Seducing Texas (So not Prince Charming #2)(12)

The tangy sweat sparkles on my body and his. Shane falls on top of me, squishing me. He rolls off, laughing at me catching my breath.

“Cynthia Diaz, I love you.”





Chapter Cyn


Shane loves me and that makes me smile the next morning, while I steal a few more minutes in bed.

My sheets smell of his scent and our sex. I inhale deeply, recalling every temptingly tasty morsel of his body. It’s too bad he’d gone to work by the time I got up. And to think, I almost let him get away. Last night he took care of everything, including me. He was completely calm and in control, while my nerves were rattled like dried bones by the Escalade trying to kill me. This morning, I feel one hundred percent satisfied but anxious about taking on Manny and seeing Dad in prison. It’s my first time to visit him.

I let out a long breath. Today’s the day I’ve been dreading for a while. I need to talk to Dad. How can I not blame him for Mom’s death or losing our ranch? If he’d come to Mom or me, we could’ve helped him. Manny wouldn’t have gotten to him, and she’d be alive. I hate my father.

I get up and pore over our finances. At most, even if I pay his employees bi-weekly and handle Red Sky’s finances, I won’t work enough hours to pay our bills. I need to apply for another job and that sucks.

“What’s wrong?” Willa asks.

“I need to get another job. I paid all his employees in a few hours. It won’t be enough. I’m sorry. I could sell Mom’s ring.” I don’t want to though.

“No.” Her face pinches. “It’s all we really have left of her, and if you try to sell it, Fay may say it belongs to her.”

I should’ve thought of that. I should give it back to her. Fay’s father, Mom’s first husband, gave it to Mom. It’s hard to part with. She wore it all the time.

I could borrow some money from Fay or maybe our grandmother on Mom’s side, but I don’t like to do that. They also may tell me to take a hike.

“Are we still going to see Dad today?” Willa says. “Maybe he has some money socked away, like buried on the ranch somewhere.”

“We don’t own the ranch anymore.” I don’t really want to see him. If he’d stayed away from his brother, we wouldn’t be here.

“It’s going to be tight this month,” I say.

“I could work full time,” Willa offers. She’s really a good kid. “Shane gave us a hundred. He must be doing well.”

“He owes the IRS millions.” I shake my head. “You need to focus on keeping your scholarship.” Or else college is out, and Mom wouldn’t want that. I wouldn’t want that. Willa should graduate first in her class and her SAT scores are high. She’s smarter in school than Fay and me. I have to study hard to keep my grades up.

We drive to the prison containing some of the most violent criminals. It’s not too far outside of Austin.

I try not to think about the fact the feds are watching us because they think we’ll lead them to our uncle, the infamous drug lord. They probably tailed us today.

We sit down in the visitor center on one side of the scarred plastic. Dad isn’t that old, but he looks like he’s aged a thousand years. He trudges up to the window and sits down.

“Hola, Cynthia, Willa. My babies.” Dad speaks in his native tongue, and tears crest his eyes.

I try to keep in mind that Mom loved him very much. I’m having difficulty doing that right now, even considering his regret.

“I want you to stay away from your uncle,” he says.

I shake my head. “Like you did?”

Willa knee bumps me. She’s the nicest one out of us but also the most gullible.

“Juarez’s thugs drove by our townhouse yesterday,” I say.

Dad thins his lips. “I don’t know why his men would come by unless…”

Dad isn’t telling us something, and I will get it out of him before we leave. “What is it, Dad?”

Averting his eyes, he scratches his few whiskers. He can’t grow a thick beard like Shane. Shane looks damn sexy with one. He has a lot of copper threads running through his hair and beard. They’re a hodgepodge of colors.

“Dad, what can we do to stop Manny?” Willa asks.

I lost my patience on the 80-mile trek in the Alaskan Interior. “Why did you start dealing again?”

He holds his head in his hands. I don’t know what Mom saw in him. Unlike him, she was a tough lady.

“My brother Manny owned me,” he starts. “I borrowed money from him to start my own landscaping business in the States, and the money was stolen from me before I could get the business going. I went to work for your Mamá. When he found out I’d married Grace, he threatened me and my family. Mamá told me to pay off my debt. I paid some of it. I thought he’d leave you alone.”

Willa’s hand reaches up to the glass between us, and dad places his hand on the opposite side of hers. “It’s okay, Daddy,” Willa says.

“No, it’s not.” Now it’s even harder for me to forgive him. “If Manny kidnapped Mom and tried to kill me, what makes you think he’ll give up?” He’ll come after me again or worse, after Willa. I need to kill him. That’s the only way we’ll be free.

Dad furtively glances from side to side and in a low voice asks, “Did you find the backup I made?”