Page 154 of Embriagado

Love makes you lonely.

It also makes you desperate, angry, jealous, weak.

It clouds your judgment, turning you blind to reality and vulnerable to one’s mercy.

Above all, love is misery. It brings you to your knees, and that’s a pity, because it’s always when you’re most vulnerable that life strikes, proving to you how insignificant this all truly was.

“Champagne?” asked the waitress in a bunny costume while offering me a glass.

Not taking my eyes off the cage, I shook my head, politely refusing. She moved on to the gentleman beside me, although calling him that was a joke. The men and women in this club were nothing but dirty scavengers wrapped in expensive clothing. The only one worthy of my undivided attention was him, El Embriagado, the beast currently fighting for me inside the cage.

I’ll fight and win for you until you’re free. I promise, Ari. I won’t quit until you pay off that last fucking dime.

True to his word, or for whatever savior complex he suffered from, Mr. Rivas did precisely as he promised. Five months had passed since Christmas Eve. Five months in which he remained undefeated, winning my battles and getting me closer to the end of what used to be an endless road, just as he did tonight.

My breath caught as I watched him throw a perfect uppercut to his opponent’s head. The way his muscles stretched and tensed with the hit reminded me of how his strong body moved between the sheets, and I bit my lip, eyes locked on him as he landed the final blow that finished the fight.

Everyone cheered.

They always cheered for him; he was simply that incredible. Enough to get a crowd of privileged elitists excited. But he cared for none of them, only me. Whenever the fight ended and without missing a beat, he’d search for me, and the second our eyes met, he’d smile, just as he did now.

Love is a slippery slope.

Yes. That was indeed the case for Mr. Rivas.

* * *

I opened my eyes to find him lying beside me.

Deep in sleep after we fucked, his head was now resting on the pillow next to mine, his lips slightly parted and his brows relaxed. Other than the bandage on his upper cheekbone, he seemed calm, peaceful, and I was tempted to reach forward and brush the pads of my fingers across his jaw, but instead, I got up.

Leaving the guest bedroom, where we often fucked after he won a fight, I walked back to my room and went straight for the shower. My whole body was sore and covered with bite marks that rogue had left on my skin as if to prove a point. Brushing my fingers over one of the hickeys on my neck, I sighed.

He’s such a handful.

Turning on the tap, I waited for the water to heat before stepping in. The hot steam felt good, and I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, slowly dragging my hands along my neck all the way up to my hair. Running my fingers through the roots, I took a deep breath, my body relaxing.

What are you so ashamed of, huh? You’ve already seen it all. Don’t tell me… You want to fuck Mommy yourself, don’t you?

I shut my eyes harder, trying to fight her voice in my head.

That’s what you all are, every one of you. Dirty, stinky, filthy pigs.

My heart rate increased, and my skin began to itch.

Come on, show Mommy that ugly little prick hanging between your legs.

I turned the water hotter.

How small. You’ll never satisfy any woman with that sad little thing, just like your daddy.

The ache became unbearable, and slowly, I began scratching my arm⁠—

I dropped my hand and opened my eyes to the sound of someone stepping into the bathroom.

“If you’re awake, go home,” I said, back facing him, while reaching for the soap.

“I will.”