by Julia Sykes
I couldn’t wash it. Remaining upright while the doctor had prodded at the wound had been nearly impossible. I couldn’t risk irritating the injury.
Forcing my shaking hands to steady, I carefully tugged free the pins that held my bun in place. It was already in disarray from my fight with Daniel, so letting my hair down tamed the wildness of my appearance somewhat. I carefully shifted a mass of glossy locks to one side, parting it farther to the left than usual. The extra weight over my cut pressed a dull ache into my skull, but I gritted my teeth and released the pain on a soft hiss.
I checked my reflection in the mirror again. With my hair rearranged, the matted, bloody spot was covered, and my stained collar was obscured. I’d have to be careful not to flip my hair over my shoulder by force of habit, but the throbbing in my head would serve as a constant, cruel reminder not to move more than absolutely necessary.
Fixing my reflection with a final determined stare, I straightened my shoulders and gathered my courage.
My safety wasn’t guaranteed outside this drug lord’s fortress, but I was no longer safe within these walls, either. Raúl had been the only person who’d kept me safe, and now, I’d destroyed any hope of his protection.
My eyes burned, and I swallowed down the lump in my throat. This reckless flight to freedom had seemed righteous only an hour ago. I’d risked everything for my own freedom, but it was the thought that I was saving Carmen that had fortified me.
Now, I was alone again. All I’d done was endanger her further, and I was back where I’d been all those awful months ago: running for my life.
I blinked rapidly to clear the sting from my eyes. Tears dampened my lashes, but I willed them to subside before they could spill down my cheeks.
If I was going to make it out there on my own, I needed money. Even though I knew that I couldn’t possibly make my situation with the cartel more dire, dread tugged at my gut when I realized the quickest solution.
I had to steal from Raúl.
I resolutely ignored the sinking sensation in my stomach. Taking one of his valuable possessions was a far smaller crime than endangering his life by colluding with Daniel. What was he going to do when he realized I’d stolen from him? Kill me? If he caught me, the penalty for stealing would pale in comparison to the punishment he would mete out for my betrayal.
Taking a deep breath to center myself, I made my way into his bedroom, searching for an item that was valuable enough to secure the funds I needed, but small enough to slip into my dress pocket. I didn’t even have a bag or purse. I’d flee with nothing but the clothes on my back and whatever I could steal from Raúl.
The bedroom was spotless and soulless. This was little more than Raúl’s private hotel room; a place where he slept when he needed to stay close to Stefano. It wasn’t his home.
Despite the bland, impersonal nature of the steel gray bedding and the indistinct abstract art in subdued shades of blue, I knew Raúl must keep a few personal possessions here.
I crossed to the ebony chest of drawers, hoping to find something of value. Wrenching open the drawers one after another, I found nothing but men’s clothing—basics that were no doubt expensive, but not the sort of thing I could pawn. No one was going to hand over a pocketful of cash for a drug lord’s cashmere socks.
Growing desperate, I yanked the final, bottom drawer free. When the contents were revealed, I jerked my hands back as though I’d found a sleeping snake.
I pressed a hand over my pounding heart and gulped for air. The heavy coils of rough, hemp rope might only mimic the sinuous line of a poisonous snake, but they were no less terrifying. I’d always known Raúl was a violent man, capable of horrific things. But watching him go feral in order to protect me was an entirely different experience to being faced with the torture implements he kept handy.
My stomach dropped when I noted more matte, black leather and glinting steel restraints tucked beneath the rope. I shoved the drawer closed on a gasp, hiding the evidence of Raúl’s cruelty. I couldn’t allow fear to overwhelm me, or I would find myself tied down in these ropes, punished for my crimes against him.
I make no promises about how quickly I’ll kill him. Would Raúl take his time tormenting me, like he intended to prolong Arturo’s suffering?
I forced the thought from my mind before I could spiral into debilitating panic. My eyes landed on a small, polished wooden box that rested atop the chest of drawers. It was so plain that I’d initially dismissed it entirely in my search for valuables. But I didn’t dare continue my search of Raúl’s drawers, and I was running out of options.
I lifted the hinged lid, revealing a black velvet interior. Four cufflinks had been tossed carelessly into the corners, and I had to pluck them up and examine them to ensure they were indeed matching sets. One set appeared to be onyx bracketed in a white metal that I assumed was precious—gold, if I was lucky. The other set was simpler: heavy, rectangular blocks of similar white metal, which had been brushed to dull its shine. Considering Raúl’s wealth, I doubted these were simply crafted in silver.
I tucked both sets of cufflinks into my deep pocket before turning my attention to the final object in the box. The watch was battered with age. Scuffs marred the leather band, and numerous scratches had been etched into the glass face. A few tiny, white stones glimmered dully around the rim, located at twelve, three, and six; the nine o’clock stone seemed to be missing.
The watch might be too damaged to be worth much, but the raw materials would bring in at least a little cash.
Briefly, I wondered why Raúl would keep such a flawed piece when he obviously had enough money to buy hundreds of luxury watches, but I shoved the thought away.
Understanding Raúl’s quirks didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but getting as far away from him as possible.
I shoved the watch into my pocket alongside the cufflinks and smoothed down my skirt, ensuring the items weren’t so bulky that they might attract attention. Once I was out on the streets, I had to find the nearest pawn shop, sell the items, and use the cash to get the first bus to Juárez. When I reached the border town, I could track down a coyote to get me into the US, where my long, agonizing journey could finally come to an end.
I just had to get across the border before Raúl had the chance to hunt me down.
Chapter 5
Raúl
The coward was hiding in the bunker, as though leaving his men to be slaughtered while he locked himself behind a steel door would save him from me. Arturo Flores had been dead since the moment his name had issued from Marisol’s blood-kissed lips.
Ever since I’d left her in the care of Stefano’s private physician, rage had served as a simmering heat beneath my skin; fuel for my most savage impulses. Now, the gory image of her beautiful face burst to the forefront of my mind, and my fury-heated blood surged through my veins in a searing pulse.
Marisol was just as delicate as I’d always feared. I’d reveled in her fragility beneath my rough hands when I’d claimed her mouth this morning, loving the feel of her utterly vulnerable, deliciously petite body softening in my hold. But seeing her in pain had driven me close to insanity. Protecting her, coveting her, had become my obsession. Knowing that Daniel had made her bleed while I wasn’t watching her made me see red.
He’d made me break my promise. He and Arturo, with their fucking coup.
They would both pay. And they’d pay with ten times more pain than what they’d inflicted on Marisol.
She’d been so scared when I’d held her shaking body, but she’d still clung to me for protection, despite the fact that I’d failed her. I would make sure Arturo experienced her terror, magnified to a maddening degree, before I finally allowed him to die.
My hands tightened around my semi-automatic, but there was no one left to shoot. The team I’d brought with me to storm Daniel Vera’s vast home had worked with uniform, brutal efficiency. Hundreds of men played a role in the cartel hierarchy, but only the most disciplined, vicious killers a
nswered to me directly; ambitious men who would do anything I asked of them without flinching, no matter how gruesome the task.
The ambush that Daniel and Arturo had planned for Stefano to blunder into had collapsed within minutes of my men breaching the property. The gaudy mansion was arrogantly located within the city’s historical district. It might be one of the most exclusive neighborhoods, but the central location jeopardized the Vera family’s security measures. Their multi-million-dollar home had sustained damage during our assault—opulent stained glass littered the marble floors in colorful shards, and the massive, arched front doors had been blown off their hinges.
It was a shame, because I’d always admired the their luxury home. Part of me had even coveted the overt wealth they commanded. But I was rich and powerful in my own right, and I wasn’t stupid enough to live in a house with ostentatious, glass front doors.
At the same time as I navigated the vast hallways of the Vera family’s damaged mansion, Stefano would be hitting Miguel Armendariz’s estate hard. He’d batter his way to Carmen and take out anyone who stood in his way. It was a shame that I wouldn’t be able to kill Daniel myself, but I was certain Stefano would handle it. I’d never seen him so worked up, like the loss of Carmen was tearing him apart, shredding his cool, calculated composure. No one on that estate would survive his wrath.
I had my own wrath boiling inside my chest, and it was past time to unleash it. Arturo might have delayed the inevitable, but he’d be begging for death before I finally permitted him that mercy.
Half a dozen of my men closed ranks behind me, filtering toward the bunker now that their marks had been taken out. Others would keep searching the sprawling manor and watching the perimeter for potential backup arriving, but I doubted we’d come up against any further resistance. Anyone left alive wouldn’t dare to attack. They wouldn’t survive any stupid acts of bravery, and they likely knew it.
The only key player we hadn’t found was Daniel’s sister, Isabel, but the timid girl would hardly pose a threat, even if she was here. I’d prefer not to take her to Stefano by force, but her family had chosen to betray him. He would decide what to do with her, once I took care of Arturo.
As my team moved deeper into the house, I sensed the steely presence of Sebastián Castillo at my back. The quietly menacing bastard could be intimidating, but I didn’t mind the older man shadowing me so closely. He might have a decade or so on me, but he served faithfully and lethally. If Arturo did have any nasty surprises set up for us, Sebastián was my most reliable ally on a job like this. He was pitiless and utterly unshakable.
When we reached the steep stairs that led down to the sub-basement level, I paused with my back pressed to the wall and signaled for two of my men to open fire into the dank, dark space below. A burst of sharp reports cracked through the air, the lethal staccato amplified in the cramped space. An agonized cry echoed up the concrete-lined passage, confirming the presence of surviving guards outside the bunker. I waved again, and a second volley of bullets proceeded us before we descended the stairs, moving quickly to ensure we weren’t caught in the bottleneck space. I wouldn’t make us easy targets for anyone who might be left standing below.
We reached the corridor to find four dead men. Our swift, merciless assault had eliminated the only guards that remained. All that stood between me and my quarry was a thick, steel door.
We had a blowtorch for that. It would take a few minutes, but the wait would be excruciating for Arturo. The thought of him scurrying around like a rat in a cage helped to calm the maddening fury that threatened to bubble over, obliterating what was left of my tenuous control. I needed that control, so I could savor punishing Arturo. If I flew into a blind rage, I might crush him too quickly.
The hiss and sizzle of the white-hot flame melting steel matched the simmering heat coursing through me, and the echo calmed me further. I settled into my anger, harnessing its strength as a purposeful burn in my muscles.
The heavy door shifted, giving way. I slammed my boot into the metal, breaking down the barrier with a resounding boom. The harsh burst mingled with a sharp scream, followed immediately by the bang of a gun being fired. Arturo barked out a rough shout as his shoulder was shoved back by the impact of the bullet. A Glock dropped from his hand, which dangled limply from his injured shoulder.
I spared a glance and a nod at Sebastián, who was lowering his own gun, now that his shot had found its mark. The older man had been quick to disarm Arturo, and I wasted no time throwing myself at my enemy.
I kicked his fallen weapon far out of reach as my fists curled in his shirt. Leveraging my forward momentum, I slammed him back against the wall. He screamed when his torn shoulder hit the concrete, staining the dull gray with a streak of dark crimson.
The whites of his rolling eyes flashed through the gloom. A low growl rumbled from deep in my chest as I slowly lowered my face to his, letting him feel the heat of my fury closing in on him. His throat convulsed, and he spluttered twice before me managed to force out a ragged plea.
“Please, Raúl. This was all Daniel’s plan. You know how reckless and greedy he is. You know how powerful his family is. I couldn’t say no. All of them are snakes. The entire Vera family. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have—”
“I have nothing to do with this!” A panicked, feminine shriek tugged at my attention. “I don’t even know what’s happening. Armed men invaded my home, so I came down here to hide.”
I glanced over to see Isabel Vera, Daniel’s sister, slowly backing away from Sebastián. Her slim frame seemed smaller than ever as she pressed herself into a corner. She cringed and wrapped her arms around her chest, as though that would be enough to protect her from the cartel’s retribution.
She shot an imploring glance at me before her focus was jerked back to the encroaching threat of Sebastián. “I swear, I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t even know why Arturo’s in my house, and I definitely didn’t want him in this panic room with me.”
I took a second to assess her, muddling through the haze of my anger to look at her more clearly. Her cheek bore the branding red imprint of a man’s hand, and her oversized, wire-rimmed glasses were cracked.
My most feral instincts surged, overtaking me just as they had when I’d found Daniel groping Marisol this morning. I rammed my fist into Arturo’s bullet wound, driving deep and grinding his ruined shoulder against the rough concrete at his back. His anguished bellow boomed through the panic room, reverberating off the cold walls.
“You like hurting women?” I snarled in his sallow face, which had gone pale with mortal terror. “You hurt people weaker than you to get what you want.” Marisol’s bloodstained cheek filled my mind, her soft skin gruesomely sticky beneath my hand.
My lips twisted in a purely vindictive grin, a malicious promise. “Well, I like hurting weaker people, too. Weaker men.”
“I-Isabel wouldn’t let me into the panic room,” he stammered, his teeth chattering. “I wouldn’t have t-touched her if she’d given me any other choice. I had to force my way in. Sh-she was going to leave me out there to die, when her family is the cause of this coup. Please—”
“I’m not!” Isabel cried, distracting me from my victim.
“Get her out of here,” I barked at Sebastián.
I heard her soft gasp just before he rumbled, “Let’s go, nenita. Stefano will want to talk to you. If you really are innocent, you have nothing to worry about,” he added, forestalling any further protest. “You don’t want to see what’s about to happen in here.”
“Wait!” Arturo begged. “Nothing needs to happen. I want to talk to Stefano, too. Let me explain. Daniel—”
“Shut the fuck up.” I was sick of his pathetic excuses. “I don’t want to hear another word come out of your mouth until you’re ready to beg for me to finally kill you.” My cruel, pitiless grin widened. “You’re welcome to scream as much as you want. You’ve been a dead man ever since Marisol said your name.” I slammed m
y fist into his shoulder again, savoring his scream. “Daniel could’ve killed her. Or are you going to tell me that was all his plan, too? That you had nothing to do with him attacking her?
“Don’t bother lying,” I hissed when he opened his mouth to offer more evasions. “She told me he forced her to take him up to Stefano’s penthouse. She told me you were in on the plan. How else do you think I knew to find you here, while Stefano goes to rescue Carmen from Daniel and Miguel Armendariz? You knew Marisol would be hurt. You knew she’s under my protection, and you should’ve realized what I’d do to you when I found out.” I drew my knife from its sheath, letting the light glint over the blade. “You’re not going to die for a long time.”
“No!” he shouted, his wide eyes fixing on the wickedly sharp steel. “She wasn’t supposed to get hurt. She was in on the plan. Wait, wait!” he babbled, more lies spilling from his lips. “I admit I knew what Daniel was planning. You know that already. But I swear, Marisol wanted to escape from the cartel, and she was happy to help. She knew everyone loyal to Stefano would be slaughtered, so she jumped at the chance to get free. That was her deal with Daniel. He planned it with her. I swear, I swear…” He trailed off on a sob, but his poisonous words had already worked their way into my mind, tainting my memories of what had happened with Marisol this morning.
I’d found her in Daniel’s arms. It’d seemed like he’d pinned her there, but she’d welcomed me seconds later, eager to allow me to hold her curvy body in place for our kiss.
And she’d stopped me from killing him. She’d begged for his life. I’d thought my timid captive couldn’t bear the violence, but she’d been protecting her accomplice.
Arturo didn’t know what had happened in that hallway. He didn’t know that Marisol had softened and melted in my arms.