Ruthless Savior: A Captive Series Standalone

by Julia Sykes

  “I handled it.” Raúl confirmed in clipped tones. His corded arms folded over his chest, as though he was making an effort to rein in his overt aggression. Even in his anguish, he was trying not to scare my family. “Do I need to talk to your neighbors?”

  “No, no!” Papá insisted quickly, sweat beading on his brow. He clearly understood that talk to meant something far more terrifying than a simple conversation. “If anyone saw, they won’t report it to the cops. Everyone loved my wife. They know what Gehovany did to her; they know what he was. No one will be sorry that he can’t threaten our community anymore.”

  Raúl gave him a tight nod, but he remained rooted to the spot, forcibly keeping his most dangerous impulses in check.

  If I didn’t reach out to him quickly, he’d retreat further into himself. I might never be able to fully call him back to me.

  “I need to talk to Raúl.” I kept my voice soft when I addressed my family, not wanting them to think I was separating myself from them again. I’d never abandon them, but I had to save Raúl, just as he’d saved me.

  My father patted my hand, careful not to jar any of my injuries. “We’ll be outside, mija.”

  Raúl stepped out of their way, allowing them to pass. Instead of moving into the bedroom, he retreated into the living room.

  I extended my hand toward him, desperate to close the distance between us. When I tightened my abs in an attempt to sit up, a flare of sharp pain drew a cry from my lips. I dropped back, and even the pillow wasn’t soft enough to cushion the impact on my aching head.

  My vision flickered from white to black. When everything came back into focus, Raúl’s blazing eyes filled my entire world. Seeing him so close, with the backdrop of my childhood bedroom behind him, I realized that his verdant green gaze was nearly a perfect match for the cheery paint that’d signaled the safety and comfort of my home for my entire life.

  Tears stung the corners of my eyes, and Raúl mistook them for signs of distress.

  His stony features solidified to an anguished, granite mask. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

  Careful to keep the rest of my body immobile, I lifted my hand to caress his rough-hewn cheek. “I knew you’d come for me.” I fixed him in a steady stare, willing him to understand that I hadn’t defied him because I didn’t trust him to protect me. “I risked myself to save my family, just like I know you would risk yourself to save me. I’m not as strong as you, but I’ll do anything to protect the people I love. That includes you, Raúl. I would’ve done the same for you, if your life had been in danger.”

  He gnashed his teeth, vehemently rejecting my promise to endanger myself for him.

  “You will never do something like that for me. Never.” The rebuke left his chest on a fierce growl, but his touch was achingly gentle when he covered my hand with his, desperate to maintain the tender contact I offered.

  “If you’re in danger, there is absolutely nothing that can stop me from destroying anyone who threatens you,” he swore. “I can defend us both, because there’s no risk for me. No one will touch you ever again.” He said the last on a rough whisper, a ragged oath.

  I rubbed the scar on his lip, which was drawn deep by his ferocious scowl. “There’s always a risk, even to you.” I spoke gently but firmly. “You work with dangerous people. You’ll put yourself in dangerous situations to defend what’s yours. Just like you did when you ran straight into Arturo’s ambush to punish him for hurting me. I believe you can handle yourself.” I made sure to placate his pride, but he needed to acknowledge the inherent risks of his lifestyle.

  He needed to accept that I worried just as much for his safety as he did for mine.

  “I will do anything to keep you safe and happy. That means I won’t throw myself headlong into danger, when I’m confident that you can handle it. I know you’ll always protect me. But just because I’m not strong like you doesn’t mean I won’t fight for you. I fought for my family, and I’d do the same for you in a heartbeat. I love you, and I won’t let anyone take you from me. I’m yours, and you’re mine.”

  His reply was a low, deep hum, and he turned his face to press a kiss against my palm. The tension hadn’t fully eased from his granite features, but he’d been soothed by my promise that I belonged to him.

  “I need to take you home.” His brow furrowed, and I smoothed away the worry with a brush of my fingertips. “I need you in my bed. Our bed.”

  The rope around my heart tugged, tethering me to him more tightly than ever. “I want that, too, but I don’t want my family to feel like I’m abandoning them again. Everything is too fresh; too many nightmares were stirred up by what happened today. I can’t bear to cause them any more pain.”

  “They’ll stay with us,” he said immediately. “For as long as you want, they can stay in our home.”

  His firm response knocked the air from my chest, and my jaw dropped. “You’ll do that for me? You’ll have overnight guests?”

  His expression turned fierce, unyielding. “I will do anything for you, Marisol. I will always do everything in my power to make you happy. And my power in considerable.”

  A smile tugged at my lips in response to the prideful swell of his chest. “Where will they even stay? You don’t have any spare bedrooms.” I teased him just a little bit, but my heart expanded near to bursting.

  His mouth twisted in a slightly cruel, warning smirk. “It’s a good thing your teasing won’t change my mind. This decision is final.” He said it like a forbidding decree, but his luminous eyes glowed. “We’ll convert the billiards room into a bedroom for now. In the future, we’ll start working on an extension to the house, so they can each have their own rooms when they come visit. Maybe a separate building on the property.” He nodded, satisfied with his plans. “Definitely a separate building. I still want you all to myself.”

  A delighted giggle bubbled from my chest. My love for him was too hot and bright to contain. I spilled from my lips, filling the room and surrounding both of us. “I love you, Raúl.”

  I chose this savage, complicated, wonderful man. I wouldn’t let anything separate us. I was keeping him. Forever.

  Epilogue

  Raúl

  One Month Later

  Marisol was radiant, her golden skin glowing beneath the setting sun. I indulged myself for a few minutes, watching her contented smile as she worked in the garden, tending to her beloved flowers.

  My impatience to earn her incandescent smile severed my patience, overriding even my pleasure in observing her quiet joy.

  When she heard my approach, she immediately straightened and practically skipped toward me, greeting me with an enthusiastic kiss. Her soft, pliant mouth beneath mine distracted me for a few minutes, the feel of her perfect surrender completely absorbing my full attention.

  Even as she shivered in my arms and pressed closer to my chest, my craving to provide her with the gifts I’d prepared for her overrode simple lust.

  Twining her hair around my fist, I forcibly restrained her when I broke our kiss, ensuring she couldn’t distract me with her tempting little body and sweet submission.

  She blinked up at me, her dark eyes slightly glassy with her own desire. I tugged sharply on her hair, commanding her attention. A soft moan left her lush lips, but her gaze focused on mine, as though I was the center of her world.

  I straightened, my body swelling with pride. “I have something for you, corderita. Two surprises, actually.”

  She beamed at me, her joy radiating from her to bathe my soul in sunlight. “You’re so good to me, Raúl. I love you.”

  I chuckled. “I love you, too. But I haven’t even given you anything yet.”

  She sighed happily, tipping her head back farther as she melted into me. “I don’t have to see what you’ve gotten for me to think you’re wonderful.”

  “I think you’re wonderful, too.” I dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. “I know how much you love our garden, but I can tell you miss working with your family.
That’s why I’ve told Stefano that you should design the floral arrangements for his wedding. Carmen should be calling you in a few hours with the official invitation.”

  Her delighted, giddy laugh soared through my soul, and she practically bounced up onto her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my lips.

  I bent to meet her halfway, more than pleased to receive her gratitude. “I take it that means you’ll accept the job?”

  “Of course!” she gushed. “Oh, Raúl. This is amazing. You’re amazing.”

  I traced the line of her smile, loving this perfect woman more than ever. She fulfilled me in ways I never could’ve imagined. When she looked at me like I was a good man, I believed her. She’d demanded that I believe her, and there was only so long I could resist giving her what she wanted.

  “Anything for you,” I swore. “Always.”

  I couldn’t wait one more second to bind her to me forever. Gently extricating myself from her embrace, I reached for the small, velvet box in my pocket as I dropped to one knee.

  Her lips parted on a gasp, and her eyes widened with awe when I popped open the box to reveal the ring that I’d bought for her: a cluster of pink diamonds in the shape of a flower, set in rose gold. It was sweet and delicate, just like her.

  “I love you, Marisol. You’re mine forever. Marry me.” It wasn’t a question. She’d already chosen me; she would accept.

  Her warm, melted chocolate eyes began to shine, and her rosebud lips shaped around the words I’d craved to hear. “Yes, Raúl. I’ll marry you. I want to marry you. I’m yours forever.”

  Something burned behind my own eyes as I slid the pretty ring onto her slender finger. I took a moment to admire it, captivated by the glittering symbol that Marisol belonged to me irrevocably.

  My eyes were drawn back to hers as though by a magnet, and I stood to sweep her up in a fierce, possessive kiss. She opened for me on a moan; a sound of soul deep pleasure. I growled into her mouth, hungry for her absolute, blissful surrender to my control. She gave herself to me willingly, eager to submit to all of my demands, no matter how dark and perverse. She embraced every part of me, even the most savage aspects of my nature.

  When I finally pulled back to allow her to breathe, she clutched at my chest, clinging to me as her knees went weak. I loved how vulnerable she was in my strong arms; how she trusted me to use my strength to protect her.

  I touched my forehead to hers, exchanging every breath as I issued my next decree. “We should get married in three months. Right after Stefano and Carmen’s wedding.”

  I wouldn’t wait a day longer than I absolutely had to.

  Her brows rose, but a smile curved her lips. “So soon?”

  My next words were lighthearted, but my voice came out deep and heavy with the weight of my decision. “I don’t think your father would ever forgive me if I got you pregnant before I married you.”

  Her breath caught in her throat, and a diamond tear spilled over her dark lashes, trailing down her golden cheek. “You want to have children? Are you…are you sure?”

  My arms tightened to iron bands around her, binding her to me. “Surer than I’ve ever been of anything. I want to have a family with you, Marisol. With you as their mother, our children couldn’t possibly be anything but good to the core.”

  She placed her delicate hand on my cheek, staring up at me with an almost worshipful light in her eyes. “You’ll be a wonderful father, Raúl. I… Thank you. Thank you for trusting me; for giving me everything I’d thought I lost.”

  “I will always take care of you,” I promised. “And I’ll always take care of our family. I love you.”

  I crushed my lips to hers in a brutal kiss, branding her with my love. I’d never be able to express the depth of my feeling for her with words, so I showed her in the only way I knew how: rough, possessive passion. I marked every inch of her with my domineering hands, unleashing my most savage, beastly instincts.

  She shuddered and softened beneath my harsh hands, giving herself to me completely. She gave me everything I needed, and in return, I would provide her with every comfort she could ever desire. I would always protect her.

  As I claimed her petite, curvy body on the damp earth, overlooking the vastness of my domain beyond the cliff that bordered our home, a sense of completion settled in my soul.

  I had everything I’d never known I wanted; things I’d never dared to dream I would possess.

  Marisol had vowed that she’d never leave me, but I’d never intended to let her go.

  She was trapped in my arms, perfectly content in her cage. I fully possessed my sweet little lamb.

  Mine forever.

  Thank you for reading Ruthless Savior!

  If you enjoyed Raúl and Marisol’s story, check out Sweet Captivity.

  Scarred, dangerous drug lord Andrés captures nerdy FBI analyst Samantha, and he’s determined to possess his pretty pet…

  Keep up to date with new dark romance releases! Sign up for Julia Sykes’s Newsletter.

  Sweet Captivity Excerpt

  “You don’t want to do this,” I choked out past the lump of terror that clogged my throat. I kept a wary eye on the wicked hunting knife Cristian Moreno held naturally at his side, as though it were an innocuous extension of his arm rather than a threat to my life. “Let me go.”

  He threw back his head and laughed, his perfect white teeth flashing as the booming sound assaulted my eardrums. My hands shook violently, causing the ropes that bound my arms behind me to chafe against my wrists. The burn of the rough fibers against my skin and cold bite of the metal chair beneath me were peripheral; my entire focus was centered on Moreno and the way the gleam of the spare overhead light bulb made his dark eyes glint as sharply as the knife in his hand.

  “No, Samantha,” he corrected me calmly, his light Colombian accent making his deep voice almost lyrical when he spoke my name. “You’re never leaving this place. Not alive, at least. If you answer my questions, I might be inclined to mercy. Otherwise…” He left the unspoken threat hanging in the air, the implication clear. I would experience agony before he finally disposed of me.

  No. Don’t think like that.

  I gasped in several deep breaths so I could manage to speak again.

  “My friends will find me,” I asserted, knowing Dex wouldn’t leave me to die here. My best friend would do whatever it took to rescue me.

  “If they do, they won’t find more than what’s left of your body.”

  Ice crystallized in my veins. He took a step toward me, raising the knife. I tried to shrink away, but the unyielding metal chair behind my back kept me immobile.

  “You can’t hurt me,” I said desperately, twisting against my restraints. “If you kill me, my friends will hunt you down.”

  His dazzling smile illuminated his darkly handsome features with cruel amusement.

  “I want them to know what I’ve done. Your death will be a warning. We’re going to send a little message to your friends.” He gestured behind him, and for the first time, my gaze darted away from the threat before me.

  A man loomed a few feet away, the light on his smart phone indicating that he was recording me. A wicked scar puckered his tanned cheek, deepening his fearsome scowl. His black gaze bored into me, his dark glare penetrating my soul. I shuddered and tore my eyes away, unable to bear looking at him.

  Moreno laughed again. “What, you don’t like my little brother?” He cocked his head at me. “Maybe I’ll give you to him to play with, after I’m finished with you. He has… very unique tastes.” He reached for me, his long fingers trailing down my cheek. I cringed away, my stomach churning. “I think Andrés will like you. Such pale skin. It will mark up nicely.” He shook his head slightly, still smiling. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. He can have you when I’m done. I’m going to extract my answers first.”

  The cool tip of the knife kissed my throat, and I choked on a scream as horror overwhelmed me.

  Get your copy of Sweet Captivity
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br />   Also by Julia Sykes

  The Captive Series

  Sweet Captivity

  Claiming My Sweet Captive

  Stealing Beauty

  Captive Ever After

  Pretty Hostage

  Wicked King

  Ruthless Savior

  The Impossible Series

  Impossible

  Savior

  Rogue

  Knight

  Mentor

  Master

  King

  A Decadent Christmas (An Impossible Series Christmas Special)

  Czar

  Crusader

  Prey (An Impossible Series Short Story)

  Highlander

  Decadent Knights (An Impossible Series Short Story)

  Centurion

  Dex

  Hero

  Wedding Knight (An Impossible Series Short Story)

  Valentines at Dusk (An Impossible Series Short Story)

  Nice & Naughty (An Impossible Series Christmas Special)

  Dark Lessons

  RENEGADE: The Complete Series

  The Daddy and The Dom

  The Dark Grove Plantation Series

  Holden

  Brandon

  Damien

  Connect with Julia!

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