Page 105 of Dissolving Prejudice

Leaning back on the sofa, I sighed. “You could say that it was.”

“Does Jordan know?”

That made me snort, and I gave him a cocky look. “What do you think?”

“Fair enough.” He moved a hand over his jaw while pursing his lips. “What’s Shay-Lee going to do, then? Will he break off the engagement?”

“Oh, fuck that bullshit.” Hooking one hand behind the sofa armrest, I scrunched up my face with disdain. “Shay-Lee ain’t going to marry that caremonda.” Just thinking about it left me with a bad taste. “Besides, all I care about is getting Shay-Lee away from that crazy son of a bitch.” The laugh that erupted from Andrei made me turn to him. “Why the fuck are you laughing?”

“Nothing, man. It’s just that”—he leaned forward—“I get why you hate Jordy, but he isn’t such an awful guy. Sure, he testified against you, but the dude was always in love with Shay-Lee. He’s just a bit desperate, that’s all.”

A bit desperate, my ass. I bit the inside of my cheek while recalling the conversation I’d had with Soren earlier. Putting my ego aside, I simply didn’t buy that crap about Jordan being this good guy who was just caught up in other people’s mess.

“Did you know he stayed at Christian’s house during the trial?” I asked Andrei, who turned to face me, stunned.

“What?” he gasped, brows narrowed.

“Yeah. According to the info Soren’s guy collected at the time, Jordan lived with the scumbag the whole time. In fact, he moved into their guest house a few weeks before everything turned to shit.”

We both sat so close to the flames that the heat began to itch my skin, but it was nothing compared to the fire burning in my guts after finding out Jordan had become a permanent resident in the Christian Rogers household.

“This is huge, D. You think Shay-Lee knows?”

“I doubt it.” My eyes went back to track Shay-Lee, who was still talking with Soren. Seeing him laughing reminded me how much I was willing to sacrifice for him. “But don’t worry,” I told Andrei as I stood up. “I ain’t gonna let the son of a bitch get away with it.”

Andrei looked up at me. “What does that mean?”

Slamming my hand on his shoulder, I gave him a few pats. “I’m gonna see if there’s some crunchy vegan shrimp left,” I said while watching the worry grow on Andrei’s face. Well, he had nothing to worry about… for today. After all, I’d promised Llorón I’d tame myself. Having said that, there was only so much taming a crazy hound could do before he’d snap.

Diesel

Having their house built on the shore, Soren and Chief had a trail leading from their backyard down to the beach. After socializing enough for one day, I walked down there. The deck cracked with each step that I took, and the noise mixed with the sounds of the crashing waves. Looking around, this place was absolutely gorgeous, with lights following along the trail until you reached the gorgeous ocean. Soren and Chief had definitely put a lot of thought into this home they’d built for their family, and it was touching. Knowing how much all of their lives had changed and progressed in the time I was gone made me sad but also a bit hopeful that Shay-Lee and I would be able to do the same now. And who knew, maybe even have kids?

I snorted at the thought because Shay-Lee pretty much hated children, but he hated a lot of things at first, including me. When we just met, he used to loathe me. So much that we always ended up fighting. A smile spread on my lips with the memories, and I shoved my hands into my pockets while gazing ahead at the ocean. It was completely dark, but thanks to the light coming from behind me, I could see enough. And what I saw was beautiful. This little strip of shore was so quiet and peaceful, like a piece of heaven ripped from the sky. My own family crossed my mind, and my heart ached with longing. Deep longing that would never be cured because Mamá, Carmen, and Iván were long gone. The last four years had been so hard that I didn’t even stop to think about them, let alone miss them. I was in a constant state of surviving, just to get myself free from Dion’s grip, that they sometimes escaped me. But now, when the cyclone I called my life had finally calmed down, they all flooded back to the surface and were washed to the shore, as treasures often did after a storm.

The sounds of steps took me out of my thoughts, and I immediately smiled, expecting to see Shay-Lee. He’d probably seen me coming down here and followed along. I half turned around, eager to see his face, when instead, I was met with a pair of mad eyes. My excitement turned into anger at Jordan’s appearance, and my mouth twisted with disdain.

“What do you want?” I hissed.

Jordan’s jaw twitched, indicating he was just as displeased to see me.

“I want you to leave us alone.”

My brows rose up to my hairline before I snorted at his face. “To leave you alone? The fuck are you on about, puta?”

Rage flickered in his eyes as he took one step closer, the wood cracking under his shoes. “Don’t play with me ’cause I’m not dumb.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” He raised his voice. “So you better leave him the fuck alone.”

“Or what?” I challenged him with a mocking smile.

His nostrils flared as the tension on his face grew. “I’ll end you.”

Surprised at his threat, I couldn’t help but chuckle because it was fucking hilarious.

“Will you look at that?” I tilted my head aside while slowly studying him. “You finally grew a pair, huh?” Dropping my smile, I also stepped closer until I was in his face. “You think you can threaten me?” I hissed out my words, my lips curling with repulsion before I spat on the ground right next to his shoe. “Threaten me again and I’ll rip off your dick and feed it to you. Got it?”