My Sinful Valentine (A Beautiful Sinners Collection) by Elena Reyes (black authors fiction .txt) 📕

mine is between the asshole’s legs. Worst case, I miss and hit his intestines. Best case, he screams like a bitch after losing his dick or nuts. “You know this idiot?”

“I do, but don’t consider him important.”

“Ah, one of those. Got it.” Alen sneers at me. Well, as much as one can with a destroyed kneecap while the pain of fragmented bone embedding ligaments consumes you. “Every country has them, Papi. Best to dispose and carry on.”

Javier isn’t looking at me, though. His eyes are narrowed and finger at the trigger twitching. “Look at her like that again, and I’ll remove your eyes and feed them to you.”

“Go ahead and kill me. I won’t tell you—”

“That Miguelino Quintero, Solimar’s bastard uncle that neither of the Quintero presidents recognized as family, sent you.” My husband descends the stairs and I follow, pausing on the landing to take in the carnage and then the quick backhand that lands Alen on his back. “Answer me, malparido. Is Miguelino here or in Panama awaiting the news that you killed a member of the Lucas family?” The man on the floor grows pale and his eyes widen. He tries to scoot back but Javi’s foot landing on his ankle causes him to pause. What the hell am I missing here? “Is this a search-and-rescue mission, or did he hire you with an ulterior motive?”

Swallowing hard, Alen tries to school his features, but the shake of his hand gives away his fear. “You’ll never find him. He’s already on his way to—”

“He’s in Las Vegas and staying at The Venetian on the thirty-third floor. Alejandro is aware.”

“Why am I just hearing this? Is Sol okay?” My mind is running through every possible scenario with how fast we could get to Vegas. His family is mine and vice versa—we protect our own. “Should I pack, or do we—”

“Does she ever shut up?” Alen asks, and that asshole-like question ruffles more than my feathers. Fuck him and whatever chauvinistic tree he fell from. My shot is clear and comes in fast, faster than the angry man beside me, and I unload two of the bullets left in my magazine between his thighs. It’s not like he’ll need them after this. “Fuck,” he yells out suddenly and I giggle, earning a chuckle from Javi who, while keeping his eyes on mine, shoots our unwanted guest in the opposite leg.

“Nice.”

“Can’t let you have all the fun, now, can I?” I raise a brow in challenge at the moron on the floor bleeding; he has nothing to say, but does cry a bit. “That’s for the comment and harming my husband.”

“You’re adorable, Mrs. Lucas.”

“I know, and I also have a better aim. Admit it.”

“You brat.” Turning to look at Alen, Javi squats down and examines the damage we’ve caused. His jeans, on the lighter shade of blue in the denim pool, is quickly becoming saturated with his life’s essence. He’s in pain: legs with extensive damage and a pair of balls that have more than likely imploded. “What was in it for you, Alen? Tell me. What do you get out of this?”

“The land and crops. He wants Sol for a reason I’m not aware of, but I got everything here.”

“Your honesty is appreciated, and for that, I’ll make this painless.” Javi stands to his full height and extends a hand out for me to take, and I do, just as cars come rushing up the driveaway. We can hear the roar of engines and then the screech of tires as they pause outside the front door; the clean-up crew is here, and they waste no time in exiting their vehicles and quietly walking inside without disturbing the three of us. Four bodies are at once taken outside and cleaning supplies are brought in to eradicate all traces of these idiots ever being here. Then, they stand in formation and wait, since they’ll have one more body to dispose of. “You should’ve remained a small-time criminal, Alen. You were never on our radar, and we would’ve left you alone to continue feeding your family.”

A bullet to his neck makes his breathing become choppy. The second goes to his head, and he’s dead before his chest can fully expand a final time.

Javier gives the man a moment of silence before walking outside with my hand still in his. The sun is warm on our skin and I hum, turning my face toward its warmth. “God, I love this. I miss this heat the most every time we get back home to Chicago. I love being able to wear nearly nothing or cute dresses without freezing my butt off.”

“I love seeing you smile like this.” Peering at him through squinty eyes, I can’t help but giggle a bit at his own goofy grin. It’s one of the things that endears him to me the most. How he can go from killer to sweetheart in the span of a heartbeat when it comes to me. “Are you ready for my surprise now, or do I need to wait for another sneak attack from you?”

My brows furrow at this. “Aren’t we leaving for Vegas?”

“No.”

“But—”

“It’s time for you to close your eyes and let me take you away.”

“Where?” Christ, my smile is huge as I do as he asks. Javier doesn’t waste time and picks me up, cradling me to his strong chest while I nuzzle his skin. “Do I need clothes on this adventure?”

“Our cabin in the jungle. Let’s go recreate our first time together, Muñeca.”

1

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT Las Vegas at night.

All the lights. The noises. The low inhibitions.

It’s debauchery and pleasure. Sin and greed.

But if I were to go by the awed look on my Preciosa’s face, I’d say she found heaven. Each building