Bad Men - Piper Stone Page 0,40
had such a different personality than Jack, but he remained on edge, harboring something from his past that he couldn’t seem to get away from. I dared to glance in his direction, my entire body tingling, forcing me to chastise myself for such inappropriate thoughts. I was a trained surgeon, for God’s sake, not some lusty little female in search of romance. I’d given up that thought a hell of a long time ago.
The slender moonlight allowed me to catch a glimpse of his silhouette, another deep sigh escaping my mouth. He was so strong, his carved muscles accentuated even in the dim lighting. Yet I could tell just how tense he was by the position of his shoulders and the way he scanned the area from side to side. He was worried and that actually gave me a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“The lights are off. I don’t think anyone is going to see me. Please just… please let me have some time. Everything has been so suffocating.”
Sighing, he remained where he was, moving the bottle from one hand to another. I could feel his stress, could hear his labored breathing. “I’m very sorry that you’ve gone through such a horrible nightmare. I can’t imagine.”
“Somehow, I think you can.”
His exhale was exaggerated as he turned his face in the opposite direction. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“What happened, in your past I mean?”
“You wouldn’t like me very much if I told you about my sordid life.” Huffing, he held the beer in front of him, finally taking a long pull after a few seconds.
“We all have an ugliness in our past, Diego. If anyone thinks otherwise, they’re dreaming.”
He chuckled, taking another long pull on his beer. “Not like this.”
“Why don’t you try me? I’m not here to judge anyone. I have no right.” My thoughts drifted to Michael, the arrogance on his face when I’d finally said goodbye. Then he’d actually acted like he was sorry, sending me several texts and presents. He must have thought I was stupid. The roses I’d tossed, the majority of presents thrown in the trash. I’d only kept the necklace I now wore, and I had no good reason why other than he’d finally seemed to accept we were finished. Maybe I’d ceremoniously bury it in the dirt before leaving. The thought gave me a smile.
“Yeah, well, I was a basic drug dealer for one big bad man in Miami. Bet you can’t top that.”
There were no words to offer that I thought would make any difference, so I remained quiet.
Diego darted a glance in my direction, chuckling under his breath. “I told you. The worst thing was that I stood by while he executed people. Not by his hands of course. He’d never get them dirty, but I didn’t try and stop the majority of executions, preferring to keep my status as his righthand man.”
I wasn’t shocked, even though I knew I should be. I’d been tossed into an entirely different world than the posh one I’d grown up in. “Sometimes we do what we have to in order to survive.”
“Forgive me for sounding crass, but you grew up in a wealthy family. Right?”
“Wealth doesn’t mean happiness, Diego. Something for you to remember.”
He nodded several times. “I guess you’re right. I never wanted that life. I just fell into it.”
“We all have choices, but they don’t always come when we need them. I think it’s what we ultimately do when we’re faced with horrors in our life that truly matter.”
He hung his head, shaking it as he laughed. “I just told you that I was a despicable criminal and you don’t seem to think that’s anything terrible.”
“What do you want me to say? That I forgive you? Or would you prefer me screaming at you, calling you horrible names?”
“You’re a religious girl, a sweet angel and I’m a monster. I’m not looking for forgiveness.”
“And I’m not religious.”
He snapped his head in my direction. “Then why the necklace?”
I ran my finger over it, laughing softly to myself. “It’s a pretty piece of jewelry and a reminder that I am stronger than I used to be.”
“Hmmm… That I can understand, and you are very strong. Few people could have sustained what you did and not be a little crazy.”
“Oh, I assure you that I’m a little crazy.” While both our reactions were delayed, the genuine laughter felt good, the sound coming from him sending vibrations down the length of my body.
Diego pointed the top