Page 119 of Rum & Coke

“Shh.” I silenced him with a finger to his lips. “I don’t want to know anything. It’s better I don’t so if they question me again, I have nothing to say.”

He cupped my cheek. “You’re learning. I like that.”

And then I went for it. To get him to think I wanted to marry him, I needed to make the first move on occasion. At least, I hoped it worked. “You know what else you’d like?”

“What’s that?” He slowly smiled.

I gently lowered to my knees.

For the next few days, I tried to help Valentina around the house. She was my ticket to freedom even if she didn’t know it. She was the one who could get Sebastian to want to marry me if it washeridea. So, I was trying to be content. I was anything but happy, but the more I seemed to want to be here, the better my chances were.

“Whatcha makin’?” I asked Valentina, coming into the kitchen while Colt watched his latestPAW Patrolobsession.

“Arroz con pollo,” she replied as she cut up a whole chicken.

“What’s that?”

“Rice with chicken.”

“Sounds delicious.”

“Si, cariño. It’s one of my favorites.”

“Why haven’t you made it before?” I asked, leaning a hip on the counter.

“It was my oldest son’s favorite too, and it makes me sad.”

“Oh? Why are you making it then?”

“Today would have been his birthday.”

I smiled warmly at her and rubbed her back. “I’m sorry, Valentina. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Colt. What was his name?”

“Santiago.”

“That sounds like a strong name.”

“Si, he was very strong.” She started to dice a red bell pepper after she washed her hands.

I moved to take the knife from her in a silent gesture for me to help. “How old would he have been today?”

“Thirty-five.”

“Do you mind if I ask how he died?”

“No.” She shook her head and started to dice a yellow onion. “He was shot.”

The knife I was holding stopped mid-chop. “How?”

“My sons were in the business too.”

“The coke business?”

“Si.” Well, that made even more sense as to why she was loyal to Sebastian. “They ran the largest cocaine operation in Colombia, and other cartels wanted a piece of it. There was a war, and almost everyone died.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I knew it would happen one day. My country isn’t like your country. It’s very dangerous.”