It had been three months since she got married. Three months of shipment schedules and dealing with competition and forming alliances. Three months gathering every piece of useful information possible on the Sepulveda family. Three months of Camila watching her every move- their every move.

It was exhausting. Most nights Teresa fell into bed, barely able to appreciate the fact that it was a bed. And then her dreams would take her to Sinaloa, to Guero and Brenda, to the life she had lost and the pain that had become her world. And when she woke up, guilt came. Because despite her dreams there was a part of her that wasn't missing Guero as much anymore- and it was the part of her that found it easy to hold James' hand.

The car pulling to a stop brought Teresa out of her own head. She looked out the window to see a tall office building. The Sepulveda family would be waiting inside on the seventeenth floor. She and James would finally be meeting face to face with the man who they got married to impress. And she was ready. She and James had gone over the business proposal enough times that she could recite it in her sleep. And as she got out of the car and slipped her hand into James', Teresa knew that this would work.

Teresa took in the details of the building as they entered. She noted the security and the number of visible exits. She knew James was doing the same. And when they reached the seventeenth floor she noted the extra security- more than necessary for any type of legal business. James tensed beside her, his grip bringing her closer to him. The men here didn't bother to hide their guns like the guards on the other floors. They didn't care about getting the floors messy.

They reached the door to Sepulveda's office. Bulletproof glass let them see Sepulveda seated at a conference table. There were papers spread out in front of him, papers Teresa knew contained the proposal she and Camila had sent. James pressed a kiss to her temple and Teresa felt the corners of her lips tip upward. "You've got this," he whispered. Her fingers tightened around his as a thank you. Then one of Sepulveda's men was opening the door and ushering them inside.

After that it was all business. Numbers were discussed, distribution routes gone over. Sepulveda hadn't gotten to his position by being stupid. His business was well organized and from the research that Teresa had done, she knew that there were a lot of dangerous rules the man expected to be followed. But she and James had planned as much as they could. They had brought counteroffers and alternate routes and schedules. And it was paying off.

Teresa could see the interest in Sepulveda's eyes. She saw how he worked to find any discrepancies in their proposal. But there were none- at least not any that Teresa couldn't smooth over quickly. But mostly she saw how his eyes kept straying to James' hand on her thigh. He watched how easily they moved together- mentally and physically. It made Teresa uncomfortable because this stranger was judging her marriage. Yet, she was oddly proud that all he saw was a strong relationship.

Two hours later she and James were shaking the man's hand and agreeing to meet the next day to finalize their new partnership. There was a hum of anticipation threading through her veins as she and James left the building. A small smile came to her face as James turned the first corner and the building was no longer in sight. For the first time in weeks she could breathe again. We just have to get through tomorrow.

It felt a lot less impossible than yesterday.


The hotel was nice- fancy for such a short trip. But that was probably why Camila got it. Looks matter. Still, when James opened the door for her to go in, all Teresa cared about was the bed. The flight from Dallas hadn't been long, but Teresa had stayed up late going over last minute details with Camila and then she and James had gone straight from the airport to Sepulveda's office. Her body was tired even if her mind was still enjoying the success of the day.

James stepped around her and placed their bags on the loveseat. He ran a hand over his face the way he did when he was anxious before unzipping his bag to look for something. Teresa watched from her place by the door as James grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Then he unzipped her bag and rummaged around for a second before turning to toss her a pair of socks. "I'm gonna change, go take a look around. We had a tail on the way back."

Teresa nodded, slipping her heels off with a sigh. She hadn't noticed anyone following them. Then again, she wasn't sure this wasn't just an excuse for James to be alone. But she didn't question him. That wasn't how they worked. The bathroom door closed as Teresa settled onto the edge of the king size bed. She tugged on the soft socks James had given her and tried not to think about how he always did things like that. He'd give her a sweater if she'd been around sleazy men for too long, or a book after spending a day with Camila's mules. But somehow he knew, and somehow he gave her what she needed.

Something heavy, something she refused to name, washed over her as she watched James walk out of the bathroom and head for the door. She wanted to thank him. She wanted to tell him that she was trying. She wanted to break through that hard exterior he kept up when they were alone. But she couldn't. Because she still dreamt of Guero some nights. And the guilt she felt for not missing him as much made her chest tight.

"There's a Glock in my bag. Fire three shots if you get into trouble."

James glanced over his shoulder in time to catch her nod. Then he pulled the door open and left. Teresa stared at the closed door for a long time before finally getting up. She grabbed some clothes and undressed. She didn't bother going to the bathroom- James wouldn't come back until late. She slid on the fresh clothes and got into bed.

It was almost ten when James finally came back to the room. Teresa had ordered dinner hours ago, but she had saved his plate. If he noticed, she couldn't tell. He stepped into the dimly lit room and Teresa watched as he went to his bag. Toeing off his shoes, he pulled out another shirt, making as little noise as possible. Then he pulled his shirt off and stuffed it in his bag before stripping off his pants. He turned to face the bed and then stopped. "Thought you were asleep."

Teresa watched his thumb rub against his fingers for a moment. "No. What happened?" James just shook his head with a sigh before moving towards the closet. Teresa saw him pick of a spare pillow and grab a blanket. Her brows furrowed lightly as he moved back to the loveseat. "What are you doing?" Her voice shook, but they both pretended not to hear.

Moving their bags to the floor, James pulled the cushions off of the loveseat to show a pull out bed. Something shifted in Teresa's chest when she realized what was happening. A different kind of guilt flared when she saw him toss the pillow and blanket onto the newly formed bed. They never slept in the same bed at the house- it had always been that way. The door between their rooms stayed closed each night. And it was her fault, Teresa knew that.

She wasn't stupid. She saw the way James looked at her- the way he tried not to look at her. She knew that every little thing he did was to make her feel safe and comfortable. And she knew that every kiss and touch and hug he gave her in public was paid for in closed doors and silence at home. Because she still slept of the left side of the bed as if Guero would be taking his spot on the right.

"You don't have to sleep there, James."

He was quiet for so long that Teresa wondered if he had heard her. Her voice had been barely more than a whisper anyway. But after a long while he turned to glance at her over his shoulder. His face held the same carefully neutral expression it always did when someone said something stupid. But it had never been directed at her before. He turned back around and got into his bed. "There's no one to convince here, Teresa. Get some sleep, Sepulveda's gonna call to meet early." Then he rolled onto his side- away from her. Teresa turned off the light and rolled onto her back.

It took a long time for her to fall asleep.

James was still awake when she did.


James was right- Sepulveda did call early the next morning.

The two walked into his office at seven-thirty the next morning. His men met them at the door, guns on display. But Teresa wasn't nervous. They had agreed to the deal the previous day. This was just formality- signing the official papers. So when she and James walking into the man's office Teresa wasn't expecting a gun to the face.

Her mind whirred as she tried to understand what was happening. James was suddenly in front of her, the barrel of the gun an inch from grazing his forehead. "I came to this meeting in good faith," Sepulveda said. James pulled Teresa closer to him. "I listened to your proposal and I liked it- I liked the two of you. But then I learn that I've been lied to." Teresa's lungs seized in her chest. She tried to think of every word that she and James had said, anything that might be misconstrued. But there was nothing.

Sepulveda stepped closer to them- his eyes landing on hers. "Oh, no, not about the deal." James shifted so that Teresa wasn't in Sepulveda's line of sight. The other man laughed lightly. "You can cut the bullshit. You two aren't together." Teresa opened her mouth to deny it but he cut her off. "You got a license, and you had a wedding, and you live together... But you aren't married. And I don't do business with liars."

That was all it took for James to take action. Teresa watched as he grabbed the gun from the guard's hand. He pushed Teresa towards the door, and then he turned to face Sepulveda. But it didn't matter. Sepulveda's men had already closed in. The door was blocked and rough hands had grabbed onto Teresa before she could even get to the door. She tried to fight back, she tried to get to James, but she couldn't.

Sepulveda's men closed in on James. Two forced him to the ground, tying his hands behind him. The sound of fist hitting flesh filled the room as Sepulveda punched James across the face. Teresa fought harder to get free- to get to James. But then an arm was around her neck and air was suddenly harder to get into her lungs. Her legs kicked out as Sepulveda hit James again and again. Her nails clawed at the arm around her neck and she watched blood spot the floor at James' feet.

"Stop it…please," she rasped, words barely audible from the tight grip on her throat. James didn't look fazed, he didn't look like he felt any of the blows, but she knew he was hurt. His eyes found hers and they told her to shut up, they told her not to bring attention to herself. But she couldn't just watch them beat him. She couldn't watch him bleed. "Please, you don't have to do this." But her words only made Sepulveda's fist move faster, hit harder.

Black spots filled the edges of her vision as lack of oxygen set in. Sound became dull, drowned out by a sharp ringing in her ears. She watched James' face change. His eyes seemed to widen. And as the room began to blink in and out Teresa was sure she saw him struggling to get free. She heard her name- it was coming from far away, but she heard it. Her eyes blinked open- she hadn't realized she'd closed them. James was on the ground, another guard pressing his face into the floor. The black was growing bigger, lasting longer. She thought maybe James was calling her name, but it was so far away.

Then there was nothing.


She heard voices. Through the darkness, through the cold, she could make them out. Strangers talked over her. She didn't know what they said- she couldn't understand it. But she heard the voices. Then there was James. She recognized him- recognized the way his words were cold but his voice was warm. There were bits and pieces with him- fragments of sentences. It made her want to go to him- she needed to get to him. But she couldn't- the darkness was too heavy.


She didn't know how long the darkness lasted. She just knew when it stopped. The beeping reached her first- there were no voices. She listened as the sound came to her, sunk into the darkness to pull her out. It was steady, like nothing could disrupt it. Her first thought was that it reminded her of James. Her second was that, that didn't make any sense. Still, she settled into the comfort the feeling left her with.

Somewhere in the eternity between one beep and another, her eyes opened. The sun was in her eyes, a golden glare that left everything hidden for a moment. She blinked- blinked again. The beeping was still there, slightly different, faster maybe. But now she could see the heart monitor that the sound was coming from.

Her eyes trailed to the right- landed on the chair pulled next to her bed. She took in the dark curls that fell across a slightly furrowed brow. She saw the cuts and bruises from Sepulveda's hits. Her eyes found the sharp line around a wrist, from being tied up. Then a hand holding hers- platinum wedding band glinting in the bright sunlight.

Teresa wasn't used to seeing James this way- sleeping. He was always alert, always hard and distant. But that wasn't what she was seeing. Instead there was simply a man. James looked soft in his sleep. Yet somehow the safety she always associated with him was still just as strong. Her fingers tightened around his- almost a reflex. Her free hand came to rest on his head, running her fingers through curls she'd never let herself touch unobserved before.

That was all it took for him to wake up. He didn't move, didn't even twitch his fingers, but she knew. The air changed, or gravity shifted- something. Then she blinked and his eyes were on her. She watched him take her in, watched him catalogue every detail he could. Then he sat up, leaning back in his chair. He didn't let go of her hand, though.

"Are you okay?" Her voice was raspy, more gone than there. Her throat hurt, and she knew there would be bruises for a while. But Teresa didn't care. Her eyes locked on everything she hadn't been able to see before. The bandage on his left arm, the bloodshot eyes, the shallow breaths- she saw it all. She hated it all. She hated that he was hurt.

But James just nodded. He ran his free hand down his face with a sniff before standing up. It was too quick- pain flashed across his face before disappearing. But Teresa saw it. She kept quiet. Moving to the monitor, James pressed a button. The beeping stopped. Somehow it made the room seem louder- less safe. So when James moved to pull his hand free, Teresa held tighter. His eyes dropped to their hands, but he didn't fight her. Just took a deep breath and sat back down.

"How bad does it hurt," he said, eyes lingering on her throat. She shook her head, but even as she did she couldn't hide a wince. James pressed a button on the side of the bed. Then a voice came over the speakers behind the bed, asking what was wrong. "My wife is awake. She's in pain." Some response came back and then the voice was gone.

Her mind kept going back to the way he had called her his wife. He'd done it before, but it had never sounded like that. It had never been so soft. Maybe because they had only used the word 'husband' or 'wife' during introductions- when business meant not letting weaknesses show. Even if that weakness is your spouse. Maybe it was because he was too tired and hurt to hide the feelings he always tried to ignore. Maybe…She shook her head slightly- pushed the thoughts away.

Someone knocked at the door. James' hand reached for a gun that wasn't there. Teresa watched as he stood up, hand slipping from her grasp. She watched him move to stand between her and the door. His fists clenched and his body tensed for a fight. Teresa's muscles did the same; her hand pushed the covers off to free her legs.

Then the door opened and the world stopped.

"Guero?"