wall. “Your fiancée? Anything else you’re fucking keeping shut about, asshole?” His words were fuel to the fire that was flaring inside me.
Slamming my hands on his chest, I threw him off me and caught Adelita’s eyes. Tears were running down her cheeks. My stomach fucking plummeted at the sight. Ky used my distraction to hit me again. I tasted blood in my mouth as the fucker kept coming at me.
“No!” I heard Adelita’s voice call out. Shoving Ky back, I fought to get to her. Ky grabbed my arm, and I swung. My fist connected with his lip, busting it wide open. He only smiled, licked his lip, and stormed toward me again. Fucker didn’t know when to stop.
Tank got between us. “Quit it!” he ordered. I looked back at Adelita. Her worried eyes were still locked on me. “Tann, calm the fuck down.” I breathed in and out, edging away from Tank and back toward Adelita.
A loud whistle cut through the room. Styx pushed through the brothers to stand before us like fucking Hades himself. His hands lifted.
“Calm the fuck down before I make you,” he signed. Tank interpreted. I kept my chin high. I wasn’t backing down, and I wasn’t gonna be made to feel like shit. This was Adelita. My fucking old lady.
Styx signed to Beauty.
“He’s told her to take Adelita back to our room, in the clubhouse,” Tank told me, knowing I didn’t know ASL.
“Sure.” Beauty looked at me, sympathy flooding her eyes.
“Lita,” I said without looking her way. “Beauty’s Tank’s old lady. I’ve told you about her, remember? About Tank?”
“Si,” she whispered. My stomach turned at hearing her voice again. She was scared, but like always, she was refusing to show it.
“Smiler, AK, take Beauty and Quintana’s daughter to the clubhouse and keep guard.”
AK stepped forward with his knife.
“Stay the fuck there,” I said. AK’s jaw clenched. “I’ll untie her.” Keeping my eyes on my brothers, I sliced my knife through the ropes around Adelita’s ankles, then moved behind her to untie her hands. As soon as her hands were free, they found mine. I took a deep breath as her fingers entwined with mine. That fucking feeling I’d held on to for all this time came flooding back. The settling of the rage in my blood. The steady beating of my heart, and the sense of home. Not giving a shit that all of my brothers were here, I moved in front of her, lifted her to her feet, and crushed my lips to hers.
Adelita melted into me as though no time at all had passed. If I hadn’t been aware of where we were, I could have tricked myself into thinking that we were back in Mexico. Back in her room. I was fucking consumed by her. Her smell, her feel, her taste.
When I broke away, Adelita’s eyes opened. Tears fell down her cheeks, and I had to fight back the anger that still burned inside me. She’d been getting married. Here she was, in Texas, in my fucking arms . . . in a white dress meant for someone else.
“Tann?” Beauty’s voice sailed to my ears. “Let me take her while you sort everything out. I promise I’ll look after her. You can trust me.” Adelita’s hands shook as they held on to my wrists. She looked at Beauty, and when I could tear my eyes away from Adelita, so did I. Beauty smiled at me, then turned to Adelita. “I’m Beauty.” She held out her hand. Adelita looked wary, but she shook it. “You have my word that no one will hurt you.”
“Go with her,” I said. Adelita still held on tightly to my wrist like she didn’t wanna let go. I slipped my hand into hers and kissed her again. “Trust me.”
Adelita nodded, then let Beauty lead her away. I fought a smirk when I saw her hold her head up high like the princess she was. My brothers stared at her as she walked past. AK and Smiler fell in line behind Beauty. My eyes tracked Adelita until she was out the door. My instinct was to follow her. But we needed to sort this shit. Once and for fucking all.
“That’s Quintana’s daughter?” Ky asked, translating for Styx. I nodded. The room was quiet.
“Time to explain,” Ky translated for Styx. “Right the fuck now. And no more fucking lying or missing shit out. This is your last fucking chance.”