HE COMES AT NIGHT

4

The room was silent save for the steady breathing of Alvaro, who had finally drifted off to sleep in Jessica’s arms. She watched his face, her expression softening for just a moment as she stroked his cheek with her finger. But the moment was brief. The tension between her and Armando still hovered over them like a dark cloud, and it was impossible to escape the weight of everything that had happened tonight.

As she carefully rose from the bed to place Alvaro into his crib, a sharp, searing pain shot through her chest, radiating from the spot where the masked intruder had hit her. She sucked in a breath, her hand instinctively flying to her side as she winced, trying to mask the pain. But Armando noticed immediately.

Without a word, he moved quickly, his hands gently taking Alvaro from her. He placed the boy into the crib, tucking him in with care before turning back to Jessica. His dark eyes were filled with concern, though his expression remained firm, commanding. Before she could protest, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her back toward the bed.

“Sit down,” he said, his voice low but firm. His touch wasn’t rough, but it left no room for argument.

Jessica tried to resist, shaking her head. “I’m fine, Armando. I don’t need—”

“Show me,” he cut her off, his voice calm but insistent. “Show me where you got hit.”

Her jaw clenched. She had been through enough tonight—enough fear, enough pain, enough of him. She didn’t want to give in, didn’t want to let him pretend he still cared. The resentment she had held back all night flared up again, and she turned her face away from him, shaking her head.

“No,” she said, her voice cold. “I’m fine. I don’t need your concern.”

Armando’s eyes darkened, his patience clearly wearing thin. He took a step closer, his presence looming over her, but he kept his hands to himself, his jaw tight with barely restrained frustration.

“I’m not asking you, Jess,” he said slowly, each word measured. “Remove your nightie. I want to see the damage.”

Jessica’s heart pounded in her chest, her body tensing as she felt the old fire rise between them, the clash of their wills. She looked up at him defiantly, her eyes narrowing.

“I said I’m fine,” she repeated, her voice hard. “I don’t need you playing the hero now.”

Armando’s expression turned darker, a dangerous edge creeping into his gaze. He stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a low growl as he leaned down, his face inches from hers.

“Jess, don’t tempt me,” he said, his voice filled with warning. “If you won’t show me, I’ll check myself. And I don’t want to cause you any more pain than you’ve already been through tonight.”

The threat in his words wasn’t one of violence, but it was enough to remind her of who he was—the man who controlled everything and everyone around him. The man who, despite his coldness, still had a deep, possessive care for her and their son.

For a moment, Jessica felt herself wavering. Her chest throbbed, the pain growing sharper with each breath she took, and the exhaustion of the night weighed heavily on her. She didn’t want to let him in, didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her like this—vulnerable, hurt. But her body was screaming for relief, and her stubbornness could only carry her so far.

She met his gaze, her eyes still hard, but her resistance weakening.

“You don’t need to do this,” she said quietly, though the bite in her voice had softened. “I don’t need you to save me.”

Armando didn’t respond with words. Instead, he slowly reached out, his hand brushing against her arm, trailing up to her shoulder as he gently pulled her closer to him. His touch was warm, steady, and for a moment, it reminded her of the man he used to be—the man who had once held her with tenderness.

But that man was buried deep beneath the darkness that now consumed him.

Without breaking eye contact, Armando reached for the strap of her nightie. Jessica’s breath caught in her throat, but she didn’t stop him. Slowly, deliberately, he slid the fabric down her shoulder, revealing the bruised, swollen skin beneath.

Jessica winced, the pain flaring up again as the cool air hit her skin. The dark mark where she had been hit was already forming, angry and red against the pale flesh of her chest. Armando’s eyes hardened as he looked at it, his jaw clenching once more. His hand hovered over the bruise, as if he wanted to touch it, but he held himself back, his fingers curling into a fist.

“This,” he said quietly, his voice laced with a mixture of anger and guilt. “This is why I needed to see.”

Jessica looked away, her throat tightening as she swallowed back the lump of emotion that threatened to rise. She had spent the entire night trying to stay strong, trying to keep her fear and anger under control, but now, with Armando so close, the dam was beginning to crack.

“Why?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Why did this have to happen? Why are we living like this?”

Armando’s hand finally reached her skin, his fingers brushing lightly over the uninjured part of her shoulder, but it wasn’t enough to soothe the ache in her heart.

“I’ll make it right,” he said, his voice low but filled with determination. “I swear to you, Jess. No one will ever hurt you or Alvaro again.”

But Jessica wasn’t so easily convinced. She had heard his promises before, and the life they lived—the constant danger, the ever-present threat—had shown her that his words weren’t enough to protect them. Not anymore.

“I don’t believe you,” she said softly, her voice breaking. “I can’t.”

The silence between them was thick, the weight of her words settling heavily on both of them. Armando’s hand fell away from her shoulder, his face hardening once more as he stepped back, retreating into the shell he had built around himself.

Jessica pulled the strap of her nightie back up, her hands trembling slightly as she covered herself again. The pain in her chest was still there, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

As Armando stood there, watching her with a mixture of frustration and helplessness, Jessica realized that the distance between them wasn’t just physical. It was something much deeper, something that no amount of promises or protection could bridge.

She was trapped, caught between the man she had loved and the life she feared. And she wasn’t sure how much longer she could survive in the darkness that surrounded them.