Page 65 of Dancing with the Devil

“I, of course, had to step in and help poor Rosalia, I mean at this age she’s practically helpless and thisgirltook advantage of that.”

I ignored her little tantrum as I approached Antonio. “You might not have respect for yourself or me but as long as I’m here, youwillrespect Rosalia.”

Antonio seemed genuinely confused as he tried making sense of the situation. He looked down at Rosalia who lowered her head. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Antonio. I told Miss Nirah not to do anything to Miss Fernandina,” she apologized.

“Rosalia, don’t even apologize to him,” I shook my head. “I was only defending you.”

“Defending her against the woman in tears?” Antonio asked me and I smiled.He’s unbelievable.

“You’re even more pathetic than I thought.” I gently took Rosalia’s bruised arm and wrist, showing it to him. “That’s what the ‘woman in tears’ did,” I said and he looked down at her arm and wrist. “And this,” I said, pointing to the handprint on Rosalia’s cheek.

“No, I didn’t—it wasn’t me,” Fernandina shook her head. “It was her. You heard her threaten me, she’s fucking psycho.”

Antonio looked over at Fernandina in denial. “Nirah wouldn’t—”

“Oh, but she did!” she interrupted him.

“I didn’t,” I reassured him and he seemed torn. “You’re not seriously doubting me right now, are you?” I asked in disbelief, and he looked over at Fernandina who started crying some more and sniffing.

I looked over at Rosalia and her head hung low.

“Well, fuck you for thinking I’d ever hurt Rosalia.” I took Rosalia’s hand and headed upstairs with her. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

I had her sit down on my bed as I gently applied some cream to her bruises. “It should take about two to three days before these go away,” I explained.

“How do you know all of this, Miss Nirah?” she asked.

“Just ‘Nirah’,” I smiled. I’m not letting a woman old enough to be my mother call meMiss. “Well, let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of bad menandwomen,” I explained as I closed the tube of cream. She slowly nodded, looking at me sympathetically. “So tell me, Rosalia. Why does he care so much for her?”

She sighed deeply, looking at her hands on her lap. “Miss Fernandina has always been there for Mr. Antonio,” she explained. It took her a second to continue, so I waited patiently. “When he left home at fifteen—because of his fighting parents—she found him. He had stayed with her for the years leading up to his eighteenth birthday,” she continued.

She looked uncertain and hesitant so I placed my hand on top of hers.

“It’s okay. You can tell me,” I assured her.

“Mr. Antonio almost died the night he left home. He was so angry, and well, that’s when she found him and took care of him.”

I swallowed hard. “What happened after that?”

“Miss Fernandina gave Mr. Antonio a rather special birthday present, if I may call it that,” she bitterly said in disbelief and my heart nearly stopped. “And no,notjust on his eighteenth birthday. It’s how their relationship came about.”So she took advantage of a vulnerable fifteen year old, and—oh my God, she’s disgusting.

“How do you know that?” I stammered in disbelief.

“After years, she became too clingy for Mr. Antonio, and he decided to come back home. Since he was extremely close to his mother, he told her everything, and she told me. Miss Fernandina has always been very rich, she still is, so the money was not the reason she came back.” There was a brief pause. “She came back forhim,” Rosalia finally said, looking up at me. “And she always gets what she wants.”

I felt my chest tighten at the thought and my mind went a hundred miles per hour. “But Nirah,” Rosalia smiled. “Mr. Antonio does not want Miss Fernandina.”

My voice was too hopeful for my liking. “He said that?”

“He wants someone else, dear. He no longer cares for Miss Fernandina in that way.”

I brushed off her words. “How come he doesn’t distance himself from her after what she did?”

Her eyes held sympathy. “Powerful men, Nirah,” she paused to look into my eyes. “Don’tget taken advantage of.”

My face held confusion.

“Men in charge, leaders, they’re strong. Youcan’tfollow a leader who’s weak.”