was raw and hoarse from crying. I knew she meant Saffie.
I tried to think. “Not sure. Fifteen, I think? Somewhere around that age.”
Adelita’s eyes squeezed shut. “And how old was she when she came here?”
I shrugged. “Don’t know, princess.” I sighed. “If you’re asking how old she’d have been when your old man . . .” I left it there. I didn’t need to end that sentence. She knew what he’d done. “Young. She’d have been real fucking young.”
Adelita’s face fell and more tears streamed down her face. “Did you know about the trafficking?” I shook my head. Adelita wiped her eyes. “I don’t know my father,” she whispered and stared across the room at nothing. “I have no idea who I have been living with my whole life, but he is a stranger to me. A demon who has just been discovered residing in a man. A man I love.” She swallowed and rested her head on her bent legs. “She’s a child, Tanner. A child.” Adelita’s bottom lip shook. “He . . .” She winced. “She’s a small child . . . and requested her, he—”
“Stop,” I instructed. I knelt up on the bed and cupped her face. “Stop fucking thinking it right now or else you’re gonna lose your mind.” Adelita’s hands gripped my wrists and her eyes squeezed shut.
“I can’t . . .” she whispered. “I cannot simply erase the thoughts from my mind.” Her head bowed like she had no energy left to keep her head upright. “The look on Saffie’s face . . .” Her shoulders dropped too. My hold on her face seemed to be the only thing keeping her from falling to the bed. “Her mother’s face hearing her daughter had had that experience . . . the mother herself . . . and the blonde who had relations with Garcia.”
Adelita lifted her head and there was a fucking storm brewing in her dark eyes. “I knew him, Tanner. I dined with him at my father’s table. We broke bread and drank wine. I . . .” Adelita’s face flushed with what looked like embarrassment. “I enjoyed his company.” I tensed. “Not like that, baby,” she said quickly. Her eyes lost some of their clouds when she saw my jealousy. “Just . . . in that he seemed like a good man.” She laughed a single laugh. She stared at the monitors I had in the corner of my room. But I knew she wasn’t really looking at anything. “My father was right. You were right.” She turned to me. “When we first met you called me a na?ve, privileged princess who knew nothing of the world. Stuck in my ivory tower built on blow.” Her bottom lip trembled. “And you were right. Only I wasn’t alone in that tower.” Adelita squeezed my wrist like I was her only fucking anchor. “I thought I lived there with knights . . . turns out I was trapped amongst monsters.”
“Baby . . .” I said and made her look at me. When she did, I saw her eyes were bright red and filled with pain. “You’re out of there now.” I felt my heart start to beat faster. “You’re out, and I guarantee you something now. You ain’t ever going back.”
Adelita’s eyes widened and I swallowed. Like a pussy, nerves started buzzing through me. Clearing my throat, I said, “You’re out of the hacienda. I’m out of the Klan . . .” Adelita’s hands were strong as they held my wrists. “We’re here, princess. We’re fucking here. Finally.”
“Tanner,” she whispered and her face flooded with tears. Adelita glanced down, but when she lifted her head, she had a smile on her face. “We’re here.”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. I knew we still had to talk through why the fuck she’d been getting married to that cunt, but right now, I didn’t care. I had my woman back in my arms after too fucking long.
Pulling Adelita toward me, I kissed her. At first, she tasted of tears, but when she kissed me back, I tasted her. That addictive taste only Adelita ever had. I tightened my grip on her cheeks and pushed my tongue into her mouth. Adelita moaned and her tongue fought against mine. My hands moved through her damp hair, then down her back, tracing every fucking curve of her body. Finding the bottom of her dress, I lifted it slowly, until I stopped at her tits. Breaking from Adelita’s mouth, I looked