Page 16

Luciana

“Fuck, Estebear!”

“Shh, chiquita . The entire house will hear you.”

My fucks-better-than-a-porn-star husband laughs as he grips my hips and surges into me as I lean over the bed.

I fist the sheets and rest my face against my right forearm as I fight not to come when his hand travels over my waist and down to rub my clit.

The spreader he fastened to my ankles keeps me from shifting or stomping my foot with frustration as he brings me to the brink, then slows.

He’s been tormenting me for the past twenty minutes, and it’s blissful agony.

Just as his other hand lands across my ass, three strident knocks sound at the bedroom door.

“ Mamá .”

“ Papá .”

“ Mamá .”

“ Tenemos hambre .” We’re hungry.

Of course, Javier was the first to speak followed by his brothers Jorge and Joaquin. They all spoke together to tell us the same thing they do at least fifty times a day.

“They’re always hungry.”

“They take after their father.”

Este nips at my shoulder before kissing the crook of my neck. “My insatiable appetite is for something else.”

“Go and find your abuelita . She should be in the kitchen.”

God bless mamá . Whenever our family floods the house for the holidays, she ensures there’s enough food for all of us.

“Pablo and Juan want something to eat, too.”

“Javi, where are Tío Luis and Tía Margherita?”

“ Abuelita says they’re taking a nap, too.”

Este chokes on his laughter as we listen to our five-year-old son’s forthright answer. He regains his bearing enough to ask his own question.

“And Tía Catalina and Tío Matáis?”

“All the old people are tired and sleeping.”

It’s my turn to struggle not to laugh at six-year-old Joaquin’s disgust.

“ Tía ?”

“ Sí, Alejandro.”

Our six-year-old nephew’s out there too. I’m certain Catalina and Matáis are no more asleep than Este and me.

“I’m hungry too. Abuelita says we have to wait until dinner because we had a snack an hour ago. My tummy’s rumbling. It’s loud, tía .”

I glance over my shoulder as Este steps back. His cock glistens, and we both frown.

“See what happens when you play games?” I whisper my scolding as he kneels to unfasten the cuffs around my ankles as I reach for my dress.

“ Tío , should I tell them to leave you alone?”

Luis and Margherita’s eight-year-old son, Pablo, sounds so much older than the others.

He’s a natural leader among the group, and not because he’s the oldest. His younger brother, Juan, is the same age as Javier.

Pablo’s constantly keeping him out of trouble.

I suspect one day, even Pablo won’t be able to do enough to cover for his brother.

“We’re coming, Pablo. We’ll be out in a moment.”

I scowl as I speak. “I wish I was coming.”

“Tonight, chiquita . Promise.”

We finish dressing and step into the hallway. Only our three boys are standing in front of our door. Jorge reaches for me, and I lift the four-year-old into my arms. His slobbery thumb presses against my neck as he rests his head on my shoulder.

“I think someone needs a siesta more than a snack.”

“No, mamá . Hungry.”

I look down the hall as Margherita and Luis speak to Pablo and Juan.

Catalina and Matáis walk past them, but I don’t see Alejandro.

The child is a Houdini. I bet he’s already found a snack and is out on the swings in the backyard.

He can disappear before anyone notices. Scares the shit out of my sister and brother-in-law.

They swear it’s why they stopped at one.

“ Ninos , come feed my nietos .”

“Yes, mamá .”

Six adult voices answer my mother as we guide most of our brood downstairs.

It doesn’t matter how old any of us get, she still calls us children as she tells us to feed her grandchildren.

Unsurprising to anyone, Alejandro’s dashing out of the kitchen with a handful of guava as mamá tries to catch him before he makes it to the backyard.

It only takes a few minutes to get the six kids their snacks and outside to play with Enrique who was trying to read beside the pool.

I see mamá ’ s wistful expression. It’s been nearly ten years since papá passed away.

We’re all here to commemorate the anniversary.

Only Este and I and our boys still live in Colombia.

We’re a few blocks from mamá , but the others all live in New York or New Jersey.

Este sees the other men frequently for business.

Catalina and Margherita bring their sons down here to visit every couple of months if we aren’t up there, too.

But it’s not the same as having everyone together for holidays or the anniversary.

The only one not married is Enrique. He’ll have to one day, but for now, he’s committed to being as good a jefe de jefes as papá was.

He’s also the overindulgent one with the boys.

He spoils them rotten. I suspect he’s the one who sent the boys upstairs to get all of us.

When he glances over at us and grins, I’m certain of it.

“Should we rescue him?” Este nudges me as all six boys crawl onto the lounger Enrique’s lying on.

“Nope.”

I grin as Enrique pretends to grunt as he takes a bony elbow to the belly.

I shift to look up at my husband who’s still the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.

Little did I know that day in the cafe that as he watched me, he was coiled up, ready to strike.

He’s a lethal man who’s done things I’ll never know to protect our family.

He’s earned the nickname Cobra because he’s tall and proud, but he’s also fast and deadly.

To me, he’s the man who rescued me and has loved me unconditionally ever since we met. He’s never stopped taking care of me, and I pray we have a lifetime together. Only God can save anyone foolish enough to take him from me. Perhaps I’m a cobra too because once I sink my fangs in, I won’t let go.

“ Te amo, mi amor .”

He glances down at me, surprised by my sudden declaration.

“ Te amo, mi amorcito .” He’s called me his little love since the first time we said it to each other.

He wraps his arms around me, and I lean against him as we watch our family. I miss papá every day, but I know he’s watching us. We’ve built our lives around our family coming before all else. It’s how we survive, but it also makes us complete. Nothing will ever be more important.

Enrique Diaz never imagined going for a run would lead him to the woman of his dreams. When he demands a woman climb down her land and allow him to clean her gutters, he propels them into a relationship filled with unexpected enemies and secrets meant to remain hidden in Cartel King .

Discover the rest of the series with book one of The Cartel Brotherhood . The saga continues with Joaquin, Javier, Jorge, Alejandro, and Pablo as adults.