“Yes, and I did try and please her.” His smile was almost infectious, as if whatever memory had surfaced was one that he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. “I was once an obedient son.”
I felt deeply sorry for him, wishing I could help ease the burden. As if I knew what the hell a girl like me from South Carolina could do to aid a dangerous man like Rafael.
He eased back in the chair, taking several sips of wine.
“Did you find him, this Calleja?” I dared to ask the question.
“Not yet, but it’s just a matter of time.”
I shifted forward, planting my feet on the deck. “My guess is that you have soldiers everywhere, more so than police officers and I also guess that your tactics have no particular... rules. And you can’t find one man?”
“A man who does not want to be found can easily lose himself in a country of this nature. Besides, he is truly a mysterious stranger.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means he keeps to himself with few around him and enjoys wearing certain disguises.”
I thought about what he was saying. “You don’t know what he looks like.”
“Only to a point.” He swirled his wine before taking a huge gulp. “I have a terrible feeling that he is one of my father’s business associates.”
“More betrayal.”
“Yes, even more so for my father.”
He seemed more reflective than I was prepared for, a man who hungered for a way out.
“I don’t know how you do it,” I whispered.
“If you’re asking if I find the life difficult, I do on several levels. I’ve worked very hard to get to the point I could imagine taking over my father’s helm. I always thought that in doing so, I could make significant changes to the organization, relying less on brutal tactics and more on developing powerful friends. Now, I’m not so certain.”
“What happened?”
He reached over, placing his hand on my leg. “I’ve already told you, I’m not going to pull you into my world.”
“Then why am I even here and please don’t tell me that it’s all because of protecting me because you’re feeling guilty. If that’s it, then stick me on a plane back to the States. I’m certain my aunt would understand if I bailed.”
He sucked in his breath, putting his wine on the table then moving to a standing position, his body tensing as he leaned over the railing. “I can’t do that.”
“Why? There has to be a reason other than what I mentioned. There must be. Tell me. Let me in like you did before. What can I do to hurt you?”
The silence was horrible, only the waves creating echoes in my ears. A lump formed in my throat. I wanted so much to tell him how I felt. Actually, I wanted to scream it to the silent ocean, but what did it matter? He couldn’t care about me any more than I should care about him. We were not destined to be together.
“I know about your stepfather.”
I couldn’t comprehend the words, at least not at first. “What did you say?”
“I said,” he stated slowly, “that I know exactly the kind of monster your stepfather is and what he did to you.”
I was thrown, more so than the very day I found out my sister had been murdered. Murdered by the asshole who’d beaten my mother, a man who’d destroyed my life because of his alcohol abuse and his violence. I hadn’t realized I’d risen to my feet until I was swaying back and forth. The reality of his words from before were finally sinking in. “How. Dare. You.”
He turned his head further away, as if what I said didn’t matter.
“Are you fucking listening to me? I said, how dare you. You looked into my life, my private world. For what? To see what you could use against me? To make certain I wasn’t working with your enemy? What?” When he didn’t say anything, I lost it, tossing the wine in his direction. My God. The man didn’t even budge as the glass smashed against him, tumbling to the deck and breaking into a solid twenty pieces. He just didn’t give a shit.
My entire body shook from the sadness and rage, the horrible memories rushing to the surface. “My sister was the only good thing in my life. I thanked God every day my mother didn’t live to see that monster destroy her. My beautiful baby sister. My wonderful friend. Now, you use it against me?