If someone would have told you 5 years ago that you would be living a double life in a loveless marriage to a cold, standoffish but beautiful woman, you would have probably shot them in the face. But, here you were.
5 years ago you were sent to Cuba to broker a deal gone wrong and had been caught off guard and swept up in a whirlwind romance with a beautiful native who spoke with an American accent named Kehlani. She'd admitted her parents had illegally moved to the US and raised her until she was 16 and they'd been caught and deported. She told you, under the security of bedsheets in the safety of your arms that she wished she could go back to go to school but all her attempts had been unsuccessful. When your business deal had gone bad with the local cartel boss, you'd reluctantly returned to America but the beautiful girl with fire in her eyes had haunted your dreams.
Over the next 3 months you'd gone back and seen her, each time more passionate than the last. You were young, barely 26 at the time, and enthralled by her. Within 4 months you had proposed and 6 months in she was re-entering the US legally as your wife. The passion had lasted for a year...and then slowly, your life became... boring. You'd told her you were an executive of a shipping company, a fancy way of saying that you moved drugs across borders and not only did you do that, but you did it very well. You put her through school and she excelled in her work in sales. Once she graduated 2 years ago, she'd been hired by a company and she was just as busy as you were. The passion between you had died, but there really wasn't much to say for that. Neither of you were home long enough to even argue or not get alone. She felt more like a roommate who you kept secrets from. It was a good cover, legally. No one looked twice at your income with a wife who made as much as yours.
You make your way into the closet of your bedroom, shrugging off your jacket. Further in on her side, you can see Kehlani in a skit, stockings and a bra. Your eyes linger, and while things were dry between you, she was still as fine as she always had been. She catches you staring, and you look away. She chuckles but doesn't say anything else. You quickly change into casual wear, some Jeans and a shirt.
Dinner is already made, as usual, and when Kehlani moves into the kitchen, you watch as she makes you a plate. It's nothing fancy, just enchiladas and some red rice. You take the plate and eat mostly in silence.
"Thanks," you glance at her.
"Of course, baby," she presses a chaste kiss to your cheek.
"I don't see how you work as much as you do and still manage to cook dinner almost every day," You try to strike up small talk.
She gives you a knowing smile, finishing off her bite before speaking, "I'm superwoman."
"I guess so," you agree.
When you finish your plate she takes it and cleans up her mess from dinner. You move to help but she swats your hand away. You shrug and head to the room, kicking off your jeans in preparation for bed. You shower, and by the time you get out she's already climbing in. You get under the sheets, and she climbs into your lap. You look up at her, and she winks at you.
"What are you doing?"
"It's 10:30," she gives the answer like that's all you need to understand.
"So?"
"Baby...come on. We always have sex at 10:30. Now lift your hips," she had already started pulling your shorts down.
Despite your own thoughts, you did as you were told and she diligently rolled a condom onto you, before slowly sinking down onto your length. Briefly you thought about when you met. You'd never used a condom then. Somehow, after marriage, condoms became a norm. Kehlani's only response had been she didn't want to disturb her studies with an accidental pregnancy. You'd let it go without much more thought.
As she bounced on your lap, her face was scrunched in pleasure but she never once looked at you. Even though this was an almost every day thing, you didn't really notice that until now. She never looks at you, and when she cums it's with her face buried in your neck. And she kept true to that, tensing against you as you reached your own peak. It was all so... impersonal. Completely different than what you'd assumed all those years ago. But, she was a cover...an alibi and something to keep up appearances. This wasn't love. Even as she settled down next to you, pressed her back to your front and sighed.
"I love you, Y/N." She said it just like every other night.
"love you too, Lani."
You didn't think either of you meant it. How could you? You were living a lie and you were practically strangers now.
_______________________________
The next morning you got called in. Your boss sounded beyond pissed and you knew it would be a long day... possibly your last. When you arrived, he was sitting in his living room, a cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth as he looked at the giant TV in front of him.
"Sit down, Y/N."
"What's wrong boss?"
"You know the bitch that's been killing out supply lines? That fucker who killed Freddy and his men last week on the way in from Mexico?"
"You found him? Let me know where, I'll take care of him," you were eager to get your hands on that fucker, he'd killed one of your best men.
"Her," he ground his teeth, crushing his Cigar, "Watch this shit and tell me what you see?"
You watch as Freddy's dash cam starts the recording. He's in a truck and a man stops him for an inspection. Something happens off camera and Freddy pulls out his gun. The driver door flies open and he's lit up. He stops moving and that's when you see her as his body slumps back. Your heart drops when you see Kehlani look around the car, before spotting the camera and shooting it, ending the recording.
"So do you wanna do this now, out of respect for you," your boss says, "I loved you like a daughter. Took you in. Gave you nice things, and you've been fucking the enemy."
"She's nothing," you say quickly," let me prove my loyalty. I'll take her out myself. Give me 12 hours, Boss. You know me. I didn't know. I would never betray you."
He lights another cigar, taking a puff before he looks at you, dark green eyes eyeing you skeptically.
"Fine," he blows out the smoke, "12 hours. I want the bitch's head on a fucking platter by 2am. Do you understand? Or you won't have to come back, I'll find you personally to express my disappointment."
"Consider it done," you stand up, watching his guards grip their guns a little tighter.
You leave his home, pissed beyond belief. How had you been so fucking stupid? So blind?! She'd been playing you from the beginning. There was no telling how much she'd found out just by you not realizing who she was.
"I'm gonna break her fuckin neck," you vow.
_______________________________
She calls you on your way home. Her voice is pleasant, too pleasant, and you stop short a few blocks from your house.
"Hola Papi," she greets you when you answer the phone, something she hasn't said in years, "¿Dónde estás?"
"I was just heading home but I need to check in on a site before I get there," you lie, "some of our inventory was destroyed so it needs an investigation. It shouldn't take more than 2 hours."
"I made dinner," the fake pout in her voice had an edge to it, "it'll get cold..."
"I'm sorry, babe. I'll be as quick as possible," you make a turn towards one of your stashes downtown.
"Ok... I can't wait to see you. I think we should talk..."
"Oh yeah," you scan traffic to make sure you're not being followed, "about what?"
"Our future," all fake niceness is gone from her voice, "I think it's time to make some decisions."
"I couldn't agree more. I'll be home soon," you return the tone, the tension between you thick.
"I can't wait," she hums, before hanging up.
"Fuck," you hiss, hitting the steering wheel, "I'm gonna enjoy killing that bitch..."
_______________________________
The sound of your shoulder popping out of place as you land against the stairs causes you to grunt in pain and grit your teeth. The sharp pain in your chest reveals that Kehlani's bullet hit your vest, and she looks infuriated. She aims for your head this time, but you kick against her knee, earning a shout of pain, and you push her back, knocking the gun from her hand. With a muffled shout you pop your shoulder back into place and press on, pinning her to the ground. Your fist collides with her jaw, and she cries out as a spray of blood leaves her mouth on impact. You pull out the knife you'd stashed in your belt loops, but before you can grasp it, she elbows you between the legs and you are stunned.
It's all she can do to push you off, and then you dive for your discarded gun. You turn towards her, and she already has hers pointed right at you. You move and she takes a shot, getting you in your arm. You ignore the pain and tackle her. Your gun is pointed at her head and hers is pressed against your rib, right at your heart. You hesitate, and she jams her knee between yours, flipping you.
"If I had known it was you I was trying to kill for the last year you would already be dead," she hissed, gun to your forehead.
That catches your attention. You look up at her and her eyes send a stab of pain through your heart. So she hadn't known? It was just some sick twist of fate...
You are suddenly brought 5 years before in a hotel room in Havana. Kehlani smiles at you brightly as you lay above her, leaning down to kiss her. She wraps her arms around you and pulls her in so you're settled in the cradle of her hips.
"Nobody has ever made me feel like this before," she admitted, almost shyly, embarrassed, "Te Amo, Y/N."
You meet her eyes and kiss her lips, pressing against her, "I love you too."
And you meant it...
"Go ahead," you blink, letting out a tired laugh, "it's you or him and if I'm going to die today...at least it's you."
"...what?"
She looks caught off guard, "I'm not falling for this stupid trick. You're not smart, Y/N."
You let your gun drop, staring up at her. You've accepted your fate and at least you know she will be safe... mostly.
"There's a safe behind the far wall in the basement," you speak quietly, "it's got blank passports and about a million in cash in a few different currencies. Take it and run. He's not going to stop looking for you. Whoever you work for...I hope they protect you."
Kehlani looks confused, then frustrated, "fuck you! So you're just giving up?! Fight me! This is fucking bullshit!"
"I don't want to fight," you swallow, "not you...not anymore. Because regardless of how things ended...I love you, Kehlani."
You laugh when you realize what you just said, "is that even your name? Your real name..."
She hesitates to answer, gun still pressed to your head, "relax. I'll be dead in a minute. I think I deserve to know."
You can feel the gun shake against your skin, and she clenches her jaw as she stares at you. Her eyes gloss over with unshed tears but they never fall. Finally she presses the gun to your head. There's a finalty to her eyes and you close yours. You know this is the end. You won't make her stare you in the eyes as she kills you. You know it's probably hard enough. It makes your heart feel less heavy to know she hesitated in the end. At least it wasn't all fake, right?
"My name..." You hear a click and you brace yourself.
"Is Kehlani Y/L/N," she speaks, followed by the sound of mental hitting the ground.
Your eyes snap open and you see she's dropped the gun and she's looking at you in anguish, "... Kehlani?"
"You're so fucking stupid," she angrily slaps you, "why couldn't you just pull the fucking trigger. You had your chance and you didn't take it!"
"Te Amo," you look up at her.
The tears finally fall from her eyes. She pulls you up by your shirt and kisses you. It feels like when you first met. She's pulling at you, her hands gripping you so tightly that you hiss as it presses against your bullet wound. She pulls away, looking at you in concern.
"What's wrong," she asks, frowning.
"Besides the fact that I'm bleeding out," you joke, wincing at the feel of your open wound shifting now that the adrenaline is gone, "did you forget you shot me?"
"You stabbed me in the thigh!"
"It's a flesh wound," you insist.
"So is that- oh shit, come here" she rips away the shirt, revealing the bullet wound still open, "it's still in there...I need to get it out, Papi. Let's go to the kitchen."
"I'm gonna need some tequila," you sigh, preparing yourself for the painful treatment ahead.
"Don't worry, I'll be quick," she promises, pulling out an advanced first aid kit from under the sink.
You grab the tequila and sit down. You glance at the clock. Midnight. You had 2 hours to figure out what the fuck you would do because you knew if you didn't show, he would be looking for you.
"What are we going to do," you wonder.
Kehlani stops... looking at you for a long moment, "how long do you have?"
"2 hours..."
Her face flashed sadness, before she shook it off, "I know you're loyal... but he'll kill you. If you love me... really love me, then come with me. Join us...my brothers will protect you...we can help you."
"Brothers? You told me you were an only child," you frown.
"I lied," she said bluntly, "I needed a way into the US again and you gave it to me."
"Was any of that...any of it real?"
She frowns, cleaning out your wound. You hiss in pain, but she presses on, making sure she's gotten the area clean.
"Yes...I lied about who I was but...never about how I felt. You can't fake what we had..."
"Well at least I'm not a total idiot then," you joke, bitterness cutting into your tone.
"I'm sorry, ok? I felt so guilty that I tried to make you a job...and it worked for a while but... obviously not forever."
"Do you even love me," you wonder.
"Yes," she doesn't hesitate, "I forgot that for a while but...even if you hadn't given up...I couldn't do it. That's why you're shot in the arm and not dead right now..."
"Gee, thanks. That makes me feel bet- OW! FUCK!"
You turn to see her pull the bullet out with some thick tweezers. She smirks, dropping it in the sink.
"Hard part is over," she winks, "let me stitch you up and you'll be fine."
"Fucking bitch," you grumble.
"Mmm Papi you know how much I like when you call me that," she leans into you, kissing your lips, before laughing as she pulls away.
"You're crazy..."
She just laughs and you grit your teeth as she stitches you up. When she's done she kisses above the wound and then your lips.
"Run away with me," she asks again, "we'll keep you safe. We'll start over...do this right. No lies...no secrets. Maybe some babies..."
"He'll come here... looking for either my body or me alive to kill me himself."
"So we'll meet him and be ready," she shrugs, "my brothers can have some guys here within the hour. We can be gone on a jet to Cuba and we can lay low. Make it look like he was ambushed by a rival..."
"They wouldn't believe that," you know that much, "but...we can set up a trap..."
She sees the look on your face and grins, "tell me..."
_______________________________
Your boss answers the FaceTime with a surprised look, "I thought she'd killed you. You're cutting it close."
"Nah," you wipe some blood from your lip, "the bitch is dead. Neighbors heard the noise and they called the cops. I gotta torch the place or they'll find shit I can't hide."
He looks skeptical, "where is she?"
"Dead like I promised," you turn the camera to show Kehlani in a pool of blood leaking from her head, "she put up a hell of a fight but obviously it wasn't enough."
"Looks like she beat your ass," he studies her body, "you sure she's dead?"
"Positive," you start emptying a gas can over her and the rest of the house, "I'll bring you her head as promised, but I'm tight for time. I'll be there in an hour."
"Mm. See you then," he nodded, looking at Kehlani, "such a shame to waste such a pretty face."
"She was a good lay too," you agree, "too bad."
He laughs, "come home when you're done. You can stay here until it all blows over."
"I'll be there soon."
When you hang up, Kehlani sits up and starts changing out of her clothes immediately, smelling like gas.
"My brothers are on the way...they found his wife," she rushed to the shower, washing the toxic substance off of her, "you sure this will work?"
"Diana has been fucking his rival for months. I've been driving her around, I know what she's up to," you change clothes yourself, "he wants his enemies head on a platter? I'll give it to him."
"It's sexy to see you all murderous," Kehlani smirks, kissing you.
"When we rest for the night... I'll show you sexy," you grab her ass.
She kisses you, pressing you against the bathroom door. You grab her, lifting her so her legs are around your hips. She moans, digging her nails into your skin.
"What the fuck, Ash!"
You pull away and grab for your gun, aiming it at the intruder... Only to see a tall man who looks almost identical to your wife.
"Jesus Manuel," she glares at him, "fucking knock!"
"The door is off the hinges...why the fuck would I knock when you knew I was coming," he rolls his eyes, "you're too busy fucking to get business done."
"Uh...hi," you awkwardly let her down.
"Manny, this is Y/N. Y/N this is my baby brother Manny," Kehlani introduces you, "you'll meet Miguel and Devon when we get back to Havana."
"Nice to meet you," you offer your hand.
"So you're the chick my sister married, eh? I guess," he ignores your hand, and walks towards the door again, "let's go. I already sent your little gift on the way. We all set?"
You glance around and sigh, nodding reluctantly, "yeah...let's go."
Tomorrow they would finally put out the fire and the official story would say you and Kehlani both died in the fire. Fake dental records and a corrupt ME would confirm the story and your former boss would then get a special package...his wife's head with her tongue cut out and some lovely photos of her fucking his rival. But tonight? Tonight Kehlani leaned against you as you drove to the airport, heading towards your future.