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Watching it, Blaine learned a lot about Indio. Ming, especially, didn’t like men that were cruel or had a deceiving way about them. She’d been Blaine’s personal alarm to danger since his first boyfriend, the abusive Troy.
Ming lay on the ground, showing her belly to Indio, and that was the most shocking move of all.
What they’d heard was worrying, of course. Sel and Indio were having a sexual relationship. Rumors or not, it was pretty obvious just in the way they’d come that day, angry, a fire lit in Selestino’s expressive eyes.
The beginnings of relationships were so rocky, fraught with energy, sexual and angry energy, that every moment was pure passion. How well Blaine remembered it. And how well he remembered sitting across from Antonio, his new boyfriend’s brother, alone, being told to tread carefully.
He sat across from Antonio, being studied like he was a bug under a glass, the dark brow raising over the scrutinous eye of his future brother-in-law.
Antonio was gorgeous, like Dante, taller and leaner, but the man had a powerful energy around him that made Blaine feel like shrinking into the couch cushions. “Are you with my brother simply for some snub in Troy’s direction? If you are, then you and he are playing a very dangerous game.”
Blaine set his drink down and sat forward, fear making him stammer, “N-no! I really like Dante!”
“I will be the first one to say how foolish my brother can be at times, but he seems to genuinely care for you. If I ever suspect that he will be hurt, I will intervene.”
By intervene, he made it clear that Blaine wouldn’t be breathing long if he hurt Dante in any way.
“I understand, and I would never hurt him. If this seems too dangerous for him, then I’ll give him up.”
Antonio crossed his legs and it was the most casual movement he could make, but Blaine didn’t calm at all. In fact, the air sparked with Antonio’s power and seriousness. “See, there is the rub, Blaine. If you break his heart to save his life, then you are still hurting him. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, isn’t it? Either way, you will lose.”
So easy it would be for him to tell Indio much the same, but Dante would likely take care of that himself, and be as smooth as Antonio had, threatening the life of his nephew’s intended.
Taking a different tack, Blaine stood and walked over, sitting in the dirt near Indio, petting Jasmine as she panted in the sun happily. “I feel the need to be honest with you, Indio.”
“Honesty, okay,” he said, stiffening.
“Selestino is a Carrillo. Maybe I should warn you, telling you to run now, but I can’t. The Carrillo men are…special.”
Indio side-eyed him. “Who snitched?”
“Doesn’t matter. Even if we hadn’t heard, I’d have seen it. The two of you…there’s lightning around you.”
Indio sat as he absently pet Ming. “I…don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I don’t know how to do this at all.”
“Even if you were good at it, Sel isn’t going to be easy. It’s in their blood. His dad, his uncle and him, they’re hard men to care about, but easy too, if that makes sense.”
“It does. He’s…a lot.”
“It doesn’t get easier, but it gets better. He’s a beautiful person who loves fully. And I’m sure he’d do anything for you.”
“He’s not real patient.”
Blaine laughed as he said, “Oh, that’s the worst of them. Dante isn’t either. Patience is hard for men determined to get their way, no matter what they have to do. Stubborn, beautiful and powerful. If you can’t handle those attributes, you’ll never last as a partner to him. But…I think you can hold your own.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. You may be the only one who can. It takes someone stronger than they know they are to be with a Carrillo man. Take it from someone who didn’t know what the hell strength was until I met Dante.”
“I’m strong, but…not like that. I guess. I don’t know.”
Blaine laid his hand on Indio’s arm. “I do. I see it in you. Hold on tight, Indio. It’s a bumpy ride, but worth it.”
*****
“What the hell were you thinking? I can’t even believe you, Selestino!”
“Oh, using my whole name, Uncle. You must be serious.”
