Vicious Seduction

15

CHAPTER 10 LINA The one good thing I could say about my mom was that she chose not to raise me herself. Granted, it was probably a selfish move to avoid dealing with me rather than an insightful acknowledgment of her lack of maternal instinct, but whatever. The result was the same. In her endeavor to ensure she could be as hands-off as possible, she’d chosen one of the kindest, most nurturing replacements imaginable. Gloria Ruiz came into my life a month before my father died of an aggressive brain tumor. At the tender age of six, I was told that my father, my world, was sick, and a month later, he was gone. Mom started dating Charles two months later and married him within a year. Gloria became my rock. I was certain she was the only reason I wasn’t a complete sociopath. When I left home years later, I never once returned, but every few months, I made a concerted effort to stop by Gloria’s small apartment in Queens to check on her. She still worked for my mother and seeing her there would have saved me time, but I’d sooner have swum naked in a bathtub full of jellyfish than go back to the Brooks house. I wouldn’t even visit my little sister, Amelie, at the house. I went to her dance studio or dropped by her school to eat lunch with her. As far as I was concerned, my family home didn’t exist. Gloria knew I didn’t care for my mother. She assumed that was because Eliza had been emotionally unavailable. I never told Gloria the extent of my mother’s depravity. That would have devastated her. She would have quit her job on principle, and I’d needed her to be there for Amelie. My little sister was only six when I left home. The age gap kept us from being close at the time, but I wasn’t going to leave her in that house alone. I did everything I could for her, but it still wasn’t enough. I miss her so damn much. “There’s my little Lina, mija, how are you?” Gloria wrapped me in a crushing hug that a seventy-two-year-old waif of a woman shouldn’t have been capable of. The welcoming smile on her face was ecstatic, and her joy infectious. “Hey, Mama G. It’s so good to see you.” I’d never met anyone else who made my soul smile the way Gloria could. “I’m sorry it’s been a bit longer than normal. I’ve been crazy busy.” Truth be told, I’d avoided seeing her out of shame. She’d never intentionally make me feel guilty—I brought that on myself. If I wanted to make anyone proud, it was Gloria. She didn’t even have to be aware of my failures for me to feel worse about them in her presence. It was enough that I knew, and I hated feeling like I let her down. “You don’t need to worry about me.” She swatted away the idea as if ridiculous. “You and your sister are busy girls with full lives. I may be old, but I still remember those days. Now come sit at the table with me. I’ll get you some caldo to warm you up. This winter seems extra cold already. I’m dreading January.” “You know I can’t refuse your caldo.” “Good, because I made more than I should have. I wish I could send Mellie some soup, but the shipping takes too long. I looked up the weather in France, and it doesn’t seem like it gets quite so cold. Hopefully, she’s staying warm.” She took out a Tupperware from the fridge and poured the contents into an old pot over a gas burner. “That’ll be warm in no time, and while we wait, you can tell me all about what you’ve been up to. How is the design business?” Hearing my sister’s nickname carved a ragged gash into the surface of my heart. My hand pressed flat against my chest over the lancing pain. “It’s really good. Cosmo is … Cosmo,” I said with a dramatic wave of my hand. “We’re wrapping up summer contracts and getting started on designs for next fall.” “So soon?” I shrugged with a small smile. “Now that we have a solid pool of buyers, we’ve been able to line up collections further in advance.” “Oh, mija, that’s wonderful!” She squeezed my hand. “And what about that love life of yours? Meet any handsome young men lately?” She wiggled her eyebrows at me, making me laugh. “You are incorrigible.” “You mispronounced hopeful. I just don’t want you to be alone, little Lina. You know that.” “I know, Mama G. That’s very sweet of you, but no white knights on the horizon.” The words hadn’t left my mouth before the image of silver eyes peering out from behind a black mask surfaced in my mind. Knight or villain? I couldn’t decide. Days earlier, when I’d waltzed into the Bastion Club, I would have said I was confident he was a villain. It made sense. All the evidence pointed in that direction. But then his challenge shook my foundations. Kiss me. It wasn’t the words themselves. It was the overwhelming urge to comply that had me at a loss. I trusted myself. I didn’t fall for smarmy men. I didn’t even own a pair of rose-colored glasses. So why had every fiber of my being gravitated toward him? I was scared to answer that question. “Maybe that’s the problem,” Gloria said in a sage tone. “You don’t need a knight; you just need someone who loves you with their whole heart.” God, she was the best. Gloria had a way of seeing the very best about the world, and I adored her for it. “Thanks, Mama G. I’ll try to remember that.” My voice was thin as it squeezed past the lump in my throat. She patted my hand just as the first drops of bubbling caldo boiled over, sizzling on the hot burner. “Aye, Dios mío.” She jumped up to move the pot from the heat. “Time to eat!” As always, the food was delicious, and the company filled me just as heartily as the soup. I left Gloria’s feeling re-energized and ready to make progress in my hunt for information. It was Wednesday, and Lawrence had asked me to join him for the weekly club dinner. I had to make the night worthwhile. I needed to manifest some answers, and that called for confidence. As any woman knew, the perfect set of matching lingerie was essential to achieving a queen’s mindset. I went straight from Gloria’s to my favorite lingerie shop.