Delgano: A Dark Contemporary Interracial Romance

With his thoughts ruminating on his and Sayeda’s breakfast conversation, he left the table and went in search of something to entertain himself with until Sayeda returned for lunch.

As he passed the library, he spotted long, denim-clad legs dangling over the side of an armchair. A copy of The Awakening by Kate Chopin obscured the person’s face, but with that hair, there was no way she was genuinely hiding.

“Weren’t you supposed to come back here, I don’t know, a while ago?” he hissed, entering the room.

Hannah set the book aside, hopped up, and walked over. She tried to wrap her arms around his midsection, but he stepped out of her reach. Being a sucker for a pretty face didn’t mean that, if she touched him, he wouldn’t try to collapse her windpipe with a tight fist.

“Seriously, babe?” She pouted, the corners of her mouth creating wrinkles in her chin. “You didn’t miss me? Is it because I’m a redhead? Tall? American?”

“That’s not your real hair color.”

“It is until my roots grow out.” She stared into his eyes. “Why are dangerous men usually so gorgeous? Is it an evolutionary thing?”

“Did you want something?”

“Yes. To fuck you.”

He snorted. “You’re not my type. I’m not attracted to women who abduct me from Mexican deserts and go by the name Hannah.”

“So close your eyes.” She shrugged. “Once you’re inside me, your dick won’t care.”

On the contrary, it would care too much.

“Gano, I’m bored, and I’m sure you’re bored. Doesn’t sex sound like a fun way to pass the time?” She slid her palm down his chest. “While you were out, I might have sampled the goods a little bit, and I’m surprised you don’t walk around hunched over with all that?—”

He wrapped a hand around her neck and forced her back against the nearest wall. Unlike with Sayeda, no one showed up. Also, unlike Sayeda, fear flashed in her eyes, though for less than a nanosecond. Based on how either woman presented herself, their reactions didn’t at all match their outward personas.

“I didn’t touch you like that while you were unconscious, Adrían,” she choked out. “I was kidding. I know about your mother, and I’m sorry I had to use that information as a weapon. Honestly, I’m here because the initial objective was to leave you here to stew, so it reduced the likelihood of you saying no to my request.”

He released her. “What request?”

“I’m supposed to take you shooting,” she said, gently stroking her neck.

“How do you know I won’t turn the gun on you?”

“I don’t.”

“When are we leaving?” At this point, he would have agreed to walk into hell just to get out of this place. “I’m ready to go now. Lead the way.”

She studied him, chewing on her top lip. “Look, Adrían, I’m not a danger to you. And I’m sorry about earlier…and about before. Everything. I’m sorry about everything, but trust will pretty much be vital to our team’s survival. You’ll need me as much as I need you, and soon, you’ll see why.”

CHAPTER

THREE

Hannah led him to a makeshift shooting range within walking distance of the property. The entire way, they were flanked by six armed men wearing camouflage gear with muscles so large their sleeves looked like armbands.

Five carried M16s.

The last one carried an M40.

These weren’t men trained to shoot at a target. These men had been trained to hit one as close to one hundred percent of the time as possible.

As he and Hannah approached a table, he recognized more than half of the guns lying on the wooden surface. The weapons ranged from pistols to large rifles, and despite all that had happened, this was the first time he believed this “project” might be something real.

That knowledge, however, only brought more questions: what was it about him that they thought would make him suitable for something like this? Being part of a cartel didn’t automatically translate to the ability to play well in a group. But, if they’d been following him for a while, which both Sayeda and Hannah had all but confirmed, they appeared to know enough about him to make that determination.

“Do you have a preference?” Hannah asked, reaching for a handgun. “Personally, I like things that I can handle with one hand. Plus, guns with too much kickback end up breaking my nails from time to time. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking—a girl like her gets her nails done? Yes, I do, and I don’t get why some people believe you can’t be girly and…”