“I’ll see you around,” I tell him with a wave as I walk quickly toward my car.
Maybe the day will come when I have to take him up on his offer, maybe it won’t. At the very least it’s nice to know that he’s not just the savage monster people paint him out to be.
As soon as I get into my car and close the door, there’s a tap at my window. I shove the keys into the ignition and turn the car on so that I can press the button on the console and lower the window.
“You may want my phone number, niña,” he teases with a chuckle. I nod and reach for my phone, then tap in the number as he rattles it off. Guillermo produces his phone and I send him a message so that he can save my phone number. He stands up as he slides it into his back pocket and gives me a friendly wave.
“Go back to Navolato. Be safe!”
Easier said than done.
Chapter Nine
I drove so goddamn fast allthe way back to Papa’s house that I shaved fifteen minutes off the usual drive time.
And it’s a good thing I did because the first thing I’m greeted by is my sister sitting on the front steps of his home.
She gets to her feet when she sees me and waits patiently for me to exit the car. I toss the keys to Santiago who immediately plays valet.
“About time, bitch,” she calls out fondly when I make my way toward her.
“What?” I ask in confusion, “I made it in less time than—”
“I’m kidding,” she teases, cutting me off with a raised hand.
“Where’s Papa?” I ask nervously.
Ana Sofia steps off the top stair and pushes my hair out of my face to inspect the bump on my forehead.
“Inside. That went down a lot, I would tell him you fell. If he were to find out Lorenzo did that …”
“I’m not stupid,” I snap as I jerk away from her touch.
She rolls her eyes, lets out a sigh and shrugs. I follow her inside, staying close enough that if she tries to beat me to him, I can easily push her aside and get to Papa first.
“He’s out back,” she informs me as she picks up her pace.
The next thing I know, my sister casts me a grin and then breaks into a run. And just like that, I feel like we’re kids again, racing toward our father to receive his affection first—the one thing we’ve both been unwilling to share.
Even though he treats us equally, his praise is worth more than the stars in the fucking sky and we both know it.
As soon as she reaches the back doors, I grunt and shove her as hard as I can, which sends us both tumbling out onto the patio. We land in a heap, me on top of Ana Sofia who’s laughing like a giddy child, and when I attempt to get up, she grabs an arm and flips me over onto my back.
“Let go!” I growl at her as I try to pull out of her grip.
“Make me, bitch,” she replies with a grin as she quickly moves to her knees and puts me in a headlock.
I grunt again as I try to get out of it, but Ana Sofia is a lot stronger than she looks.
When an amused chuckle greets us, she instantly lets go and gets to her feet, pulling me up behind her.
“Sorry,” she says instantly, her voice becoming soft and nervous.
“For being children?” Papa teases.
I push my hair back out of my face and give her a withering stare before I turn my attention toward him. He’s sitting in his favorite large chair, a sharp knife in one hand and a pitaya in the other. He’s watching us with amusement as he slices off another piece of the fruit and brings the blade to his lips.
“My daughters,” he tells someone sitting in the chair across from him.