We also discussed our dreams.
“How happy are you with your life?” I leaned my head on his hard chest.
“I think I’m happy.”
“You think you are? Here’s a test. If you had billions and billions of dollars, would you still manage Hex’s career?”
“Hell no. I would sail in a huge boat, one of those big ones with a bedroom, living room, and kitchenette. I would have a staff sailing and taking care of it. I wouldn’t even have a house or condo on land. I would just sail forever, stopping at ocean-side cities throughout the world and learning about each different culture. Would you sail with me?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe is not an option, mi amor. Not after what we did.” He took me again on the sand, and I had no strength or desire to stop him.
Hours later, I relaxed in Alvarez’s arms the whole ride back to Castillo Castle. The limo hummed a mellow tune. Alvarez kept his side of the window down and stared out of it as the fast South Beach life and brightly lit buildings transformed into suburban homes and spread out farms. The limo driver took his time getting us home. A gentle breeze came through the window, stroked my skin, and coaxed me to sleep.
When we arrived, Alvarez gently nudged me awake. “I didn’t want to disturb you, but I plan on carrying you to my bedroom. Do you disapprove?”
I yawned. “No. Not tonight.”
“Not tonight.” He chuckled to himself.
“What’s so funny?”
“I need you in my bed every night. We might as well move your stuff to my room.”
“And will we be getting married next week, conceiving our child next month, and searching for a house to live in together soon after?”
“I like that timeline.”
I hit his chest. “Alvarez, that’s not funny.”
He kissed me. “So you need space and for us to take our time?”
“Yes.”
“But tonight you’ll lay next to me?”
I hid my smile. “Yes.”
“And tomorrow night?”
“We’ll discuss it when it comes.”
“No. Let’s talk about it now.”
But we never got a chance to discuss it, because when we stepped out of the car a bonfire greeted our eyes. An earthy scent filled the air, reminding me of marijuana and other herbs. Nude people drenched in crimson red liquid danced around the flames. They chanted foreign words and held bottles in their hands. There must’ve been twenty of them. Every few steps they took, they sipped from the bottles and spit the liquid into the air, rustling the flames and causing sparks to shoot out.
Alvarez put me down. “Dear God! What is Grandma doing?”
I squinted my eyes and realized that there was a short woman with gray hair among the crowd chanting and spitting liquid, too. “Oh goodness. That is your grandma right there.”
Alvarez released my hand and stormed her way. “Grandma! What are you doing? Who are all of these people?”
She stepped away from the circling line as everyone else continued to chant and spit. “You! How dare you have that sweet girl Reece arrested? And how dare you let those people take my daughter out of her home in handcuffs?”
“No. First you explain what this is.” Alvarez pointed to the bonfire and people. “Then we’ll talk about why the cops took Reece and Dayanara for questioning.”
“Questioning? They didn’t do anything.”
“There was evidence that they were involved.” Alvarez pulled off his shirt and tried to hand it to his nude and bloodied grandma.
“What evidence? There’s no evidence.” She snatched the shirt from his hands and flung it on the ground.
“Who are these people out here and what in God’s name are they doing?”
“What evidence?” She rung her closed fists in the air. “How dare you take my daughter off without telling me? That’s my daughter!”
“I’m done talking to you, until you stop screaming at me and put some clothes on.”
Hard, thick Spanish exploded out of his grandma’s mouth. She jerked her hands around and stabbed the air with her long fingernails. The people never stopped circling. They continued to move around the massive fire. I looked to the house. Servants peeked out of the windows at the entertaining site of nude chanting as well as Alvarez and his grandma’s arguing.
“Welcome to my world,” Hex said behind me.
I almost jumped. “Do they do this all the time?”
“My brother and grandma’s arguing, or her fellow witches rebuking the family curse?”
“I was talking about the arguing, but I think I would rather hear about this family curse.”
Alvarez and his grandma moved toward her cottage--or more likely, Alvarez guided her that way as she continued to scream at him in words I couldn’t understand.
“You two have been gone for a long time. Where did you go?” Hex raised his eyebrows.
“To the beach. Alvarez was upset about his mom and assistant.”
“He shouldn’t have been. They didn’t do it.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Our family is cursed.”