“Someone’s helping him, aren’t they?”
“Yes, but who would be stupid enough to go against us, and why?”
“Let’s think about it. There are about fifty men on your payroll from the vineyard through the family, and only a half-dozen women.” So many of them wouldn’t think twice of crossing me.
“Dove,” I cry out.
“She can’t.”
“No.” I whip out my phone and use her phone tracker. She’s not in the fucking house.
“I’ll call the security gate.”
I try her phone, but she doesn’t answer. “Let’s get back now.”
Fernando’s on the phone and then hangs up. “Well?”
“Danny said when he got back to the security gate after a ten-minute bathroom break, Vicente wasn’t there to switch off like he was supposed to and his car was gone.”
I pull up the front door security and watch around that time, and there is my wife exiting the house, moving toward the back door of Vicente’s car, but he opens the front door. Startled, she moves to it, but then he slides his hand on her waist. She freezes and gasps before getting in the car.
“He’s a dead man.”
“Yes, he is. I’m tracking his phone. He’s at the market with her.”
“Let’s get there as fast as we can.” I check the rounds in my gun, itching to put the entire magazine in his head. Dove, what the fuck are you playing at?
“Damn it. I knew she wanted to go out, but hell, why lie to me?”
“Because you’d say no. She’s young, and you haven’t given her a reason to stay.”
“What the fuck? Aren’t you supposed to be my right-hand man?”
“Yes, and I’ve seen you more than she has. She’s lonely and bored. Vicente’s closer to her age. Maybe…”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“I’m not saying she wants him, but maybe she knew he’d understand and help her spend some time out. It could be innocent.”
“You call this innocent?” I show the video of his hand on her, but what happens next tells me exactly his intentions for my wife. He adjusts himself and bites his lip before getting in the car.
“Shit, but she doesn’t seem interested.”
“Like you said, she’s bored and, well, she hates me.” It hits me that I left my wallet out. Shit. I open it, and my Amex is gone.
“Hey, bro. I thought you were at the party.”
“I was, but Dove cut out. Can you track my Amex?”
“Yes. Give me one minute.”
“It’s last used at the market at the dress shop.”
“She’s out shopping.” A sigh of relief hits me. She’s not leaving. She’s just sneaking out to spend my money. It’s all my fault, but this isn’t going to stop the spanking she’s going to get. “I’m about twenty minutes from landing.”
“Okay. I’m at the doctor with Mom. Do you want us to go to the house afterward?”
“Yes. I need to deal with this prick, and I can’t just leave Dove home alone. We’ll be back there in an hour.”
I turn to Fernando and say, “Make the call.” We’re going to have Vicente pay for his betrayal. He knows I wouldn’t have let her out in this dangerous climate. My enemies are everywhere, including in my home. She doesn’t understand the danger she’s really in.
The helicopter lands, and I summon two men to follow Fernando and me. They’re to follow Vicente when he runs and bring him to the warehouse.
As the vehicle races to the market, my blood rages thinking about his hands on my wife. Worse, what if she enjoys his touch? We pull up to the curb and search for them. I spot her easily. He gets too close for my liking and hers it seems, as well. I see that nervous stance of hers and then I’m a foot from them when he does the unthinkable.
12
Dove
It’s around two hours later when we sit down at a café. “How are you, little Dove?”
“Obviously I’m not enough.” I shouldn’t have said that. Vicente isn’t my confidante. In fact, I get the feeling that he’s escorting me because he’s more than interested in just being kind. He’s pushing my limits by calling me little Dove. I might hate Victor, but he’s the only one to call me little Dove.
“If you were mine, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight, and I’d always be all over you, sweet Dove.”
“I’m fine. You don’t have to cheer me up, but I told you about calling me that. He’s crazy territorial over his property. I’m worried that he’d kill you for such familiarity.” He reaches out and touches my hand. I stand up instantly and quickly step away from the table. I barely get three feet when he grabs my arm and spins me around into his chest and holds me firmly. “Let me go.”
“You deserve someone like me.” He bends his head to kiss me and my palm comes up to strike him. He doesn’t retaliate because he’s being yanked away from me by Fernando, and I’m being dragged backward by Victor. I can’t see him with the way he’s carrying me, but I know his touch, his scent. Shit. I’m in trouble now.
“That you are.”
Shit. I said that out loud. He places me in the back of the SUV and then closes the door behind him. The doors lock and I watch him walk up to Vicente and punch him in the stomach and then in the jaw before coming back toward the SUV. Fernando unlocks it and Victor climbs inside. “Vámonos ala casa.”
The partition comes up, and then I’m in Victor’s lap. “My little Dove, we have a serious problem.” His hand is on my throat and his other on my ass, holding me in place.
“What are you doing here, Victor? Don’t you have your puta to see?” I spit out, feeling the ache in my chest expand.
“Ah, so you know some Spanish.”
“Everyone learns the bad words first. What does it matter? I want to go home. I’d rather live with that piece-of-shit father than with you.” Crack. He pops my ass hard with his hand.
He grabs my hair at the back of my head and tugs my face to meet his. “You’re not fucking going anywhere. I don’t have a mistress. I’m guessing that asshole told you that and you believed that fucker over me. It’s obvious that little fuck wants what’s mine. I’m going to kill him for touching you.” He rips off my panties and then frees himself from his slacks. He barely tests my entrance when he buries his cock completely in me, sliding me down over him. “You are mine. You remember that. I already told you that I wouldn’t betray you. That bastard almost has his lips on you.”
“I tried to fight him off,” I sob, my pain mixed with the pleasure of his hands on me.
“Yes, you did, but he wouldn’t have had the chance if you’d stayed home like you were supposed to.” He grabs my hand that I smacked Vicente with and kisses it gently. “You’re my wife, Dove. That doesn’t change no matter how much you want to leave me. Ay Dios mio. He made you believe his lies about me.”
“It’s not hard given our relationship.”
“And yet you still didn’t fall for his seduction. Why?”
“Am I supposed to fall for every guy that feeds me a line?” His hand comes down on my ass again and my pussy clenches around his shaft, loving the ire in his eyes.
“You will never fall for another. Do you understand?” He thrusts harder into me before his mouth crashes down on mine. Every pump of his hips up into mine drives his message home.
“Yes, Victor.” I want to believe him. Even if he’s faithful, I’m still just his fuck doll. He spanks me again.
“Are you going to come for your husband?”
“I don’t think…”
“Don’t think. Feel, Dove.” I do, and I feel too much. He kisses me hard and then sucks on my nipple through my shirt. I come, clenching around him, and he floods my womb with a roar. “You’re mine. No one is going to take you from me.”
We slow down and pull into the estate. What’s going to happen now? Am I back to my cage?
He helps me straighten my clothes and then tucks his still semi-hard cock back into his slacks. “Behave. I have some work to do t
o deal with this mess.”
He opens the door and steps out, extending his hand. I take it because I don’t want to push him any further. It’s clear he has secrets that he doesn’t want me to know about, but trust is a two-way street and both sides of the street are blocked by endless construction and wall-to-wall traffic. I don’t think we’ll ever get it clear, and it hurts to consider that.
“I’m tired. I’m going to lie down.”
“Go ahead.” He swats my ass as we enter the house.
“Oh my God. I’m so glad you’re okay.” My mother-in-law throws her arms around me. I know she means well and everything, but if she knew the truth, she’d hate me and want me far away from Victor.
“Behave, Dove,” he whispers with a threatening tone only for my ears. He kisses my temple and then leaves.
“Come. I’ll make you some tea. I’d like to talk to you. Don’t worry.” She leads me into the kitchen while Hector stays in the other room.
“Geraldo, can you heat us up some water for tea?”
“Yes, Dona Serrano.” He nods and turns to the stove, preparing the water.
Once he sets the kettle on the burner, he brings out two cups and then begins to cut some lemons. “You’re a saint,” she says.
“Where’s Maria?”
“She’s working in the greenhouse. Things will work themselves out.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll leave you, but if you need anything, just hit the button.” I’ve gotten used to paging them over the past month. Still, right now I don’t want to get any of the staff in trouble.
“Actually, we’re going to take the tea in the garden.” It’s October, but the weather’s still great out.
“Then I will bring it to you.”
“You don’t have to do—” I throw my hand over my mouth and then run to the cabinet and pull out the trash can, releasing my lunch, heaving painfully.
“A wet towel,” my mother-in-law calls out. Seconds later, I’m being walked to the table and helped into a chair.
“Thank you. I don’t know what came over me.”
“I have a feeling,” Maria says, walking into the room, sharing a knowing look with my mother-in-law. “I think you need this.” She hands me a small rectangular box. I’m afraid of the answer. If I am, will Victor believe it’s his? He’s been acting like an asshole for weeks after accusing me of trying to run away.
“Excuse me.” I take the box and walk into the bathroom that’s off the kitchen hallway. I turn the water on to trick myself into peeing and then open the box. Seconds later I’m able to pee on the stick. After washing up, I lift the little stick and the answer is clear as day. I’m pregnant.
It takes five minutes for me to work up the nerve to leave the bathroom. When I do, his mother pulls me into her arms. “Come have some tea. It’s going to be okay. There’s something I should share with you.”
I nod and then we walk out to the garden where Geraldo has set up the tea. I see Hector standing around while playing on his phone. “Don’t worry. He’s just standing guard. Now—there’s something I need to tell you about my past. No one talks about it because it’s not good. My husband and I were an arranged marriage for rights to the vineyard. I was exchanged, traded, but it wasn’t my husband’s wish. He wanted a life that didn’t include staying faithful, and he made sure I knew of all of his affairs. Victor and Hector have six half siblings. They hated what their father did to me and to them, parading women around the boys all the time. Victor promised that he wouldn’t be like his father, but most of it he couldn’t avoid. I know how you two met. I know that he bulldozed through your world and dragged you across the ocean to be his wife, but he’s not his father. His motives are selfish, but they are done because he cares. You can leave, but I don’t think that will stop Victor. He’ll come looking for you across this earth.”
She sees her son with rose-colored glasses as most mothers do, but he doesn’t love me. I’m just a toy for him. I don’t know if my heart can handle that.
13
Victor
I regret having to leave again, but I won’t have that prick try to steal my woman, and in public as well like he has no fear of me. If there weren’t any children around, I would have put a bullet in his head on the spot. His disrespect that everyone in the market witnessed is beyond profoundly fucked up.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with so I can come back and deal with my wife.”
“The guys caught him before he pulled a mile down the road. Not a soul would blame you for that betrayal. His vehicle has been taken back and will be stripped after it’s searched.”
“I wonder if it’s just my wife he was after, or if he’s working for the other families. I’ll get my answers one way or another.”
He nods, turning into our own private road that leads to my meat processing warehouse. I haven’t had to use it in over a year for anything other than livestock, but I suppose it could use a thorough wash and rinse.
Fernando waits in the truck, doing a check of the area while Juan and Marcelino follow me into the secured warehouse. Felipe is standing guard with Vicente tied to a chair waiting for his fate, which I promise is coming soon.
“Oh, what a big man. You had to use your men to get me. Too weak to do it yourself.”
“You’re a bold motherfucker, but why would I waste time dealing with you when I’d rather be balls deep in my wife?” He visibly angers, face red, jaw taut.
“You touched my wife,” I snarl, snatching a handful of his hair and slamming his head backward with a forceful thud. The fact that he put his grimy fingers on my beloved queen pisses me off, and knowing that she would have been mauled by him if I didn’t get there fast enough sends my blood boiling.
“She’s not really your wife. She’s your prisoner. She deserves a better man who won’t treat her like a whore.” This motherfucker has a death wish.
“And you think that’s you?” I ask with a laugh, causing his face to sour. I let go roughly, making his head bounce. I want to rip the fucking thing right off, but I need more from him.
“Dove’s better with me, and she was putty in my arms right now. She can’t wait to escape your cage. You can kill me, but it doesn’t change the truth. You treated her like a prostitute, and that is all you’ll ever be to her. Her John.”
“Don’t talk about my wife like that.” I nod, and my men untie him from the chair, but secure the rope tight against his wrists and hang the braided rope on a large meat hook and slowly begin to hoist him up.
“What are you going to do? I know you’re going to enjoy torturing me. I’m counting on it because you’ll never be worth her.”
“Are you hoping that pissing me off enough will get me to end this faster? No. I want you to suffer. I want the streets to run red with your blood for touching my woman. She’s my queen, and you fed her lies.”
“It’s pathetic how easy it was to pit you two against each other. All I had to do was type in a few key search words and you turned into a raving lunatic, trapping her, locking her up while you went to find out the mysterious Firestarter.”
“It was you?” I make a mental note to have every single one of my men evaluated, phones pulled and given to my forensic tech guy.
“It’s easy when no one’s looking for me. Then all I had to do was treat my Dove with kindness. All it took was some sweet words and she willingly snuck out. I almost had her to myself. The only reason she didn’t submit was because she was afraid that you’d kill her. Besides, everyone knows you’re no better than your father. Soon she’ll live in shame just like your mother.” I punch him in the face, cracking his jaw. He laughs and spits, but it comes out as dribble.
“I’ve had enough.” Pulling out my knife, I slit his wrists and then press the crane button, raising the hook that holds the rope he’s tied to. Slowly he’s lifted as blood runs down his arms and falls to the concrete slab.
“Let’s see how long you take to fall or bleed out.” I wipe my hands and f
ace off with a wet cloth. I turn to my guards on watch. “If he escapes, you die.”
Fernando’s waiting for me. “Where is Dove?”
“At the house with Hector and your mother. They are keeping her close.” He gives me the camera to the house and she’s sitting in the garden with them. The room is surrounded and well protected.
“While you were in there, I received a call from Benedetti’s man Martin. He’d like to speak with you when you have time. He says it’s important.”
“Right now, I need to see Dove. Everything else can wait. In fact, set it up for around midnight when Dove will be sleeping.”
“I will. Do you want me to listen in?”
“Yes.”
As soon as we’re at the house, I slink toward the back and send the guard away. I watch as they talk. Hector’s standing guard at the other side while on his phone. He gives me a slight nod to let me know he’s seen me. Good. I’m glad he’s on his guard. “You can leave, but I don’t think that will stop Victor. He’ll come looking for you across this earth.” My mother is sure the fuck right. There’s no way in hell I’d let her get far.
“Of course, because of the baby. I don’t know how you did it. I’m not that strong. I think it would be better to live without him…”
“I’m back.” She gasps, looking up at me nervously. “Dove, come here.” She shakes her head and sits still, looking scared. “Now.”
She stands, coming to my side meekly. “Excuse us.”
I grab her and cradle her in my arms, carrying her to our bedroom. Once we’re inside, I shut the door and lock it. “Sit.”
She doesn’t. “Damn it, sit the fuck down.” She finally does with her lip trembling. Unable to handle the sadness that I caused her, I drop to my knees in front of her, my hands taking hers. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to fuck you. No. Not anymore. I’d rather never touch you again than for you to leave me, Dove. It would kill me. I know you hate me for forcing you that night, paying for your virginity, but I would gladly do it over and have walked out of there, guns blazing, dropping bodies if it meant that we could make this right between us. I’m not sure what to do to make it right. I look for the words, but I’m not sure that they’ll ever be enough. I wish you wouldn’t hate me for the rest of our lives.”
Stolen Dove: Stolen Hearts Series Page 11
