I woke up with the sun blinding my vision as it streamed through the curtains. I spotted an alarm clock on the bedside table and frowned when I saw that it was already past ten am. I turned around and found that the bed was empty beside me. Why did no one wake me up?I carefully climbed out of bed and pursed my lips together at the pain between my legs. I smiled to myself before excitedly pacing about the room. Memories of the previous night flooded my mind. I bit down on my bottom lip to keep myself from squealing excitedly. I looked at my naked form in the mirror and found hickeys on my neck and shoulders. Mateo's fingerprints tattooed my waist. I was consumed by butterflies at the mere thought of him.I opened his closet and grabbed one of his shirts from it along with a pair of shorts that I found in one of his drawers.I searched the room for my phone and found it on the bedside table. I frowned when I saw a note lying next to it. I grabbed the piece of paper before carefull
I suspiciously eyed the grey-haired woman in front of me. She seemed so kind and harmless just a few minutes ago. Turns out she was sent here to kill me. "Who do you work for?" I asked Martha. God, I don't even know if her real name is Martha. "I don't know. I'm an assassin. Well, I used to be. The bottom line is I prefer not to know my clients. This one was no different; he called me, sent me your information, made the payment, and now I'm here." She uttered and I looked at her in disbelief. An elderly assassin, I never thought I'd see the day. "You tried to kill me," I uttered in disbelief. "But I didn't. Besides, my client gave me a choice. It was either you or Mila and since I don't kill children, I chose to kill you." She openly admitted and my heart dropped. "But- for the first time since I started doing this job, I couldn't go through with it. Usually, my targets are rich assholes, murderers, ex-cons, you name it. But they're never kind." She admitted while staring deep
Mateo I gripped the ice-cold steel weapon in my hand in anger before cocking it. "Martha?" I called her and her head whipped up. "Remove her gag," I told Rafe and he nodded before complying. "Please, please don't kill me!" She begged and I frowned at her. "Martha, who exactly do you think you're dealing with here?" I calmly asked her with a light frown on my forehead. "Someone sent me here to kill your wife! I know exactly who you are because I did my homework," she stated so I harshly pressed my gun into her skull. "And yet you still came into my territory, tried to kill my wife and daughter! And now you want me to spare your life?" I asked her in disbelief. "I know I've disrespected you, mi Salvador." She started and I rolled my eyes at her. "Kill her," I told Rafe. "No! Wait," she hissed out and Rafe and I both frowned at her. "Spit it out, lady!" Rafe impatiently uttered and Martha carefully looked up into my eyes. "Cara. The woman's name who gave me th
After dinner, I stood on the balcony with a scarf wrapped around my arms. Mateo's men finally found the suitcase I packed for Mila in Tiago's car and brought it to the house. Luckily I packed a few outfits for myself. I curiously looked around me before frowning lightly. This house is sort of old and abandoned, but it's strangely been growing on me; Mila likes it here, too. Mateo put her to bed earlier. It's good that they're spending more time together. I can tell how much they both need it. Mila's blood sugar has been looking good, too, these past few days. I was so worried that she might get another seizure... She means the world to me and if anything ever happened to her- "Ahem," someone cleared their throat, interrupting my thoughts and I frowned before turning around to see who it was. I was surprised to find Rafe standing behind me. He sized me up from head to toe before he took the spot next to me,
I watched as one of Mateo's men burned our phones through the window of the car we were sitting in. We made a quick pitstop and pulled over on the side of the road. Mila doesn't know it yet, but her iPad was in that pile. It's important so nobody can find our location but she won't be too happy when she finds out. All twenty of Mateo's men will go back home while we go to the safe house. We were quietly sitting in Mateo's car, Rafe was sitting behind the steering wheel, and Mila had rested her head on Mateo's lap earlier and fell asleep that way; her beautiful long curls completely covered her face like a blanket. I removed my gaze from her and curiously looked up at Mateo. I caught him staring at me, the look on his face almost unreadable. He seems suspicious of me. He hasn't said much to me since we left the house either. "What happened to Martha? Why is she not here?" I curiously asked Mateo who held a blank expression on his face as he shrugged at me in response. "Martha
"Hera?" Tiago called me in concern. All I could think about was Mateo and that goddamn conversation he had over the phone. "Are you okay?" Tiago asked for the third time, I shook my head at him in response."I just- I don't know if I can trust Mateo anymore. He's been lying to me right from the start, Tiago. I trusted him, and I started falling for him again. I wanted him back, Tiago- and he just hurt me, he lied to me and he cheated on me like it was nothing!" I started crying, and Tiago wrapped one of his arm around me in a comforting manner."I heard him talking to someone over the phone three days ago, and I tried to hold it together as best as I could, but I can't do it anymore," I sobbed out. "It really hurts and God knows I tried Tiago- I really tried." I cried out and he hugged me again. "I'm sorry," he softly uttered. "Just- let it out." He said and I cried my heart out because it was all I could do. "I hate him, Tiago," I wh
Tiago successfully managed to get back inside the house without getting himself shot, Rafe and Mila followed shortly after. Mateo was still outside fighting alongside our men. "The garage!" Rafe yelled before sprinting toward the garage and we all followed suit. As we entered the garage, the sound of gunshots became louder, and Mila desperately held onto Rafe. We were all relieved to find Leonardo's old Mustang still in the garage. Rafe grabbed the keys off the wall before unlocking the doors. Tiago got in on the passenger seat while I jumped in on the backseat. Rafe started the engine with ease, we waited for the garage door to open and drove out of it at the speed of lightning. The gunshots became louder and louder until we were about a mile away from the house. "Is everyone okay?" I asked in concern and they all mumbled out a "yes," which made me let out a soft breath of relief. "Mila, are you
"Hera! Where's Hera? Where is your doña?" I heard an angered voice screaming my name. A light frown settled on my forehead once my eyes rested on a woman, seemingly my age. "I'm here." I calmly uttered and she angrily came storming at me. A few gasps filled the room when the woman raised her hands at me, and as she was about to hit me, I grabbed ahold of her wrist. "My husband is dead because of you. You bitch!" She angrily yelled at me. "Solidad? Are you trying to get yourself killed? You're talking to the doña, not one of your friends.""I know who I'm talking to and this bitch didn't deserve Chris's loyalty! She's a traitor to this mafia and everyone in it! She shot the don, for the love of God, and you guys are standing here, kissing her ass. You're all just like her, that's why you still call her your doña. My Chris was too good for you. All of you!" She angrily yelled at us. "You're right, I didn't deserve his loyalty. But I did
After dinner I stood on wobbly legs. I hastily made my way out of the restaurant and Mateo followed me outside."Be a good girl and drive home as fast as you can." Mateo told me before hitting my ass. I bit into my bottom lip and watched him confidently walking back to his car. I grabbed my keys from the valet before climbing into my car. I drove ahead of him and made my way home deciding that I was tired of being so deliciously tortured by him. That I needed him inside of me.Once I parked my car in it's usual spot in the mansion parking lot I jumped out of the vehicle. Mateo had his car parked next to mine, he placed a passionate kiss on my lips once I reached him. We made our way into the house, I ran upstairs and Mateo hit my ass while following me to our room. I opened the door and froze in my spot when I found Mila asleep in our bed."Cold shower." I told Mateo and he nodded at me. "Definitely." He uttered and we sneaked into the room and grabbed our bath essentials. We took
WARNING: SEXUAL CONTENT!I stepped out of the elevator and made my way to Mateo's office. Every employee I passed kindly greeted me. I took my sunglasses off and placed them into my bag. I reached to knock on the door but it swung open before I could do so. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Cara walking out of Mateo's office, she fixed her lipgloss then her hair before smirking at me. I rolled my eyes at her and made my way into Mateo's office. I slammed the door in her face before going over to Mateo."Mateo, what the hell was that woman doing in your office?" I angrily asked him. "She came to hand in her resignation." Her calmly stated. "I already fired her, Mateo! Did you let her work here after I fired her as Mila's babysitter?" I wildly asked him and his eyes slowly ran over me as if he just noticed that I was wearing his favorite color. "I did." He blankly uttered so I walked over to where he was sitting. I angrily glared down at him before pointing my index finger at him.
I walked into the Salvador mansion with Mila by my side. I could already feel the shift that was about to happen. Mila ran upstairs to go put her backpack in her room so I decided to wait for her inside the living room and found Lola sitting on a couch, she put her phone aside and placed all her focus on me."Hera? Where have you been?" Lola curiously asked me as soon as I entered the living room. "I was in town- doing some shopping-- but I couldn't find anything I liked so I decided to come back home." I lied to her through my teeth and Lola just nodded at me. "And have you calmed down yet, since this morning?" She asked me. "Yes, Lola. I'm not leaving my husband, if that's what you're asking." I uttered in annoyance and she smiled at me. "That's good," she told me and a document lying on the table caught my eye. I narrowed my eyes to read what it said and found that it was the results of a paternity test. "The results came back positive." She told me and I faked shock. "Wow wh
I sat in a dark basement, scared of what might happen next. The door suddenly opened and I sat upright before backing into the wall behind me."Hera, follow me," I heard a familiar voice. I slapped myself as I got up from the ground. I followed the person outside since I couldn't get a good look at them in the dark. Once we got outside an old man stood in front of me, his back facing me. His hair was grey and his hands were behind back. He was wearing a black ring on his ring finger with the crest of the Salvador mafia carved into it. But how?"Leonardo?" I uttered in disbelief. "Yes, child." He uttered before turning around to face me and my mouth went agape. He seemed much older now, he had wrinkles around his eyes, they were still as blue as ever.I took his face into my hands to check if he was real and he was- real. Alive. I wordlessly watched him and he showed no emotions on his face. "Yes. I'm alive, Hera." He assured me before opening his arms for me. I skeptically watched
The next morning everyone sat at the breakfast table, quiet and unmoving. Not even Mila had something to say and she's usually the most talkative person in the mornings.Mateo looked around the table before frowning at me so I shrugged at him in response. Uncle Charlie and Aunt Maya just quietly ate their breakfast and kept to themselves."Did something happen that I should know about?" Mateo asked and Lola frowned over at him. "Is something wrong, son?" Martín asked Mateo. "I'm not your son, Martín." Mateo tiredly told him and my eyes slightly widened at his words. "Lola wants me to fix things between you and Dario." I blurted the words out and Lola angrily glared over at me. "Because you're the one who screwed them up in the first place." She angrily told me. "How? By telling my husband that his brother was doing dealings with his enemies behind his back?" I asked Lola and she set her fork down on the table, trying her best not to lose her temper. "And then he tried to kill me
I pulled the black beanie I was wearing over my ears and quietly walked through the gates of the Salvador mansion. I was escorted by a guard, we sneaked around the back of the house and I entered the house through the backdoor.Lola frowned at me when she saw me. "Hera, where the hell have you been? One of the kids just called asking if we were expecting guests." She told me. "Who exactly called you?" I curiously wanted to know. "Carlos, he stands guard at the gate.""Have you informed Mateo about this, yet? I didn't get the chance to." I asked and followed her into the living room. "Yes, he says he's not far from the house, that he'll be here in five minutes." Lola answered before sitting down on a sofa. "You're sitting down?" I asked her in disbelief and she frowned at me. "I'm not doing anything until my son gets here. I'll wait for his orders." She blankly stated. "You do realize who's standing in front of your house right now, don't you?" I asked her and she nodded at me.
Mila and I quietly walked through our entire mafia, as they stood lined up in front of the house. They smiled and waved at Mila and she tightly clenched her fists around the straps of her backpack.Mateo lifted Mila up before placing her in the backseat. Once he was done buckling her seatbelt we both climbed inside the car. The family insisted on being there for Mila on her first day of school and we simply couldn't refuse them. We drove to Mila's school, she couldn't stop talking about how excited she was about her new school. I was scared for my daughter and nervous all at the same time. I don't want this cruel world to know her. My beautiful little girl. We stopped in front of the St. Marks school campus, Mila jumped out of the car and I handed her backpack to her before I knelt in front of her. "Come on, give me a good one." I told her and she placed a kiss on my cheek before wrapping her tiny arms around me. "Te quiero mucho, Mami." She smiled at me so I brushed my hands o
Mancini is dead. And-Mateo killed everyone in Mancini's family yet we're the ones suffering in the aftermath. We're still mourning Aurellia's death and its been two weeks since her murder. Rafe changed. He couldn't cope with the loss of his girlfriend. I wasn't here to witness their love blossom but from what I've heard it was pretty great.Life is unfair like that. True love only comes once in our lifetime and death is simply the tax that we pay for love. "Mommy," Mila curiously uttered from where she was resting her head on my lap. "Yes, mi cielo." I smiled down at her and she lifted her head. "When are we leaving?" She curiously wanted to know and I frowned at her. "You want to leave?" I asked her in a gentle tone and she nodded at me in response. "Why?" I asked again. "I don't like it here, Mommy." She told me and I frowned at her."Then what do you suggest we do?" I asked her and she pressed her lips together. "I want to go to school." She said and I tried my best not to
I quietly sat in the living room while holding onto Mateo's arm, I had rested my head on his shoulder a while ago and I wasn't planning on moving it anytime soon."We recently found Aurellia's body in the pantry. She was shot three times. She was caught off guard. And yes Aurellia was one of our best fighters but the enemy doesn't care if it's a fair fight or not, you've seen it yourselves. They want to see our blood. For seven years we had no equals, no enemies. But they've gotten close to us again. And when the enemy comes to ambush us at night I expect you to join me on the battlefield. This neighborhood is our home and we will fight for it. We took an oath to protect The Heights and its people. And I don't know about you but my oath is my honor." Mateo uttered with pride and every man inside the living room stood up. "My oath is my honor! Salvador Heights is my home and I will die protecting it!" They started chanting in unison and I felt goosebumps forming on my skin. Rafe sudd