The world was a blur, but I could make out the massive, fiercely powerful form of the man I loved. Gehovany’s face was an indistinct smear of tanned skin and flashes of the whites of his eyes, but I could clearly hear the gagging sounds of his failed, desperate attempts to draw in oxygen. A sickening crunch crackled through the air, but my stomach was twisting too viciously for the sound of death to increase my nausea.
My abuser’s body dropped to the cracked pavement with a final, definitive thud.
My vision began to clear, and his bloodshot, blank gray eyes stared at me. His neck was cocked at an impossible angle, and his tanned cheeks were still flushed purple from oxygen deprivation.
Before my budding revulsion could bloom into horror, Raúl’s huge body blocked the awful image. He crouched beside me, and his luminous green eyes filled my entire world.
“Raúl.” I managed to croak his name.
“Corderita.” His thick fingers trembled as he slowly reached for me, as though he was afraid his immense strength might cause him to accidentally crush me, too.
Determination to soothe him enabled me to turn my cheek into his hand by sheer force of will.
Bright lights popped in front of my eyes at the slightest movement of my head, and I went limp again.
He carefully lifted me to cradle me against his chest, but even his gentlest handling didn’t stop the jarring pain from lancing my skull. The achingly sweet comfort of his strong arms around me was the last thing I experienced.
As the world dropped into blackness, calm enfolded me. I was completely safe in the arms of my fierce protector, the man I loved.
Chapter 26
Marisol
Raúl appeared in the bedroom doorway, hovering behind my family. They’d gathered around me where I laid on my childhood bed, but he didn’t push past them to get to me.
Papá and Gabriela had been doing their best to make me comfortable, and I tried not to move more than absolutely necessary. My head throbbed, and my entire body ached as though I’d been hit by a truck.
But it was the furious tension in Raúl’s hulking frame that made my heart twist; a fresh burst of pain for him. His corded muscles rippled with aggression, continuing to radiate savage, lethal energy even though Gehovany was dead.
I knew that the sight of my injuries would be shredding him. In his mind, he’d failed to protect me. He’d only just started to let go of his self-loathing, tentatively accepting that his love for me brought out the best in him.
Now, I’d been hurt, and the damage to his soul could be far more irreparable than the bruises in my flesh. His belief in his own goodness was rooted in his obsession with keeping me safe. The fact that Gehovany had been able to attack me was shaking the foundations of his newfound belief that he wasn’t evil.
I could practically see him slipping away from me, his eyes hardening to jade as his worst fears threatened to consume him.
“I really am okay.” My promise was meant to soothe everyone, but I kept my eyes on Raúl.
My father turned to face my fierce protector, cringing slightly when Raúl’s violent aura pulsed toward him. Papá swallowed hard, but he managed to remain focused on our most pressing concern. “Is Gehovany…?”
He and Gabriela understood that Gehovany was dead, even if they hadn’t witnessed the gory scene. I was glad they’d been spared new nightmares. They’d already suffered so much.
Raúl had brought me directly into the house, and he’d tasked my family with tending my injuries before he’d gone out again immediately. He couldn’t leave evidence of his defeated quarry laying in our driveway. With his powerful cartel contacts, I knew he could probably make the police go away if they came to investigate.
But I didn’t want him to have to face his old demons again, especially not when he was so emotionally raw after seeing Gehovany beating me.
I wanted to hold him close, to soothe the maddened beast inside him with my touch. I’d forced myself to wait, giving him time to clean up. Avoiding a conflict with the cops was more important, so I hadn’t protested when he’d left us briefly. He’d needed to get rid of the body.
“I handled it.” Raúl confirmed in clipped tones. His corded arms folded over his chest, as though he was making an effort to rein in his overt aggression. Even in his anguish, he was trying not to scare my family. “Do I need to talk to your neighbors?”
“No, no!” Papá insisted quickly, sweat beading on his brow. He clearly understood that talk to meant something far more terrifying than a simple conversation. “If anyone saw, they won’t report it to the cops. Everyone loved my wife. They know what Gehovany did to her; they know what he was. No one will be sorry that he can’t threaten our community anymore.”