Perfect Enemies

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7 OceanofPDF.com M SANTINO y quiet night in had unexpectedly found me out in the cold. I wasn’t thrilled with the change of plans, but a house full of drunk teenagers had its entertaining moments. While I wasn’t that much older than them, my days of reckless drinking had started much earlier and curtailed itself years ago. When someone grows up on the streets, alcohol is just a way of life. However, I quickly learned that if I wanted to work with Javier and earn my place in the cartel, I had to show I was responsible. We might have been as close as brothers, but our relationship alone wouldn’t have ensured my future. Now, I wasn’t at all enticed by the sight of young rich kids binging on their parents’ alcohol. My place was in the shadows, which suited me perfectly. A wealth of information was available for anyone who was patient enough to slow down and observe the people around them. I enjoyed watching people, but on this particular Friday night, I was following orders. I’d only just settled behind the thick trunk of an oak tree when Valentina Genovese appeared in the backyard. Her lips were drawn down in a scowl, and I guessed the young man who followed her outside was likely the cause. I couldn’t hear what was said, but the emotions between them were palpable, even from my hidden location in the darkness. Her features initially softened when he joined her, then something he said made her furious. Teenage hormones could be brutal. Once they returned inside, I continued to survey the scene. The large windows were unobscured by drapes or blinds and allowed for easy viewing of the brightly lit interior. However, the sheer number of people inside made it hard to track any one individual. I took note of what I could, surprised when I was treated to yet another close encounter. Reyna Vargas emerged from the house alone close to an hour after Valentina had come out. She slunk to the far end of the porch to an empty heater, positioning herself as if she were hiding behind it. Unlike most girls at the party, she wore a bulky coat like a barrier between her and the outside world. I watched her release a long exhale into the night air and wondered at her thoughts. If she was so clearly uncomfortable at the gathering, why had she gone? Or had something happened inside? Whatever the cause, her distress was apparent. She was more fragile than I’d expected. Considering who her father was, I had expected her to be hardened. Callous and selfcentered. That didn’t seem to be the case at all. If I hadn’t known better, I would have said she was on the verge of tears. When she turned those water-logged eyes in my direction, I found myself advancing forward. Like a moth drawn to the flame, I couldn’t resist. The courage she exhibited was breathtaking. I could almost taste her fear, but she kept it caged as best she could and held perfectly still beneath her battle armor. It was a sight to behold. Angelic beauty, dauntless bravery. I was surprisingly compelled to ease her worries, assure her that I wouldn’t harm her, but that would have been misleading. She was smart to fear me. That truth sat like a rotting stump deep in my belly long after she’d fled inside. I called Javi once I was alone again. “There a problem?” he asked in greeting. “No, although I was spotted,” I admitted. “I should have known that anyone who grew up in Juan Carlos’ house would be vigilant.” “Reyna?” “Yes.” Javi was quiet for a moment. “I find it surprising that anyone saw you.” A subtle accusation. He thought I’d intentionally let myself be seen. Looking back on the encounter, I realized he might have been right. I easily could have slipped behind the tree trunk when Valentina was outside, but I’d remained visible, nonchalantly leaning back against the frozen bark after I first spotted Reyna leave the house. “I’m not sure what to say, except that I’m sorry.” I should have told him that I’d talked to her, but I couldn’t get the sticky words to rise to the surface. The brief conversation I’d shared with Reyna felt private. If I’d learned anything of importance, I would have handed over the information. Our words had been harmless. Innocent. And I preferred to keep them for myself. “They know we’re watching them; that’s no secret. I don’t like putting women and children at the center of our wars, but we may need to use her, so continue to monitor the situation. That’s all we can do for now.” “You know I’ll do whatever is needed.” My words to Javi were tainted with the bitterness of a lie—a rare occurrence. I had always respected him enough to honor him with the truth, but if our strategy would result in harming Reyna, I wasn’t sure I could follow through. For the first time in our friendship, I might have to defy the man who’d saved my life on more than one occasion. I would have to pray it never came to that.

8 OceanofPDF.com I VALENTINA relayed a simplified version of what had happened between Kane and me to Reyna as we hurried home from the party. The only thing I left out was the kiss. I had no good explanation for the secrecy other than it felt private. I walked through all the ways he’d given me mental whiplash —his subtle flirtation then his baffling rejection. Inside, though, I was consumed with thoughts of the kiss. A kiss so passionate it had been transformative. Nothing else in life had been more important at that moment than the touch of his lips. It was as though my brain had been rewired with Kane Easton as its sole programming. It was in the retelling of his flight that I had a revelation. I realized the one way his actions made sense—he loved someone back in Texas and believed his attraction to me was a betrayal. That was why he hated himself for wanting me. When I examined his behavior from that new perspective, it all made sense. Horrible, heartbreaking sense. Once I had soundlessly crept back inside my house, I sank deep into the covers on my bed and allowed a swell of negative emotions to drag me down beneath the surface. Aside from despair over Kane’s relationship status, I was overwhelmed with anger at myself for developing feelings when I’d known he was nothing but trouble. I started to wonder if my initial wariness of him had ever been about Reyna or if I’d known subconsciously that I was the one in danger.