Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Miguel smirked. “You’re much more than that.”
Nero’s insides simmered, and he gave him a soft kiss. “So what will you do now? Tell your mom the job’s done?”
“I guess I do want her to know I survived. Would you… would you like to see a photo of my family? From before the Caimans ripped us apart?”
It shouldn’t have felt like some grand gesture on Miguel’s part, but Nero found himself at a loss for words and nodded, offering a smile. Miguel grabbed his phone from the nightstand and after some clicking through, he pulled up a picture where everyone was dressed in their best, including a young boy—Miguel—who sported a tiny tux. Five teen girls wore colorful dresses with rows of ruffles, and their parents stood behind their offspring with bright smiles gleaming with pride that would soon be ripped off their faces.
Miguel pointed to one of the girls and whispered, “That’s Elisa, it was her quinceañera.”
Nero was ready to mourn with Miguel, to focus on his loss and offer support, but once his gaze stopped on Elisa’s narrow face, recognition stabbed him like a dagger. He figured he was seeing things, and that the woman he remembered from childhood must have been someone with features similar to those of Miguel’s sister, but his throat closed as he took in the shape of her nose, the size of her eyes, the neon pink streak in her hair, but most of all—a small birthmark high on her cheek, which looked as if she’d gotten a kiss from Venus herself.
He knew her.
“She fought our parents tooth and nail to color her hair so it went with the dress.” Miguel gave a sad chuckle. “They settled on allowing that one strand. My father did. I remember him being like that, a tough man, but with a soft spot for us kids.”
The pink streak was gone soon after Raul Moreno had brought Elisa home.
Nero had still been a boy, but she wasn’t the first young woman who had moved in with them only to disappear soon after. Some of them Father disposed of when he got bored, others left the home with babies to be raised someplace else. Father did not like to be disturbed by shrieks and cries, especially when the new baby was a girl and could not be of any future use to him.
With a rock growing in his throat, Nero spoke, “She looks lovely. You seem so happy together.”
Miguel gave the family that no longer existed one more glance and put away the phone. “I understand if you don't want to go to Mexico with me. Things could get ugly.”
Nero frowned, his mind still lingering on the fact that Elisa had given birth to his half-sister and likely still lived with her in some discreet location. Trapped and unable to contact family. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying we could set you up here in Lima, and I could join my mother to deal with what she needs done back home. And once it’s safe for you to join me, you will.” Miguel stroked his back but that didn’t ease the tension in Nero’s muscles, because all he could think about was that Miguel intended to leave him behind. After all they’d been through.
“No,” he said sharply and squeezed Miguel’s shoulder.
Miguel cocked his head. “No? You do know by now that my mother is no innocent. She could be a danger to you until I appease her.”
“I’m not gonna just sit here while you prepare a safe nest for me,” Nero said and grabbed Miguel’s hand. The truth about Elisa rang at the back of his head like an annoying bell that hit just the right note to make one constantly aware of it, but if he told Miguel the truth then—
Then Miguel would leave him. Because there was no way Elisa would accept the son of her abductor as part of the family.
Miguel sighed. “I just wanted to give you the choice, but I hoped you’d say that.” He pulled Nero close, and while they were both clean and naked, Nero’s brain for once didn’t say ‘let’s fuck, I could go again’. He was happy to just be with Miguel.
“Will you tell your mom before we go?”
Miguel hesitated but then rubbed Nero’s jaw with his fingers. “Yes, but let’s give it some creative license and say you helped me plan Raul’s assassination. You want some brownie points with your mother-in-law, don’t you?” He laughed it off, but warm, sweet butterflies still fluttered all over Nero’s stomach.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. And… well, I’ll just wear long sleeves to start off. Maybe some of the tattoos can be covered too?” Nero asked as hope rose in his chest.
“Like the one on my shoulder?” Miguel chuckled, arching his neck to see the art Nero had created on the canvas of his skin with the marker. “What is it? I can’t see well from this angle.”