Page 44 of Built for Mercy

“Mercer? As in… are you related to Rick Mercer?” She sounded horrified.

I cocked my head to the side, knowing I needed to get myself out of this, not just for my sake but for Sophie’s. If she wanted her family’s acceptance, it had to start with me doing the legwork. “He’s my father, but I assure you, I don’t affiliate with him much. I know what he’s done—what he’s capable of—and I want no part of it.”

Mrs. Reyes’s lips thinned. “Your family ruined mine. Why should I believe anything you say?”

Easing back onto the couch, closer to Sophie this time, I said, “I understand why you don’t. To be frank, I don’t think there’s anything that I can say to change your mind. I can’t right my family’s wrongs, but I can get to the truth, which is what I’ve told Sophie I would do. Setting all that aside, your daughter caught my eye before I knew who she was.”

Mrs. Reyes huffed in disbelief. “Please. Your father killed my husband out of greed. He wanted my husband’s empire, and took it along with his life. His offspring can be no better.”

He wanted my husband’s empire.The network he built. The routes he controlled. The men who had pledged loyalty to him before my father gutted their ranks and absorbed them into our operations.

Fuck. I really needed more solid evidence about what happened that night.Because if her version was true, then my father’s sins ran even deeper than I thought.

“You’re right. My father put a hit out on Eddie, because allegedly your husband was planning to get involved with human trafficking.”

Mrs. Reyes barked out a laugh. “Oh, that’s rich,” she sneered, shaking her head as she looked out the bay window facing the street before turning back to me. “You say you’re not close to your father. If that’s true, then it would be no surprise you don’tknow the truth. It wasn’t my late Eddie that planned to profit from such a sick industry. He was adamantly against anything that could hurt his babies, or someone else’s babies.” She took a deep shuddering breath, and from beside me, Sophie sniffled.

Wait. My father—

“Yes, Maverick,” Mrs. Reyes confirmed. “With Eddie out of the way, Rick could grow the empire however he saw fit. So excuse me for wanting nothing to do with your family.”Fuck.She looked between the two of us like we were rebellious teenagers and crossed her arms over her chest. “That being said, I don’t have to like this, but my daughter is a grown woman and is capable of making her own decisions. Aren’t you,mija?” Sophie gave her mom a watery smile, but her mother continued. “For the sake of my daughter, I am willing to look past your family’sindiscretions, so long as you stay the hell out of human trafficking. And if you make one wrong move, I will seek vengeance on behalf of my husband and my daughter, however I see fit. Do you hear me?”

I leveled with her, and an understanding passed between us.A life for a life if I fuck up.I knew some of her involvement with the cartel, and it wasn’t pretty. Maybe Sophie suspected it, based on her lack of audible surprise at hearing her mom openly threaten me.

Sophie had no idea that the darkness she felt inside her had been passed down by both of her parents.

“You’ve got a deal, Mrs. Reyes.”

She looked us both over again before giving a resolute nod. “Bueno.I will leave you to it.Mija,I will finish the dishes. Maverick, will you be joining us for dessert?”

I glanced at Sophie, knowing I was probably pushing her limits too far right now, before giving her mom a kind smile. “No, ma’am, not this time.” She wrung her hands before leaving the room.

The moment we were alone, Sophie growled, “My life is not a fucking joke, Maverick. You can’t just show up at my mother’s house—”

I cut her off by grabbing the back of her neck, our lips colliding in a wild frenzy. She smelled like the peonies I’d brought and something richer, addictive. She fell into me, opening her mouth to let me in. I fuckingmissed her.One night was nowhere near enough. Her quiet moans made my dick throb and my heart race, and I found my fingers threading in her hair so I didn’t rip her clothes off in the middle of her mother’s living room.

She climbed into my lap just as her mother came back in the room, who shrieked, “Oh,dios mio,I’m so sorry!” We jumped apart and Sophie stared guiltily after her mom’s retreating figure.

Those dark eyes found mine again, and I was transported right back to our night together.

“You should leave. This… whatever this is between us can’t continue.”

Nope. Didn’t like that, not one bit. She wasn’t getting away from me that easily. “Why the hell not?”

“Because it’s too messy.”

I scowled, feeling wounded, but made no move to get her off my lap. It felt too good to push my hips up into hers, too irresistible to see her squirm and flush. “You mean you got scared because we had a great night together?”

She dipped her chain, picking at her cuticles, and I knew it was to hide that I’d hit the nail on the head. “It was only one night. It doesn’t matter—”

“Itdoesmatter. You lied to my face and then disappeared for three weeks.” Did I sound like a psycho-stalker ex? One hundred percent. Did I care? Not in the slightest. “You were ready to take off in the middle of the night, and then you all but ran away thenext morning. I’m trying to understand, because I can’t grasp why you wouldn’t want to see this through.”

Now she did get off my lap, but only to stand in the middle of the living room with her arms folded over her stomach. Her bare feet shifted back and forth across plush cream rug. She’d never looked more unlike the woman I’d first met, ready to avenge her father.

I hated it.

Someone had done this to her. Stripped away her confidence at some point. Tore her down until she questioned her own worth. And if I ever found out who, I’d make sure they never had the chance to do it to anyone else. I could be merciful. But I could also be a monster. And for her? I’d burn the whole fucking world down.

Rising to my full height, I put my hands on her shoulders and bent down to her eye level. “Sophie, look at me.” She obeyed. “There’s my good girl. Come with me. Give me tonight. We can talk about this, and if you really aren’t on board with it, then okay. As much as I hate the idea of it, I’ll leave you alone. But please,please,give me a chance. This is not just an average fling for me. And I think you know that. I don’t beg for anyone, but I will for you, and only you.”