by Piper Stone
I obeyed, my body stiff and my muscles aching yet my pussy was wet and sizzling. I still wanted the man even though I hated him. Loathed him. I was sick to my stomach that I’d actually become lost in the pleasure. As he pushed the plug inside, I grimaced, refusing to give him the satisfaction of making a single sound. I was amazed how the plug filled me, stretching my muscles. My entire body was aching, humiliation settling in.
He patted my bottom, caressing my skin.
“Now, you’re going to walk upstairs with me like a good girl. You’re going to maintain civility as we have a discussion. If you disobey me, you will spend a night in this dungeon but only after I’ve pulled out my belt.”
“Yes. Sir.” I could barely do what he asked, my actions stilted. I wanted to rake my nails down his face, creating another scar to match the one he already had. Now I understood why someone had knifed him. I hadn’t realized I’d whispered a single word until his eyes registered the faux pas.
“Monster.”
There was no backlash, no hard smack or other punishment, just the same sadness I’d seen before shifting into his eyes. For another few seconds, I could see into his soul; his cold and dark world where his own monsters lived. And for those few seconds, I felt sorrow for him.
What a terrible life he must live.
When he took my hand, I was shocked he reached down, grabbing my clothing. Then he dragged me behind him as he walked up the stairs, his body ripped with tension. There was no way of knowing who remained in the house, but I knew he couldn’t care less who saw me in my disrobed state. I was merely his possession. His pet. I envisioned spending every night in the dungeon, treated like some animal.
After he fucked me.
Spanked me.
Used me.
He stopped at the top of the stairs, his chest rising and falling from his heavy breathing. As he tipped his head, once again locking eyes with mine, I realized the opening he’d allowed me into was slammed shut and padlocked.
Perhaps forever.
“You’re right, Savannah. I am a monster.”
Chapter Twelve
Rafael
Monster.
The word was one I knew well. Just seeing her in the dungeon had been a point of no return. I didn’t want any part of destroying her life, let alone mine. I was finished with the bullshit of what some called humanity. I was through with even attempting to follow the order of what I was required to do. With my family.
With my life.
What I’d said to my father had been correct. It was past time I took full control, easing the burden that had remained on my father’s shoulders for years.
But things would be done my way, although I was beginning to question what that meant. I was no longer my mother’s son. For years she’d attempted to keep me protected, believing Javier would take my father’s reins. Maybe deep down inside I’d known I would be forced to step up to the plate.
As I walked Savannah into my office, I had difficulty with the beast still muzzled next to the surface, hungry to claw his way into the light. I loosened my grip, closing the door behind us. I pulled her clothing against my nose, drinking in her delicious perfume, hearing her disgusted huff. Exhaling, I placed her clothes onto the edge of the desk, merely darting a look in her direction. Just to see her continued rebellious attitude should have annoyed the hell out of me. Instead, I was thrown by her innocence, every action she made as if fearing judgment.
My judgment.
She was also still embarrassed by my gaze, attempting to cover her luscious naked body. I’d seen every inch of her, had tasted and fucked every hole yet she acted like I was a stranger on the street.
Maybe in some way I was—a dangerous stranger.
The man she’d experienced for a full day was long gone, shut away in a very deep hole. I’d been more than just a fool to allow him out, even awakening my heart. Never again. Not for any reason.
Still, I found it difficult to take my eyes off her at first. Savannah was that damn beautiful. However, as a blush shot up from her neck, crawling along her jaw and cheeks, I forced myself to turn away. Maybe she deserved a moment of privacy. I laughed softly to myself. I’d never given a shit about anyone’s privacy before, especially not a mole. She still had a stranglehold around me, the tethering almost overwhelming at this point.
I waited until I heard the sound of her bare feet padding in my direction before moving toward the window, absently peering outside. The darkness was somehow comforting, the oppressive shadows a reminder of the force yet to overcome. I was still able to see a hint of her reflection in the crystal-clear glass, her silhouette creating a solid thudding in my heart. The deal I’d made would seem ridiculous to some, including my father.
I’d never been impulsive in my entire life. Why now? More important, why her? Maybe there was more to gain, a way of getting information regarding Calleja that would require additional time spent with her. Or maybe she had nothing to do with the entire organization. What then? I couldn’t keep her, at least not if I wanted her to live, implied contract aside. Sighing, I yanked in my annoyance, tempering my need to consume her all over again.
“Would you care for a drink?”
She slowly turned her head in my direction, holding the blouse in front of her. “We’re going to be friends now? Are you going to tell me stories and act like you give a damn?”
The questions seemed so out of place, as if the intensity of our passionate moment had never happened. I couldn’t blame her for her icy demeanor. I’d forced a deal on her that she had no recourse but to accept. While I’d only seen a mild hint of shock in her after helping her to understand her predicament, including what could have occurred if Blade would have fulfilled his duties, I had the feeling she was just beginning to process the information.
After all, it wasn’t every day you found out that there was true evil in the world.
I tilted my head, remaining quiet.
“Fine. Why not?” she finally answered, resuming dressing as her body swayed back and forth.
“Wine or something stronger?”
“I don’t honestly give a shit.”
She was a fighter, a woman with a strong backbone even though I’d seen the same haunted look in her eyes that often reflected in mine. I walked toward the bar, pouring two glasses of scotch. When I turned around, I was surprised to find her studying the books lined almost perfectly on my bookshelf. She moved slowly from one side to the other, her lips remaining pursed the entire time.
I walked slowly in her direction, flanking her side. “You’re wondering how a monster could have time to read.”
“I’m wondering why an obviously intelligent and well-educated man refuses to break free of his chains, turning his life into something extraordinary.”
I was unable to stop my laugh as I handed her a glass. “Why would you think that I’d want to?”
“So, you enjoy murdering people. I’m guessing you even thrive on destroying lives. Families.” Savannah never glanced in my direction, keeping her concentration on reading one title after another.
I finally moved away, easing down on the couch and crossing my legs. She was tense, faking everything she was doing. “As with any profession, there are certain requirements. I do what is necessary to keep the peace and protect my family. That is what is most important.”
“Wow. I never heard the act of murder put in quite that manner. Your father must be really proud of you.” She pulled the glass to within a few centimeters of her lips, holding the dense crystal in place then darting her tongue across the rim. “Oh, I forgot. This is a family business. Is he as brutal as you are? Do you have brothers and sisters who help you dispose of bodies? Maybe they’re the ones who take children away from their parents. I could see you doing that as well.”
While I’d initially been amused at her accusations, even her attitude, I was growing weary of her refusal to obey. Harsher tactics would need to be used. When she darted a glance riddled with hatred, I
could tell her statements were nothing more than a challenge. She wanted the truth. Perhaps it was time she had exactly what she was looking for.
“My father had his reasons for making certain that what happened to his wife and children was nothing like what he was forced to endure as a child, Savannah. We all have reasons in our lives for the decisions we make. Even you.”
“Yes, well, my decisions aren’t based on the fact I go out and murder anyone.”
“What about enduring pain, the kind of torment that goes hand in hand with betrayal? Someone you trusted. What about facing the harsh realization that your life means little?” I couldn’t help but notice she seemed to shrink back, as if I’d hit home on whatever wretched secret she was hiding. She lowered her eyes, moving her drink from hand to hand. Should I give a damn what she’d been forced to endure in her modest world? The answer wasn’t easy to find at the moment.
“And what in God’s name would force anyone to turn into a monster?” she retorted, the question said with an air of chastisement. “Why would your father want his son to follow in his footsteps? Why not a doctor or a lawyer?”
I took a deep breath, resisting lashing out. “You come from the United States where opportunities are endless, a true paradise in some ways. While I grew up in decent conditions, my father did not. The Spain of yesterday was entirely different.”
She shook her head, obviously having heard the statement before. “What makes you believe that the United States is a paradise? Propaganda? There is still hunger. There are still people in desperate need. There are also millions of people living with abuse.”
Another faraway look, even her eyes misting over.
Everything about her was mesmerizing. For some odd reason, another round of despondency crept into my system, a tightness in my throat. Without thinking, I began to tell a story, one not a single person within the Galicia mafia organization knew about, other than my immediate family. Sharing a very personal moment regarding my past seemed important. “When my father was growing up, at that time, Spain was an entirely different place. There was great strife, much of the population destitute, including his parents. They lived in filth, struggling to find enough food to provide to their three children. My father actually had his first job at the age of eight working for a farmer.”
At first, she didn’t seem interested, her attention still drawn to the books.
“The farmer was a difficult man, requiring total obedience of his workers. Evidently, my father had a difficult time following the rules. That’s one reason that he was beaten on a regular basis by that farmer for even the slightest infraction, finally with enough force that his arm was broken. Now, as you might imagine, his father was distraught, even going to this farmer to complain. Things didn’t go well,” I said casually even as I twisted my hand around the glass before bringing it to my lips.
Savannah turned slowly, studying me with burning eyes. “I’ll admit that sounds horrible. What happened?”
“Well, it would seem that my grandfather decided to pick a fight with the farmer. Things got ugly, fists flying. In the end, my grandfather ended up in jail. It would seem that the farmer had significant ties with very influential people.”
“Jesus. That’s very sad.”
I shifted the glass onto my knee, twisting and turning it several times, the prisms mesmerizing. “Yes, that was unfortunate.”
She walked closer, studying me intently. “What do you mean unfortunate?”
“I mean that the farmer wasn’t just angry, he was determined to get even. So... On the night my grandfather was locked away in a barbaric jail cell, treated like an animal, the bastard burned down the little shack my father lived in.” I realized I could no longer look in her eyes. I would never forget the day my father had told me the tale, a bourbon in his hand much like the scotch was in mine. That had been the first time I’d ever seen him emotional, other than with my mother.
That was also the day I’d promised to protect my family in the same manner.
“What an asshole. Was anyone hurt?”
I chuckled softly, more out of continued sorrow than anything. “The shack was doused in gasoline, so you can imagine how quickly the timber burned. My father made it out safely and he tried desperately to free his baby brother and sister especially after my grandmother was consumed by the fire.”
Gasping, she closed the distance. “Oh, my God.”
“Sadly, there was nothing he could do. He had to stand and watch his entire life go up in flames.” I felt the hard thudding of my heart, blood pumping wildly through my veins. Telling the story out loud had a profound effect on me. As my grip on the glass became white-knuckled, I shifted the tumbler back and forth. The light splashing through the crystal was infused with a mixture of colors, almost as if issuing a ray of hope.
Savannah moved to the chair, sitting down and leaning forward. “I can’t imagine what kind of life your father and grandfather endured after that, the sadness they were forced to face. Was the farmer ever convicted or was he allowed to get away with such a wretched crime?”
I sneered as I brought the glass closer to my lips. “Given the powerful people the farmer knew, the fire was ruled an accident. As you can imagine, the incident changed my grandfather. He was never the same, finally succumbing to what my father called demons only ten years later. However, that was after spending six months in a rat-infested prison, beaten on a daily basis, unable to even find out anything about his son. He survived and on the day he walked out of that hellhole, he made a promise to himself that he would kill everyone responsible for destroying his family. You see, Pablo Santiago was a proud man, refusing to bow down to the gang of men who ran a good portion of the country.”
“The mafia.”
I finally tipped my head in her direction as I moved to the edge of the seat, leaving us only inches apart. The tingling sensations had returned, even more so than before. I concentrated on the nervous tic that had suddenly appeared at the corner of her mouth, a sign of the trepidation and distrust that I knew would always be here. Hell, how could I blame her?
“Yes,” I continued. “The Galicia mafia was considered the most savage organization in Europe. They were brutal, true monsters in every sense of the word. No one went up against heir enforcers. But my grandfather wasn’t just any man and he had a mission. Pablo took his time, picking off the bastards responsible one by one. From what I heard, he was cunning in his methods; feared by so many, others calling him a savior.”
“And the mafia never suspected who was behind the murders?”
“Oh, they were suspicious, but Pablo changed his tactics and there was never a single scrap of evidence left at any of the scenes. My father learned the importance of never trusting anyone as well as how to stay alive. He also made certain that he carried on in my father’s footsteps after Pablo’s death. Within four years, he’d worked his way up within the Galicia organization from nothing more than an errand boy to one of the Don’s most trusted enforcers.”
She remained quiet, the rise and fall of her chest rapid.
“On a dark and stormy night the day before Christmas, my father finished the final act of revenge, taking what had been taken from him as a small boy, the leader’s entire family. From that day on, he’s led the Galicia mafia.” Using rapid movements, I wrapped my fingers around the back of her neck, jerking her even closer. “As you can now see, this profession is in my blood.”
“But you could do anything you want to do in your life. As you said yourself, things are different now,” she whispered, her body rippling from tension.
“You’re right that I could make difference choices, perhaps becoming an attorney or even a doctor, but you see, my sweet, I’m very happy with my life. I was born and bred to be the next leader and I intend on making my father very proud.” I yanked her closer, our lips now centimeters apart.
“And what about your children? Is that you would want for them? Always worried about living or dying, the safety of an
yone they give a damn about? Do you really want them to enter into a life of crime?”
A slight chuckle slipped from my mouth. “I have no plans to have children, Savannah, although I will protect the family I do have that are left.” I could almost taste her sweet lips, my longing to devour her once again spinning almost out of control.
“Does that mean some are gone?”
“I’m finished with the soul searching, Savannah. I promised to protect you. Nothing more. However, I will tell you this. Yes, I’ve lost several people close to me including my own brother, who was gunned down by soldiers working for the very man I had the pleasure of killing. If you wonder why it was such a pleasure, the bastards did so at a family picnic, slaughtering my brother in front of his own wife and children. That’s why. He died in my arms and there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing. The bastard has eluded our family for over a year, always hiding and playing games. It’s past time I even the score.”
The slight sigh she emitted was scattered, her eyes darting back and forth. “I’m so very sorry. What a terrible life to live.”
“My life is certainly better than some and family means everything. I wonder if that’s the same for you.”
She struggled to get out of my hold, hissing when I refused to let her go. “I am very sorry about your brother and I do understand your need for vengeance. Trust me, I’ve wanted to do the very same thing for a specific reason. However, you have no right to judge me.”
I relaxed my grip, every part of me struggling to make sense of the continued closeness I felt to her. “You’re right. I do not.”
“You’re afraid that these soldiers are going to track you down, hurt another member of your family. Right? More brothers? A sister?”
Just her scent alone was dragging me back into the moments we’d shared before. “Retaliation is the way of our world, Savannah. However, this time I will crush the remainder of the Los Charlines crime family. Then my beautiful Spain will be peaceful again. Yes, I have a younger brother. My mother and father are also alive. There is no one else.”