Undercover

by Vanessa Kier

  Uncomfortably aware that if he screwed up now, he could ruin things, Niko wished he’d had time to change into a clean trainee uniform.

  “Sir,” he finally managed, keeping his head up without actually meeting those chilling eyes again.

  “I am very pleased with your progress, Nikolos. The lieutenant tells me you have settled in nicely and have gone out of your way not to fight with the other trainees outside of class. You’ve come a long way from the boy who shamed his father so by nearly getting kicked out of school for fighting.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Niko had actually calmed down a lot after his parents read him the riot act when he stole a portable CD player. He’d become a model son until the incident with the explosives. Once he’d decided to join Alvarez’s world, he’d started picking fights and getting into as much trouble as possible. All in the name of tarnishing his good name.

  It had worked. He was here, and Alvarez didn’t realize he’d been set up.

  So far, so good.

  “Having you work in the fields has started your transformation into a man. However, I have much bigger plans for you. I need you working for me, so that I may send reports back to your family about how their precious boy has fallen so low.”

  Niko flinched. He couldn’t help it. His parents had warned him that Alvarez liked to play mind games, but it had never occurred to Niko that Alvarez would taunt his family with Niko’s fall from grace. I’m sorry, Mamá.

  Niko consoled himself with the fact that Pop knew the truth. And one day he’d be able to tell the rest of the family. In the meantime, he had to bear whatever Alvarez dished out.

  Alvarez chuckled. “Ah. I see you still care about the opinion of your annoyingly upstanding family. It will be such a pleasure to break you of that concern.” He shook his head. “But that is for later. For now, I have a new assignment for you. One of my managers on a small smuggling route has lost his assistant and security guard. You will take over the position.”

  Niko let a little of his excitement shine in his eyes. “Thank you, jefe.” Let Alvarez think he was happy about getting off the plantation because of the status. What really mattered to Niko was taking the first step toward winning Alvarez’s trust.

  “When do I leave?”

  “Immediately. You will ride back to town with me and I will explain your duties. Then you will be flown to meet your new boss.”

  “Sí, jefe.”

  Alvarez grinned. “Ah, Nikolos, I think you and I are going to get along just fine.”

  Yeah, you go ahead and think that, asshole. I’m going to fucking ruin you, then laugh while you cry.

  Two Years Later

  Andes Mountains, Peru

  “I have a surprise for you, Nikolos.”

  Niko’s fingers clenched on the phone’s handset.

  “You should be receiving a delivery any moment. How I wish I could be there to watch your expression in person, but watching the security feed will have to suffice.”

  Niko winced over the gloating tone in Alvarez’s voice, a sure sign that his loyalty was about to be severely tested.

  As if summoned by Alvarez’s words, a knock sounded on the door. “I think it’s here,” Niko said. Taking a risk, he hung up on his boss. Alvarez couldn’t watch him in real time—the connection between this remote mountain fortress and the fortress in Ixtapa, Mexico couldn’t handle live streaming—but Niko knew he had to keep his features schooled. Alvarez would definitely receive a copy of the security tape from the camera in this room.

  Striding over to the door, Niko yanked it open. One of the compound’s guards stood on the other side. Without a word, he handed Niko a small padded envelope, then turned and disappeared back down the hall. Niko’s stomach sank. The chunky outline of a videotape pushed through the envelope.

  For a moment he debated whether to take the tape to his quarters. That was the one place where Alvarez hadn’t installed surveillance devices. A surprising grant of privacy.

  But in the mind war going on between him and Alvarez, Niko had learned that the crime lord craved feedback. He tended to lash out harshly when denied seeing Niko’s reaction to unpleasant news or requests that pushed Niko dangerously close to his moral boundaries.

  So Niko walked over to the small television set with video player in the corner.

  Pulling his shoulders back and steeling his will, Niko hit PLAY.

  His hard earned self control fled as an image of his Aunt Madalena appeared on the screen. Niko glared at the security camera in the upper left corner of his office, before returning his attention to the screen.

  Aunt Madalena sat in the visitor’s chair in Alvarez’s office in Ixtapa. A bruise darkened the skin of her left cheek, but otherwise she appeared unharmed. Her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders, instead of being pulled back in her typical bun. She wore a loose, white peasant blouse and a skirt made from the special fabric Alvarez provided to all of his mistresses.

  No!

  “Niko,” his aunt began, speaking in Spanish, “I have been told by Jaime Alvarez to give you the story of how I became his mistress.” Her shoulders shook as she inhaled. Niko kept his face expressionless, tamping down his horror and fear.

  “You will be aware that Señor Alvarez has captured my husband, Anastasio Andros.”

  Niko nodded. He’d received word last month that one of Alvarez’s teams had set a trap and Uncle Tasi had been caught. Another case of the DEA failing to protect one of their own. It made Niko question the reliability of his own contact. But so far, the man had lived up to his promises, passing on messages to Niko from his father during their once-a-year check in.

  Niko had been trying to find a way to free Uncle Tasi, but Alvarez kept his uncle at the Ixtapa compound, while Niko had been assigned to work out of the Peru location for the past few months.

  “I—” His aunt licked her lips. “I vowed to rescue my Tasi. In my vengeful pride, I made a deal with Alvarez. If I spent one night in his bed, Alvarez would free Tasi.”

  Ah, Aunt Madalena. How could you have been so naïve?

  “As perhaps you have guessed, Alvarez has not honored his end of the bargain.” Her dark eyes looked pleadingly into the camera. “Nikolos, if there is any honor left in you, I am begging you. Please set your uncle free. I—”

  Her words were cut off by a slap from Alvarez. Then the crime lord turned to the camera. “Nikolos, I am sending a plane for you. I wish to hold a family reunion here in Ixtapa.” Alvarez’s smile was pure malice, and Niko knew with cold certainty that either his uncle or his aunt wasn’t going to survive the week.

  “I look forward to seeing you soon, hijo.”

  Niko bared his teeth at the hated nickname. Alvarez, in his twisted way, had decided to treat Niko like the son he’d never had. It sickened Niko to hear the pride in Alvarez’s voice. He particularly hated listening to Alvarez gloat during the recordings he made for Niko’s parents, telling them how deeply entrenched in the criminal underworld their son had become.

  Keeping his emotions in check, Niko turned off the television. Then he headed to his quarters. Only when he was alone in the bathroom with the water running to make sure no noise was picked up by listeners in the hallway, did he let his anger come out in a scream that went on and on, dragged out from the bottom of his soul. When he’d decided to go after Alvarez, he’d never anticipated that other family members would become involved.

  Talk about naïve.

  The thought that his sweet aunt was now under the crime lord’s control, forced to submit to Alvarez’s sick sexual appetites, brought bile to the back of his throat. Niko barely made it to the toilet in time to spill the contents of his stomach.

  When finally the heaving stopped, he lay on the cool tiles, trying to figure out some way to free his aunt and uncle. But Niko didn’t have enough power to challenge Alvarez yet. And he hadn’t been able to make any contacts outside of Alvarez’s organization that might help him.

  Dios, please forgive me, for I
have failed them.

  Some time later, he pushed to his feet. While he showered, he shoved his anger, fear and grief down deep. The best he could do was stay alert and be ready to act should an opportunity to free either one come up.

  One Year Later

  Ixtapa, Mexico

  “Pardon, Derecha, but the buyer is waiting for an answer.”

  Niko stared out the second-story window toward the Pacific Ocean. Outside, the air was crisp and fresh. Bright with sunshine that sparkled on the waves. Inside this former Spanish fort, deals were cut to transport drugs into the United States, guaranteeing the ruin of countless lives.

  With Alvarez out of town, Niko, who’d been nicknamed La Mano Derecha by those within the organization, was in charge of okaying the deals. Without turning around, Niko said, “Tell him he can have half of what he’s requested now. Once he’s proven that his money is good and that his organization is professional enough to stay out of trouble with the cops, we’ll talk about the rest.”

  “I will give him your decision.” In the reflection within the window he saw the man nod respectfully at Niko’s back before leaving and closing the door behind him. He knew it grated on the man to have to take orders from a twenty-three-year-old. Alvarez’s unprecedented, rapid promotion of Niko had earned him a shitload of enemies.

  Not that Niko had entered into this mission with the intent of making friends. Still, after four years in Alvarez’s organization, the loneliness was beginning to get to him.

  Despite being alone in the room, Niko didn’t let down his guard. He knew Alvarez kept most of the fortress monitored, and the last thing he wanted was to let the bastard see how close to the edge Niko was.

  I don’t know how much longer I can take this without breaking.

  As usual, immediately on the heels of that thought came the counter response. I can endure whatever is necessary in order to get Aunt Madalena out of this place. I might feel as if each day I’m losing a piece of my soul, but at least I don’t literally have to share Alvarez’s bed.

  Niko’s fingers curled into fists. His aunt’s strength amazed him. She’d survived a year as unwilling mistress to Alvarez, when other women lasted mere weeks.

  His sex slave was more like it. The familiar burn of anger twisted through Niko.

  On top of that, his aunt had endured watching her husband die. A week after Aunt Madalena’s capture, both Niko and his aunt had been forced to watch Alvarez torture Uncle Tasi to death. Uncle Tasi had died with hatred in his eyes, never realizing how badly Niko wanted to help him. Not understanding that Niko blamed himself for not finding a way to free his uncle.

  The guilt would stay with him forever.

  Poor Aunt Madalena had grown increasingly hysterical as the abuse of her husband intensified. She’d fought and screamed, doing everything in her power to get Alvarez or his guards to kill her, too. But as Alvarez’s mistress, no one else was allowed to touch her.

  Mistress, and victim for Alvarez’s vicious temper.

  But tonight, Dios willing, Niko would finally get his aunt out of here. He’d carefully arranged the schedules of the guards to put on duty those who were most sympathetic to Madalena’s plight. And he’d found a member of the staff who agreed to smuggle Madalena off the property. Niko’s DEA contact had arranged for a local cop he trusted to pick up Madalena at a safe distance from the fortress.

  Once she was free, Niko wouldn’t have to be so careful around Alvarez, always worrying that the slightest lack of respect on his part would end up with Alvarez taking his anger out on his aunt. Making Niko watch.

  Niko closed his eyes and slammed shut the door to the memories that wanted out. His aunt had endure the rapes and beatings with a stoic calm that humbled him. He had to keep his shit together, or he’d screw up the rescue.

  He didn’t know how he’d live with himself if he failed his aunt again.

  Chapter Two

  “No! Leave him alone. It was my fault. Entirely my fault. He knew nothing.” Madalena Andros knew she should never have agreed to the escape plan, no matter how persuasive Niko had been. Alvarez had always warned that he’d never let her go. And indeed, guards had converged on her and Niko just as they’d been ready to slip out of the compound.

  Now she pulled against the chains holding her to the wall in the dungeon in Alvarez’s Mexican fortress. In the center of the room, Niko was chained between two posts. He was naked. Blood from his shredded back dripped onto the floor and slid down the shiny drain. A bitter laugh slipped past her lips. Lord forbid even the smallest detail in his fortress fail to meet Alvarez’s exacting standards of cleanliness. Even in the dungeon.

  “Please. Let him go.” After so much screaming, Madalena’s voice was little more than a harsh whisper.

  Niko raised his head slightly. Even though sweat and blood ran into his eyes, he still met her gaze. Underneath the pain she recognized the steely determination that was a core characteristic of the Andros men. Sometimes Niko reminded her so much of her beloved Tasi that her heart threatened to shatter.

  Niko shook his head slightly, silently begging her not to draw attention to herself by protesting his punishment. But Madalena would rather be the one to suffer under Alvarez’s lash than see her nephew’s skin split open under the whip.

  Alvarez shot Madalena a coldly amused glance. “It is touching the way you lie for your nephew, but I know the truth. The guard who agreed to help you escape had a sudden attack of conscience. He knew I would reward him greatly for warning me of your attempt to flee.”

  He raised the whip and brought it down onto an already bloody section of Niko’s back.

  Niko flinched and grunted, but Madalena was impressed by his refusal to scream.

  “He was very clear that Niko made all the arrangements,” Alvarez continued, giving Niko several more lashes. “In fact, I would have expected nothing less. I have been waiting for Niko to attempt such a thing. His honor would demand he take you away from me. Despite all the training I’ve given him, I’m perfectly aware that he still clings to his beliefs in right and wrong. It’s what makes him such a delightful challenge to work with.”

  “Then stop hurting him!” Niko’s body sagged between the chains. His eyes fluttered closed. She didn’t think he’d last much longer. “You’re killing him.”

  Alvarez paused and contemplated Niko’s bloody back. “Perhaps you’re right. I do not wish to kill him, just to make an example of him. And to prove to him once and for always that no matter what plans he might have for the future, I am in control of his life.”

  Madalena sobbed in relief as Alvarez lowered the whip. But his next words chilled her. “Victorio, the iron please.”

  She turned her head. There, in the far corner of the room she’d paid no attention to, sat a small brazier upon a stone pedestal. Sticking out of the hot coals was a long piece of metal.

  No. Oh, no. She’d heard rumors that Alvarez sometimes branded disobedient employees, but she’d thought that even he wouldn’t so demean a human being.

  She should have known that the monster had no limits when it came to pain or humiliation.

  With a thick welder’s glove protecting his hand, Victorio carried the iron over to Alvarez. Another man, whose name Madalena didn’t remember, brought out a bowl filled with water and proceeded to clean the blood off of Niko’s right biceps.

  Madalena held her breath as Niko slowly straightened, knowing how painful every breath had to be for her nephew. Her heart swelled with pride at his strength, yet it also wept knowing his punishment was her fault.

  “Brand me instead,” she cried out.

  Alvarez turned his head and tsked. “I would not think of marring such beautiful skin, my love. No, it is Niko who must wear the sign of his master for all the world to see.”

  Body trembling, Madalena bit her lip and stood silent as Alvarez put on a welder’s glove then took the hot iron from Victorio. “Who do you belong to, Niko Andros?”

  “No… One… You basta
rd.”

  Oh, careful, Niko. If you push Alvarez too far he will kill you.

  Madalena knew that fear for her safety held Niko back. Once again she cursed her foolish younger self for believing the sweet lies Alvarez had told her. She didn’t fully understand Niko’s plans, but she knew for certain his hatred for Alvarez continued to burn deep.

  Alvarez took great pride in pushing Niko to the boundaries of his honor and threatening Madalena in order to force her nephew’s obedience. It was all part of his twisted plan for punishing Niko’s parents. What worse insult to an honorable, law abiding family than to have their oldest son be the right hand man of Mexico’s most feared crime lord?

  Alvarez enjoyed the adrenaline rush of fighting for Niko’s loyalty. She could attest from personal experience that every time Alvarez won a victory in his mind games with Niko, his sexual appetite grew. Yet she didn’t think he was quite sane. Otherwise, he’d never give Niko such power over his empire. The man’s desperate need for a son blinded him to the fact that her nephew would never completely submit.

  As she watched Alvarez bring the brand to Niko’s skin, she vowed she’d find a way to knock some sense into her nephew. He had to take Alvarez down soon, before the crime lord stole any more of Niko’s soul. Which meant she had to convince her stubborn, honorable nephew to leave her behind.

  Bile rose into the back of her throat as the smell of burning flesh reached her nostrils. Niko’s lips thinned with pain, but he remained silent as always. From the smile on Alvarez’s face, he appreciated her nephew’s strength. Odd, because Alvarez loved it when Madalena screamed. In fact, the more she screamed, the easier he went on her. Yet Alvarez, in his twisted way, considered Niko the son he’d never had and took pride in Niko’s strength and defiance.

  The tension grew until Madalena thought she might start screaming on Niko’s behalf. Then Alvarez finally lifted the brand. She couldn’t tell from this distance what the design was, only that it was an angry red square taking up much of the width of Niko’s powerful biceps.