by LK Shaw
Normally, her soft breathing soothed me, but tonight, after yet another encounter with River, I was still a bit on edge. The reassurances to myself that he was harmless were all I had, despite the fact there were moments I doubted myself.
I couldn’t believe I’d told him I had a boyfriend, but I hoped it would be enough to get him to leave me alone. If he thought there was a man in my life maybe he’d take the hint I had zero interest in him, no matter how much smarmy charm he laid on me.
An image of Pablo popped in my head. I wish I knew what it was about him that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Yes, he was gorgeous, but good-looking men were everywhere, and I had no trouble dismissing them. Was it because he was Ines’ brother? Or maybe it was how sweet he was to Maisie. I couldn’t trust that though. Not after Jonas.
Whatever it was, it was too late to try and figure it out tonight. Tomorrow would be here far too soon, and I had far too many things to worry about, like saving up my money so I could get out of this shithole.
Chapter 7
The house was stifling. Family were the only ones here, but lately, being around all of them made it so damn hard to breathe. I wanted to escape to my room. What the fuck was wrong with me? Even since I’d been shot, something inside me had changed, though I tried denying it. A quick glance around confirmed everyone was busy getting ready for the birthday party. I took the opportunity to slip out the sliding glass door and onto the back deck.
I was also on edge, because I was waiting for a call from Oliver. The last time we’d met, he was waiting on confirmation of something big, but wouldn’t tell me what it was until he knew for sure. He’d gotten deeper inside Los Lobos and closer to Morales. I warned him not to push too hard, but in typical Oliver fashion, he did what he thought would get him more intel, and to hell with the risks.
A light summer breeze blew in off the lake to keep the temperature decent, but the humidity was thick. It wouldn't be long before the beads of sweat would grow above my lip. I didn't tolerate the heat well. The swings on the jungle gym Dad had installed after Cristina’s birth swayed slightly back and forth. I leaned down on my forearms on the deck railing and sucked in a deep breath, the smell of my father's carne a la tampiqueña cooking penetrating my nose, and some of the tension eased out of me on my exhale. The department psychologist had cleared me to go back to work, but he'd cautioned me to take it easy. Not just physically, but mentally. I'd waved off his concern. I was fine.
The door opened behind me. My jaw clenched to hold back a sigh of annoyance at someone disturbing my solitude. Why couldn't I get a few minutes to myself without one of my brothers or sister interrupting me? All they did was ask how I was doing. Every fucking time I saw them. It was getting old.
“I brought you a beer."
The bottle appeared in front of me, and I took it from my father's hand. "Thanks. I thought you were cooking?"
"Brody took over."
I glanced sharply in his direction. "Brody?"
My dad chuckled. "Believe it or not, he's actually becoming quite the chef. I've been giving him a few cooking lessons on some of your sister's favorite dishes. You know that boy will do anything for her."
Envy coursed through me. I loved my sister, and Brody was like a brother to me. I was happy that they’d found each other. Both of my brothers had found love as well. Being around all the happy couples, though, was a constant reminder that I was alone. The last single Rodriguez. I took a sip of my beer to try and distract myself from those thoughts.
“Did I ever tell you about the time I was shot during a domestic disturbance call?"
Once again my head snapped in my father's direction. "What? When did this happen?"
He didn't look at me. Instead his gaze stayed focused out across the backyard. “I'd been on the force for five years. In fact, it was a week after my anniversary. My partner and I were out on patrol when the call came in about a couple yelling and a child screaming in a neighborhood on the southwest side of the city. We arrived on scene and knocked on the door announcing ourselves. More banging and yelling came from inside and then a male voice hollered that he was going to kill the woman."
After tipping back his own bottle for a drink, he continued. “We called for backup, but we couldn’t wait until they got there. I kicked in the door and after a short scuffle we had the husband subdued. I'd just slapped the cuffs on him when I heard this loud pop, and then felt searing pain in my arm. The man's wife started screaming at us to let him go. By this time, backup had arrived and the woman was placed under arrest as well."
Jesus. All these years … "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
My father shrugged. “I guess I never really thought about it. Being shot has always been a hazard of the job. Something all you kids already knew going in. It could happen to any of us. My point is, I know what you're going through. I’ve been there. It’s not always easy to come back from it.”
I stiffened. "Look, I told you all I'm fine. Like you said, it's a hazard of the job. I just wish everyone would stop talking about it."
Dark brown eyes everyone but me had inherited bore into mine. "Pablo, you are my son. I know each and every one of my children far better than they think I do. You can tell us all how well you're doing, but I see you. I see the way you limp and rub your leg when you think no one is watching. I'm not saying you should take it easy, even though you should, but you need to stop lying. Especially to yourself."
With a final disappointed look, my father returned to inside the house, leaving me with the echo of his words. Fuck. There was nothing I hated more than letting my dad down. The sick feeling in my gut only grew. I chugged down the rest of my beer and remained outside a few minutes longer.
The hustle and bustle of a full house remained as I stepped back into the dining room. Brody was still standing at the stove, and my sister-in-law was pulling something out of the fridge. Cristina and Nicholás went tearing through the den, whooping and laughing, and disappeared down the hallway.
"Oh, Pablo, can you please get in one of those grocery bags over there and find the candles for the cake?" Marguerite waved in the general direction behind where she stood. With a sigh, I tossed my bottle in the garbage and rifled through the plastic on the counter in the vicinity she'd pointed until I found a box of red, blue, yellow, and green striped candles.
The jingle of the doorbell rang through the house.
"Somebody get the door, please?" Marguerite hollered out over her shoulder.
The bell rang again.
“I'll get it," I offered and headed that way. Where the hell had everybody run off to?
The shadowy figure on the other side of the frosted glass fidgeted. I could see the erratic movement of whoever stood behind it. I pulled it open, and the air left my lungs. For several beats, I could only stare at the young woman standing there. Our eyes locked, hers widened in surprise.
"Hi, Mister Pablo."
I jerked at the greeting, and my gaze darted down to meet Maisie’s. She was smiling and a completely different child than the one I’d first met outside the pool.
Thankful for the interruption, I smiled back at her. "Well, what a nice surprise. How are you? I didn't know you were coming.”
If I had, maybe I could have prepared myself better. As it were, I felt like a nervous teenager on his first date.
"Mama said we was coming to a birthday party and there was going to be cake and ice cream and punch and maybe even games to play and I never metted ‘tina before," she rambled, barely taking a breath.
Michele winced. "Sorry, she's just really excited."
Why was she apologizing?
"It's fine. Come in." I stepped back to let them by, and the soft scent of orange citrus wafted around me.
"Um, is there a place for presents?" she asked.
I cleared my throat and pulled my gaze away from her face to instead focus on the small package wrapped in pink paper she held in her hand. I glanced around. Where the hell had Marguerite pu
t the gifts from the family?
“You made it. I’m so glad.” Ines’ voice filled the room. She hustled over, gave her friend a hug, and then bent down to pull Maisie into her embrace next before rising again. “Here, let me take that.”
Michele passed over the gift.
“Come on Maisie May, why don’t we go find Zoey?” She took the little girl’s hand. “Pablo, maybe you could give Michele a tour.”
I glared. Was this some ploy? Ines merely smiled, turned, and the two of them disappeared down the hallway toward the family room, leaving Michele and I alone in an uncomfortable silence.
Chapter 8
I stood completely dumbfounded, my mind spinning like mad. Ines had said cake and ice cream. I’d assumed we’d been invited to a kid’s party, not to a family gathering. Oh, god. Was Ines playing matchmaker? No, she couldn’t be.
“Would you like something to drink?”
My head jerked in Pablo’s direction, but it took me a beat to process his words. Drink. Oh, yeah. “Sure. I mean, yes, please.”
I really hoped he meant something with alcohol—the stronger, the better—because I was feeling the need for some liquid courage. Being near him gave me that fluttery sensation in my belly I hadn’t experienced in a long time. And any time the sensation hit, it always seemed like I lost the ability to think clearly.
“Kitchen’s this way,” Pablo gestured, and I followed behind while he led the way.
Unconsciously, my eyes dropped to his ass. I’d gotten a pretty good idea what the front looked like, thanks to those wet swim trunks he’d been wearing a couple weeks ago, but the backside remained a mystery.
Holy hell was it worth the wait. His jeans displayed the taut muscled globes to perfection. My eyes were so focused on that really nice butt, I almost collided with it when Pablo came to a stop. Heat flared across my face, and I took a quick step back with a mumbled apology. Quit acting like some sex-starved lunatic for god’s sake.
“Hey, Michele,” Brody greeted me, and I sent him a silent thank you for calling attention away from my idiocy.
“Hi, there.” I’d grown fond of him over the last couple years.
“We’ve got beer, pop, or water,” Pablo said.
No vodka or tequila then. “Pop, please.”
“Glass?”
“No, thanks.”
He handed me the ice cold can, and our fingers brushed, causing a small current to flare to life. It felt so hot against my skin, I was surprised the aluminum in my hand didn’t explode from the heat. My eyes met his, but he didn’t give any indication he’d felt it too. Of course he didn’t. Why would he?
“We’ll just be in the way if we hang out in here much longer. Would you like to go outside? Or if you’d rather, we can go find the rest of the gang. They’re probably all in the family room so be prepared for utter chaos in there.”
A small sliver of guilt pierced me at the thought of not checking to make sure Maisie was doing okay, but Ines would come get me if there was a problem. Plus, I found myself really wanting to spend time with Pablo. He was probably only being polite with the invitation, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to talk more with him.
“Outside would be nice.”
He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and we headed out the glass door onto the large wooden deck that looked perfect for family cookouts. Something scraped across the wooden surface, and I turned at the sound.
Pablo had pulled out one of the chairs from around the square table with an opened umbrella speared through the middle of it.
“It’s a little cooler in the shade.”
He pushed the seat in behind me and then took the one next to me, both of us staring out into the yard. A weird feeling came over me. No one had ever held a chair out for me before. Within seconds of us sitting, his phone rang.
“Sorry,” he said with a sheepish grin, reaching into his back pocket. “I’m never off duty.”
“It’s okay.” I smiled back.
Pablo glanced down at his phone, and the mirth faded from his lips. In fact, his whole demeanor changed. Tension pulsed off him. “Excuse me, I have to take this.”
He jumped up from the table without another word and hurried inside. I sat for a few minutes, debating on finding Ines and Maisie, and just as I made the decision to head in, Pablo opened the door and stepped back out onto the deck. He seemed different than before the phone call.
“Is everything alright?”
Pablo’s head jerked in my direction and he blinked like I’d pulled him from a distraction. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, it’s nothing. Just work.”
Pablo didn’t elaborate, so I cleared my throat to break the silence, plucking at the tab on the top of my can of pop. “I don’t think I ever thanked you.”
His head swiveled in my direction, brows furrowed. “For what?”
“For the whole Rapture thing and going after Mr. King for supplying it. I mean, you basically got shot because of me. I’m sorry you were injured because of it, but you have no idea how relieved I am that my friend got justice. I only wish that you hadn’t been hurt because of it.”
He should resent the hell out of me.
“I appreciate it, but none of it was your fault.” Pablo shifted, his expression flickering with some emotion, and glanced away as though uncomfortable. Whether for my gratefulness or my apology. Maybe both.
“I know, but I still feel guilty about it.”
Call it a flaw, a failing, or even a weakness, but I’ve always felt bad about things I have no control over. Didn’t matter what it was. My mother lamented over it constantly. She’d always tell me to never show regret. Guilt was a wasted emotion. She said it was for the weak. Things happened. You dealt with them, and then you moved on. No need to wallow in could haves or should haves.
“Ines told me that you’re having problems with one of your neighbors?” Pablo changed the subject.
The same feeling that I was blowing this out of proportion came over me. I didn’t really want to talk about River. I also didn’t like the idea of anyone fussing over me. I’d gone my entire life without anyone but my daughter caring about me. It was difficult remembering the fact that I had friends who wanted what was best for me. “I’m not sure I’d call it problems, really. He’s just a little flirtatious, I guess. I try to ignore him when I can.”
“I assume you have sturdy locks on your doors and windows?”
“There’s a deadbolt and chain on the front door. I’m on the fourth floor, so I haven’t really paid attention to the windows. There’s no fire escape, and I don’t have a balcony, so unless they rappel from the roof, no one should be able to get in.”
“That’s good. Make sure I have your address before you leave, and I’m more than happy to swing by and check on things a few nights a week. I’ve got things going on in the area, so I’m almost always nearby.”
The thought of seeing Pablo more often was certainly an appealing one, but I hated to inconvenience him. He must have sensed my hesitation, because he laid a hand on my arm.
“I’d feel much better about your and Maisie’s safety if you let me do this.”
For a moment I couldn’t say anything. All I could do was feel the heat of his touch on my arm. It dashed across my skin and then settled like a warm puddle of straight whiskey deep in my belly. I raised my eyes to meet his, and my heart rate kicked up a notch. My tongue darted out to wet my dry lips. His gaze flickered to my mouth, and there was a flash of arousal in his expression.
The sliding glass opened, startling me, and Pablo quickly pulled his hand back.
“Food’s ready, you two,” Ines announced from the doorway, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. “Be sure to save room for cake, though. After we’re done eating Cristina is going to open presents.”
“Thanks,” Pablo said, drily. “We’ll be right in.”
She disappeared back inside, leaving the door open.
“I guess we better get in there before the mob shows up and al
l the food disappears,” he joked.
Awkwardly I rose and headed inside. The back of my neck tingled, as though his eyes followed me. Chaotic noise greeted me. The kitchen was full of every Rodriguez and their extended family members. It was standing room only. I hadn’t made it two feet into the house before Maisie barreled into me, wrapping her arms around my legs.
“Mama! Mama! ‘tina let me play with her dolly and we colored and I drawed you a picture.” She drew back, shaking the piece of paper in her hand. “Lookie.”
“My goodness, you’ve been busy haven’t you? Let me see what we have here.” I took the page from her, glanced down at the picture, and blinked. “Wow, look at all these people. Who is everybody?”
She pulled my hand down that held the paper and started pointing. “That’s Miss Ines. And that’s Zoey. And that’s me.”
“Who’s this?” I indicated the two stick figures that seemed to be holding hands.
“Mama,” she drew out the word like she was exasperated I couldn’t figure it out. “That’s you and Mister Pablo.”
There was a cough, or maybe choked laughter, from somewhere, and mortification swept over me. Today was only the second time she’d even met him. I needed to say something.
“Thank you, sweetie, it's wonderful. You did such a good job. I’m going to hang this on the fridge when we get home.”
“Can I see that?”
The question came from directly over my right shoulder. I turned my head and was nearly nose to nose with Pablo. His eyes met mine for a moment before he moved his gaze to the drawing still in my hand. I passed it over to him. He seemed to study it intently, before he nodded his head. His attention then went to Maisie. “This, young lady, is a masterpiece. Thank you for including me. It’s beautiful.”
To my amazement, she giggled and blushed. Apparently I wasn’t the only one affected by Pablo.
“Alright, everyone,” Ines’ father, Ernesto, called out. “Let’s get eating.”
