’d heard from Tessa. Maybe she didn’t want to tell me Tessa was getting married? The last I heard from anyone was when Gabe told me he learned from Paul that Joss had opened an investigation. Sure, Joss had said she was looking into it and shit, but she’d failed. Tessa was getting married to this asshole, and I didn’t know what would happen afterward.
As I looked around, I wondered why I was invited. Sebastian clearly knew about me since my little trip to his office at Red Diamond, so how would he allow me to be invited? And because the universe hated me, Sebastian walked down the aisle next to me with an older woman on his arm. I watched him lead her to the front row and then, like a beacon in the dead of night, he turned and locked eyes with me. He grinned, and I went rigid. Fuck, I hated him.
I narrowed my eyes as he walked toward me. I expected him to keep going, get ready for his fucking wedding, but instead, he stopped.
“I see you got the invitation.”
Anger flowed through me. “Yeah, thanks for the invite.”
“I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d show.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Then why did you invite me?”
He shrugged and said hello to someone who was passing by, then turned back to me. “To see how you still felt about her.”
“Does she know I’m here?”
He slowly shook his head. “Nope. I want to see how she reacts to you, too.”
“Is this a game to you?”
He grinned and stepped closer, getting within a few inches of my face as he whispered, “I admit that at first, it was. But this game has been taken to another level now that Tessa is pregnant with my baby.”
“This isn’t a game,” I growled.
“Maybe. Maybe not. But who won her?” He took a step back and then turned and walked away, not letting me respond.
I wanted to go after him, tackle him to the ground and punch him repeatedly until he was on the brink of death. Instead, I watched Sebastian walk into the hotel and out of sight.
I’d had enough. My heart could no longer take the pain I was putting it through. Plus, he’d just confirmed Tessa was pregnant with his baby. I started to walk toward the door that Sebastian had entered but stopped when I heard a whistle. I turned around, looking for the source, and then grinned when I saw it. Instead of going through the door, I turned and walked down a walkway around the building.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Paul grinned. “I could ask you the s
ame.”
“I got an invitation,” I advised.
“Really? I kinda did too.”
“What does that mean?”
“Walk with me.” He started walking toward the front of the building.
“The wedding’s starting soon.”
“I know,” he called over his shoulder.
“Where are we going?” Paul didn’t respond as I followed him. He walked into the front doors of the hotel and then into another door off to the side. At first, I didn’t know what the room was, but then I noticed there were rows of luggage. “Are we in the bellman’s closet?”
“Yep,” he replied.
“Why—”
Joss stepped out from the back of the room. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
I balked. “Tell you I was coming?”
“Well, tell me you had contact with her.”
“I didn’t have contact with Tessa. The invitation appeared on my doorstep last night.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I didn’t like that she was interrogating me.
“You should have told me.”
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d come,” I admitted and looked to the ground. I made the decision this morning when I was staring at the names on the invitation of Teresa Stewart marrying Sebastian Delarosa. I needed to see her one last time.
“I’m glad you did come.”
My eyes snapped back to her. “What?”
“I couldn’t tell you before, but we have a plan.” Joss grabbed an earpiece off of the desk behind her.
“What plan?”
“A plan to get Sebastian and his associates together so we can bust them.”
“Tessa knows the plan?” I questioned.
“More or less. She doesn’t know the details.”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?”
Joss walked toward me. “Let me get you mic’d up, and then we’ll go over what I need you to do.”
I’d dreamed about this day as a little girl.
Over the last week, my life had gone from doing nothing in a house all day to trying to plan a wedding in a week. Yes, a week. Sebastian had gotten it in his mind that I was going to blow up to the size of the house. He didn’t say those words exactly, but when I mentioned that I hoped it would be sooner rather than later because I wasn’t showing yet, he put the wedding on a fast-track.
Rum & Coke Page 24