The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2)(155)

“Good or bad?” she asked again.

“I don’t know for sure,” Chuito said as he looked past the bedroom door thoughtfully and then turned back to Alaine. “But when I was twelve, my brother Juan adopted this f*cking cat. He wanted the cat, so we let him keep the damn cat. It was Juan’s cat. Only, he was a kid, so you know, he didn’t feed the cat. Marcos fed the cat, ’cause that’s what Marcos does, takes care of everyone else’s strays.”

“Okay,” Alaine whispered, because she understood Chuito was telling her something else. She just had to decipher it. “Go on.”

“So, this f*cking cat loved Marcos, and it didn’t matter how many times Juan said it was his; the cat still crawled into Marcos’s bed every night.”

“’Cause he fed it,” Alaine whispered in understanding.

“Yeah, the cat wasn’t loyal to Juan. Who the f*ck was Juan to him? Just some kid who stomped his feet and said it belonged to him. All the cat knew was the one putting food in his bowl every morning was Marcos.”

“Is that a true story?”

Chuito nodded. “Yeah, that’s true. My cousin’s still taking care of other people’s strays. Only now, it’s teenagers. I wish he would’ve stuck with the cats.”

Alaine laughed but then sobered as she looked at Chuito. “How many cats does he feed?” she asked, hoping Chuito understood she was asking about Nova instead of Marcos. “Do you think the cats understand he’s the one who feeds them?”

“I think that cat understands,” Chuito clarified as he tilted his head to the door, indicating Tony. “I think most of them do.”

“So, the old man was pissed off the cats weren’t his anymore?” Alaine asked.

“Yeah, egos are a bitch,” Chuito agreed.

“I had someone tell me pride f*cks up business faster than a love story,” Alaine whispered, remembering Nova telling her that in the house the night before everything went bad. “I guess it’s true.”

Chuito snorted. “It’s very true.”

“Can we do this, Chu?” Alaine asked him, because knowing they had others on their side made it seem a little easier. “Do you think we can do this?”

“Yeah,” Chuito whispered, sounding confident. “I think we can do this.”

“Will there be cats to help?” she asked, because it seemed so daunting with just the four of them. “Lots of cats.”

“Maybe more than we realize,” Chuito said thoughtfully. “He has spent a lot of years solving a lot of problems for a lot of people.”

Alaine looked at her hands, hoping it was true.

That Nova had fed enough cats to help them all survive this.

“I’m sad about the fighting, Chu,” she whispered, because it was easier than admitting she was still scared. “It seems like such a waste to retire so young.”

“Well, you know, mami.” Chuito stretched out on the bed. “There’s something to be said about going out on top, with all my faculties intact. Fighting’s not exactly great for my health.”

“Luckily you plan to just retire to a life of nice, easygoing luxury,” she said sarcastically as she fell down next to him and stared out the window. “But the view is nice.”

“Some days it feels good to be a gangster,” he offered in a lazy voice. She turned to look at him in horror, and he laughed. “It’s a song.”

“Is it?”

He nodded and laughed again. “Just a song.”

“But it is true.” Alaine rolled up to him. “Some days it’s good.”

“Some days,” he agreed as he ran a hand through her hair and then pulled her closer.

Chuito leaned up and captured her lips with his, letting his tongue slip past her lips when she parted to him. The two of them kissed long enough for her to forget the bad parts and just savor being Chuito’s wife, in his arms, with his ring on her finger and his hard cock pressing against her hip.

Chuito rolled them over and moved down to her neck, sucking and licking even though she had to use a lot of makeup to cover up all the other marks on her body.

Today she didn’t care.

Next week she’d work on that bad habit, because she was guilty of it too as his very expensive tuxedo and her more costly dress were tossed aside. The gun he wore under his jacket ended up lost in silk and lace, forgotten because they were safe for the moment.

The two of them lay spread out on that massive penthouse bed, completely naked, kissing and touching simply because they could, and there was nothing in the world to stop them. The passion was a slow burn this time, filled with awe and gratitude in a way Alaine knew few love stories unfolded. That was the gift of this life she chose; it taught her how precious these things were in ways she couldn’t have comprehended before Miami.

Alaine ended up breathless, sweaty, tugging on his hair and arching her hips to the hot slide of his cock against her bare stomach. Chuito was starting to get desperate too, the tease becoming almost cruel for both of them, but it just felt so good to touch. To take their time. To love each other fully and unconditionally.

“Eres tan bella, tan sexy.” Chuito ran a hand up her thigh and then slid his fingers between her folds, tracing the outline of her sex as she moaned and closed her eyes against the white-hot rush of pleasure. “Feels good, mami. You always feel good. Co?o, te lo voy a meter tan duro.”