CHAPTER TEN

ELENA

I stared into the backyard from the window above the sink. The sun was shining, but it had rained most of the morning so now everything was wet. I turned around when I heard my grandmother approaching, her heels announcing her arrival seconds before she entered the kitchen carrying a small, pale yellow gift box.

She’d styled her dark hair with barrel curls and put on a modern vintage dress that was nearly the same shade of grey as her eyes, pairing it with silver accessories. If I wasn't imagining things those were my mother's earrings.

“You look nice.”

She smiled and smoothed a hand down her side. “Thank you, cari?o .”

“Are you going somewhere?” I asked, noticing she was carrying her purse.

“Yes. I have a few errands to run and then I’m going to meet your uncle for lunch. You can come if you’d like.” She looked at me expectantly, but after last night making nice with Uncle Luis wasn’t how I wanted to spend my afternoon.

“Um, that’s okay. I’m not hungry. Maybe another time.”

“Sí. Another time.” She smiled, but as I was beginning to see more frequently, it didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh. I came in here to give you this. Your friend left it with me when I was outside.” She held the small box out for me to take.

It was lightweight, wrapped in pretty lace trim. “Which friend?”

“The Petrov girl.”

I had no idea who that was.

“I don’t--.”

“I’m so glad you’re branching out. I know you're fond of those other two, but it’s good to have options. ”

My brow pinched. What the hell was talking about? Options? She made it sound as if Melody and Peyton were in some kind of competitive line-up. But really, what did I expect? Most people around here wouldn't know the first thing about genuine friendships. It was all about who could do what for you and had the most to offer. I knew close to nothing about this Petrov family so I couldn’t speak on their social standing. The families my actual friends came from? They weren’t ones to turn your nose up at. I found it a little suspicious she wasn’t pushing for me to keep them close.

“I’ll have to thank her for dropping by," I lied with ease, wondering what the deal was with this box. A phone began to ring, interrupting our conversation. She fished it out of her purse and smiled at whoever the display showed was calling.

“I have to get going but send her my regards. ”

I forced a smile and replied, "Enjoy your lunch"

As soon as she left, I opened the box. Carefully, I unwrapped the lace and lifted the lid. Inside was a layer of white tissue paper covering something solid and stiff. Tilting my head, I pushed the tissue aside with my fingertips. Instantly, I felt an overwhelming urge to gag when my brain registered what I was staring at. Panicked, I covered my mouth to suppress a scream.

My body backed away from the kitchen island and collided with the countertop behind me. In that moment of shock, it dawned on me to move away from the nearby window just in case someone was watching this disturbing scene unfold. I stared down at the box, and the severed hand inside of it.

I jogged along the curved tarmac, focusing on my breathing and watching where I was going. I’d only encountered one other jogger, a woman, and her dog, but with the way the path wound all it would take was someone coming around a corner too fast for me to be down on my ass.

The ground was damp from the recent rainfall, leaving the warm air with a wet cedar and moss smell. I found it relaxing. This park didn’t exist when I lived here as a kid. I’d done a quick search of the nearest running trails, and it was the first result within walking distance of home .

A perfect place to get some air and attempt to clear my head. An attempt I was greatly failing at. After my initial shock wore off it didn’t take much contemplation to connect A-B-C. The problem was, that I didn’t know what to do with the connection. If I hadn't been feeling in over my head before, I certainly did now.

I was a regular person.

The biggest conflicts I’d ever had to deal with were irate customers making returns at my old job, and making sure I didn’t wake up to the power being off. I wasn’t proficient in dealings of body parts. While I'd love to say that If I needed to be an expert in such matters to find Eva, that I would force myself to be scholarly in the subject, I now knew didn't have the stomach for it.

As I approached another bend in the path. A man came from the opposite direction. The moment I saw his face, recognition was instant. I hadn’t seen him since he dropped me off after the bizarre breakfast incident.

He jogged closer and my stomach became inundated with fluttering. I inhaled and exhaled, telling myself to remain calm. After the whirlwind that was the last forty-eight hours, I wasn’t surprised he was here. I would be more shocked if he stayed away. I slowed and removed my phone from the rear pocket of my leggings to pause Purple Rain.

Mateo came to a stop a few feet in front of me, not at all out of breath or having broken a sweat. He was completely dressed down, in black sweatpants that slightly hung off his hips, tennis shoes, and a simple dark-colored life beater that revealed how toned he was and the shaded tattoo I’d caught a glimpse of. It was larger than I first imagined. A money rose, pocket watch, and three playing cards came together in one sleeve, wrapping around his left bicep and extending the length of his forearm to just above his wrist where his family's emblem was etched.

A few stray locks of his dark hair had fallen across his forehead. I did my best not to ogle his body, but I was only human. I tried to resist the urge to admire his physique, but it was impossible. He was undeniably gorgeous. My eyes wandered down and settled on the noticeable bulge between his legs. My goodness, was that what I thought it was? Soft at that?

“My face is up here, Elena.”

The smugness in his tone and the way he practically growled my name had me snapping to attention. He stood with his hands perched on his hips and the hint of an antagonizing smirk on his lips. I scowled at him, ready to inquire about the package he had delivered earlier. Just as I opened my mouth, I heard approaching footsteps and decided to hold my tongue. “Do you usually run this trail? ”

“No. I have a private gym. I’m only here for you.”

That wasn’t surprising to hear either. His actual workout regimen would probably break me within the first five minutes. He surveyed my face before breaking the pregnant silence.

“Did you like my gift?”

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

His expression became shrouded. “I would never joke about something like this.”

I stepped closer and lowered my voice. “You sent me a hand.”

“Hm, yes. But did you recognize it? I was hoping you would.”

The approaching footsteps grew closer. I took a step back just as a pretty dark-skinned woman rounded the bend. She gave us a small smile that Mateo returned with a grin, causing a noticeable blush to stain her cheeks as she jogged past.

"What is wrong with you?" I questioned as soon as she was out of hearing range .

He looked down at me clearly amused. "It was just a smile, Elena."

"What?" Did he think I'd just gotten jealous? "I'm talking about that gift you sent."

"Oh. Did you not like it?"

I took a couple more small steps away from him. He remained where he was, watching me closely. “Why? Why would you have it brought to me ?”

“What would you rather have had?”

My brow pinched. "You can't possibly mean I had choices."

"With me, you'll always have choices." He stepped closer. "I also took the smaller parts of him.” He grinned and got a look on his face that made me think he was replaying the moment he dismembered the man in question, finding joy in it.

Ugh. I was not broaching that subject. “Again, why did you have someone deliver that to me? ”

“Think of it as a token of my promised devotion.”

“You could’ve sent flowers or a card,” I retorted.

“Flowers wither and actions speak louder than words, but if you want flowers, I’ll build you a greenhouse. If that isn’t good enough, I can give you fields of them.”

The sincerity with which he was speaking baffled me. This entire conversation made me wonder if I had somehow taken a wrong turn and entered the Twilight Zone. “Flowers may die but last I checked severed limbs aren’t everlasting. Did you expect me to store it as a keepsake, put it on a shelf in my bedroom?”

“Of course, not. I would never allow another man in our room.”

“Our room?”

“Where you’ll be sleeping,” he replied without hesitation.

I dropped my eyes to the tarmac and shook my head, repeating more to myself, “What is wrong with you?”

He suddenly stepped forward, bridging the remainder of the gap I’d created. We were practically chest to chest. With a gentle touch, he grasped my chin and forced my eyes back to his. “A man put his hands on you. That’s what was wrong with me, Elena. So, I removed his fucking hands. I feel much better now.”

I stared up at him at a complete loss for words. Rumors were one thing, reality another. He truly was unhinged in an exceedingly nonchalant way. It terrified me that I didn’t one-hundred percent fear that. And now I knew without a doubt that he was, in fact, having me watched. Those men at the club weren’t some average employees coming to handle a disturbance.

Melody and Peyton were right. For some reason this man wanted me. He wouldn’t have looked at me twice otherwise or given me gift- wrapped body parts. But there had to be more to this than the physical attraction between us.

“Mr. Escuro—.”

“Mateo,” he swiftly corrected, releasing my chin. “I’m only Mr. Escuro to men under me and even then, it makes me think I’m trying to replace my father, who is alive and well.”

“Okay…Mateo,” I tested out. “I think I missed something between the last time we spoke and now.”

“You haven’t. I’ve decided not to wait and move things along.”

“What does that mean?”

“I had a thought that you might try to run away from me, but then I realized you’re too smart for that. You wouldn’t make such a reckless decision.”

“I have no intention of running,” I replied.

“That’s good to hear. Because if you did, I would have to chase after you and trust me, I always catch what I hunt. ”

His smile now held a menacing edge. I tried to brush off the unease creeping into my every pore, but it clung to me like a sinister shadow.

His hand reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, a gesture that should have been comforting but instead felt like a warning. I inhaled sharply as his body grazed against mine, causing me to fight against a shiver. I was only wearing my black sports bra and matching shorts, which Mateo seemed to take full notice of. His gaze traveled down my figure, following the path of his hands as they traced over my bare skin. The sensation was like a burning imprint on my body. I had to resist the urge to lean into him, unsure of this intense attraction between us. This feeling was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

“You’re joining me for dinner tonight," he murmured.

"Why?"

"We have a deal to finalize, don't we? "

"Is it necessary for us to eat together in order to do that?"

"It is," he confirmed, tracing the outline of my lips with his finger. "And afterward, I plan on spending all night making you come."

I blinked, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks as I pulled away from his touch. "I don't recall signing up for any of this," I protested, my voice shaky.

He flashed a sly grin, his eyes dark and smoldering. “Dinner?” he questioned. “Or me fucking you until you can’t walk or remember your own name?”

“Both. But mostly the second one.” I wasn't naive, but I was still a virgin and couldn't fathom sleeping with this man. Despite how my body reacted to him or how good-looking he was, I wasn't ready for that kind of intimacy. The thought alone was overwhelming and intimidating, considering his vast experience compared to mine .

He laughed, clearly amused that I was growing flustered. “If this is all it takes, anjinho, imagine how you’ll feel by the end of the night.”

I started to voice my concern but his grip on me tightened, silencing me. "You don't need to say anything else," he said firmly. With one hand still on my waist and the other covering my mouth, he continued, ". “You don’t need to say anything else. All you need to do is walk to and from the car. You don’t even have to concern yourself with what to wear. Not that you’ll be wearing it long.”

I glared and he applied more pressure to keep me silent. "A nod that you understand will suffice."

I grudgingly bobbed my head. He removed his hand from my mouth and stepped away. "I'll send a car for you."

With that, he simply turned and resumed his jog. I remained where I was until I could no longer see him, then headed in the opposite direction, my head spinning and worry setting in.