Page 22 of Seductive Desires

“Nope. You need rest, not…that. I’m staying over here. I don’t trust myself around you.”

He almost looked like he would get up but the second he tried, he grunted and laid back. “Fine. You win this round. But when I am well, we are going to discuss you listening better.”

I snorted. Yeah, right. Carlos said I’m like a cat. I listen when I want to. I parked myself back in the chair I was in this morning, picking my project back up. I needed to keep my hands busy and keep myself away from the great temptation laying in that bed.

He watched me for a while before eventually falling back asleep. I felt relieved, both to have him resting like he was supposed to be, and to have a break. He could flirt with me even without saying anything. Every time I glanced at him, he would smirk at me, his eyes full of fire. I am not a fair skinned maiden, I had never blushed this much in my entire life.

He slept long enough for me to finish the scarf. Something that simple never took that long. I folded it neatly and put it on his nightstand. I was scrolling through my phone, texting Carlos about what happened when a new nurse came stalking into the room. Her movements were jerky and rough as she moved through the room, checking leads and changing Mateo’s IV. When she jostled him a second time, I stood, eyes narrowed.

“Excuse me, but what exactly are you doing? You’re going to wake him,” I whispered roughly.

She scowled at him before glaring at me. “I don’t care. I don’t see why criminals get such great treatment anyway.”

I froze. “What?”

ChapterEleven

“I didn’t getinto this line of work to help people who are only making the world worse. And they are treatedsowell just because they have money. You wouldn’t see a homeless person put in a private room in the VIP wing, would you?” She was ranting but I couldn’t interrupt her. I was speechless. “Noooo of course not. Instead you get mafia bosses and arms dealers and freaking money launderers!”

Her voice was shrill and woke Mateo. He blinked, frowning, looking between me and the nurse. “Mariposa, what’s wrong?”

What’s wrong indeed. I felt like I had been hit by a sledgehammer. Which one of those titles was she saying was Mateo? I felt my heart racing, my hands clenched.

“Wait. Start over. What are you talking about?”

“What, he didn’t tell you? Of course he didn’t. They never do. The mafia boss’s wife ended up kidnapped and nearly beaten to death. The arm’s dealer’s wife was shot three times. You should know what you’re getting into before you dive in with that one.” She jerked her chin to Mateo.

My eyes flashed over to him, horrified. By process of elimination, she was saying Mateo was a money launderer. He looked furious.

“Get out.”

The nurse scoffed. “She deserves to know. We should all get a choice whether we are part of this or not. I don’t want to be targeted because I helped take care of you.”

“Nurse Albright, you need to leave. Now.” Dr. O’Connor snapped. He was standing in the doorway, his face dark.

“We should get a choice! We shouldn’t be forced to work with people like him! Who knows what else he does? What if he’s a drug smuggler or something?” she shouted.

Dr. O’Connor swung around to the nurse’s station behind him. “Get security in here and remove her from the building.”

She kept screaming about criminals and how the women they were with always got hurt in the end. I couldn’t hear her after a while. I stood frozen, my mind whirling. He wouldn’t tell me what he did for a living, he wouldn’t answer when I asked what his security was for… I didn’t want to believe it. But what reason would the nurse have to lie? And why hasn’t Mateo said anything?

I heard the security come in and drag the nurse out but I didn’t see it. My eyes were on the floor, my brow furrowed as I tried to process everything she said. The mafia boss’s wife was kidnapped… the arms dealer’s wife was shot…

“Mariana.”

I lifted my gaze, locking it with him. “Is she lying?”

He grit his teeth. “Mariana, I–”

“Is. She. Lying?” I ground out. He didn’t reply, which was all the answer I needed. She wasn’t lying. He was a freaking criminal. A money launderer. A bad guy. I was dating a criminal. My stomach twisted uncomfortably and I stepped away from him.

“Mariana, wait–”

I didn’t let him finish. I spun on my heel, snatching my bag off the chair. I flew through the door, almost running straight into Dr. O’Connor. He looked startled but I pushed past him, racing down the hall. I didn’t wait for the elevator. I took the stairs, my feet moving so fast I almost tripped down them.

When the rain hit me, the cold shocked me into slowing down until I was trudging down the sidewalk, sobbing. Every charming smile, every sweet kiss, it was all tainted now. I felt horrified with myself. How could I have been so stupid? I should have demanded he tell me what he did for work. I should have been smarter about this. I didn’t do this stuff. I made smart decisions.

Amari’s car pulled up alongside me, following me. “Mariana! Mariana, get in the car!”