Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“Is that why you kept standing her up?”
“That’s between Layla and me, but she knows my reasons why.”
“And she’s forgiven you?”
“Kind of…” I rubbed at my beard. “She’s a little mad at me still, but I’m working on making things right. I swear to you, I will devote my life to making your daughter happy.”
Some of the worry left his face, and the vein in his temple stopped throbbing. “I believe you, but give her a little time before you put a ring on her finger. At least wait until you’ve found whoever burned her house down.”
“Do you have any idea who might have some kind of a grudge against her?”
“No. Like I said, she’s the nicest girl. She’d literally give someone the shirt off her back, and she avoids confrontation.”
I snorted. “Not with me.”
Pat gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I know it sounds screwy, but that’s a good thing. She feels safe enough to stand up to you.”
“Lucky me.”
Scuffing his slipper on the copper stained concrete of the patio, Pat said, “You’re prepared to handle her…special needs?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then you have my blessing…for having her stay with you. Not that other thing.” His thin lips quirked, and his dark eyes sparkled.
“Understood.”
An hour and a lot of hugs later, I drove Layla down the winding road from the top of the massive hill where Leo’s home sat to my more modest home cut into the hillside.
Well, modest by Cordova standards.
My place sprawled over three thousand square feet and boasted an amazing infinity pool in the sloping backyard. The house itself was two stories of poured concrete, situated so only the first story was visible from the road. The cream walls and dark brown roof blended into the side of the tall hill. Large saguaro cactuses surrounded by massive flowering shrubs and trees softened the hillside, making the house blend in. The only things that made my home stand out were the massive, bulletproof windows that reflected the desert landscape.
I took the driveway that curved around the side of the house, leading to the garage on the lower level.
After I let Vali out of the backseat, Layla stood at the entrance to the garage, gazing out at the landscape. Vali joined her and she gave him the command that let him know he was off duty. She said he’d mainly stick to her side anyways, but he knew he was okay to explore and roam. True to her prediction, he began to sniff everything, but stayed within eyesight of his mistress.
“You’re pretty isolated out here,” she said as she stared into the desert valley.
Detecting a hint of apprehension in her voice, I left Vali to enthusiastically sniff around the garage as I joined her. “Kind of, but not really. See that dark roof in the distance, just over the crest of that hill? That’s Joy and Ramon’s place. You can’t see it from here, but Diego is building a house about a half mile away. That large grouping of boulders with the huge cactus at the base? Fernando owns that property. Plus, even though it’s hidden from our view, you know Hannah and Leo are literally right above us.”
“True.” A hot breeze blew into the garage, stirring her long hair around her face. “Fernando…that’s Diego’s twin, right? I haven’t met him yet.”
I hesitated, wanting to warn her about Fernando without betraying my loyalty to him. “You probably won’t meet him. Fernando is…different from Diego. He lost his son three years ago, and it changed him. He spends a lot of time away from people right now—does a lot of extended solo camping trips to remote locations all over the place. His family is worried about him, but I’m just glad he’s finally finding peace.”
She turned away from the outdoors and looked up at me, her large brown eyes filled with empathy. “Poor man. To lose your wife and your child in one fell swoop to a drunk driver. How tragic.”
I swallowed hard, looking away from her as she repeated the lie the Cordova’s told the outside world. To everyone else, Fernando’s beautiful ex-supermodel wife and son died in a terrible car accident. Ironic, considering Fernando used to be one of the world’s top racecar drivers, but those close to the family knew the truth. That the bitch of a woman sold Jason to a rival cartel to be used as extortion, except they’d fucked up and killed the poor kid instead of holding him hostage.
A shudder rippled down my spine as my thoughts turned dark.
“Hey,” Layla said with a soft nudge of her elbow. “Are you going to show me the rest of the prison—I mean, my new temporary home?”
“It’s not a prison.”
“Whatever you say, warden.”
Just like that, she brought me out of my downward spiral, and I gave her pert butt a tap. “Stop being so sassy, or I’ll have to flip that pretty skirt over your head and turn your bottom pink.”