“Coffee,” I said quickly. “I haven’t had coffee in weeks.”
It was true, but I hadn’t needed it, so I hadn’t really missed it. I’d slept so soundly with Andrés that I hadn’t required my usual two cups a day.
“I don’t want to leave you,” Dex said. “I can wait until another agent comes to relieve me, and then I’ll get you anything you want.”
“Please,” I begged, letting my real desperation shine in my eyes as I finally looked up at him. “I miss it. Coffee is normal. And I haven’t… I couldn’t…” I trailed off, letting Dex read whatever dark things he wanted into my unfinished sentences.
His jaw worked as he ground his teeth together, and he nodded tightly. “Okay, Sam. I’ll get you coffee.”
“Is there a Starbucks here? You know what I like. Quad venti iced Americano with two pumps of mocha syrup. Please,” I added again when he looked hesitant.
“That’s all the way downstairs,” he said gently. “It will take a few minutes. I don’t want to leave you here by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, feigning a yawn. “I’m still so tired. I’ll nap while you’re gone.”
“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “There’s a CPD officer just outside the door. She’ll keep you safe while I’m gone. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Thank you,” I forced myself to say.
Shit. Now, I had to talk my way past a police officer, too.
I set about formulating another plan as I watched Dex leave my hospital room. A small pang speared my heart as he walked away. This would be the last time I saw him. In person, anyway. I fully intended to keep in touch online, if he was willing.
As soon as the door closed behind Dex, I got out of bed and quickly pulled on the clothes Chloe had brought for me: a pair of yoga pants made for a woman with a much more toned butt than me, and a soft black t-shirt. It felt weird wearing clothes after spending so much time naked in Andrés’ bed, but they were comfortable enough.
I picked up Dex’s car keys and made my way to the door, opening it with purpose.
“Excuse me,” the officer said as soon as I stepped into the hall. “Where are you going?”
“I need to find a nurse,” I said. “My call button isn’t working, and I need some painkillers.”
The woman eyed me, assessing. “You don’t look injured to me.”
I dropped my eyes again to hide my lie, hoping it made me appear frail and damaged. “Um, you can’t really see where I’m hurting.”
“Oh. I’m… I’m sorry. I’ll go find someone for you.”
“Thank you,” I murmured. I watched her walk down the hall through lowered lashes. As soon as she rounded a corner, I took off in the opposite direction. I wasn’t familiar with the hospital’s layout, but it wasn’t difficult to find my way to the elevators and ride down to the parking garage. Once I was there, I hit the panic button on Dex’s keys so I could locate his car.
I raced across the garage, sprinting toward the sound of shrill beeping. As soon as I got to his black sedan, I turned off the panic signal and got into the driver’s seat. I was careful to leave the garage at a normal speed, even though I wanted to tear across town to get to Andrés. I couldn’t get a cop tailing me for speeding right now.
I was only a few blocks away from the hospital when a phone started ringing in the glove compartment. Sighing, I retrieved Dex’s personal phone and noted his work phone number on the caller ID. I also noted that he had a spare SIG stashed in there.
Good. I could use a weapon, just in case.
“Don’t be mad,” I requested as I answered the call.
“Where are you?” he growled. “You took my keys. The officer said you were wearing Chloe’s clothes. Do you know what I thought when I came back and you were gone? I thought he’d come back for you. I thought—”
“I’m fine,” I promised, cutting off his tirade.
“Why?” he demanded. “Why would you leave? And where the hell are you going?”
“Back to him,” I said truthfully. “I have to save him, Dex.”
“You’re going back to Moreno? Are you crazy?”
Dex probably thought I was unhinged, warped by my time in captivity.
I hadn’t been warped, but I had been changed. Maybe I was a little darker than I had been, a little less pure. Maybe some of my light had spilled into Andrés, just as some of his darkness had seeped into me.
I had to get back to him, to grab him and his laptop and get the hell out of Chicago before Cristian realized I’d been freed. Once we were off the map, we could take Cristian down. I wasn’t exactly sure where we’d go, but I’d make sure to set enough of Andrés’ money aside in an offshore account to establish a safety net for the two of us. The rest could be donated to various charities, to start to set right some of the evil Cristian had brought into the world. Evil that Andrés had facilitated, even if he hadn’t wanted to do it.
I’d help him atone.
I’d have some atoning of my own to do. After all, I was stealing Dex’s car and going on the run with a notorious criminal.
I grinned to myself. Maybe I was a bit of an anti-hero.
Cool.
“Sam, come back to the hospital. Please.”
“I can’t. Sorry, Dex.”
“Do you know what it did to me when you went missing? I can’t lose you again. Come back to me.”
I didn’t like the anguish in his voice. I didn’t want to hurt my best friend. I owed him an explanation.
“I’m going back to Andrés,” I told Dex. “I love him.”
“Andrés Moreno? No, you don’t. You’re confused.”
“I’m not confused,” I said calmly. “Not anymore. I used to think I was in love with you. Did you know that?”
“What?” His breathless tone let me know he’d had no idea.
“It’s okay. I’m supposed to be with Andrés. Just like you’re supposed to be with Chloe. If she were in danger, you’d do anything to save her, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course, but—”
“That’s what I’m doing right now. I’m saving the man I love. I’ll send you all the dirt you’ll need to arrest Cristian in a few hours. Call Jason and tell him to start getting ready to move in on Cristian. I need you to find him fast, Dex. I’ll do what I can to drive him out into the open.”
“Don’t do this, Sam,” Dex pleaded. “Let me help you. I know I failed you, but let me help. I can’t make it right, but—”
“I made my own choices,” I said firmly. “And I’m making my own choices right now. You didn’t do anything wrong, Dex. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. Well, I will be,” I amended.
I just had to go save my man.
“Don’t try to look for me,” I warned. “I’ll see you online, if you’re ever up for a game.”
“I’m going to find you, Sam,” he promised. “Whatever’s happened to you, I’m going to help you.”
“I don’t need your help. You need mine. I’m going to keep tracking Division 9-C for Jason. I’m going to make sure Natalie is safe for good. I’ll email him. But don’t bother trying to trace it, because you’ll just be wasting the tech analysists’ time. I mean, I know you’ll make them try, but don’t be too mean to them when they fail.”
I was in full-on hero mode, and it felt damn good. I was armed with a weapon and my wits, more powerful than I’d been in weeks. Possibly ever. Now, I just needed to get back to Andrés, log on to his laptop, and proceed to destroy his sadistic brother for good.
“Sam. Come back. Please.”
“I really do hope I’ll see you online,” I said, softening. “Don’t shut me out. You’re my best friend.”
“I’ll see you in person,” he said firmly.
“Webcams have been around for like, a quarter of a century, Dex. And I’m going to have a really great internet connection, so you’ll be able to see me crystal-clear. Tell Chloe she’d better take good care of you. I’ll be checking in.�
�
I ended the call and dumped the phone out the car window so Dex couldn’t use it to track me. I’d leave his car in the garage for Andrés’ building. By the time he traced it there on traffic cams, we’d be long gone.
It took me precisely twelve minutes to get to Andrés’ building. I relished knowing exactly how long it had taken me down to the minute. I really had missed everyday conveniences like digital clocks. Wherever Andrés and I ended up, we would have one in every room. I’d insist.
I diverted myself from my little fantasy of our home together and pulled into the garage. Well, I tried to pull in. The barrier didn’t open for me.
Fuck.
I put the car in park and hurried out of it, grabbing up Dex’s SIG on my way. I’d have to go in through the front. Which was a shitty non-plan, but I couldn’t linger here, either. If someone noticed Dex’s unauthorized sedan blocking the entrance to the garage, I’d be a sitting duck.
I needed to get up to the penthouse, get Andrés and his laptop, and get out.
Mustering up all the new-found confidence as I possessed, I strode through the glass front doors. The atrium was surprisingly bland, like any nondescript office building. But I supposed it wasn’t in Andrés’ best interests to be ostentatious about where he lived.
A man in a security uniform looked up from a row of computer screens as soon as I stepped through the door. He stood quickly, pushing out of his chair where he’d been lounging behind the front desk.
I pointed my weapon at him and shook my head before he could reach for his own gun.
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned. “I’m taking the elevator up to the penthouse. Do you have access?”
“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head and holding his hands up high to prove he wasn’t a threat.
“Okay, then. I’m going to the third floor. Is there another elevator?”
“Yeah. That way.” He pointed toward a darkened corner, and I saw little glowing circles that indicated call buttons for a set of elevators.
“You’re coming with me,” I told him, gesturing for him to come out from behind the desk. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”
He moved where I’d instructed, and I closed the distance between us to take his gun from its holster.
“Let’s go.” I ordered, and he began walking toward the elevators, his hands still held high.
I just needed to get to the third floor and find Lauren. She had access to the penthouse. Well, she did as of yesterday. I hoped Andrés hadn’t had time to revoke her clearance.
I shook my mounting worry from my mind. If she couldn’t take me upstairs, she’d know how to contact Andrés. I’d never seen him with a phone, but he must have one he used when he left his suite. I considered asking the guard if he was able to call Andrés, but I had to guarantee that he’d bring his laptop down with him. His most likely reaction to finding out I’d returned to his building would be to storm downstairs and try to make me leave. He’d be too enraged to think to bring his laptop, even if I asked.
No, I needed to personally get up there and get both my man and the computer. The guard and I were only three yards away from the elevators when something sharp pierced my lower back. Pain lanced through me as electricity jolted my system. I lost control of my limbs, and I dropped to the hard marble floor, my guns slipping from my hands as I went down.
Fuck!
I knew what a Taser felt like. I also knew I wouldn’t be able to move for another minute or so.
The guard I’d taken as my hostage bent down and scooped up my weapons, training one on my heart.
“Wait,” a new, unfamiliar voice said. “We need to call this in and see what the boss wants us to do with her.”
A second man appeared over me, holding the Taser that had taken me down.
Yes, I wanted to say. Call Andrés.
The words were an unintelligible groan.
“Took you long enough to get here,” the guard complained. “She could have fucking shot me.”
“You’re lucky I came back from my break early, then,” the second man said coolly. “Cuff her,” he advised.
The guard nodded and grabbed the handcuffs attached to his belt. He quickly secured my wrists at the small of my back while the second man pulled out his phone and placed a call. He spoke into the receiver in rapid-fire Spanish that I couldn’t follow.
I’d been disarmed and restrained in a matter of seconds.
I really sucked at being a field agent. As soon as Andrés got me out of this mess, I promised myself I’d never fight crime in person again. I could work far more effectively from the comfort of my ergonomic chair behind my computer screen.
“Moreno wants to see her,” the second man said, ending his call. “Get her downstairs.”
Downstairs? Not up?
The two men gripped my upper arms and wrenched me to my feet. I couldn’t support my own weight, so they started dragging me the short distance to the elevators. Once we were inside and the guard had pressed the button for the basement, I started to regain some control over my muscles.
I’d only just managed to get my legs to support me when the doors slid open, and my knees gave out.
Andrés wasn’t waiting for me. Cristian was.
Chapter 25
“Samantha,” his accented voice caressed my name. “I thought you were gone.” His sharp smile flashed in the dim light of the spare bulb overhead. I recognized this as the same room where he’d brought me when he’d initially captured me. The day he’d given me to Andrés.
I didn’t respond. What was I going to say? The phantom chill of his knife on my skin made me tremble as fear pulsed inside me.
Andrés will come, I told myself. He’ll find me. He always did. He’d come charging in and kill everyone who threatened me.
Wouldn’t he?
Did that vicious protective streak extend to his brother? I wasn’t certain Andrés would be able to challenge him.
He will. For me, he will.
I hoped I wasn’t lying to myself. My own fear of Cristian was enough to blow all the wits right out of my mind. I couldn’t imagine the clawing, instinctive panic Andrés must lock inside every time he faced his brother.
The men holding me upright dragged me forward. I tried to dig in my heels, but my feet stumbled uselessly as they closed the distance between me and Cristian. His black eyes—so like Andrés’—studied my face, searching.
“You came back,” he said, his head canting to the side as his eyes narrowed at me. “Why? My men say you were armed. Were you going to kill Andrés?”
“No!” The word popped out before I could hold it back.
“Then why return, when my brother set you free?”
“I…” I swallowed hard and braced myself for the lie, drawing on a defiant mask. “I came to kill you. I was trying to find you. I was going to deal with him after.” I couldn’t tell him about my feelings for Andrés. If I did, he might hurt him again.
Andrés had warned me about Cristian, even in our early days together. The sadistic bastard liked to force you to watch while he hurt the person you loved most. When Andrés had first told me about his brother’s sick proclivities, I’d feared for Dex’s safety. Now, I feared for Andrés. I had to make Cristian believe I saw Andrés as my cruel captor, and that I was coming for revenge on the Moreno brothers.
Cristian laughed, the sound rich with genuine delight. “You do want to kill him? He’ll be so devastated. He does tend to get a soft spot for his pets. You, especially. I thought he was actually going to try to attack me when I told him I’d ordered Lauren to dose you with Bliss. He didn’t like the idea of other men fucking you.”
I remained silent, willing my brain to start figuring a way out of this.
“How about we make a deal?” Cristian continued before I could gather my thoughts. “I can’t let you kill Andrés. He’s the only family I have left, and he’s very good at running my business. But I’ll let you cut him up a little. I was
about to do the same, myself. He really shouldn’t have let you go back to the feds. That puts my entire organization at risk.”
My stomach turned. I couldn’t hurt Andrés. But if Cristian was offering to hand me a knife…
No. That would be suicidal. There were still two armed guards in the room with us. If I tried to stab their boss, they’d shoot me.
“Take off the cuffs,” he ordered his men, but he didn’t take his eyes off me. “I’m going to need to make this look right to keep Andrés in line. I’m sure you understand.”
The handcuffs fell from my wrists, but I didn’t have a chance to think about defending myself. Cristian’s fist slammed into my jaw. Pain cracked through my skull, and I tasted blood in my mouth as my cheek cut against my teeth. The basement flickered out of existence.
When I started to come back around, I became aware of the familiar feel of leather cuffs around my wrists. My arms were being pulled above my head, and my weight started to fall on my wrists. I scrambled to get my feet under me, but the tension on my arms increased, forcing me up onto my toes.
I blinked hard, fear helping clear away the throbbing pain in my skull. It receded to a dull ache as adrenaline kicked in.
Cristian came into focus, his handsome face filling my vision. He touched his long fingers to my injured jaw, and I hissed as pain spiked.
“This will do,” he said, studying me as though I were an object instead of a person. Worse than that: a tool he was going to use to hurt Andrés. “I had this set up for my little brother,” he explained, gesturing at the restraints that stretched my body taut. “He screamed so much the last time I did this to him. I didn’t think he’d ever want to repeat the experience, but then he let you go. Imagine how upset he’ll be when he sees you here instead, after he tried to save you from me.” He grinned. “He’ll be absolutely destroyed once you start to work on him. Don’t worry. I’ll let you down so you can get your revenge, once I have him where I want him. Then, the offer to work for me still stands.” He gabbed my jaw hard, making me cry out. “If you refuse, I’ll find another use for you. Did you enjoy your time in my brothel?”
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