Romero glanced at Isabel, who closed her eyes for a moment, then back at Pat. “Concerned for her? Why?”

Then it hit him and he almost laughed, though he wasn’t amused at all. It was so stupid but it didn’t surprise him that Pat would do something like this. “Are you f**king kidding me?”

Her father was at the door now, behind Pat. “Is there a problem, Isabel?”

Romero stepped back but glared at Pat. “You put an intervention together to get Isabel to drop me?”

“You’re dangerous,” her father said. “We’re just looking out for one of our own. You’d do the same.”

“And what does bringing her ex-boyfriend along, have to do with me being dangerous, Pat?” He practically spit her name, feeling the anger begin to take over. Before she could answer, he turned to Isabel. “Are you seriously buying this shit? Do you really believe for a second that I could ever hurt you?”

“No!”

“Be reasonable, Bell,” Pat insisted. “He says he won’t now but look how quick he is to get violent. Believe me I know the signs.”

“You don’t know shit!” He turned back to Isabel. “Are you really gonna do this Isabel? Go back in there and listen to all her bullshit and have your f**king ex-boyfriend tell you why I’m no good for you? Don’t you see what she’s doing? ”

“I don’t think I like the tone you’re taking with either of my daughters.” Her father stepped in front of Pat. “This is why we’re concerned, honey. If he speaks to you this way now how can we trust that he won’t get worse?”

Charles stood behind Pat now. Romero smirked. “No disrespect, sir.” His eyes met Charles’. “But I’d say Isabel is not the daughter you should be worried about.”

“How dare you!” Pat moved herself in front of Charles.

“Romero!” Isabel finally spoke up.

“It’s okay,” her father said, putting his hand on Pat’s shoulder. “I think I know exactly who I need to be concerned for and it’s not Pat.”

Charles hadn’t stopped staring at Romero. “Go back to your little intervention, Isabel—back to Jacob.”

Isabel called out for him as he walked away. He had to, and he wasn’t looking back either. If he stayed there even a minute longer, he might help Pat prove at least one part of her points. Things could get violent very quickly and he wasn’t about to put on another show for her sister to use against him.

It didn’t even bother him so much that they think he wasn’t good enough for Isabel. What bothered him the most is that they would think he could ever hurt her. He’d throw himself in front of a bus for Isabel before he’d hurt her.

He’d only been at Moreno’s for about twenty minutes venting to Sal about Isabel’s intervention when his phone rang. It was her.

“Please come home.” Her voice broke as she continued. “I made them all leave. I didn’t want to have to choose but if they’re gonna make me then I choose you. I love you.”

Romero stood up and waved at Sal, walking back toward the exit. “Baby, don’t cry. You don’t have to choose. I’ll just… I’ll just stay away when they’re around.”

“No, if they won’t accept you then they lose me, too. I told them that.”

Damn it. This wasn’t what he wanted. As big a pain as her family was, he knew Isabel would be miserable if they were out of her life. He’d seen how excited she was about seeing Art this weekend. “I’m on my way, babe. We’ll talk when I get there.”

***

After hearing Romero speak to both Pat and Isabel the way he had, her father told her the family would never turn their back on her but they’d also never accept Romero and that was final. More than just his language, he was convinced that he one day would get the tragic news that Romero had unloaded all that anger he seemed to be carrying, on her.

For the first time, he brought up the fact that Romero’s father being in jail must have a lot to do with it. He’d seen the vicious cycle time and time again. A father convicted of a violent crime more than likely would have children who followed in their footsteps.

Isabel insisted Romero’s father had not been convicted for anything violent, but it was futile. Her father had already taken it upon himself to look into Romero’s dad’s case and knew that he’d nearly killed a man with his bare hands while incarcerated. He’d given Romero the benefit of the doubt, but after seeing what he’d done to Michael he was convinced that it was just a matter of time before he became violent with her, too.

No one was more adamant about it than Pat, and she’d taken great offense to Romero insinuating her father needed to worry about Charles. Isabel wasn’t sure what that had been about but she could only assume he was looking for any way to offend her, though smearing someone who had nothing to do with it was probably not the smartest thing to do.

The only thing Jacob had said was that he would always be there for her if she ever needed an ear and for her not to hesitate to call him.

In the end, none of them were able to convince her that Romero could ever hurt her. Not once in all the times she’d seen him angry had she ever felt threatened. She was tired of them trying to demean him. If any of them would just take the time to get to know him they’d understand why she was so in love with him.

Romero tried to convince her Friday evening when he got back after they left that she should be there with her family on Sunday for Art’s announcement. He said he didn’t mind not being there, he’d use the time to work out, something he’d been neglecting lately. At first, she refused but he was able to convince her when he pointed out that Art had nothing to do with the intervention and he could probably use her support, since Pat would more than likely do or say something to sour his big announcement.