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CHAPTER 22
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Hotter Than Hell CHAPTER 23
Moon reaches for the bedside phone, picks it up, and speaks to someone in Spanish. I watch dreamily as he walks away from the bed, enters the bathroom, and returns a few minutes later. He’s carrying a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a cup. He rests them on the nightstand beside the bed.He helps me sit and places an extra pillow behind my back. After putting a small amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush, he hands it to me. I don’t look at him while I brush my teeth. He’s too close, and even though we shared a bath last night, this seems somehow more personal. I eventually look up and he hands me the cup to spit. After he takes the item back to the bathroom, he returns and nudges me over with his hip so he can sit.He pushes my hair behind my shoulders. “How are you feeling?”The words spill out before I can stop them. “Sore, ugly… dirty,” I add. So very, very dirty. My actions caused the death of an innocent person, and I’m lying in the bed of a criminal trying to keep my sexual thoughts
Hotter Than Hell CHAPTER 24
I push aside the fact that my face and hair are a mess. I want one night. One night of not thinking about crime, or death, or doing the right thing. I inhale slowly. It’s a night I can’t afford to take. I know if I do, there will be no going back.“Everything,” I tell him. His eyes go dark.It’s my turn to qualify. “The sandwich, just put everything on it, please.”He finishes making our sandwiches. The entire process is calm and methodical and seems to be a fundamental part of him. He returns the mayo, mustard, and assorted lunch meats to the fridge. He removes two plates from a cabinet and places the sandwiches on top. He fills two glasses of water, snags a bag of chips from another cupboard, and makes two trips to the table to place everything on it.“Eat while I clean up. I know you’re hungry.”I grab my sandwich with both hands. “I’m surprised you don’t save the dishes for someone else.” The sandwich smells delicious, but then liver would smell good right now and I hate liver.“M
Hotter Than Hell CHAPTER 25
Moon leads me through his oasis in the desert. We left by an outside door off the kitchen. We walk around to the front of the house first so he can show me the fountain, which is lit up with multi-colored lights. It’s beautiful, and we stand and admire it for several minutes. Moon holds my hand the entire time.“Come on, I’ll show you the rest.”The sprinkler system comes on when we reach the side of the house. Water sprays the flowers and shrubs, circulating the amazing natural smells of the Arizona outdoors. I feel like I could be strolling through the Botanical Gardens right now, making it easy to forget why I’m here. The colorful accent lights add a bewitching quality to the trails. Yes, I said trails. There are several. The one we’re on is paved with flagstone. The others appear to be fine rock or possibly shale. The outside temperature is hot, but not sun-beating-down-on-you hot. I’d say the upper eighties or low nineties. With the low humidity it’s downright comfortable.We wal
Hotter Than Hell CHAPTER 26
Moon is looking deep into my eyes, and I can tell that something he sees disturbs him. His expression changes. His tone becomes hard and inflexible. “You’re taken in by the outer facade. The darkness I carry is hidden on the inside.” His fingers thread through my hair and he tightens the strands within his fists to make a point. “The things I do are cold and calculated. Don’t be fooled and think I’m good, baby.”I don’t believe him. “Tell me about your mother.” I need Moon to be my knight in shining armor. I need him to be good and worthy of the feelings that are raging through me.His expression doesn’t change, but his words surprise me. “She would have liked you.”I laugh because he has no idea. “Mothers never like me,” I tell him. I’m not putting myself down, just stating fact. I see it in their eyes when I’m introduced. My large breasts and curvy body give me a voluptuous, sex kitten look—aka trampy. Moms know exactly what their sons see in me. They don’t feel I’m a good candidate
Hotter Than Hell CHAPTER 27
We’re silent as Moon leads me back to the house. He grabs two of my pills from a kitchen cabinet and watches me take them. I’m too overwhelmed and don’t argue because my head is pounding. He leaves me alone in his room so he can attend his conference call.I curl up in his bed, inhaling his scent and wondering how this went so fucking wrong. It was Moon’s actions and not mine that killed Penny. Moon’s fucking games. Manuel Estephon is thought to be the number one killer on American soil and directly tied to the Mexican drug cartels. If Moon is to be believed, and I don’t know what to believe anymore, Kennedy is tied to Estephon.Moon’s war means cops will die. I can’t allow that to happen. I have no idea where to turn or who to turn to. Just Estephon’s name fills me with dread. At Estephon’s orders, five young men were beheaded a few months ago. Gruesome, horrific deaths that were blasted over the Internet. And Estephon got away with it. Does Kennedy have any idea who he’s dealing wit
Hotter Than Hell CHAPTER 28
Moon rolls us until I’m back on my side. He stands and crosses the room until he disappears into the closet. He comes out a minute later and turns on the bedside reading light. He places a large album on the bed. “Pick it up,” he says softly. I’m in no mood to do anything he asks, but the look in his eyes lets me know I should pick up the album. Moon’s knee hits the bed and he situates the pillows before joining me and sitting back against them. He reaches over and literally pulls me up so my back is against him and I’m wrapped in his arms.He takes the album from me and flips through several pages until he comes to a full-page picture of three teenagers. One is Moon, another is Gomez, and the third a young woman. Her skin is lighter than Moon’s, but her Mexican heritage is evident. What astounds me is that if my skin were darker, we could be sisters.I don’t understand. “Who is she?”Moon’s finger slides over the image. “Alex’s sister.”“What happened to her?” I’m so afraid to hear h
Hotter Than Hell CHAPTER 29
“El jefe?” I ask the doctor. I’ve heard the term but have no idea what it means.“Forgive me twice. El jefe means ‘the boss or chief.’ He takes care of his people and from what I’ve seen, you are now one of his people. Value his loyalty; he is a man with many faces.” His hands move to my shoulder and he begins rotating the joint. Another slight wince escapes me.“No change?”“It only hurts when I move it or someone tries to twist it off,” I reply deadpan.A twinkle replaces the solemn look in his dark eyes. “Then I would say don’t move it and don’t allow anyone to twist it off.”“Your bedside manner is flawless, Dr. Santos.”He grins and then looks away. When he turns back, his cheeks are tinged red. “I do not have these conversations, because my patients are children.” He clears his throat. “It is your decision if you wish to return to sexual activity.”Oh my hell, this is priceless. “Did you tell Moon that I couldn’t?” I laugh.Merriment enters Santos’ eyes and they actually sparkle
Hotter Than Hell CHAPTER 30
I head into the closet and pull out the red bikini that I spotted the first day. It has a complex system of straps and covers practically nothing. No way did Gabriella choose this. I try it on, and like everything else, it fits perfectly. Too much skin, but that’s how it’s designed. I pull a flower print sundress over the swimsuit and slip my feet into red four-inch heels that come very close to matching the bikini. The heels are not my usual footwear and I sincerely hope I don’t break an ankle. There is nothing I can do about my face, and I refuse to hide it. I pull my semi-wet hair into a French braid and nab a pair of Moon’s sunglasses from a shelf in his closet. I didn’t find any large gold chains to go with Moon’s thug image. Too bad because I’d have worn one.He has two books on his nightstand. One is a business book that I’ll admit sounds thoroughly boring. The other is Lincoln and His Admirals by Craig Symonds. I’ve read several Lincoln biographies and other books about the Ci
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