The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2)(85)

Alaine arched an eyebrow at him. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” He pointed to the kitchen sink. “Go. You can’t afford to miss school.”



Jules had a lot of visitors since she was moved out of ICU, so Chuito wasn’t surprised to find Wyatt leaning against the wall outside her room in the maternity ward. His arms were wrapped around Tabitha, his head resting on the top of her head as the two of them just stood there in silence, a blanket of tension and sadness throbbing off them so potently Chuito could almost taste it in the air.

“Hey.” Wyatt grabbed Chuito’s arm but didn’t release Tabitha. He looked from Chuito to Alaine seriously. “We’re not telling Jules ’bout the shooting.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” Alaine said in a hushed whisper, because they had all been in the hospital when the Department of Justice had shown up to question Wyatt. Alaine didn’t know what Chuito did, that Wyatt had likely gone after the * he shot out of revenge, but she was aware he shot him. She just assumed, like everyone else did, that this prick, Vaughn Davis, had tried to shoot the sheriff, and Wyatt had defended himself.

“Thanks, darlin’.” Wyatt hugged Tabitha once more. “We appreciate that.”

Alaine held up her hands, making it clear she planned to keep it to herself until Wyatt could tell his sister. What version he was going to tell Jules, they might never know.

“Okay,” Alaine whispered and then pointed to the room. “You coming, Chu?”

Chuito nodded as he stared at Tabitha, who was so small in Wyatt’s arms, short and slight, with bright red hair bobbed at her chin that glowed under the fluorescent hospital lights.

They’d all been surprised when Tabitha crashed back into Wyatt’s life earlier in the year. She was his first love. Perhaps his only love and had left him a week after they got married thirteen years ago.

Chuito knew that because Jules had been bitching about it for the past four months. She was bitter toward Tabitha for hurting her brother, but like so many stories, Jules didn’t know everything.

Most people didn’t.

Everyone had secrets.

And demons.

For the first time, Chuito realized this tiny redhead was Wyatt’s Alaine. The woman he would do anything for, even try to kill a man, but he was still Wyatt. He hadn’t succeeded, because life had taught him to follow the rules instead.

Look at where that bullshit had got him.

Facing prison, just for trying to protect his woman.

That was probably the most unjust thing Chuito could think of, because Wyatt didn’t deserve that. He was one of those guys who tried to make the world better.

And someone had hurt his wife.

His Alaine.

Tiny and sweet, with a smile that told the world she trusted it even though she shouldn’t.

“Chu—” Alaine pressed.

“I’m coming.” Chuito walked past Wyatt and punched his shoulder lightly. “It’ll be okay.”

“Yeah,” Wyatt whispered, but he didn’t sound like he meant it. “Thanks, buddy.”

The shock of walking from the darkness in the hallway to the absolutely boisterous joy that was Jules’s hospital room was jarring.

Tino jumped up from a seat he’d been sitting in, holding one of his new nephews. “Look at this bambino.”

“Valentino!” Romeo shouted from his seat on the edge of Jules’s bed. “Stop hopping around with him. We’re going to take him from you if you keep doing that.”

“Nah, he’s strong like his zio.” Tino walked over and showed the baby off to Chuito and Alaine. “He’s handsome like his zio too. You wanna hold him?”

Chuito held up his hand. “I’m good.”

“I’ll hold him.” Alaine took the baby from Tino. Then she turned to Jules, who was sitting up in bed. Her hair was tied back, and she was still pale from her surgery, but it looked like she was healing. “Who is this?”

“Freddy,” Jules said as she pointed at the baby in Alaine’s arms.

“How can you tell?” Alaine asked, smiling ear to ear. “I can’t tell.”

“I don’t know. I just can.” Jules laughed and then gestured to Nova sitting in another seat, with another baby in his arms. “Have you met Nova? He always breezes in and out of town. I wasn’t sure if you’d met him.”

“I’ve been to your office, Jules,” Nova reminded her and then gave Chuito a wide-eyed look. “And we were all here when you had the twins.”

“This morphine has me so fuzzy,” Jules complained. “I hate it.”

“Enjoy the ride, mama.” Tino laughed and then walked over to Nova. “Give him to me.”

Nova jerked back, holding the baby in his arms tighter, giving his brother a glare. “Back off, Tino. I’m leaving in a week. You’re staying here. Let me hold my nephew.”

Chuito actually laughed at them, because it was sort of shocking to see them being so f*cking domestic. This was the Nova and Tino that Jules saw, and he understood why she didn’t see anything else.

For the first time he was really glad for it.

Chuito didn’t want Jules to have to see the darkness of the world any more than he wanted Alaine to see it.

Even if it lived under her roof.