by Piper Stone
“What about love?” she struggled as he pressed her hand against my chest. “Don’t you want to fall in love with someone special?”
I rubbed my thumb across her lips, each swipe using more pressure. “There isn’t such a thing as love for a man like me. You should know that by now.”
“What I know is that you’re hiding from the man inside you, Rafael, the one who enjoys quiet nights of music and passion, allowing others to see inside his soul. You forget, you allowed me inside if only for a few hours.”
“A mistake.”
“Oh, I see. You were just using me.”
She allowed the statement to linger, daring me to tell her that she was wrong. When I said nothing, she continued with an edge in her voice.
“What I sense is that you long to share your life with someone, hopefully easing the heavy burden you’ve placed on yourself.” She kept the look in her eyes defiant as she dared to brush her lips across mine, her hand moving until it was over my heart. “What I feel is the desperate hunger you have to let go of your demons.” She moved her lips up and down until I mirrored her action, her fingers pressing hard.
The kiss was gentle, a breathless moment shared between two people who cared, the light touches more satisfying than the roughness I’d used before. I kept my fingers wrapped around her throat. The weight of having her safely in my hands was even heavier than the burden she believed me to be carrying.
She darted her tongue inside only once then moved her hand to my face as she eased back, brushing the tips of her fingers along the length of my scar.
I reacted as I’d done with every woman who’d dared to touch it, snapping my hand around hers and bending her fingers.
Her eyes flew open, the pain on her face instantaneous.
Hissing, I jerked out of the chair, storming toward my desk, slamming the glass on top before planting my fists on the surface. I leaned over, exasperated for all the wrong reasons. “That man is gone, Savannah. He never should have been allowed to see the light of day. That’s a weakness and one others could use at any given time. Why do you think that your life is in danger? I assure you that you were seen. They will track down your true identity just as the people I asked to do so in my organization. They will believe you mean something to me. You have no understanding of how precarious a position I’m in.”
“But I saw him and the joy in his eyes. I’m talking about you as if you are two entirely different people. Good versus evil. Light versus dark.” She kept her words even, the same lilting tone that had indeed brought me joy.
“I already told you what and who I am.”
The words hung in the air, stifling as well as brusque.
“Fine. Then you really are an asshole.”
I laughed bitterly, giving her a nod of respect. “At least we agree on something. Let’s start again. This time you need to answer some questions.”
“Jesus. Even if I knew something about this Calleja person, why would it matter? From what I could tell, you have an army behind you and can simply gun down anyone you choose. Isn’t that the way the mafia handles their business?”
“You have no knowledge of what you’re talking about,” I answered as I walked toward the window. I’d never felt so confined in my life, the staunch reality of this house, the situation was indeed more like a prison.
“Then why don’t you tell me.”
“You are right, Savannah. We are not friends and you certainly don’t work for me.”
“But I am under contract.”
“Yes, you are. However, my business is something you will never ask about again and certainly never learn any of the details of.” I turned to face her. While the coincidences remained troubling, if the woman knew anything that could prove to be helpful, I’d be surprised. Perhaps we were simply both unlucky as hell.
“What now, Rafael? I mean now that I’m your prisoner.”
“We wait.”
She moved to a standing position, folding her arms and keeping her distance. “For what? Some war to begin?”
“For the moment, Savannah.” I was getting antsy, the need to push forward and reclaim the various ports was vital in order to begin shoving the bastards out of all control.
“My aunt’s gallery. I can’t leave it unattended.”
“I’m certain she has help.”
“Why do you think she called me here? I’m all she has and vice versa. The girl working in the shop doesn’t have the codes for the safe. I don’t trust her with making deposits at the freaking weird bank that takes me forever to get to. You know exactly how long I’ve been in town, so I have to do everything, including trying to learn what the hell I’m doing. Now, I’m rambling.” She rubbed her forehead as she started to pace. “By the way. That’s why I was near the restaurant. I made a deposit and was stupid enough to stop at the little market, figuring I could celebrate for selling an actual expensive painting. Stupid. Huh?”
I studied her as I’d done on so many occasions, the exasperation settling into her system based on exhaustion as well as continued fear. The story seemed more plausible every minute. “I will make certain your gallery is taken care of, Savannah. I might be a monster, but as I told you before, I believe in loyalty and it’s obvious that you have a significant amount for your aunt.”
She seemed taken aback, nodding only once before taking a sip of her drink. I hated the fact her hand was shaking.
“Savannah, look—” I took a deep breath hearing the ring of my phone. Seeing Dartanian’s number at least meant certain answers were forthcoming, allowing the plan to move forward. “Stay in this room, Savannah. I need to take this phone call. You know what will happen if you attempt to leave.”
“Why, yes. Sir.”
I took long strides into the hallway, answering on the fourth ring. “What did you find?”
“You need to get out of the house.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I moved just out of earshot, my hackles raised.
“From what I understand, the Civil Guard is on their way to your house.”
The Civil Guard? The gendarmerie were responsible for policing the countryside, often their tactics almost as brutal as some used by organized crime. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Not only did you not manage to take out any of Calleja’s men, but you also didn’t kill Alviro,” Dartanian stated in an exasperated voice.
“Then who the fuck did I kill?”
“The only son of one of the most prominent cabinet ministers and three of his friends. They had absolutely nothing to do with Calleja. There is a warrant for your arrest based on eyewitness accounts.”
The words sank in, the betrayal complete.
With my arrest, all credibility would be lost for our family and Alviro wouldn’t have to bother killing me. I’d receive my own death warrant within twenty-four hours after being placed behind bars, enemies of my family strong in numbers. However, the men who’d followed us were either an undercover group from the Civil Guard or Los Charlines making certain the event went down as they’d planned. Either way, I’d fallen into a trap of my own making. “I want the head of the asshole who informed us of the meeting brought to me on a silver platter. How long?”
“You have maybe thirty minutes. I have a full protection detail on Gilly and the family as well. So far, there doesn’t seem to be any breach in security.”
“It’s coming and I want to know the minute it occurs.” I made mental note if there was anything I needed as I stormed into the kitchen, quickly grabbing the keys to one of the vehicles in the garage.
“Will do.”
I moved quickly to the office to within several inches of her. “I’ll call you when I land.”
“Where are you going?”
“A safe house.” The key words were enough for my brother to know exactly what I meant, although I dared not risk which safe house I had in mind. While our phones were all secure, given what had happened in the last twenty-four hours, I refused to
take any chances.
“Are you taking the woman with you?”
The question was one I’d expected, albeit not this soon. “That’s not for you to question.”
“You should know that word already on the street is that Alviro is well aware of what happened to Peron as well the Blade. Rumor has it that the very same woman you protected was at the recent restaurant scene. I would be mindful of the company you keep, brother. I assure you that she will be used against you if she isn’t actually one of them.”
“I’ll take that chance, Dartanian.” Who was he to chastise my behavior?
As I ended the call, I thought about what I’d said to Jorge earlier as well as my brother’s statement. Savannah had more than one target on her back, Alviro stopping at nothing to get to me. For good or bad, Savannah did mean something to me.
She meant the ability to have a life.
Chapter Thirteen
Rafael
Life.
I felt as if I was running for my life for the first time.
“What’s going on?” she asked, her face pensive.
“Get your shoes. We’re leaving.”
“What do you mean we’re leaving?” Savannah inched closer, darting her eyes back and forth.
“Do not argue with me. Now!”
Within three minutes, we were in the car, the engine started. As I roared just underneath the slowly opening garage door, she gripped the dashboard with one hand as she snapped the seatbelt tightly with the other. I pressed my foot on the accelerator, darting a glance into the rearview mirror to make certain the door was in the process of closing.
I knew every back road leading away from my estate to almost any other location within the country. I’d charted the avenues used by the Civil Guard as well as well as the CNP, the entity who policed the more urban areas. There were five safe houses within our family’s establishments, some more substantial than others. I was taking a gamble by going to one close to A Coruna but given the recent information regarding knowledge about Peron’s death, I felt it was one worth taking.
Alviro was still a creature of habit and I should have read all the signs. His joy of playing games was legendary but tipping off the police was way beyond his usual scope. That meant he was running scared of losing everything.
I had my hands tightly wrapped around the steering wheel, maneuvering the Ferrari as if required to corner on rails. This was my favorite vehicle, one that had been with me since I’d learned to drive. It was also off the radar, no longer registered on any of the local information boards.
I floored the engine the second I sped out of the long driveway, shifting quickly until I was shooting down the curvy road in excess of eighty miles per hour. I could see the flashing lights of at least six fucking cop cars careening around the final curve leading toward my estate. We’d missed them by less than four minutes.
“Jesus Christ. Can you slow down?” she asked, her firm grip remaining.
“Stay buckled in, sweetheart. You’re in for more than just a bumpy ride.” I roared around another curve, passing two more Civil Guard vehicles coming from the opposite direction. “Fuck.”
“Is that the fucking cops?” she asked as she snapped her head over her shoulder.
“Yep. It would seem that I’ve been set up.” I watched in the rearview as both cars attempted to slow, both skidding given the dangerous road conditions. There were dozens of horrific wrecks a year, the majority with zero clue about the unforgiving sharp curves. They would also have a difficult time turning around easily, but by now, they’d already radioed the other cars.
“By who?”
I snickered and took a sharp turn then another, the Ferrari’s tires holding steady. “That’s what I’m going to find out.” As the car flew over a hill, going airborne for a few seconds, a slight moan escaped her lips.
She remained quiet for several minutes while I attempted to get us the hell away from yet another round of danger. I refused to be arrested.
“This is all about the men you killed, isn’t it? This enemy of yours is doing this.”
I laughed softly. “Very astute, Savannah. Since you’re such a smart girl, I’m certain you know what would happen if I were thrown in our prison system.”
She turned her head in my direction yet said nothing.
I was fortunate the guards weren’t trained in the manner of driving that I’d been. After thirty minutes, I was certain I’d managed to lose them.
For now.
The shit was getting messier.
I glanced at the clock over an hour later, surprised she’d remained quiet for such a long period of time.
The first light of morning wasn’t what I wanted to see, preferring the shroud of darkness to help in getting to safe ground.
“Where are we going?” Savannah finally asked.
“To a safe location.”
“Is there anywhere safe any longer, Rafael?”
I could feel the heat of her gaze, heard the raggedness of her tone. She had no comfort or trust, no ability to grasp onto anything that was happening.
“Yes, there is, Savannah. You just have to trust me.”
“Trust. I can’t even trust myself at this point. I obviously lost a portion of my mind.” She stared out the window, finally sinking further into the seat.
“You must try. There will be things you see and experience, even news that you might hear that will trouble you.”
She laughed softly. “Even more so than now?”
“Without a doubt. However, you must know that I never intended on harming anyone innocent.” I meant the words, troubled by having gunned down a young man likely in the prime of his life. The ruse had been planned well, the descriptions of the Capos well known. Hell, I’d seen them clearly through the glass window of the restaurant. Their close resemblance was uncanny. Or maybe the documentation providing pictures of the three men had been doctored. If that was the case, the betrayal went exceedingly high on the food chain.
The single call I’d made to Jorge had provided enough instructions I could remain on lockdown for at least twelve hours. I’d resisted the urge to rip him a new asshole for divulging anything about Savannah. Tensions were already far too high at this point. At least I could be assured every port had increased security, the ships also on lockdown. There would be nothing coming in or out until I gave my say.
“The men outside the restaurant?” she asked.
Sighing, while telling her anything wasn’t my intention, she deserved to know why we were running. “Yes. Evidently, they had nothing to do with the particular organization leader I believed was in the location.”
“I believe you,” she said quietly, even going as far as reaching over and stroking my leg.
The gentle touch was far too giving, the gesture almost putting aside the fact that the murders had happened. She still had no full understanding of the bastard I truly was. At some point, the bubble would be broken, her assessment of me locked into concrete. Even so, I would still protect her with my life.
While I’d managed to evade the various policia cars, there were likely dozens dispatched to search within a fifty-mile radius if not more. Catching a member of the Santiago family was worth pushing every boundary.
With only five miles to go, we stood a chance of making it to the safe house without incident. I’d told her nothing except we were leaving. There’s been no time for anything, including shutting down the house. I was certain the policia had gained access and would toss everything. At least I never mixed business with pleasure, anything regarding the business at a separate location also off the radar. The worst discovery would be computer and recent searches.
However, that was no smoking gun, not that they needed real evidence for an indictment.
I slowed as I approached the house, finally pulling the car into a bank of trees almost two hundred yards away and cutting the engine. The only sign indicating the location of the house was a single fluorescent square on the road. Thankf
ully, I knew the place by heart. By design, there was absolutely no way to see the house from the road. Total anonymity could save our lives.
“Here?” she asked as she leaned forward.
“We walk the rest of the way. Come on. You’re going to take my hand and remain quiet. Is that clear?”
She narrowed her eyes but nodded before easing out of the car.
I pulled the gun from my holster, checking the ammo before climbing out. There was no sign that anyone had been here for months. Even the caretaker of the place was cognizant of the reason he was paid very well for his duties, making certain the pathway leading in was all but invisible. If he’d done his job, the location was stocked with food and drink, even clothing in case the house was required to protect one of our own.
Male or female.
I took her hand, leading her even deeper into the forest, my memories kicking in. It had been almost a year since I’d been here, coming to regroup after Javier’s death. Everything looked much the same. I felt a sharp tug in my heart as we drew near, the closeness I’d felt to my brother strongest in the small house by the sea.
The place he’d dreamed of retiring to.
The moment I caught a glimpse of the roof, I placed my finger in front of my lips, shaking my head before whispering into her ear. “Stay here, and I’m serious about this, Savannah. Do not venture off. I will make certain we are alone.”
She nodded, all the while studying the oversized trees, the shadows that remained even after morning had dawned. I crept through the forest, moving slowly and without so much as a sound, standing on the outskirts in order to make certain there was no one visible. I kept low to the ground as I walked the perimeter. There were no signs of a breach of any kind, no footprints either. I moved in through the back of the house, cutting the security system then carefully checking every room and window for signs of an intrusion. Being cautious had kept me alive on several occasions. I would be forced to evaluate just how long we could stay in this location.
