by Piper Stone
He seemed surprised, his brow lifting. “That we can do, boss.”
“Make certain Carlos’ family is taken care of. Anything they need, and I do mean anything, you will have provided for them.” I knew how close Jorge was with Carlos, both coming up through the ranks together. Loyalty would always be valuable in my organization.
Smiling, he seemed relieved. “I’ll make certain they’re doing just fine. I already have protection for their family.”
“Good. I have some things to take care of. Call me with any information.”
Jorge knew he was being dismissed, backing away almost immediately. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think she has anything to do with Calleja.”
“Why, because she’s beautiful or is it simply because she’s an American?”
He glared at me smugly before rubbing his jaw. “Jesus, boss. Because you and I have both been around women in that position. They may be better liars than men, but they certainly do react when their man is cut down in cold blood. She couldn’t have given a rat’s ass about the bastards we gunned down. And hell, yeah, boss. She’s beautiful but she’s yours. I wouldn’t dare consider touching her.”
While his statement was indeed wise, the last sentence threw me. If one of my own men had already been able to tell I had a weakness with regard to Savannah, it could be easily used against the entire family. I tamped back my anger, nodding several times. “Point taken.”
The moment of tension was unnecessary.
“I’ll get out of your hair, boss. Call me if you need anything.”
“One more thing, Jorge.”
He lifted an eyebrow as he looked at me. “Okay.”
Savannah hadn’t been very forthcoming with who she was. I wasn’t entirely certain I could or wanted to buy she was handling some art gallery for her aunt, although the story was a good one. I had taken a look at her wallet, including her identification. At least I had a name. “See what you can find out about Savannah Tyler. Her driver’s license states she’s from Charleston, South Carolina. She supposedly took over a galleria that had to be near the café I was casing. I need you to find out if that’s the truth, including the person who owns it and if there is any connection to Calleja.”
I was surprised the man actually smiled, his damn eyes twinkling. “You actually like the girl.”
“She means nothing to me, Jorge. Nothing. What does mean something is if she was working for Calleja in any capacity. That’s what I need to know.”
He held up both hands, backing away. “I didn’t mean any disrespect, Mr. Santiago.” He didn’t wait for my reply, moving out of the room with purpose. Jorge always called me by my surname when he knew I was on the edge.
The man was right. I was poised to go over the very precipice.
I concentrated on his footsteps as he walked into the foyer before moving closer to the window. I had to play this very carefully or everything was going to crumble. I refused to allow my family to be hurt by anyone.
Including...
Sighing, I loathed the fact I adored the girl. I hadn’t been able to get her out of my mind since I’d dropped her off the morning after our night together. I’d felt more relaxed and open with her than any other woman I’d been with. The realization had left me craving her, longing to touch and taste her again.
The feel of her heated bottom against my palm had been extraordinary. The way she’d responded the minute I shoved my cock inside her tight little ass had left me breathless. And the fact she’d hungered almost as much only fueled the electricity that had exploded between us. The connection was intense.
The ramifications dangerous.
I took another gulp of my drink, envisioning her face in the throes of passion. When I absently rubbed my fingers across my lips, I had to laugh. My entire family had been openly threatened, the organization under serious attack, and my cock was twitching at the thought of a single woman.
Jorge had a good point, although I’d seen more than one good actress in my time. What I knew is that I could break her. The only question remaining in my mind was how far I was willing to go in doing so.
As I finished my drink, I realized that the only way to make certain Savannah hadn’t been a leak, a mole sent to simply gather information, was to strip her down to the very basics of the woman she was, taking away all her defenses.
And it was time to start.
I slid my glass onto the desk, taking my time to unfasten my holster, placing my weapon on the wooden surface. No one knew where I lived with the exception of my soldiers. At least I could take a certain amount of time necessary to get everything I needed. I’d broken many an enemy during my years, the experiences leaving me with a vile taste in my mouth. However, breaking an enemy was often necessary in order to obtain the truth.
I’d purchased the house almost ten years before, determined to make it a home. As if I was the kind of man to settle down. I realized the entire estate meant little to me. Maybe my brother was lucky, his carefree lifestyle and attitude becoming more appealing every day.
What had attracted me to the gothic and sweeping building dating back to the early nineteen hundreds had little to do with the medieval-style architecture or the acres of land allowing me privacy as well as security. What had fascinated me was the simple fact there’d been a dungeon in the basement, one complete with rusting shackles.
The previous owner had barely mentioned the area in passing, obviously fearful I would refuse to go through with the purchase. However, the lovely older couple hadn’t been the people utilizing the two rooms. I dared to think what the area had been used for decades before. Perhaps one day I should find out.
After a certain level of... renovation, I’d used the area twice out of necessity, the two traitors providing invaluable information.
Savannah would do the same.
I tore off my jacket, rolling up my sleeves as I walked down the long hallway, standing in front of the door leading to the basement for a full two minutes. She’d been in the dark for long enough. Hopefully she was ready to answer some questions.
If not, she would be punished.
As I walked down the stairs, I was forced to face two facts, and both would ultimately haunt me.
The monster still lived within, the beast threatening to surface, something I refused to allow to happen. Not now. Not in this way.
I would discipline her as necessary.
I would protect her against the enemy.
I would keep her as mine.
The second fact was even uglier, something that had never happened before. I’d fallen in love with the lovely American girl who’d snagged my heart and had already begun to fill my ugly, black soul.
Chapter Eleven
Savannah
Fear.
The dark ugliness had crawled inside of me, stripping me of any rational thoughts. I held my hands over my head as I struggled to process what had happened. I couldn’t believe what I’d seen, the horror of several men being shot in front of me. I could still hear the popping of the guns as they’d gone off, the hard thumps as bodies fell.
Shuddering, I rubbed my arms, listening for any sounds, half expecting there to be rats or other creatures slithering on the cold stone floor. There was nothing but a tremendous vacuum. I was Rafael’s prisoner because of what I’d seen.
I couldn’t believe how dangerous he was, the lengths he would go to in order to get his way. I bit back a nervous laugh. I should have followed my instincts, refusing to go to his beach house. Refusing his incredible seduction. Refusing to... want more.
I refused the tears that threatened to come, trying my best to shut down all emotions. I’d been used, but to what purpose? To buy time?
I had no idea what was in store for my future, but one thing was certain. The gorgeous Spaniard with the velveteen voice and chiseled body believed I harbored some kind of information. I was no fool. I’d been around the block enough to realize there were scores of criminal families even in such a beauti
ful country. Mafia.
I’d read the news since my early teens. I’d seen pictures through the years. Organized crime was everywhere. That was the only explanation, the murders an actual hit on some enemy. If Rafael truly believed I’d been a mole, then my life would end quickly.
The murders were too fresh in my mind. I could see the faces, men who didn’t seem like anything but guys out for a good time. A single tear slipped past my lashes, the cold chill turning frigid as it skated down my spine. I was in a foreign country with no one around me who gave a damn that I was missed.
As I heard the clanging of the door, I lifted my head, still shaking from being shoved inside what was nothing more than a... dungeon. I’d actually had a fantasy about a dungeon. Had it been a sick premonition? At least Rafael hadn’t lied. I’d caught a glimpse of the area from the light of the hallway seconds before the damn door had been shut.
What the hell did Rafael think he was going to do to me? Shackle me to the stone wall? Whip me senselessly?
I slid along the craggy stone, moving to a standing position. Whatever punishment the asshole believed he was going to give me I would fight.
I didn’t hear the sound of a switch being flipped but as an ugly light flooded the room, I cringed, the flash blinding. I sensed his presence, the scent of his exotic cologne wafting into the room. I moved closer to the corner, horrified at my surroundings. Shackles of iron had been drilled into the walls, chains hanging from various huge I-bolts. There was even a beam overhead, the attached metal cuffs drawing my attention.
The tall cabinet positioned against the corner of the wall was even more terrifying. I could only imagine what he housed inside.
Rafael walked in, his expression one of anticipation more than anything else. I shifted my gaze in his direction, unable to take my eyes off him. He sighed as he glanced around the room, a snarl curling on his upper lip.
“You have fascinating tastes,” I muttered, glaring at him.
“The location has proven helpful.”
I shook my head, trying to calm my nerves. “I bet. I can just imagine the horrors you partake in.”
Sighing, he looked away. “I keep certain implements here, although I’ve only had a few opportunities to use them.”
“You are a sick fuck, a sadist.”
He walked closer, every step deliberate, his boots somehow thudding against the cracked stone floor. If the fucker wanted to terrify me even more, he was doing a damn good job.
“Yes, I am, Savannah. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be. Now, I would prefer to keep this civil, but if I have to resort to severe punishment, I will.”
I held my breath, trying to control the fear creating goosebumps on almost every inch of skin. How could I have been so wrong about him? I looked away, my head aching. He really thought I’d been at the scene of the... murders for some nefarious reason. I couldn’t get why he thought so. I was nobody, some American chick he just happened to fuck one night.
Wrong place. Wrong time.
And because of that, I was going to lose my life.
“I think you and I need to have a discussion,” he stated calmly, as if I wasn’t standing in the middle of a dungeon.
“I’m not some mole, Rafael. I told you why I was in this country. To take care of my aunt’s art gallery. If you don’t believe me, you can have the location checked. My employee will confirm this.”
He studied me for a solid minute then closed the distance, snapping his hand around my throat. “Sadly, I don’t believe you, at least completely, but I assure you that everything about you is going to be thoroughly checked.”
“If you don’t believe me then why am I still alive?”
He chuckled as he cocked his head. “An excellent question. What do you know about Alviro Calleja?”
I narrowed my eyes, placing one hand on his wrist even as he dug his fingers into my skin. “I don’t have any idea who you are talking about.” I was shocked at his vehemence as he yanked me around, pressing me solidly against the stone.
“Don’t lie to me, little girl. As I told you before, I don’t believe in coincidences. Within two weeks, you ended up in my world not once but three times. I find that disturbing. If you don’t tell me the truth, you won’t like the punishment you receive.”
“Your world?” I huffed, slapping my hands against the wall as I struggled to get out of his powerful hold. “Go ahead and punish me, Rafael. That’s all you seem to understand, forcing people to do what you want. I never lied to you, but you certainly kept who you are a secret from me. You mentioned loyalty and honor. It would seem you have neither. You gunned down innocent people for what? Money? Drugs? Power?”
“You could never understand, sweet and innocent Savannah. My family has made sacrifices, endured significant loss. We do what we need to in order to survive.”
I pushed hard against the stone, the action only shoving me against his sculpted body.
And his throbbing cock.
I was sick at the thought he was aroused, his desire for me off the charts. I was even more disgusted with the longing sweeping up through every muscle in my body, my nipple aching from the hunger betraying my mind. No. No! I couldn’t want him. Not this man.
Not this monster.
“What you needed to. My God, you actually believe the bullshit you’re saying.” I regretted the words as soon as I said them. “I thought for a crazy second that you actually cared about me.”
“I care about no one. Ever. That leads to betrayal.” His retort was hushed, the gravelly whisper as if he had the weight of the world on him.
“You are so damn sad. Whoever you’re pretending to be, you’re going to end up very much alone or dead because of the life you lead.”
I heard the fury building in his ragged breathing, could tell he was close to the edge as he loomed over me. The heat of his body was oppressive, the scent of him far too intoxicating. I took deep breaths as he snarled, his grip tightening around my throat. He wrangled my arms over my head even as I continued to fight him, able to get my wrists in one of his hands. My strength was nearly gone, the adrenaline waning. I was left with nothing but exhaustion settling in.
Still, I struggled even as his grip around my throat tightened. He was going to kill me.
He leaned even closer until he was able to whisper in my ear, finally releasing his hold on my neck. “I am Rafael Santiago, son of Sanchez Santiago, leader of the Galicia mafia organization. I didn’t lie to you in any way, Savannah Tyler of Charleston, South Carolina. I am a very dangerous, sadistic man who will not accept betrayal of any kind. Those men you believe to be so innocent are members of a true gang, the most vile and brutal criminals in Spain. The Los Charlines. Not only was the man they called the Blade ready to abduct you, spending time training you, he would have prepared you to be sold to the highest bidder.” He brushed his fingers down my spine.
Trembling, I heard his words. I knew what he was suggesting, the horrors I could have faced.
I closed my eyes as he crawled his hand down the length of my skirt, rolling the material into his fist. The moment the tip of his finger sliced against my skin, I let out an audible moan, my body now quivering from the building desire. What the hell was happening to me? Why was I so turned on?
“And I assure you, Savannah, the kind of man who would have gladly paid the hundreds of thousands of dollars would have gotten his money’s worth. From. Your. Body.” He pressed his lips against my neck, darting his tongue back and forth. “And when he was finished with you, he would have tossed you in the garbage.”
“Why are you telling me that?” I snapped, my fury reaching the surface. “Why? To feel grateful that you saved me only to be imprisoned by another monster?”
My God, he knew my name and where I was from. I could only guess what else he’d found out. Was my aunt in danger? My friends back home? Could he be that cold and heartless? The answers were even more terrifying. I’d been nothing more than a one-night stand.
<
br /> Even though I’d seen the look of sadness in his eyes. There was no way I could trust him. He was a monster, a cold-blooded killer.
“Because you deserve to know the truth,” he hissed.
“And what you’re doing is any different? You’re going to kill me whether I give you this information you so desperately need or not. Isn’t that true? That’s because you’re a monster.” I dared to ask as his fingers moved dangerously close to my soaked panties. Oh, God. Oh... He was quiet, his movements ceasing even though I could hear the hammering of his heart, was able to gather a scent of his raw need. “Isn’t it?”
“What I’m going to do is exactly what I promised if you do not give me the truth. What is your relationship to Calleja? What were you talking about with those men?”
“I don’t know who this person is you’re talking about. I know two people in this Godforsaken country,” I snapped, my head reeling. “As far as those men. They wanted me to party with them. I thought they were going to attack me just like...” I couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“Either you are one spectacular liar, or you simply have no understanding of how dangerous the world is, Savannah. However, you are going to be punished. Keep your arms over your head. If you move, I will pull out the belt. If you fight me, I will use my whip. Do you understand?”
I was almost paralyzed by his venom. Where had the man gone who’d been almost gentle, sweet in so many ways?
“Do. You?” The harshness of his words reverberated into my ears.
“Yes,” I finally managed, my voice faltering.
“Respect!” he demanded.
“Yes. Sir!” I shot back before sucking in my breath. I planted my hands against the stone, digging in my fingertips until the hint of pain became comforting. I wanted to scream for help but knew there was none coming. I was at his mercy.
I held my breath as he unzipped my skirt, taking his time to slide the soft material over my hips. He seemed to enjoy disrobing me, forcing my feet from the stupid summer shoes I’d refused to leave behind. When he rubbed his palm over my rounded orbs, the wetness in my channel increased. Even my mouth was dry, the anticipation ridiculous.
