by Taylor Lee
Marshaling her reserves, determined to put the unnerving experience with Dubois in the back of her mind, Viviana reminded herself that she was, at most, a day away from implementing her dangerous plan. The evidence she’d gathered and sent to her team was damning. If what she heard in the conversations she had recorded was accurate, it was likely the exchange of weapons and drugs would take place as early as tonight. Casting a veiled glance at the trio in front of her, Viviana believed that capturing Martinez would be a slam dunk. However, she admitted that taking down the glaring queen bee and the daunting Frenchman at the hostile woman’s side was anything but a given.
As if he were taunting her, underscoring the dangerous position she was in, Dubois turned to his hostess and said in a silky voice, “Please confirm, Madam Ortiz, that Señor Muñoz will join us for dinner tonight. I’m looking forward to making his acquaintance.”
The haughty woman couldn’t hide her surprise at his impertinent assertion. Clearly she was unaccustomed to anyone speaking el Jeffe’s name, especially as casually as Dubois had. Turning her frowning gaze on Dubois, she said carefully, “Why is that important to you, Lucas?”
To Viviana’s surprise, Dubois shrugged, then said blandly, “Because, Francesca, as I believe I have made clear, I only deal with the man in charge.”
The angry flush streaking across her face confirmed that Madam Ortiz noted that he’d addressed her familiarly by her first name, underscoring that as important she was, her name wasn’t Muñoz. “Do you mind telling me what difference it makes to you, Mr. Dubois, who is or is not at the dinner table tonight?”
Her clipped response would have admonished the most intrepid interrogator, but Dubois merely smiled. Meeting her hostile gaze, he said quietly, “When dealing with the sums of money that we are and the nature of the products, be assured, I only deal with the ultimate decision maker.”
Not to be cowed, Francesca pinned a stony glare on him, although her words were tauntingly sweet. “My, my, Lucas. Surely you are not saying that I’m not ‘man enough’ to secure our arrangement? That you only deal with men, not women?”
With a gracious smile that didn’t reach his emerald-hard eyes, Dubois said, “That is precisely what I am saying, Francesca. And as you are aware, that has been my condition since we began our discussions.”
Surprised that Dubois spoke so freely in front of her, Viviana couldn’t squelch the excitement that flooded her. Good God, was it possible that Carlos Muñoz himself would be at their dinner tonight? Pretending disinterest, Viviana did her best to act bored. As she walked away from the dueling pair, looking for a private spot on the crowded vessel where she could text her team, she heard Martinez’s ugly rant.
“Goddamn you, you filthy cunt! How dare you refuse me? What do I have to do to convince you that you will do whatever I tell you to do? Do you hear me, bitch? If it is taking my cock in your mouth, or my dick up your ass, or any other dammed hole I want, you goddamned better believe you’ll take it. And cunt, you’ll like it!”
Viviana turned in shock to see a half-naked young woman crawl up the stairs from the hold below. Her bruised face and bloodied lip left nothing to the imagination. Horrified, Viviana saw that the girl couldn’t have been more than eighteen years old, if that. Her dark brown hair flowed over her shoulders but wasn’t long enough to cover her naked breasts.
Grabbing her ankle, the glassy-eyed Martinez tried to jerk her back down the stairs. He was intercepted by Dubois and Garcia, who were at the young woman’s side in an instant. Dubois reached for the girl and tossed her to Garcia. Before Martinez could do more than scream in rage, Dubois planted a heavily booted foot in the shrieking man’s face, kicking him down the narrow staircase. As he prepared to leap on the irate man below, Garcia stepped in front of him. He passed the sobbing woman to Dubois and growled, “Flores is mine, man. We take care of our own.”
Seeing Viviana’s horrified expression, Jax knew she had to be reliving her experiences with the crazed man. He jerked his head at Brent and Serge, who had rushed in to help him subdue Flores. Handing the hysterical young woman over to his men, Jax looked for Viviana but ran squarely into Francesca. He could see the agitated woman was upset, but not for what had happened to the battered girl. Listening to her angry utterings, it was obvious she was upset about Martinez. She glared at Viviana, who was standing by the railing, her expression a mix of concern and anger. Francesca muttered loudly enough for Jax to hear, “It’s her fault. She’s to blame for this. He was never like this before she came into his life.” She added, her eyes gleaming with hatred, “She needs to go.”
At that moment, Martinez staggered up the stairs and wove his way over to Francesca. Garcia, who was on his tail, stopped when Francesca held up her hand. Making it clear that she was supporting the frothing man, Francesca eased Flores into the chair at her side. Within minutes the drunken man was banging his empty shot glass on the table, shouting for a refill. Watching the boorish drunk toss back shot after shot of potent alcohol, Jax stood at a distance, preparing to step in if either of the Muñoz leaders turned on Viviana.
“There they are! I told you they were here!”
Jax frowned as Martinez rose unsteadily from his chair and lurched toward the side of the craft. Clinging to the railing with one hand, he pointed excitedly at the rolling waves.
Seeing the crowning heads and gleaming silver bodies skimming the water, Jax realized they had come up on a school of sharks. He’d heard tales of the awesome creatures, who frequented the deeper waters surrounding the tropical paradise of Belize. Usually harmless, the powerful beasts had been known to attack unwary swimmers out too deep or if taunted by irrational assholes like Martinez Flores.
“Get some meat to throw to them!” Martinez’s voice was shrill with drunken excitement. He yelled to no one in particular, “Get the fucking chef, we need raw meat to attract them.” He shouted at the wait staff, who stared at him. “Hurry up, you lazy motherfuckers! Goddammit, get me some fresh meat. We can’t let them get away!” Whirling in a circle, Flores spotted the young girl hovering at Garcia’s side. His face lit up in an idiotic grin. With flashing eyes, he dove for her and shrieked, “Here’s fresh meat. Fuck it! She’s even bleeding!” Before Garcia could stop him, in a hideous movement, Martinez grabbed the injured girl in his strong arms and threw her over the railing into the teeming waves below.
Jax heard Viviana gasp and rushed to her side. He saw her reach inside her miniscule bikini and saw the flash of a blade. Grabbing her knife, he held her hard up against him. “No, baby. No, you don’t. She’s gone, sweetheart. She was gone when she hit the water.” The widening pool of blood catching the waves confirmed he was right. Rubbing his hand over her flat stomach, he tugged on the narrow strip of fabric comprising the bottom of her miniscule bikini. “So this is where you keep it. I’ve been wondering where your weapon was.” Jax knew he had to keep talking to her. Try to reach her through the fog of the hideousness of the moment. He could tell by her alabaster skin that she was nearly in shock. Seeing parts of the dismembered woman’s body float by, he wasn’t surprised at her reaction. His gut was roiling with a mix of horror and fury. Holding Viviana’s trembling body next to his, Jax saw how close she was to losing it. Given what had happened between them this morning and now this barbaric death underscored the dangerous race they were in. For the second time that day he acknowledged that the chances of the good guys making it out of this hellhole alive had dropped. Formerly 70/30 against, he now put their odds of survival at ten percent—if that.
Chapter 9
Viviana didn’t know how she made it from the yacht to solid ground. She wouldn’t have if in the stampede for shore she’d been separated from Dubois. But he hadn’t let her go. His strong arms around her had kept her from falling apart at the hideous scene and now had her safely on the landing. Viviana knew she’d never forget the nightmare sight of the beautiful young woman’s body being torn apart by the voracious sharks. Holding her tight against him, mur
muring comforting nonsense words in her ear, Dubois had kept her from shattering. She couldn’t have survived the ordeal without him. She’d come damn close to diving into the water to save the girl. Dubois’s strong arms had prevented her from committing certain suicide.
When Dubois left to help his men drag Martinez from the cruiser, Viviana took the opportunity to break away from the crowd of gangsters. She had to get in touch with her lieutenant. She’d sent Travis Jenkins three text messages telling him that they had to move tonight, that something big was going down. She warned him that this was their best, and likely last, chance to capture Martinez. She told him to bring as many men as the Belize PD force had, indicating that this could be the biggest coup of their lives. Frustrated that her squad leader hadn’t answered any of her texts, she took a chance and called him. Hearing his crisp voicemail message, she groaned in frustration. Damn, when would she learn that going it alone wasn’t always the best choice? It sure as hell would be nice if she had an on-site team to support her tonight.
****
Viviana stepped out of the shower, gratified that the healing water had done what it could to relieve at least a portion of the tension bombarding her aching muscles. She knew she’d be lucky if months from now the knots in her neck would release enough to allow her to turn her head without pain. Reaching for one of the thick, fluffy towels, she rubbed her wet hair, squeezing most of the water out of the shiny tresses. Knowing she was going to weave her long, blonde hair into a sexy twist on the top of her head tonight, she allowed the damp tendrils to hang freely over her shoulders. As she wrapped another of the luxurious towels around her naked body, she thought she heard a noise. Pretending indifference, she reached down and eased her pistol from the vanity drawer.
Turning around, she was shocked to see him casually lounging in the doorway. The key in his hand confirmed that she was still sharing her suite. Only not with Martinez. Rather, with a much more powerful man than Martinez could ever be.
Glancing at the weapon she was pointing at him, Jax’s lips tipped up in a grin. “Ah, so the sex kitten is smart enough to arm herself. With an HK45, no less.” Easing himself upright, he began moving slowly toward her. “Tell me, sweetheart, do you use it to keep all the eager men away?” He shook his head. “If so, I imagine you haven’t had to use it very often. All it would take is that brazen attitude of yours, that smiling smirk to confirm there isn’t a man alive who is capable of disarming you.” He cocked an ironic brow. “Until me.”
Continuing toward her, his blazing eyes belied his casual demeanor. Reaching for the gun, he took it from her and put it on top of the vanity. Placing the door key next to the pistol, he shot her a lazy grin, pretending surprise at her wide-eyed, startled gaze. “Surely, Maja, you didn’t think I would let you stay in this big suite all by yourself. It’s much too large for a single woman, even one like you. No question, Martinez needed to go. Even with your well-stocked pharmacy, I couldn’t be sure that sick animal wouldn’t overpower you. Besides, I needed to keep an eye on you. Protect you from yourself.” He added, his voice a silky threat, “From everyone but me.”
Ignoring her startled gasp, he stopped several feet in front of her. He frowned slightly, then nodded as if he understood. “You look surprised, Maja. Did you really think I would let you go? Not finish what we started this morning? That I could have touched you the way I did, in the places that I did, and not come back to finish the job?”
What he didn’t tell her was that he wasn’t sure what was going to happen tonight. At one level, he was certain of victory, that somehow, someway, he and his men would prevail, and he would keep her safe no matter what happened. But he was sanguine enough to know the dangers they faced. Even the remote possibility of failure had convinced him that if it were the last thing he did, he would make love to this women. To this amazing creature who had stolen his heart and toppled his resistance. Besides, the adrenaline surge he was still wrestling with from the hideous scene on the boat had amped his testosterone level into overdrive.
He nodded at the towel she’d wrapped around herself. Seeing her clutch it more securely against her damp skin, he smiled. “Take it off, Maja. Show me your beautiful body. The way you did on the mountaintop.” He huffed softly and shook his head at the memory. “You were so brazen, so confident, so sure of yourself. Little minx that you are, even from across the gorge you knew what you were doing to me.” When she hesitated, he narrowed his eyes and commanded softly, “Now, Maja. Take it off. Now.”
Viviana hesitated for a long moment, certain he could hear her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She would have fallen if she weren’t leaning against the vanity behind her. She hadn’t been able to draw a full breath since she’d seen him lazing in the doorway. He looked like a sleek panther sizing up his prey. His tall body, rippling with lean muscle, spoke to his strength. But as casually powerful as his pose was, his gleaming emerald eyes and rigid jaw spoke to his intensity.
Sucking in a deep breath, the cheeky insolence that had intrigued and then kept men at a distance all her life came to Viviana’s rescue. Meeting his piercing gaze head-on, she allowed her lips to curve in a slight smile. Then, slowly, seductively, she loosened the towel. For a long moment, she held it in front of her, then let it fall to her feet, baring her flushed body to his eager eyes.
Not able to repress the groan that fled from his lips, Jax nodded in appreciation, then quirked a finger at her, indicating she should come to him. When she tipped up her chin and hesitated, he shook his head. “Uh-uh, Maja. No games. Not with me. I decide how we’re going to play this scene.”
Gratified at the color that rose to her cheeks and the uncertainty that flashed across her face, he pointed to a spot in front of him.
“Here, baby, come here. Now.”
Not able to resist the magnetic pull of his commanding gaze, Viviana moved slowly toward him. Stunned at the raw carnal desire that shot through her, she would have fallen if he hadn’t caught her, closing the distance between them. He loomed over her, dominating her space with his powerful body. Securing both of her hands behind her with one of his, he dragged her up next to him. Fisting his hand in her hair, he bent her head back and kissed her, a brutal, intense kiss that shook her to her core. When he thrust his tongue deep in her mouth, demanding her capitulation, a frisson of electricity exploded across her spine. She almost didn’t recognize the passionate wail that sprang from her throat.
“Jesus, baby, now you’ve done it.” His voice was filled with wonder. Jax couldn’t believe her response. Christ almighty, he thought he was hot. He’d known since he first saw her that a churning caldron of heat was buried beneath her scathingly insolent indifference. From that moment on the mountaintop, he’d known that he would take her in a way she’d never been taken. It was only now, when she melted in his arms, that he understood just how tightly wired she’d been. How strong her defenses were. And how completely she was giving in to his command.
Lifting her up in his strong arms, he held her tight against his chest and strode into the bedroom. Laying her naked body on the massive bed, he stood back, stunned at her beautiful body in all its naked glory. Dragging his gaze over her luscious breasts, his breath strangled in his throat. Her taut, pink nipples were hardening before his eyes. He had to force himself not to reach for them, knowing that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop fondling them until he brought her to a wrenching climax.
First, he needed to absorb her. Capture her in his ravenous gaze. He was almost mindless with desire but forced himself to hold back. At some intuitive level, he understood that her insolent shell was just that. A shell that once broken would free passions this glorious woman had no idea she’d suppressed. Honored by the task ahead, he thanked his erotic gods they had given him enough experience to understand the gift he was about to receive. And the gift he was about to give her.
Seeing her shy gaze and slight frown, he smiled reassuringly. “Forgive me. I don’t want to frighten you, but I need y
ou to know that you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Wanting to lighten the moment, he allowed himself to smile. “On the other hand, I do want to scare you. At least enough so that you appreciate the magnitude of this moment.” When her frown deepened and she moved back, covering her breasts and crotch with her hands, he shook his head. “Uh-uh, Maja. You’re with me now. You don’t get to hide or ramp up your well- developed defenses. Remember, no games.” He flashed an ironic grin. “Except the ones I want to play.”
When she startled, her eyes narrowing dangerously, he shook his head once again. “Hands down, Maja.” When she jerked away, he changed his mind. “On second thought, darling, let’s do this instead.” Reaching for her hands, he pulled them up over her head and laced her fingers around the slats in the headboard. Gazing at her outstretched body, he breathed a hard sigh and murmured, “Yeah, baby, this is definitely better. And, Maja, that’s where I want your hands to stay.”
Seeing the flush rise up on her cheeks, Jax didn’t miss her startled gasp or the tremor that shook her legs. He murmured triumphantly, “Oh yeah, my sweet, feisty woman likes to be told what to do.”
When she cried out in anger and started to sit up, he quickly moved beside her and captured her hands in his, pressing them against the headboard. He leaned down and brushed his lips against the sensitive skin just below her ear and said, “You need to hold on, baby, so that I can make love to your beautiful breasts.” At her shocked gasp, he murmured, “Oh yeah, we both want me to do that, don’t we?”
Viviana had never given in to a man. The few trysts she’d had as an adult were on her terms. She initiated them and she controlled them. As in her professional life, her go-it-alone attitude infected her love life, if you could call it that. She was interested in sex, at least the thought of it, if not the actual practice. She got off more on her ability to make strong men cower in her presence than she did by opening her body to their grunting overtures. Which she did begrudgingly, never giving anything in return. She knew she was a cocktease, in fact, she reveled in it. What she never did was look below the surface of her antagonism. She knew what had happened in her past, but refused to do more than bury the hideous memories under a rock-hard layer of shale. A surface so hard and so deep it would take a diamond-drilling rig to break through.