Page 47 of Mouse Trapped

Compassion shines out from his. “I promise I will.”

“Do you know why I was moved?” I’m not sure I want to know the answer. Perhaps I should have asked,how close am I to being deported?

“Carissa’s got some ideas. None bad. Judge might have a lighter caseload here. And the sooner we get you in front of a judge, sooner we can get your case heard.”

“How long might that be?” There’s people who’ve been here months. One, that I know of, over a year. From Tse’s headshake, I know he can’t tell me. Nobody can.

“Mariana. You’ve got people on your side working to get you released.”

“You and Carissa. Yes.”

He smiles. “Not just me. All my brothers too. And we’ve got a security consultant trying to dig up dirt on your father.”

Now it’s my turn to frown. Why would his club help me? I make that my next question. His answer takes my breath away.

“Because I claimed you.”

“Claimedme?”

He raises his chin and looks straight into my eyes. “Good as a marriage in my world. But we’ll do that as well. Soon as you get out of here, you and I are getting hitched.”

“Tse!” I hiss loudly, drawing a few looks. “Don’t be stupid. The likely way I’m getting out is on a one-way flight to Colombia.”

“Then I’ll follow you.”

Shaking my head, I explain. “It’s not easy, and probably not possible for me to get a green card even if I marry you. I might never be able to come back. Even if I have a sham of a wedding and am married to a US citizen.”

He rears back, then leans forward, his words spoken so softly I have to strain to hear. “Who says it will be a sham?” Then he sits straight again, one brow raised as if challenging me.

“You don’t know me, I don’t know you…”

“I know enough to make a commitment to you in front of my brothers.” His hands smooth back his hair. “See, Mariana, I figure getting horny at the thought of someone is a very good place to start.”

He gets horny thinking of me?My face glows. “I don’t think that’s all that matters, Tse. There’s got to be more than that.”

He folds his arms, places them on the table and leans on them. “I came running to help you when Drew called. I’ve organised a top fuckin’ lawyer for you. I’m lookin’ after yourbrother. I’m visiting you in these damn places. Would I do that if I didn’t care for you?”

His words pull me up. He’s right. Since my mom was deported, no one’s ever watched out for me in the way he has.

Seeing he’s made me think, he resumes, “I’ve never done anything like this before. Never felt I wanted to. Never cared enough.”

He cares, but whenever I thought about doing the impossible, being able to date and marry a man, I always thought it would be for love.

“Is that a good enough basis for marriage?”

“Mariana,” he growls. “That night I rode away from you, have you any fuckin’ idea how hard it was for me to not come back? The only reason I stayed away was out of respect for your wishes, that I didn’t want to expose you to any risk.” He huffs. “Not that it did any good in the end.”

He’s right. It didn’t. Where would we be now if I had let him into my life? My voice is soft, and croaks, as I admit, “And I wanted you to come back.” I had. My dreams had been filled with longing for the mysterious man who’d come into my life.

He sits back as though he’s won a victory. “So we’re just cutting out the stuff in between.”

Could he be right?“Do you really think this has any chance of working?”

“If we both put the effort in, yes, it does.”

A bell rings. It’s the end of our visit. I don’t want him to go.But is that just because he’s a friendly face? Or is there really more between us?

I stand with the rest of the inmates, say a quick and inadequate goodbye. Then take leave ofmy fiancé.The man who says he’s claimed me in front of his club.