No Darker Temptation (No Sweeter Poison Book 2) by Leonora Mendez Castillo

Author:Leonora Mendez Castillo [Castillo, Leonora Mendez]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

TRUE NATURE

Dahlia

Last night, I had a nightmare.

It was the kind where one dream bled into another and no matter how many times you woke up, you were still in the midst of it. When my alarm finally went off, I had to peel back the layers of each dream in order to decipher whether or not I had returned to reality. I've forgotten most of it by now but a nagging, impending sense of doom stays with me the rest of the day.

Later in the morning, the movers arrive and leave the new desk in Alejandro’s study. It was the last piece of furniture I was waiting on and now the space is completely functional. All that’s left is to set up the computer and printer but Diego said he’d take care of it this coming weekend.

I’ve kept Regina’s phone number in my pocket since yesterday, the thin strip of paper burning against my skin. At some point in the afternoon, I manage to force myself out of bed because taking another nap isn’t going to make me feel better. I need to tell him and I need to tell him today. Alejandro and I have never kept a secret from each other and the guilt is eating away at me with a determination and ferocity that lights a fire under my ass. If I don’t tell him and something happens, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Even if Regina is lying, and I’m not entirely convinced she is, I’d rather have told the truth than kept it to myself.

Dimitrio isn’t around today, which is odd, considering he’s usually my guard when Beni isn’t here. On my way out, Pedro and Oscar are taking over for Manuel and Rodrigo who man the front entrance where a set of iron gates grant access to the underground garage. I wave at them and Manuel is the first one to spot me.

“Hey jefecita! You heading out?”

I nod. “I’m going to the lounge. Take the walk with me? I can’t find Beni or Dimitrio.”

“Beni’s off today, it’s his cousin’s birthday.” Pedro says by way of explanation. “You sure you don’t want one of us to bring the car around?”

I shake my head. “It’s beautiful today. I don’t mind.”

I wait for Manuel to come down from the watchtower. Though, it isn’t actually a watchtower—just an upstairs sitting room with a mezzanine that overlooks this part of the house. Manuel opens the front door and we walk to the lounge in comfortable silence, engaging in occasional conversation over simple things like the weather or how bad the traffic is before it quickly fizzles out.

When we arrive at El Aliciente, the chairs are flipped over and the bar is empty, just as I suspected. A shrill ringing echoes across the room and Manuel comes to an abrupt stop at the threshold. He pulls out his phone and checks the screen.

“I need to take this. Are you⁠—?”

“Yes, go ahead!”

Manuel steps outside to take the call and I spot Joni rolling a mop bucket down the hall.

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