The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2)(65)

Alaine punched him.

She caught him with a right hook that unfortunately connected with the bruise Tino left him with. He grunted, his eyes closed with pain, but he didn’t stumble.

He just stood there, shoulders tight, body tensed like a panther about to spring.

“Go back to your apartment,” he growled, razor sharp and icy as he opened his eyes to glare at her. “Now.”

“No, I don’t think I will,” she said haughtily.

He took another deep breath. “Don’t push me tonight. I’ve had a bad f*cking day, Alaine.”

“Guess what?” she shot back. “I don’t give a shit. I’ve had a bad day too.”

“I would love to have a bad day like yours.” He laughed bitterly. “Just once, I’d love to stress about paperwork or bills or whatever mierda you and Jules do downstairs all day. I would love for that to be all I had to worry about.”

“How dare you?” She gasped, unable to believe he had just trivialized her work. “You’re as sexist as Tino!”

“Do not put me in the same category as Tino,” he warned her, his voice still low and dangerous. “Do you want to f*ck him? I haven’t forgotten what happened at the sheriff’s office.”

“Yes, that’s it.” She pushed Chuito as she stepped past him, and then walked down the stairs. “That’s exactly it. I’m going to f*ck Tino. Why not? It can’t be any worse than Edward. In fact, from what I heard, it’ll probably be pretty darn good.”

Alaine stomped downstairs barefoot, without her keys, but it didn’t seem to matter.

“Tino’s unattached. Experienced. Low maintenance.” Alaine was mumbling it, almost trying to convince herself. “Might as well take advantage of one of the best-looking fellas in Garnet County since he’s available. He’s been hitting on me for over two years, and like a fool, I’ve been turning him down. Not like anyone else is interested.”

The truth was, if she did go to Tino’s, she would punch him too, but Chuito clearly didn’t know that as he stomped down the stairs behind her. He grabbed her wrist when she went to reach for the doorknob, and flattened his other hand against the door frame, looking so very big and overbearing all of a sudden.

She wasn’t real sure why he looked so much larger than he usually did. Maybe it was that same hard set to his shoulders she had noticed earlier, or the way his dark eyes seemed to burn her as he glared down at her.

“You don’t get to f*ck Tino.”

“I’m sorry?” She blinked up at him in false innocence, because she wasn’t going to be intimidated. If she could hold her own in a courtroom, she could certainly do it now. “Were you under the impression you get to have an opinion on who I f*ck?”

“Anyone but Tino,” he amended, which surprised her.

And pissed her off even more, which was amazing.

“Fine.” She shrugged, keeping up her air of cool indifference. “There’s a new fighter in town. A Latino fighter. Just my type. Lucky for me I was the one who showed Javier the place they’re renting him. I’ll be honest, Chu. He was looking awfully hard. You may not like what I have to offer, but he just might.”

Chuito’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have any idea what kind of men you’re talking about?”

“Sexy, muscular, tattooed,” she suggested with false casualness.

“Dangerous, mean criminals,” Chuito added. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” she announced with certainty, because she was in full-on competition mode, and she was determined to win. Chuito had far too many victories of late. Alaine needed one. “That’s exactly what I want. The church boys you suggested didn’t work out for me.”

“You want to be used and thrown away by criminals?” he asked in disbelief.

“See, that right there.” She pointed at him accusingly. “Don’t you understand what a caveman you are when you say things like that? Why is it always assumed that women are the ones being used? Maybe it’s the other way around. I’m a grown woman. If I want to have a one-night stand with a handsome fighter, I can, and I don’t give a shit what you or society or anyone else has to say about it.”

Alaine believed it too. She was done with pushing her needs aside. It was unhealthy. It was insane. Most importantly, it was wholly unfair.

She turned around and opened the door.

“You want to f*ck a criminal. Fine.” Chuito caught her waist before she could walk outside, turned her around, and then jerked the door shut. “You’re in luck, mami. One just became available.”

She sucked in a shocked gasp, and all the blood rushed to Alaine’s head when Chuito tossed her over his shoulder. For one long moment she was truly and completely stunned. She needed to gain weight, work out more, put on a lot more muscle, because no one could toss Jules over their shoulder like this. At a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet, Alaine felt vulnerable for the first time in her life.

Then she was angry again.

She fought and kicked and beat at his back. She aimed for the soft spots in his back that protected his kidneys. She tried to kick low enough to catch him in the balls.

Chuito’s arm just tightened like a vise, making her realize how truly strong he was. He walked up the stairs, seemingly unfazed by her temper tantrum. She could practically feel the anger radiating off him.