by Bethany-Kris
He swallowed hard, realizing something.
Jorge would go to Valeria.
Chris could leave, but she could not. Her torment continued. What would happen to her tonight? Had his little trick of taking her on a walk caused her more pain?
The idea made his heart ache.
Fuck.
Feelings didn’t work well in business, or a job. It would be hard to turn off. He was human, after all.
So was she.
Yanking open the back passenger door, Chris climbed in the vehicle, and before he had even buckled up, tires squealed against the pavement. Next to him, his father looked his way.
“And what’s that about?” Gian asked.
“A pissing contest—what else?”
Gian made a noise under his breath. “If you think someone else might be better to do this job, then I am sure we can come up with a solution to make it happen, son.”
“No, I’ll do it.”
That, he understood for sure.
Not even a question.
At all.
7.
“Maria is still asleep, then?”
Valeria had expected no one else to be in the kitchen when she walked in, but at least it was just Samuel. He wasn’t as difficult to deal with as Jorge, but she also didn’t feel like she could trust him very much.
“She is—thought I should check because it’s been a long night,” she said.
Her brother-in-law nodded and lifted a bottle of wine. “A drink?”
“Sure.”
Not that she would say it, but that was why she had come down here. Once the late dinner, and party after, died down, the guests had left, and the servants went to their quarters for the night, Jorge disappeared, too. Valeria wasn’t sure where her husband went, but while she had the chance, she planned on taking advantage.
Or rather, five minutes alone.
Soon, Jorge would be back.
That was a guarantee.
Samuel grabbed two long-stemmed glasses from the cupboard and made quick work of uncorking the bottle of wine. Once he had the wine poured through a decanter he’d found under the kitchen island, he held a glass out for her to take.
“Here, chica.”
Valeria took the drink, and sipped, letting the heady flavors soak her palate. “Thanks.”
Samuel didn’t invite her for more conversation as he drank his wine, but Valeria didn’t mind, either. She had other things to worry about, and silence was better than the alternative for these men.
She was almost through her glass, enjoying the silence of the large mansion, when the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. It wasn’t a good sensation, not when dread accompanied it, climbing up her spine with punishing steps.
That was how she knew Jorge was behind her.
Samuel confirmed it by looking over her shoulder and nodding at someone. His words only added to what she knew when he said, “Brother.”
“The Canadians left.”
“Hmm.”
“The deal is good, Samuel,” Jorge said, his voice coming closer to Valeria. She did her best to stay put, drink her wine, and hopefully, her husband would leave her alone for the night. Not that it had ever worked for her in the past, but she wasn’t about to give up hope just yet. “And once it’s done, we won’t need the fucking Garcías for shit.”
“And then what happens when the Garcías realize we fucked them over?”
“You’re asking pointless questions.”
“Or is it you don’t have the answers?”
The pregnant, loaded silence stretched on in the kitchen, making Valeria wish she was anywhere but there. It was rare for Samuel and Jorge to disagree about things, but especially with the cartel. When they did, however, it rarely ended well. She did not want to be the idiot in the middle.
“Who is running this operation?” Jorge asked.
He was right behind Valeria, now. She didn’t need to turn around to feel the heat of his body too close to hers, or the way it made her sick just from proximity alone.
So was her life.
“Papá,” Samuel replied.
“Wrong answer, brother.”
Samuel sighed. “Jorge—”
“He oversees details,” Jorge spat. “Says yes or no, or makes demands. He isn’t on the front lines. He isn’t making the money. I do all of that, and because this is the right choice, whether he likes it, then it is what we will do. The Canadian deal will get rid of our García issue, or at the least, it will negate the problem altogether. It’s a win-win.”
“Right,” Samuel replied, “a win-win.”
Satisfied with his brother conceding to his point, Jorge turned his attention on Valeria by stroking the back of her neck where she had pushed her hair over her right shoulder. It was a light graze of his fingertips along the ridge of her spine, almost daring to dip below the neckline of her dress. Nothing violent. Certainly not this man’s usual motives, and yet, it still burned.
She didn’t want his touch.
“Val,” Jorge murmured.
“Hmm?”
“Would you care to tell me what happened earlier with that man?”
She closed her eyes. Honestly, she had been waiting for this, but Jorge had incredible patience at times. Hadn’t six years of him chasing her taught her anything at all?
Apparently, not.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” she said, choosing her words carefully.
Again, his fingers drifted over her neck, along the line of her shoulder, and then he tucked in a few strands of her hair that had fallen out of place. He stepped in a little closer to her back, his mouth coming down to press a soft kiss to the side of her throat before he murmured, “You were outside alone with him.”
The lump came back in her throat.
Across the island, Samuel turned his gaze away from them. None of Jorge’s family ever cared to indulge his nonsense, but especially not with Valeria. She suspected because, if they did, they wouldn’t like what happened after.
Jorge and his lessons were infamous.
“I took a moment to breathe on the steps,” she said, keeping her tone level to not poke the monster. “He came out after and asked if I wouldn’t mind taking a walk around the pool. I didn’t want to be rude, and the guards watched.”
She figured that was important to point out to him. The guards had been watching—Valeria made sure. She understood how to play this game with her husband, and she was quick enough on her feet to make sure she didn’t step in any trouble with him. At least, none that would leave her with permanent damage.
Some other things, however, were unavoidable.
Jorge proved that time and time again.
Against her jaw, his lips curved into a sneer before he bit her. Not an easy bite—not even playful. His teeth cut into her skin, and she sucked in a sharp breath when his hand came up to grab the back of her neck with a rough grasp.
“And for that,” he muttered against her jawline, “you are lucky. If not for the guards, we would have been having a very different discussion.”
“I did nothing wr—”
“And you’re also a lying whore, Val. You already got out of my hands once, but I promise it won’t happen again. I will have you put in a shipping container and sent to the highest bidder who will keep you under lock and key until they tire of fucking you before you’ll ever get away from me again. Do you understand me?”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Samuel cleared his throat. “Excuse me.”
Valeria didn’t open her eyes again until she heard the footsteps recede from the kitchen and fade away down the hall. She might have been mad that Samuel left her alone with Jorge when, his intentions were bad, but why bother?
No one else would save her here.
She had to do that alone.
Somehow.
Jorge’s hand tightened on Valeria’s neck, and without a word, he spun her around so the two faced one another. He barricaded her against t
he island, his one hand sliding around to grip the front of her throat while his other played with the hem of her dress, twisting it between his fingers like he considered ripping it off her.
It wouldn’t be the first time.
“Did you enjoy coming into the city again?” he asked.
No.
Because she was with him.
She lied. “I did.”
“See, if you behaved yourself more, and showed an effort to care about this marriage of ours, and what I want from you, I might let you have more freedom.”
No, he wouldn’t.
Whether it was one of his vacation homes, the ranch, or the city ... if she had to be with him, then it was all the same fucking prison to her.
She didn’t have to say anything to Jorge because he leaned in close, and pressed a kiss that tasted like aged bourbon against her lips. His sneer deepened into a smirk that promised she would not like what happened next.
“Get upstairs,” he uttered, “and make sure you’re naked when I join you.”
• • •
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?”
Next to her in the backseat of the Cadillac, Jorge kept his gaze locked on the window. That didn’t bother Valeria as much, seeing as how his attention focused elsewhere. What bothered her was the fact she had to dress up, leave her daughter at the ranch, and without a reason.
“Does it matter? A night out is good for you, Val.”
“Curiosity, is all.”
“Women are better when they’re not curious,” he returned, “because you’re more interesting to look at that way, and less problematic.”
Perfect.
Not that it helped to sedate her worries. Usually, when Jorge took her out, he made her aware of what to expect, and what he expected from her. Because those were two different things.
“It’s a dinner,” Jorge muttered to her left, “that’s all. I thought the Canadian might like to sit down with me before he arrives at the ranch in a few days. His father headed back to his own country. He has details to share about the deal we hadn’t hammered out.”
Chris?
Huh.
She tried not to show how that only made her more curious. She didn’t need to admit that thoughts about Chris Guzzi lingered in her mind more than they should since their first meeting. His question to her during that walk—did she like it here?—played on repeat in the back of her mind. Alongside the image of his face, that handsome profile she had no business admiring.
He didn’t have to care about her, or ask about her welfare, so to speak. And yet he had, which made her wonder about him.
All dangerous things.
“So, why am I here?” she asked.
Jorge passed her a cold, dismissive glance. “Because he asked for you to come along. Thought I might enjoy bringing you. I didn’t want to seem rude. Don’t disappoint me tonight and do something I’ll deal with later. Understand?”
Valeria nodded.
“I got it.”
Better than he understood.
The rest of the drive passed in silence. That continued even after they had parked, and the driver opened their doors for them to exit the vehicle. Her husband only spoke to tell her to smile before they entered the traditionally decorated restaurant, one she hadn’t visited before. It wasn’t a business owned or controlled by her husband or one of his men, considering the woman working the front desk said they had to wait until their guest wanted them at his table.
“This shit,” Jorge uttered under his breath. “Anywhere else would have been suitable.”
Or, she thought, he’s showing you that you don’t have a stronghold everywhere.
Once they entered the back of the restaurant where Chris waited, standing next to a table spread out with a buffet of food already prepped to eat on gold-plated dishes, Jorge still hadn’t relaxed.
“Guzzi,” he said, gruffly.
Chris smiled, his gaze darting to Valeria even as he said, “Jorge, thank you for indulging me tonight.”
“Better make it worth it, that’s all I have to say. Is the food here any good? I don’t trust people I am not paying to make me anything I have to put inside my mouth.”
“It’s a buffet. We’re all eating from the same plates. A true sign of friendship, yes? And trust.”
Smart again.
Valeria shouldn’t notice those things.
Or the way Christopher looked in his suit.
Still, she did.
Maybe a part of her recognized ... this man would be a problem for her. It didn’t matter he looked at her like he was looking into her soul, searching for something she was keeping well hidden. Or that she liked his handsome features, and the way his form filled out the very expensive Armani he wore.
There was something else ...
And she liked it.
“Fine,” Jorge muttered. “Let’s sit, and we’ll—”
A sharp Boss from behind them had Jorge turning before he approached the table to pull out a chair for himself, likely leaving her to fend for herself.
“What?” Jorge asked the man who kept a safe distance.
The section they were dining in had no other patrons.
A private area?
What strings had Chris pulled?
“Your father is on the phone.”
Jorge grunted and waved a hand. “I will call him back.”
“He’s adamant that—”
“Fine.” Jorge gave Chris a nod, saying, “I will be a few minutes. I’m sure you can entertain yourself without me.” He eyed the platters on the table, adding, “Begin eating without me, hmm? We eat, and then we do business.”
“Right,” Chris agreed. “No worries.”
Jorge pivoted on his heel, unbothered with leaving Valeria there to fend for herself. She was stunned, however, when Chris was quick to come around to her side of the table, and the first thing he did was grab a chair to pull out.
For her.
This close, she smelled the distinct aroma of his cologne. It fit his personality, she thought. Understated, but with distinct notes. Complex. Like him.
Valeria ignored the heat in her gut, never mind the way her heart raced when his hand came to rest on her waist when his dark tenor urged her to, “Sit.”
Lord.
Definitely a problem.
One she didn’t expect to have.
She held onto the clutch in her hands tighter as she took the seat he offered, but didn’t breathe any easier when his hand left her side. In fact, she wished for it to come back. “Thank you.”
“Never thank a man for being a gentleman,” he said, rounding the table to take his own seat, “because then they seem to think every kind act deserves a reward, hmm? It’s better not to teach men that behaving means getting something in return.”
Valeria stared across the table, unsure of what to say. Chris stared back, a sensual smile curving his lips. Finally, her brain worked.
“Why did you ask him to bring me here tonight?”
Chris shrugged. “Because I find you fascinating, and he’s slightly more interesting when you’re near. Also, it might keep him in line.”
“Good luck with that. Jorge is ... uncontainable.”
To say the least.
“Well, he has to behave a little, if he wants my father’s business. I thought I should remind him of that before I arrive at the ranch. And you, well, you can enjoy the meal. I paid a lot for this evening, but if you smile even once, it’ll be worth it.”
Valeria did just that.
Smile.
Chris winked back.
Damn.
• • •
Maria bounced at her mother’s side, tugging on Valeria’s hand with her excitement. “Can I ride Butter?”
Valeria smiled down at her girl. “Of course.”
Butter, somehow, turned from a rowdy colt into a very tame riding horse. If there was one thing that had come out of Valeria being dragged back to this hell, it
was the fact she put her daughter on a horse, and Maria took right to it like a fish to water. She loved the horses, but especially Butter.
“Come on, we have to tack them up,” Valeria said, “and I bet they sense someone is coming to take them out for a ride, so they’re as excited as you are.”
Maria pumped a fist into the air, and Valeria let go of her daughter’s hand. The girl darted down the steps, and headed for the large row of stables to the west of their home at the compound. It wasn’t like she had to worry about someone taking her daughter here, considering how well-protected the family ranch was with all the guards, only one proper road leading in or out, and all the desolate land and cliffs surrounding them.
Her child wasn’t going anywhere here.
Valeria followed behind Maria, but at a much slower speed. She passed the house that belonged to Abril, and Samuel. The siblings shared their one-level bungalow on the ranch until, according to Jorge, one of the two married and they moved off the property. Knowing how things were going, she suspected it would be Abril to leave first.
And she would miss her.
Jorge, having already left their two-level ranch home earlier that morning, was ... somewhere. Between the three other small homes that the guards used to sleep, and do their business, or the many barns further out that served as makeshift warehouses when drugs needed to be stored before being smuggled out of the country.
Knowing he could be anywhere around kept Valeria on her best behavior, because not only were guards likely watching her, but her husband might be, too. Sure, she preferred being at the ranch compound rather than out in public with her husband, but that was only because here, she let her masks slip.
A little.
Not too much though.
Privacy meant a lot.
Once she had entered the stables, Valeria found Maria already standing on a stool, and leaning over the gate to feed Butter a small, thin slice of apple from the pail they used as treats. She smiled at her mother while Valeria got to work on pulling down the horse gear from the walls.
Since they were already dressed and ready to go in their riding boots, she only needed to find Maria’s helmet, and her own. Then, they would get the horses tacked up, and the two of them could spend their morning away from the ranch.