The air in the room seemed to thicken. Rafa's hands balled into fists beneath the table. And when she finally stepped into the room, it felt like he’d been punched in the chest.
“Well, good evening, Mi Amor,” Franco said, standing to greet her.
“Fuck you!” Stephanie replied. “How dare you have these assholes man-handle me into coming down here to eat with you? Do you really think I want to be in your company?”
“Now, now.” Franco pointed around the room. “Is that any way to speak in front of my family?”
Steph looked around. She made eye contact with his mother, his sister, and when her eyes finally landed on him, Rafa felt her shock.
“What the…” she said on a breath.
Her eyes shot from him and then to Franco, and back. Rafa didn’t know what to say. For the last four years, he’d been dead to her. Hell, he’d been dead to the world. And now, there he was, sitting in front of her – very much alive.
Chapter Three
Stephanie
She blinked several times, but the image of him sitting there – right there – in front of her never changed. He was alive. Rafa was alive.
Her heart felt as light as air, but just as quickly as it was filled with happiness and joy, it exploded and shattered into a million pieces at her feet, just like it had years ago.
“H… How?”
No longer able to stand, she flopped down in the chair that had somehow gotten pulled out for her. She stared at him in disbelief. Steph didn’t know how to feel.
Happy. Hurt. Excited. Devastated.
Everything all rolled into one. How was she supposed to feel? For the last four years, she thought the love of her life was dead. She watched him die. She had held him in her arms as he took his last breath. She’d planned his funeral.
But there he was… Alive.
“Isn’t this a fabulous reunion?” Franco asked the room.
Her head slowly turned to Franco. The smug look on his face had her flying out of her chair toward him.
“You son of bitch!” she screamed.
The table shook beneath her causing dishes to fall to the floor and shatter. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from the man in front of her. She wanted to scratch his eyes out. Knock his teeth down his throat. Anything to cause him the same pain he had, and was still, causing her.
“I’ll rip your heart out,” Steph hissed, still fighting against whoever was holding her.
Franco laughed. “We both know that won’t happen, Mi Amor.” He tapped his wrist. “Because I control you.”
“Really?” Stephanie grabbed the bracelet. “Do you seriously want to play this game with me?” She looked him right in the eyes. Willing him to see how serious she truly was. “Because I’ll play.”
He must have seen the truth in her eyes because his entire demeanor changed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?” He leaned forward, placing his elbow on the edge of the table. “I may have been a bit callous in this little reunion.”
May have? She wanted to kill him. She would kill him. It would only be a matter of time. And next time, she would empty a clip into his worthless ass, just to be sure.
Anger flooded through her veins. It burned through her body like a furious firestorm. Engulfing and consuming every inch of her person.
She turned to look at Rafa, and all she could feel was his betrayal. And she hated him for it. The very thought that he’d lied to her. Hurt her. Ripped open all the old wounds that she had fought so hard to heal.
She could feel the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, but there was no way she would allow any of them to see her that weak. Using her weight, she brought her heel down on the foot of the man that was holding her.
“Ow!” he yelled.
She threw her elbow back into his gut and as his hold on her loosened she took full advantage. Spinning around, she kicked him in the nuts and used his own momentum against him. Lifting her knee, she smashed his face against it and took great pleasure in hearing the small crack that came from his nose.
He fell to his knees and Steph moved away from him. The last thing she saw before storming out of the room was him holding his balls and nose, as he fell to his side, in a whining fit.
She took the stairs two at a time and when she reached the top floor, her anger only increased. Two guards started walking toward her and as they reached out to grab her – all hell broke loose.
Steph was done with their shit.
She knocked away one hand and grabbed the other. Throwing herself backward, she lifted her legs and kicked a vase toward the face of the other guard. It hit her target as she wrenched down on the arm in her hand and heard a satisfying crack. Spinning around, she punched him in the center of his chest. The other guard took that moment to wrap his arms around her, but Steph wasn’t done yet.
Throwing her head back, she slammed it into his face. Pain radiated through her skull, but she didn’t stop. She had a point to prove. Franco Holston had fucked with the wrong woman.
She turned around and delivered a roundhouse kick causing the guard to fall to the ground. Steph grabbed another ceramic vase and smashed it over his head, knocking him out cold. Then, she turned her attention back to the other one.
Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs. And she stood there for a moment staring the man down. She stretched out her hands and with a loud battle cry, she ran toward him. Jumping into the air at the last second, she reached out for his neck and wrapped her arms around it. She held on for dear life as she locked her arms in a chokehold while she spider monkeyed herself to his back. Their combined weigh sent them both to the ground. As his weight landed on top of her, Steph’s breath whooshed out of her lungs, but she refused to let go. Fighting to pull in some air, she tightened her hold.
The guard reached back and grabbed a handful of her hair. He fought and wiggled against her, as he tried to gain the upper hand. But Steph wasn’t letting up. The difference between him and her – was she was made for this shit. Not only was she a perfect markswoman, but she was also versed in several forms of hand-to-hand combat. She could do this all night.
As the guard’s body finally went slack, Steph held on for a bit longer before letting go, just because she could. She crawled out from under him and kicked his limp body away from her. Both the guards would live to see another day, but they’d each have some major aches and pains when they woke up. And a new understanding of just who she was and what she was capable of.
She looked up and down the hallway at the mess that had been made and didn’t feel even the least bit sorry. Stephanie Briggs was pissed. She was hurt. And she was fucking done. One way or another, Franco would find out who he was dealing with. He would learn his mistake, and so would Rafa.
Steph stepped over the bodies and headed to her room. As she entered, she slammed the door behind her and shoved a chair under the doorknob. Looking around the room, she tried to find something to focus on but her mind was in complete chaos. Rafa’s face at the dining table swirled through her mind and every time it flashed to the forefront, it felt like a knife was slicing through her.
Unable to hold it together any longer, Steph fell to her knees and the dam on her emotions broke. Her tears flowed freely. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed out her pain.
The hurt. The betrayal. The sorrow. The lies.
It all poured out of her in waves that started to pull her under. Drowning her in their depths. Each emotion ripping at her until she felt bare and raw. She cried until there was nothing left except an empty shell.
Standing, she dragged herself over to the bed and after tossing the blanket back, she crawled on top of it and pulled it over her head. She literally felt as if she had nothing left.
She toyed with the bracelet as she wondered if it was worth it. She hooked a finger beneath the band and suddenly, images of her family popped into her head. Her mom and dad. Her brother and sister. Her cousins. She thought about the missions she’d g
one on with the club and the people who they had saved. While none of them made up for the pain she was feeling now, Steph knew they all made her life better, each in their own ways.
Slipping her finger out of the bracelet, she snuggled deeper into the pillow beneath her head and closed her eyes. She needed to get her shit together. She hated that Franco had been able to get to her. That she had allowed him the power to affect her emotionally.
Find your inner badass, Stephanie, she told herself. Tomorrow is a new day.
While this had started as a mission to get answers, it was now quickly turning into something vastly different. As she allowed herself to feel her anger, Steph realized something extremely valuable – she was in the perfect position to take out the Holston Crew, once and for all. She could dismantle and wipe them out completely, from the inside out.
So, as she laid in bed, trying to fall asleep, she devised a plan… A plan that would eliminate one of the most dangerous cartels in the state. If she could survive.
Chapter Four
Rafael
His shock and anger were clear. At first, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He didn’t want to. But then she’d opened her mouth, turned those caramel brown eyes toward him, and it was like he’d been sucker-punched in the gut.
She wasn’t supposed to be here. Ever. It was part of the deal. Franco had promised – and now, he’d broken it.
“What the fuck did you do?” Rafa demanded. “We had a deal!”
Franco waved a dismissive hand. “The deal means nothing. I own you, regardless. So, why not have some fun along the way.”
“You sick son of a bitch.” Rafa stood from his chair.
Franco rolled his eyes.
Rafa lunged for him, but before he could reach him, one of his brother’s bodyguards pulled a gun and pointed it at Rafa’s head.
His mom and sister both screamed.
Franco shook his head. “Brother, brother, brother.” He tsked. “When will you learn? You are nobody. Nothing.” Franco stood and walked over to him. “I run this family.” He shoved Rafa backward. “I run this operation.” He shoved him again. “And I fucking run you.” He pushed Rafa against the wall and placed his forearm against his throat. “Don’t push me, Rafael. You will not like the consequences.”
Franco applied just enough pressure to cut off Rafa’s airflow. He tried to press himself back, but there was nowhere to go. He tried to pull in the much-needed life force, but he couldn’t. Rafa reached up and pushed against Franco’s arm. The two brothers stared into each other’s eyes as a battle of strength took place.
Finally, Rafa was able to push Franco away from him. He gulped in several breathes of oxygen as Franco chuckled while he straightened out his expensive suit.
“Don’t think for a second that you can beat me,” Franco said. “Because that would be a grave mistake on your part.”
Rafa’s eyes narrowed.
Franco walked out of the room, with his bodyguards in tow. The moment he was out of sight, his mother and sister rushed over to his side.
“Mijo, are you alright?” his mom asked as she fussed over him.
Rafa raised his hands in aggravation to stop her fretting. “I’m fine.”
“What is she doing here?” Angelica asked in a whisper.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But it can’t be good.”
“We have to get her out,” his sister said. “It’s not safe for her here.”
“I know,” he told her.
But Rafa knew Steph would never listen to him. He’d seen the look on her face when she finally saw him. The hurt and disbelief. He could try to explain things to her, but he knew she would never believe him. Stephanie was a hard shell to crack. She was stubborn and when her mind was made up about something, little to nothing would ever change it. So, if she’d already made up her mind about him, which he was sure she had, Rafa didn’t think he’d ever be able to get through to her.
“What are you going to do, Mijo?” his mom asked.
“I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair. He had no damn clue.
“Talk to her,” Angelica said. “Or maybe I can.”
“I don’t know,” he repeated. “Shit.”
“Can we sneak her out on the next shipment?” Angelica asked.
Rafa shook his head. “Franco would know.”
“We can’t allow him to send her to the caves,” Angelica said.
The fear he heard in his sister’s voice was like a knife being twisted into his heart. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Shh,” he told her, rubbing her back. “He won’t send her there. I promise.”
“You don’t know for sure, though,” she said against his shirt. “That place… it’s…”
Rafa knew what the caves were like. He’d been forced, at gunpoint, to go down there once, and afterward, he agreed to Franco’s deal. A deal that included faking his own death to protect the woman he loved. The same deal that Franco had clearly broken.
“That girl is probably scared out of her mind,” his mother mumbled.
Rafa almost laughed. Very few things scared Stephanie Briggs, and Franco wasn’t one of them. He knew, without a doubt, that Steph could take care of herself. He’d seen what she could do when pushed far enough. Even at barely over five feet tall, the woman was lethal. It was one of the many qualities that he’d fallen in love with. When Steph was mad, and she allowed her fury to consume her, it was one of the sexiest things he’d ever had the pleasure to witness, not that he’d ever admitted that out loud. However, even knowing that she could handle herself, Rafa still feared for her safety.
“I’m going to talk to her,” Angelica said, pulling away from him. “She needs to know the truth, Rafa.”
He knew his sister was right, but he didn’t want to admit it. “She can’t know. The moment Steph finds out the truth, everything will change.”
“Everything has already changed,” Angelica countered. “Franco brought her here. He broke the agreement between you two. She’s in danger, Rafa. Don’t you think she should at least know that much?”
He sighed. Massaging his forehead to ease the headache that was forming, he finally agreed. “Okay, but I’ll talk to her,” he told his sister. “I don’t want you to be seen anywhere near her room.”
Angelica nodded.
“Good,” his mother said.
Rafa hugged them both against his chest. He had given up everything in his life to keep them safe and it seemed like it was all for nothing. Four years of being forced to do things he hated. Things that went against the high set of morals that his parents had instilled in him. Morals that Franco had obviously forgotten about. And now, with Stephanie showing up, it changed everything. Franco had broken their agreement. He’d crossed a line that was not to be crossed. And while Rafa wasn’t nearly as ruthless as his older brother, for the sake of those he held dear, this time, he’d make an exception.
Chapter Five
Stephanie
She woke up the next morning to a knock on the door and someone trying to enter her room. Pulling the blanket from over her head, Steph grumbled as the light from the window shone in her face.
“Fuck off!” she yelled.
“I have some breakfast for you.”
She sat up in bed. She knew that voice. It belonged to Rafa. “Not interested,” she called out.
“I’ve got coffee,” he replied.
Her stomach almost growled at the thought of the delicious brew. Feeling betrayed by her own body, she threw off the blanket and climbed out of bed. In a huff, she walked over to the door, removed the chair, and yanked it open.
He stood there looking like a perfect wet dream and she almost moaned. She remembered a time when just seeing him caused her heart to flutter and butterflies to take flight in her stomach. But now, she didn’t know how to feel, other than hurt.
Holding out her hand for the steaming mug, she pushed her pain aside. “I’ll take it.”
He rais
ed a brow. “Are you going to allow me to enter?”
“No.”
“Stephanie…” He sighed.
“Don’t.”
“We need to talk.”
“We don’t need to do anything,” she countered. “Just pass me the coffee and go.”
“No.”
“What?”
“Talk to me, and you’ll get the coffee,” he told her. “No talk, no coffee.”
She stared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing.
“I made it just how you like it,” he teased. “Cream and two sugars.”
Her mouth watered.
She watched as he brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip. “Mmm.”
“Asshole.” She stepped to the side. “You have two minutes.”
He walked into the room and closed the door before handing her the cup.
Steph smelled the dark brew and this time, her stomach did growl. The dark roast was her favorite. Taking a small sip, she closed her eyes as the taste washed over her tongue. He was right, it was perfect.
She opened her eyes to find him staring at her. “Well,” she said. “Talk.”
“You need to leave,” he blurted.
She blinked twice. Well, that wasn’t what I expected, she thought to herself. Out loud, she simply said, “Can’t.” And lifted her free arm to show off the shiny bracelet she was wearing.
Rafa shook his head. “Shit.” He shook his head. Reaching out, he ran a finger over it before gripping the piece of jewerly tightly and yanking it.
The bracelet snapped and for a moment she just stood there, waiting for the poison to kill her. Her heart pounded, not only from fear, but from the hurt she felt.
The man of her dreams, the love of her life – just killed her.
“Don’t look so shocked, Stephanie,” Rafa told her. “It’s a fake.”
“What?” she asked.
He just stood there, looking at her like she was stupid, then turned and tossing the bracelet into the trash can.
She watched with sharp eyes as he began to pace the room. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but it was deep. She could tell by the crease in his brow. Not to mention, when in deep thought, Rafa had the habit of tapping his index finger against his chin. She silently watched him as she drank from the mug.
Capturing Stephanie: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book Three Page 2