Free TheFugitivesSexyBrother by Annabeth Leong

did not allow it. He settled
for lifting his torso in an uncomfortable curve so he could at least see her
face. “I’ve done bad things, Carolina. You’re right. I lied to you about what I
do. I’ve committed plenty of crimes. Just not this one.”
    “It’s convenient that the crime you’re arrested for is the
one you didn’t commit.”
    “It’s not like that,” he protested, wishing he had new words
to talk about this. Every sentence he uttered felt like a trap. The water had
begun to grow cold around them. Fernando shivered despite the heat of
Carolina’s body. “This is different. I wouldn’t hurt a child.”
    “It doesn’t sound like you’re accused of doing it on
purpose. It sounds like the little girl was collateral damage.”
    The warmth he’d been feeling toward Carolina went cold all
at once. “Let go of me now.”
    Carolina froze, then responded. Fernando stood to remove his
body from hers, then stooped to undo the restraints. “Wait, Fernando,” she
said.
    “These come off now. If you can believe I would do something
like that, why the hell would you want to be with me like this?” The cold fire
of outrage churned through his body. He did not want to watch her face but
could not take his eyes off her. Her chin trembled.
    “I loved you, Fernando. I wanted to say goodbye.”
    “Loved. Past tense.”
    She lifted her chin defiantly. “Yes.”
    His anger dropped, replaced by the fear of losing her. “You
can’t even entertain the possibility that I might be innocent?”
    She sat up in the bath, rubbing her wrists. “If you’re
innocent, why couldn’t you trust yourself to the authorities? You’d be
acquitted, wouldn’t you?”
    Fernando pursed his lips. He didn’t want to argue with her,
didn’t want to give her more details of the life he’d never wanted her to know
about. Melancholy triumph spread over her face and his resolve broke. “I have
enemies,” he said shortly. “And they have people in the jail. Working there.
I’d be killed if I went there for any time at all.”
    “That can’t be—”
    He considered showing her the marks on the soles of his
feet, where one of the prison guards had burned him while he waited for his
meeting with Guy Nolf. Fernando decided against it. He could not alarm her that
way. “Can you believe anything I’m telling you?”
    Carolina gave a disbelieving laugh. “I can, Mr. Works in
Finance. I just feel stupid about that now.”
    “Carolina. I came here because I wanted to ask you—”
    “Don’t, Fernando. Don’t.” She turned her face away. He knew
she was crying, but when he touched her shoulder she shook him off. “Get out
now.”
    Fernando stumbled into his clothes and out her door in a
muddled daze. He could not believe it was over.

Chapter Seven
     
    Muttering from Emily woke Javier. He opened his eyes slowly.
His arms and chest ached from sleeping in the restraints and his back creaked
from the way the couch scooped under his weight. He bit his lip to keep from
alerting her with a groan and craned his neck to see what had her complaining.
The bleary sensation in Javier’s head insisted that both of them should still
be asleep. The clock above her television agreed—4:00 a.m.
    She was stooped over her beaten-up desk in the corner of the
living room, cursing at her computer. He took a moment to admire her. Her thick
hair hung down her back, longer than he’d realized. Her shoulder and left arm
emerged from the curtain of it. Up close, he saw the muscle definition that
belied her slender build, the lovely curves and lines that flickered over her
slim limbs whenever she moved her arm or tapped her foot. She reminded him of a
ballerina or an acrobat. The strength he’d felt from her seemed impossible in
such a small, graceful body.
    He still wanted her. The worst part about spending the night
restrained had been being prevented from giving himself any relief. Once Javier
had admitted he wanted to stay in her custody, Emily had