Page 52 of Dancing with the Devil

“Have a seat,” I encouraged. “Now, Cesar,” I said, way more demanding, and he sat down. “You’re close to Antonio, right?” I asked, and he nodded. “Perfect. Now spill.”

He frowned. “Spill…?”

“Yes. I want to know everything. His likes, dislikes, embarrassing moments, secret hobbies,allof it.”

“I cannot, Miss—Nirah. Mr. Antonio will be furious. I am only here to protect you.”

“Oh, come on,” I whined as I held my pillow against my chest. “Help me out. I’m marrying a man I know nothing about.” He hesitated. “Well, then, tell me his middle name. Does he have one?” I asked, and he nodded.

After much,muchconvincing, I finally got Cesar to share all the details. Good and bad. It was an interesting roller coaster, to say the least.

“I don’t understand how you’re not afraid of the most feared man in the city, Nirah,” Cesar said as I braided his hair whilst he sat on the floor in front of my bed. “How do you do it?” he asked—seeming genuinely curious—with my stuffed teddy bear on his lap.

“Grow a vagina,” I said, leaning over his shoulder, and he chuckled.

“I see what you did there, Nirah. And I like it,” he nodded.

“Antonio is really not that bad. He’s just a big ball of arrogance and squishy cuteness,” I shrugged my shoulders, and Cesar scoffed.

“Take it from someone who has known him for years. He is not.”

“Yes. He is. And you know that you don’t have to be so tense around him,” I playfully squeezed his shoulder. “He can’t do anything to you.”

“Yes, he can.”

“Well probably… but he can’tkillyou.”

“Yes, he can,” he once again repeated himself.

“No, he can’t,” I said, going over to the next braid. “You can’t kill someone for not obeying you every second of the day.”

“No,youcan’t, buthecan. And will.” There was comfortable silence, and I looked down at my toes. The white nail polish was almost dry, and suddenly, goosebumps rose on my skin. “He doesn’t hurt you, does he?” I hesitantly asked.

“No, Nirah,” Cesar answered, and I let out a soft breath of relief.

“Well, then, why are you so afraid of him?”

Cesar turned his head to me, his eyes filled with fear and confusion.

“He’s…intimidating,” he vaguely answered, and I continued with his braid.

The door opened, and our heads snapped in its direction. Cesar jumped up at the sight of Antonio, and my heart dropped.

Antonio’s eyes went from me—sitting with my legs dangling off of the bed—to Cesar, who stood there like a soldier.

“Dinner is at six,” he said, and I nodded. I turned my head to the clock on my nightstand and it was 05:48 pm.

“Oh,” I jumped up. “I’ll be right down.”

“My office.Now,” he demanded, and Cesar dropped his head before nodding.

“Yes sir,” he murmured, but I stopped him.

“If he yells at you, tell me,” I whispered up at him, and he weakly smiled.

“Yes, of course, Miss Nirah.”

I stepped aside, and Cesar walked past Antonio and out of my bedroom. “Don’t yell at him,” I walked toward Antonio. “Please,” I pleaded, looking up at him. “I made him sit and spend time with me.”