Honor Bound (Honor Bound 1)

“Mallín? You saw that sonofabitch? What did he want?”

“He came and said that he would forgive me if I promised not to see you again.”

“And?”

“I told him that I did not want to be with him anymore, and he said that you would come to see me, and want to be with me.”

“Not like that, I don’t want to be with you.”

“When I saw you go in the restaurant, I thought that was what you wanted.”

“Look, Maria-Teresa, just take the goddamned envelope to the U.S. Embassy if I don’t come back, all right?”

“If you wish,” she said, and stuffed it in her purse.

He drained his wineglass, looked around for the waiter to order another, changed his mind, stood up, and fished in his pocket for money.

“You’re going?”

“Right.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know. To my apartment, I guess.”

Maria-Teresa stood up, and he followed her out of the café.

She stopped and waited for him, and put her hand on his arm.

“You want me to walk you back to the ristorante?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“Is there anyone at your apartment?”

“No.”

“Then we will go there,” Maria-Teresa said.

“I told you, I didn’t come here for anything like that.”

“I want to go with you to your apartment.”

“Why?”

“It will be an interesting experience,” Maria-Teresa said matter-of-factly. “I have never made love before because I wanted to.”

XXI

[ONE]

Bureau of Internal Security

Ministry of Defense

Edificio Libertador