Read Online Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One) by K. Victoria Chase - Free Book Online Page A

rectangular glasses emphasized his chiseled
features. Slow warmth crept up her arms and pooled at the top of
her head. Every pore on her face seemed to open, but she willed the
sweat to stay inside. Maria was saying something of an
introduction, but her voice drowned underneath the sound of Genie’s
own heartbeat. She didn’t have to suffer long from her
listlessness. The smirk on Rafa’s face caused her spine to harden,
and she returned one of her own.
    “We met yesterday, Mrs. Santiago.”
    “And we’re working on a case together,
Mamá.”
    “Oh, that’s right! I remember you mentioned
you'd be working with the police. How’s that going?”
    Rafa cocked a brow at Genie. “How is it
going, Genie?”
    Genie produced a stiff grin. “Well, it’s day
one. Hopefully, we won’t trouble your son for much longer, Mrs.
Santiago. I’m sure he’s eager to return to his beat.”
    Rafa’s eyes formed slits.
    “Well, I’m glad to have him home again, and
hopefully you’ll stay awhile?” she asked her son with a hopeful
look.
    Rafa offered her a soft smile. “Of course,
Mamá. I’m on loan to Genie’s department so there’s no rush for me
to return to San Diego.” He returned his gaze to Genie, lips
curving upward, showing his teeth.
    Genie glared.
    Someone called the room to attention and
Genie dropped like a rock into the couch directly across from Rafa.
A slicker version of his previous smile graced his tanned face and
Genie averted her gaze to her lap where her Bible lay. The leader
asked them to open their Bibles to their passage of study. She
yanked it open and ripped through the pages until she landed in
Romans. Genie breathed out slowly, and then calmly raised her head
to the lecturer as he began.
    Genie couldn’t concentrate on anything the
instructor said. Instead, her eyes darted everywhere but at Rafa.
Several times she attempted to focus on the lesson, reminding
herself she was here to work out her issues with Jeff, but the
harder she tried, the stronger her partner’s presence in the room
became. Her head continued to send an urgent memo to her eyes to
look his way, but Genie refused. Then she heard a throat clear.
    Rafa . Her eyes
found him at last. His were already on her. Did he cough just so I would
look at him? Swallowing,
she slanted her gaze away. Nice, Genie, real nice. Are you really that
vain? No, she wasn’t,
but then why was she uncomfortable? Sure, he was easy on the eyes,
but what did she know of him besides his rough past?
    Genie
recalled he mentioned growing up in this exact church. Genie
remembered seeing Mrs. Santiago, but couldn’t conjure a memory of
her sons attending services. Genie glanced over at Mrs. Santiago.
She smiled peacefully. All those prayers she had vaulted to heaven.
At least one prodigal son had returned. And if prayers worked for her, then
maybe I could try it again.
    Genie
boldly stared at Rafa now. He had his elbows on his knees, looking
intently at the small, open Bible in his hands. He nodded to
something the presenter said and then leaned back in the chair, his
gaze never leaving the printed page. His level of concentration
stunned her. Wow, I guess some things do change. He must have reconciled with his mother as
well. She seemed only too pleased to finally have her son
back.
    Forgiveness .
    Genie couldn’t count the number of sermons
she’d heard on the topic. She had always agreed forgiving others
for the wrongs they had committed against others made logical
sense, if not emotional sense. Genie still labored under the pain
Jeff had inflicted. At work, she could deny it but here in church,
with a model — Mrs. Santiago — of it being carried out before her
eyes, she couldn’t quite escape it.
    Genie once again rested her gaze on Mrs.
Santiago. She still smiled. How her sons must have broken her heart
time and time again. True, Genie’s pain was extraordinarily
different — a man had crushed her heart — but either way, both hers
and Mrs.