In a Broken Dream (The Broken Series Book 4)

by Ruff, K. S.

  Cenia’s cell phone rang shortly after five o’clock. She switched it over to speaker phone the second she answered it. “Hello?”

  “Do you have the money?” a man’s voice demanded gruffly.

  Cenia glanced at Maxim uncertainly. I understood why. This decision could cost Roger and Kadyn their lives.

  He nodded encouragingly.

  “I… I’m sorry. I’ve called everyone I know. I’ve only been able to come up with a hundred thousand dollars. Please, I’ve done everything I can…”

  “No me jodas! I said three million dollars!” the man screamed. Every person in the room flinched.

  Alejandro wrapped his arm around Cenia as she began to weep. “Please. I’ve tried everything. I just… I don’t have that kind of money,” she sobbed.

  Tears welled against the hand I had clenched over my mouth. Cenia may have memorized the lines, but she wasn’t acting. She was completely terrified.

  Shae pulled me into her arms.

  “Maybe if we cut his fingers off one by one… Let me put him on the phone so you can hear him scream,” the man gritted viciously.

  “Oh God! Please don’t hurt him. I’ll keep trying. I just… God, I don’t have that kind of money!” Cenia cried.

  “Cenia!” Roger yelled. “Cenia, don’t…” A loud crash sounded in the background. Some sort of physical struggle ensued. Muffled voices, heavy breathing, and scuffling boots shed little insight into what was happening on the other end of the phone line.

  A single gunshot split the air, killing our connection.

  My eyes slammed shut, but there was no stopping the images of Michael being shot on the tarmac in Ukraine. I collapsed in Rafael’s arms as he pulled me from Shae.

  “What have we done?” Cenia groaned. She doubled over in pain.

  Maxim knelt before Cenia. “It would be suicide for those men to harm Kadyn and Roger. Those drug lords don’t want to anger the United States government. That mudak was just trying to scare you, so you would pay more money.”

  “But, Roger…”

  “Roger said ‘don’t.’ He knew they were demanding money from you, and he said ‘don’t.’ Roger knows they can’t hurt him,” Maxim replied.

  Cenia’s cheeks glistened with tears as she peered into Maxim’s eyes. She shuddered violently, but her tears subsided.

  Konstantin handed her a box of tissues. “The mafia will be repeating their demands and increasing pressure on the cartel over the next few hours. I know it’s difficult, but we need to give them some time to ensure the plan works.”

  Rafael sighed. “I agree, Cenia. As difficult as that was to hear, you needed to create that roadblock so the mafia could secure their release.”

  “Why can’t we pay the three million dollars and be done with it?” I grumbled irritably. I swiped a couple of tissues from the box so I could dry my tears.

  “You know why,” Maxim chided softly. He rose from the floor, tugged the tissue from my hand, and gently dried my tears. “The SVR killed Michael, and they tried to kill you, even after they received their money. The cartels are no different. They will not honor this deal. They will take the money and kill everyone involved so this crime cannot be traced back to them.”

  “The Gulf Cartel is not going to jeopardize its relationship with the mafia, not when the mafia is arming the sicarios. Now that they know they can’t get more than a hundred thousand dollars from you, they’re going to comply with the mafia’s demands. They need to improve their standing with the mafia so they can convince the mafia to back them instead of the sicarios,” Konstantin added.

  “I agree with them, hija,” Alejandro said. “This is a good plan.”

  Isabel squeezed Cenia’s hand. “I’ll make us some tea.”

  Maria intercepted her on the way to the kitchen. “I think a pitcher of sangria might prove more useful under the circumstances.”

  Maria’s sangria packed some serious punch. She was very generous with her brandy. The pitcher was refilled multiple times, even after the men switched to drinking straight brandy. I savored the warmth the liquor lent, the heightening of senses, and a barely functioning mind.

  * * * * *

  I frowned. At what point had I climbed into bed?

  Rafael caressed my arm. “I brought you to bed when you fell asleep on the couch. You haven’t slept in days. You need to sleep.”

  “How long have I been out?” I asked, eying the unfamiliar guest room. Blue toile curtains framed the window. A crisp white duvet and a blue crocheted blanket lie on top of the bed. Blue throw pillows were stacked neatly on the seat of a white rocking chair, next to the window. A blue toile water pitcher and basin sat on top of the white dresser, which was pushed against the far wall.

  Rafael glanced at his watch. “Four hours.”

  I bolted upright. “Four hours? Is everything okay? Did I miss anything?” I scooted toward the edge of the bed.

  Rafael hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me back against the pillows. “No. There are no new developments. The house has been quiet ever since I carried you back here.”

  I rolled over so I could face him. “Where is everybody?” I asked uneasily.

  “Cenia is sleeping in the other guest room with her parents. Dante set up air mattresses in the living room for Konstantin, Maxim, and Shae,” Rafael explained. “Come here, love.” He lifted me onto his chest.

  I burrowed under his chin and reveled in the scent of his cedar and clove scented cologne. “Tell me something… anything that will help me forget what they’re going through… what we’ve gone through.”

  Rafael sifted his hand through my hair “They’ll be released within the next twenty-four hours. Cenia and Roger will be married. Then we will be married.”

  “Where do you want to be married?” I asked. I was surprised I didn’t know.

  He wound a lock of hair around his finger, then gently released it. “I’d like to be married in the botanical gardens just outside the Palace of Monserrate near Sintra, Portugal. There is this stone stairway from the nineteenth century that has been completely overrun with ferns and exotic flowers. The stairway leads to a pond where my father proposed to my mother. I know it’s not the most practical location, but I’ve always dreamed I’d be married there.”

  I looked at him, stunned by his response. “Wow. That sounds amazing.”

  Rafael pulled me up a little higher, so that we were gazing into each other’s eyes. “What about you?” he asked. “Where would you like to be married?”

  My heart beat erratically. As frightening as this conversation was, I could no longer deny that this is what I wanted. I wanted to marry Rafael. I took a deep breath, pushed through the last remaining wall, and handed him my heart. “I don’t care as long as I’m marrying you.”

  He smiled. “Portugal it is then.”

  “Kiss me,” I whispered. “Make me forget this. I need to feel something that is good, and kind, and right with this world.”

  The smile fell from his face. “Are you sure, Kristine? You haven’t been on birth control since crossing into Mexico, and I don’t have any protection.”

  My pulse quickened, spurring my need. I ran my fingers along the stubble that shadowed his jaw before cupping his face in my hand. “I will gladly accept the consequences.”

  A fiercely determined look settled over his face as he rolled me beneath him. “In that case, I’d prefer you never use birth control again.”

  He tugged his clothes off while I slipped the dress over my head. His lips consumed mine in a ravenous kiss before he planted open mouthed kisses all down my neck. His fingers made short work of my bra. I arched into his warm, wet mouth as he latched onto my breast. My hands sought every chiseled edge of his abdomen and chest before stroking between his legs.

  He moaned softly against my breast. The vibration from his chest made my toes curl. “Kristine, baby, slow down.”

  “No,” I argued breathlessly.

  His tongue circled the other bre
ast before he pulled the nipple into his mouth. He eased my panties down my legs at a painstaking pace. He looked so beautiful climbing back up the bed, I nearly wept. His hand caressed my calf and thigh before settling between my legs. His thumb quickly found the right spot.

  I arched against his hand. “Please,” I whispered. “Not like this. I want to feel you inside of me.”

  He climbed the rest of the way up my body until we were face to face. “Are you sure about this?” he inquired huskily. His eyes were filled with desire, but tempered with concern.

  I nodded. “I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you, Rafael. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I’d be ecstatic if we had a baby.”

  He collapsed onto my chest. “God, how I have longed to hear you say that.”

  “Which part?” I asked.

  He laughed softly. “All of it.”

  We stopped talking as he fit his body to mine. He grasped my hands and held my eyes as he slowly pushed inside of me. He seemed determined to watch me fall apart in his arms. I was every bit as determined to burn this memory into my mind. I wanted this part of him… needed this moment to draw on when nothing else went right.

  Rafael buried himself as deep as was humanly possible, then thrust even deeper in a motion that was quiet and very precise. My breath caught when I realized his intentions. He wasn’t trying to keep the bed from squeaking. He was trying to plant his seed deep within me. I held him tight, insanely aroused by the thought.

  Rafael took his time. I luxuriated in the slow, methodical climb, never once shying away from his eyes. The climax he wrought was exquisite. Rafael swallowed my cries in a kiss as he spilled inside of me. He remained buried deep within me through the rest of the night. I drifted off contentedly. Nothing had ever felt so right.

  * * * * *

  It felt wrong, driving away from San Fernando, but I found comfort in knowing that Kadyn and Roger would soon be arriving in Reynosa. I was riding in the rental car with Rafael. Maxim, Shae, and Konstantin were in the vehicle in front of us. Cenia and Isabel were riding with Alejandro, who was driving behind us. We were caravanning together in case any of us were stopped at any unofficial checkpoints.

  Rafael kept stealing glances at me. Last night had proven a turning point for both of us. There was some unspoken agreement that our relationship had transformed into something more. I was trying not to think about it. I needed to focus on what lie ahead in Reynosa. Still, my mind kept circling back to my relationship with Rafael. My emotions were scattered, equal parts terrified and giddy with excitement.

  We parked our vehicles on a side street near the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe when we arrived in Reynosa. Maxim had asked the mafia to meet us in front of the cathedral. I suspected he had chosen the religious site to keep everyone in check.

  We walked together, rounding the corner as one. The cathedral was not at all what I expected. Two tall, rectangular towers flanked a contemporary looking dome. The life size crucifix hanging on the front of the building was the only indication that we were nearing a Catholic church.

  Maxim stopped short of the towering cathedral. “I want Shae, Cenia, Isabel, and Kristine to wait inside the Church of Our Lady Guadalupe. He jerked his head toward the smaller, more traditional looking church tucked alongside the cathedral. He looked pointedly at Alejandro. “I’m trusting you to keep the women safe. Lead them through the back of the church and to the vehicles if you hear any gunshots.”

  Alejandro nodded. “I’ll make sure they’re safe.”

  Maxim looked at Rafael. “I assume you have the final payment.”

  Rafael adjusted the backpack he’d slung over his shoulder. “Yes.”

  Maxim nodded his approval. “You will join Konstantin and me in front of the cathedral. They should arrive within the next thirty minutes.”

  I hugged and kissed all three men. I was painfully aware that their lives could be lost if Maxim was double crossed.

  Shae, Cenia, and Isabel hugged and kissed each man on the cheek. Shae’s eyes teared as she clung to Konstantin.

  My arms tightened around Rafael’s neck. “I love you,” I whispered. “Please be safe.”

  “I love you too,” he replied. He made a million promises as he gazed into my eyes.

  Alejandro thanked each man in turn before walking us to the church. I glanced at Rafael before following Isabel, Cenia, and Shae inside. Alejandro pulled the door closed behind us. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust. The church was surprisingly dark.

  We took turns dipping our fingers into the basin of holy water, genuflecting, and making the sign of the cross. A priest greeted us in Spanish as we walked toward the front of the church.

  I joined Cenia and Shae on a wooden pew, while Isabel and Alejandro spoke to the priest. “There are no windows in the back of the church,” I whispered fearfully. “How are we supposed to know how things are going if we can’t see outside?”

  Cenia looked equally concerned. “The cathedral next door didn’t have any windows in the front of their building either.”

  “Why do you think that is?” Shae whispered.

  I glanced up at the crucifix as goose bumps crept up my arms and slid down my spine. “I don’t think I want to know.”

  Isabel and Alejandro joined us when we pulled the kneeler down and began to pray. After a few minutes, Alejandro rose from the kneeler so he could establish his position near the door. He peeked outside, then shook his head every five minutes or so.

  We kept praying.

  “They’re here,” Alejandro announced softly. He closed the door in an effort to conceal his interest and our involvement.

  I stood shakily. Cenia, Shae, and Isabel joined me.

  Alejandro held his hand out, encouraging us to stay put. He maintained his position at the door.

  My heart began to race. My ears strained to hear voices, footsteps, gunshots… anything that would reveal what might be transpiring outside.

  Cenia tugged me onto the pew next to her. “They’re here. Everything is going to be okay.”

  Tears welled in my eyes as I stared at my friend. I knew things could turn on a dime. The gunfight that had taken Michael’s life in Ukraine had occurred during the hostage exchange. They weren’t safe. They wouldn’t be safe until we crossed over the border. Even then, I wasn’t so sure. Maxim had warned us, the cartel would be digging up information on Cenia and her family. They might know where her parents lived. Like me, they may never be safe. McAllen was too close to the border, too close to the drug wars and the brutality brewing on the other side of the bridge. My anxieties spun higher and higher until my entire body was shaking violently.

  Shae pulled me into her arms. “I know,” she soothed. She was there, in Ukraine. She had experienced all of the same things I’d experienced. She had watched Michael die in my arms.

  “They’re gone,” Alejandro announced. He looked thoroughly confused.

  “What?” Isabel exclaimed. “What do you mean they’re gone?” We scrambled into the center aisle.

  “How can they be gone? Where would they go?” Cenia demanded shrilly.

  “What if the mafia…” Shae began. She couldn’t finish the sentence.

  We turned, guardedly, when the back door opened. All of the air rushed from my lungs. An army of angels couldn’t have prevented me from running into Kadyn’s arms.

  Shae joined me in Kadyn’s arms. Cenia was sobbing as she clung to Roger’s chest. Isabel and Alejandro wrapped their arms around Cenia and Roger.

  “We didn’t want anyone to see us enter the church,” Maxim explained apologetically.

  I swiped at my tears, then reached for Kadyn’s shirt.

  “Kri?” he asked, before understanding dawned in his eyes.

  I held his shirt up with one hand, while running my other hand over his abs, chest, and back.

  “What are you doing?” Isabel asked suddenly alarmed.

  “Kri wants to see how badly Kadyn’s b
een injured,” Shae explained softly. “She wants to see if he looks like we did when the SVR tortured us.”

  Kadyn pulled me back inside his arms when I lowered his shirt.

  “I’m so sorry,” I rasped.

  “We should not linger here,” Maxim warned. “We should return to our vehicles.”

  “They may stop us at the border,” Rafael interjected. “The embassy staff may have already filed the missing person reports. When Kadyn and Roger show up at the border, the customs officers may want to question them.”

  “Why don’t we follow each other to the border? If we get separated or delayed when we drive through customs, we’ll meet in McAllen,” Alejandro replied.

  “Let’s meet at the Casa de Palmas,” Cenia suggested. “We were planning to spend the next few nights at the hotel for the wedding festivities. We’ll just add two more rooms to our reservation for Maxim, Konstantin, and Shae.” She turned toward Maxim. “You will be attending the rehearsal dinner this evening and staying for the wedding tomorrow night.” Her tone brokered no room for argument.

  Maxim smiled. “We will see you married.”

  I untangled myself from Kadyn so I could step in front of Maxim. Tears slipped silently down my cheeks. “Thank you.”

  In complete disregard for our surroundings and the people standing around us, he lifted me by the shoulders and planted a passionate kiss on my lips. “You’re welcome,” he replied gruffly. He set me back on my feet.

  Rafael yanked me toward him with an ominous growl.

  “It’s okay,” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  We were the first ones to leave the church.

  Chapter 10 – Take heart

  The Spanish mission style hotel was lovely. The subdued lighting from the wall sconces, the endless array of decorative arches, and the warm terracotta tile were incredibly inviting. Cenia’s madrina and padrino met us in the lobby. They were understandably anxious to see Cenia and Roger. Cenia’s madrina had graciously packed our suitcases and brought them to the hotel so we could get settled in and rest before the wedding rehearsal.