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

Santiago’s hearts had been left in pieces. Mrs. Santiago
had found a way to forgive and open her heart to her son. Genie,
however, found the sting of Jeff’s betrayal still too fresh to let
go. His actions had catapulted her into the life she now presently
led. And it was glorious. She enjoyed the ambitious hunger too much
to stop eating now.
    “I’ll do it.” Rafa spoke. He had just offered
to lead the class in their final prayer. Genie bowed her head. She
listened as he thanked God for bringing them all safely to the
class for fellowship and asked for their safe return home. When he
petitioned for the Lord’s leading in their lives concerning the
lesson they just had, Genie felt a pang of guilt. What exactly was
the lesson? He ended with a heartfelt request of reconciliation for
his family.
    Genie
opened her eyes before he said amen. His tone, his prayer…
everything sounded sincere. The bad boy who once genuinely made
good on his threats to beat down fellow members of their student
body now sat, head bowed, in a church, praying in front of others
to God. Unbelievable!
    When he opened his eyes, he caught her
staring at him. Genie snapped her gaze back down to her Bible as
heat flooded her cheeks. She closed the book with a deliberate
action and raised her head.
    He was gone.
    Genie resisted the urge to scan the room for
him and instead decided to head home. She nodded and waved to those
who called out to her and noted the delight on their faces at
seeing her. But she had no desire to stay and chat. She walked out
of the room while fishing for her keys in her purse. She bumped
into the back of someone and her cheeks colored when that someone
turned around.
    “Didn’t you see me? I know you tried very
hard not to look at me for a whole hour.” Rafa flashed his
legendary dimples.
    “I was there to study.”
    “Honestly, Genie, did you hear anything the
man said? You looked completely preoccupied. Worried, actually.”
The teasing grin vanished, replaced by a concerned frown. His eyes
scanned her face, searching.
    How could he guess? Genie worked to bury her
emotions over Jeff. No, she didn’t hear what the teacher had said,
but she’d never admit that to Rafa. “Were you listening?” It was
harsh, she knew, but he started it. Of course he heard. What Genie
refused to hear was her own heart telling her this man had changed.
She chalked it up to the detective in her. She needed to see proof
of a transformation and attending one Bible study wasn’t going to
do it.
    Thoughts of Jeff resurfaced and she gripped
her keys. How often did she hear him tell her he’d changed? “The
past is the past,” he’d insisted. “I’m not that man anymore” was
another plea. For one brief moment, she believed him, and it was
the biggest mistake of her life.
    Rafa peered at her through dark lashes.
“Something’s wrong. What is it?”
    Genie fought to keep her lower jaw from
slacking. Either she was foolishly wearing her emotions on her
sleeve or Rafa was incredibly perceptive — and she refused to
consider the latter a real possibility. Genie straightened her
shoulders and lifted her chin. She had to remain in control. When
she wasn’t in control, she could be taken advantage of, and the
consequences would devastate her life. She’d only allow one man to
wreck her — Jeff. She wouldn’t give Rafa a chance.
    Genie fixed him with a hard stare. “Nothing.
I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.” She left him staring at her
back as she walked away

Chapter Five
     
     
    RAFA pinched the
space between his eyes. He had been on hold for the last five
minutes, waiting for his contact in San Diego’s FBI White-Collar
Crime Department to answer the line. It was almost five in the
morning on the West Coast but Rafa knew the man got an early start
to the day. Rafa clocked in around six, not wanting to be outdone
by Genie, but when he arrived, her chair sat empty. As the minutes
ticked by, cups of coffee added up and Rafa grew