cruised past them and around the first couple of buildings before parking. The bike stopped and Enrique popped up, but I needed a minute to catch my breath and take in everything that had happened tonight. I blew out a deep breath, and when I looked up, Enrique studied me.
“You never answered my question. Are you okay?” He extended his hand, and I took it, allowing his strength to pull me from the bike.
“I’m fine.” Closing my eyes, I pictured Enrique’s beat up BMW in the bank parking lot. “God, I’m sorry about your car. I’ll pay for it.” Somehow. Eventually.
He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of the car. I’ll tell the insurance I backed into a building. What happened, Kammy?”
“Can we get inside first?”
“Sure.” He took my hand and led me to the door.
“Where are we?”
“My place. I hope that’s cool. We should talk and I didn’t want to do it at Luke’s.”
“It’s fine.”
We stepped into a room with a large gray couch against one wall and a big screen TV and computer table against the other.
I crossed to the couch and took a seat. Enrique went to the kitchen the living room opened up into, flipping on a light as he walked by.
“Do you want a glass of wine?”
“Yes.” After tonight I could use the whole bottle.
A second light came on in the kitchen, and Enrique sat two wine glasses on the counter separating the rooms and began pouring into them.
“ Chica, what happened tonight?”
“I went to apply for jobs and I noticed Daniel behind me. He followed me forever, so I texted you to meet me. I thought he would disappear if you were there, the way he backed down in the bar that night. But he followed me to the coffee shop, and when he couldn’t get me out of the car any other way, he rammed it.” I crossed to the counter and picked up my glass. Enrique was around the counter pulling me to him in seconds.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Mí mama likes to talk, and I couldn’t get out quicker.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’m the one who wrote a hot check to a drug dealer.”
“And drop kicked him. How did you do that?”
I grinned. “I told you I was a dance major.”
“When I saw the car, and him and you, I was so worried, but then you knocked him out. That was hot, Kammy.”
I felt my cheeks warm at that and wondered what was happening to me. I wasn’t the kind of girl to blush, and this man had done it to me more than once.
“But I’m sure it hurt his pride to have his ass kicked by a girl. The next time he finds you alone, he’s going to—hurt you.” The way his voice dropped on those last two words told me it wasn’t what he wanted to say, because we both knew the truth. The next time he would kill me. “I would give him the money to leave you alone, but I’m not sure he would do it, and I can’t have a paper trail to a drug dealer. My big brother would have a field day with that one.”
“Hey, I didn’t ask you to pay him, and I don’t want you to.”
“I know you didn’t ask me to, but I’m not sure what other option you have. You could go to the police, maybe. But you’re probably going to come out of it with some charges, and I can’t have that either.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not killing time here, and I can’t have criminal connections either. I think that might get me disowned, if not disbarred.”
The blood raced through my cheeks. I felt the color growing darker. I hated having my emotions so displayed, but I loved the feeling I got from being around Enrique. “Enrique, I told you not to get mixed up with me.”
He shrugged. “I’m already involved.”
Then I did something I’d never done before. I was completely honest. “I’m scared.”
Enrique held me tighter. “I am too, but it’s going to be okay. Trust me.”
“He knows where they live.”
“Who knows where who lives?”
“Daniel. He knows
“You never answered my question. Are you okay?” He extended his hand, and I took it, allowing his strength to pull me from the bike.
“I’m fine.” Closing my eyes, I pictured Enrique’s beat up BMW in the bank parking lot. “God, I’m sorry about your car. I’ll pay for it.” Somehow. Eventually.
He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of the car. I’ll tell the insurance I backed into a building. What happened, Kammy?”
“Can we get inside first?”
“Sure.” He took my hand and led me to the door.
“Where are we?”
“My place. I hope that’s cool. We should talk and I didn’t want to do it at Luke’s.”
“It’s fine.”
We stepped into a room with a large gray couch against one wall and a big screen TV and computer table against the other.
I crossed to the couch and took a seat. Enrique went to the kitchen the living room opened up into, flipping on a light as he walked by.
“Do you want a glass of wine?”
“Yes.” After tonight I could use the whole bottle.
A second light came on in the kitchen, and Enrique sat two wine glasses on the counter separating the rooms and began pouring into them.
“ Chica, what happened tonight?”
“I went to apply for jobs and I noticed Daniel behind me. He followed me forever, so I texted you to meet me. I thought he would disappear if you were there, the way he backed down in the bar that night. But he followed me to the coffee shop, and when he couldn’t get me out of the car any other way, he rammed it.” I crossed to the counter and picked up my glass. Enrique was around the counter pulling me to him in seconds.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Mí mama likes to talk, and I couldn’t get out quicker.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’m the one who wrote a hot check to a drug dealer.”
“And drop kicked him. How did you do that?”
I grinned. “I told you I was a dance major.”
“When I saw the car, and him and you, I was so worried, but then you knocked him out. That was hot, Kammy.”
I felt my cheeks warm at that and wondered what was happening to me. I wasn’t the kind of girl to blush, and this man had done it to me more than once.
“But I’m sure it hurt his pride to have his ass kicked by a girl. The next time he finds you alone, he’s going to—hurt you.” The way his voice dropped on those last two words told me it wasn’t what he wanted to say, because we both knew the truth. The next time he would kill me. “I would give him the money to leave you alone, but I’m not sure he would do it, and I can’t have a paper trail to a drug dealer. My big brother would have a field day with that one.”
“Hey, I didn’t ask you to pay him, and I don’t want you to.”
“I know you didn’t ask me to, but I’m not sure what other option you have. You could go to the police, maybe. But you’re probably going to come out of it with some charges, and I can’t have that either.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not killing time here, and I can’t have criminal connections either. I think that might get me disowned, if not disbarred.”
The blood raced through my cheeks. I felt the color growing darker. I hated having my emotions so displayed, but I loved the feeling I got from being around Enrique. “Enrique, I told you not to get mixed up with me.”
He shrugged. “I’m already involved.”
Then I did something I’d never done before. I was completely honest. “I’m scared.”
Enrique held me tighter. “I am too, but it’s going to be okay. Trust me.”
“He knows where they live.”
“Who knows where who lives?”
“Daniel. He knows
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