Slightly caught off guard, I laughed lightly. I didn’t realize I’d said anything about my haggard appearance out loud. “Well, thanks for that.”
“Here.” He reached into one of his inner suit pockets and retrieved an embossed business card. “This has my cell number on it. Call or text me some time, we should talk in private.”
I accepted it as a polite gesture barely sparing a glance at the wording. “Thank you, but I’m not one for confessionals.”
He smiled slightly. “That’s nice to know because neither am I, not the kind you’re thinking of.”
“Still, while I appreciate the offer, I don’t know what the two of us could possibly talk about.” I thumbed the card and gingerly slipped it into my bag.
“I have a few things in mind,” he continued, my objections not deterring him in the slightest. “I think you’re misunderstanding my intentions. I want more from you than casual conversation, Adelita.”
What he was saying didn’t click for me right away. When it did, I wasn’t sure what to say. It almost sounded as if this was something he’d thought about long before now. His admission coupled with a gravelly voice dipped in honey had an outbreak of goosebumps spreading across my skin.
“Like what?” I questioned as if I were a naïve fool.
His gorgeous eyes sparked with a knowing gleam. He’d already caught on to me trying to keep this random encounter trivial and innocent.
“We’ll start with dinner.”
“Will we?” I trilled with a soft laugh. “Is this your way of trying to ask me out?”
“I’m not asking.” He stepped closer to me. I was forced to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. “This isn’t the time or place for me to make you feel what I need you to.”
My mind took an immediate dive into the gutter. I couldn’t ignore the double entendre that clung to those words. This scenario was something straight out of a wet dream. I half expected a camera crew to jump out and yell that I was being pranked.
Draven stepped away, holding hostage my ability to speak and looking rather pleased with himself. He returned to his cart of meat and began to make his way down the aisle, leaving me with one last softly spoken message.
“I’ll talk to you soon.”
I watched him go with my heart in my throat, wondering what the hell had just happened.
CHAPTER THREE
It was with the strength bestowed upon me from everything down below, that I didn’t drag her from the store and shove her inside my trunk. I needed our relationship to begin in a more persuasive and endearing fashion.
I watched from a distance as she turned the corner and headed down another aisle. Even exhausted, she looked divine. She’d still put herself together before leaving the house. This earned her a few credits of admiration in my book. That kind of attitude would only benefit her in our future.
Her long, dark brown hair was brushed to shine even if thrown into a ponytail. The casual outfit she had on hugged her ample curves in all the right places, the burgundy-colored top bringing even more attention to those captivating amber eyes.
Begrudgingly giving her some space, I proceeded in the opposite direction to rejoin Corbin and Isaac who’d been waiting out of sight in a different aisle.
“So, what’s the final verdict?” Corbin asked good-naturedly.
As my cousin and one of my closest confidants, he always stood behind whatever choices I made unless an objection was necessary to prevent a calamity.
“We need to move forward with our original course of action.” I looked at Isaac. “Did everything go smoothly yesterday?”
“Perfectly. Our inside guy is ready to move when you are.”
“Good.” I turned and headed for a self-check-out. Usually, I never bothered myself with simple tasks such as grocery shopping, but I’d seen Adelita’s familiar yellow bug and made the abrupt choice to stop.
It’d been too long since I allowed myself to let her know I was close, to breathe in that delectable strawberry body wash she always used. Lurking in the shadows served a purpose, however. I needed to bide my time and focus on the expansion before integrating her into my life.
I’d made sure no one touched or approached her over these last three years. Only a few people felt they could ignore my family’s unspoken clause, for their benefit, forcing me to reestablish that our Sect’s word was law.
It was a real shame too because some of those boys had potential. They’d foolishly brought suffering onto themselves.
I’d made it abundantly clear that Adelita Asmo belonged to the Alistair’s. I killed in honor of that vow without remorse. However, I was looking forward to the day none of that would be necessary. Disposing of bodies and keeping a disappearance widely unspoken of took a great deal of effort.
Things were going to be different on the Isle. There’d be a system in place to educate on a more rewarding way of life. Seeds would soon be sown, and Adelita was a crucial element for their growth.
Like a hunter, I’d laid a trap and offered bait, now I just needed to wait for my prey to ensnare herself within my cage.
CHAPTER FOUR
I rotated the business card between my fingers, thoughts swirling around the man who’d given it to me. This was physical proof that I hadn’t gone over the deep end and hallucinated our entire interaction. I rested my chin in one of my hands, continuing to study the card.
It was so…random.
Meeting Draven at the store to get the equivalent of a booty call voucher I was more than a little interested in, I couldn’t have predicted any of it. Naturally, I was curious too, wanting answers to a dozen different questions.
Two solid rasps on the back door had me standing straight and quickly slipping the card into the side pocket of my purse. I swept my eyes over the kitchen counter and dining table as I went to see who was there.
Everything was set up perfectly, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d forgotten something. I peeled back the apple-themed valance that covered the door’s window and peered out at Jessica and Kyle.
Jess waved at me through the cracked glass, a wide smile on her face. I mimicked her expression and opened the door so they could come in.
“I didn’t see Troy’s piece of shit in the driveway, so I take it they aren’t here yet,” Kyle remarked as he slid by me.
“No, but they should be soon.”
“You did a good job setting up,” Jess remarked, her hazel eyes surveying the room.
“Thanks.”
“I don’t think interventions usually have snacks,” Kyle added, going to help himself to the bowl of tortilla chips.
If you were to look at him as a stranger, you’d never guess he came from old money. He’d been hooked on tats since our senior year. He now had so many they all sort of ran together. They meshed well with his rugged man-bun look.
Jess on the other hand was a pure diva on the surface, but beneath all her glam was a fierce woman with a heart of gold. I think that’s what made me gravitate towards their open-armed friendship when we first met. They were all-around good people.
“I don’t care, this is my intervention so I can do what I want. Besides, these are more for me than them. You know I’m a nervous eater.”