with Jonas. It’s big enough to avoid each other for the most part and still be available to his beck and call.” His tone was flat, and I thought I spotted a hint of contempt lingering in his words. Could he be on a whole different level than his brother? Maybe his fierce exterior had truly been a farce at the bar. Maybe he was more than met the eye. It appeared so, and it tipped my curiosity.
“I didn’t know he shared this house, but it’s pretty big. I guess that’s a good idea.” I shifted in my chair, feeling a bit uncomfortable when Caridad showed up to refill my drink—right on time too, for my mouth was burning up from the hot peppers in the mix. “Thank you. What’s in these chilaquiles anyway? My mouth is on fire!”
“Jalapenos, onions, and tomato, Miss,” Caridad answered before retreating to the kitchen. I watched her walk away with a sordid desperation to have another with me as I sat here with a jaguar. That’s what Emilio reminded me of. He was sleek, sharp, and muscular, ready to pounce on his prey in a split second without messing up a hair.
“You live with your sister, right? I don’t see how much different that would be from me living with my big brother.”
I nodded, clinging to the cool glass of juice. “Probably not too different. Audrey and I…we’ve always lived together. We’ve been together on the road for years. You have to get used to the company if you don’t want to go insane, even if it’s family.” I chuckled. Thinking of Audrey always made me shake my head. We were always at odds, but I would never want to live anywhere she wasn’t. We were two peas in one pod; we needed each other.
“Sometimes it’s still hard to get used to.” He let his fork clang as he dropped it onto his plate, and Caridad promptly hurried out from whatever task she was doing to scoop it up and replace it with coffee. “I don’t see how you don’t want to kill each other.” He sipped the steaming liquid, black and unsweetened. “Jonas is not quite as easy to live with as it seems your sister would be.” I lifted an eyebrow as I watched him take another sip of the hot fluid, and I cringed. I wondered how he could stand it that way. I could feel the burn on my tongue just watching him. He was also too curious about my living situation.
Caridad placed a hot steamy coffee in front of me too, but with creamer and sugar. God bless her! I stirred the stuff in frantically, blowing to cool off the scorch.
“Well,” I offered. I can’t stand silence. Silence is hell. The quiet exposes too much it shouldn’t know. “I can’t say we’re always best of pals, Audrey and me. We disagree a lot. She’s the responsible one. I try to stay out of trouble, but I’m just not a conformist. I like to live as though the end were tomorrow. I hate steady jobs, enclosed spaces, and like to be free, you know?” I sighed, stirring more sugar and cream into my hot coffee. It was still too hot to sip, so I just blew on the surface and let it drop from the spoon. It was so warm this morning, I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for a hot drink. It didn’t seem to bother Emilio, who was on his second straight up cup of sludge. I shuddered at the bitterness it must taste like without the extras.
“You’re lucky. I’m sure Jonas would love to shoot me most days, but he sees it as a waste of a bullet. I can never do what I want. He says it’s family responsibility to keep things running smoothly.” He chuckled and let his head drop back, the warmth of the morning sun heating up his skin. “The guy can go where he wants, whenever he wants, but me? I’m stuck here, doing the dirty work for him.” The sound of the waterfall filled the silent space, which I was eternally grateful for. Never had I thought I’d be having breakfast with Jonas’ brother. He’d rarely visited in Phoenix when Jonas showed up there, but I had seen him on occasion in Ruben’s bar. He’d always given off the air of chilliness,
“I didn’t know he shared this house, but it’s pretty big. I guess that’s a good idea.” I shifted in my chair, feeling a bit uncomfortable when Caridad showed up to refill my drink—right on time too, for my mouth was burning up from the hot peppers in the mix. “Thank you. What’s in these chilaquiles anyway? My mouth is on fire!”
“Jalapenos, onions, and tomato, Miss,” Caridad answered before retreating to the kitchen. I watched her walk away with a sordid desperation to have another with me as I sat here with a jaguar. That’s what Emilio reminded me of. He was sleek, sharp, and muscular, ready to pounce on his prey in a split second without messing up a hair.
“You live with your sister, right? I don’t see how much different that would be from me living with my big brother.”
I nodded, clinging to the cool glass of juice. “Probably not too different. Audrey and I…we’ve always lived together. We’ve been together on the road for years. You have to get used to the company if you don’t want to go insane, even if it’s family.” I chuckled. Thinking of Audrey always made me shake my head. We were always at odds, but I would never want to live anywhere she wasn’t. We were two peas in one pod; we needed each other.
“Sometimes it’s still hard to get used to.” He let his fork clang as he dropped it onto his plate, and Caridad promptly hurried out from whatever task she was doing to scoop it up and replace it with coffee. “I don’t see how you don’t want to kill each other.” He sipped the steaming liquid, black and unsweetened. “Jonas is not quite as easy to live with as it seems your sister would be.” I lifted an eyebrow as I watched him take another sip of the hot fluid, and I cringed. I wondered how he could stand it that way. I could feel the burn on my tongue just watching him. He was also too curious about my living situation.
Caridad placed a hot steamy coffee in front of me too, but with creamer and sugar. God bless her! I stirred the stuff in frantically, blowing to cool off the scorch.
“Well,” I offered. I can’t stand silence. Silence is hell. The quiet exposes too much it shouldn’t know. “I can’t say we’re always best of pals, Audrey and me. We disagree a lot. She’s the responsible one. I try to stay out of trouble, but I’m just not a conformist. I like to live as though the end were tomorrow. I hate steady jobs, enclosed spaces, and like to be free, you know?” I sighed, stirring more sugar and cream into my hot coffee. It was still too hot to sip, so I just blew on the surface and let it drop from the spoon. It was so warm this morning, I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for a hot drink. It didn’t seem to bother Emilio, who was on his second straight up cup of sludge. I shuddered at the bitterness it must taste like without the extras.
“You’re lucky. I’m sure Jonas would love to shoot me most days, but he sees it as a waste of a bullet. I can never do what I want. He says it’s family responsibility to keep things running smoothly.” He chuckled and let his head drop back, the warmth of the morning sun heating up his skin. “The guy can go where he wants, whenever he wants, but me? I’m stuck here, doing the dirty work for him.” The sound of the waterfall filled the silent space, which I was eternally grateful for. Never had I thought I’d be having breakfast with Jonas’ brother. He’d rarely visited in Phoenix when Jonas showed up there, but I had seen him on occasion in Ruben’s bar. He’d always given off the air of chilliness,
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