The Cartel King: A Captive Mafia Romance

by Bella King

  Rey flashes a smile, pulling open the back door of the Mustang with a confident grip.

  I should be ashamed, but I’m not.

  Rey buries his upper half into the back of the car, coming out a few moments later with an armful of firewood. “Take this,” he says.

  Before I have the chance to protest, he drops the heavy load in my arms and turns back around. “Ugh,” I say, adjusting the rough logs in my grip. “What am I supposed to do with these?”

  “Take them to a good spot, not too far from the car, and we’ll make a fire,” he replies.

  I squint in the darkness. I’m not going to stray far from the car in the Texas desert. It’s dangerous out here at night. I’ve seen news about grown men being hunted down by wild animals and eaten. It’s no joke.

  I walk a few feet away from Rey and look for a place to set the firewood down. Most of the area has too many thorny plants, but I find a clearing about two yards away from the Mustang. I drop the logs into the dry soil and turn back to Rey.

  “Is this fine?” I ask.

  He turns around with the empty gas canister in his hand. “Oh, yes. That’s perfect.” He shuts the back door of the car and walks over to me, his shoulders swinging with a dominant swagger. He looks even bigger now that it’s dark, and I hate to admit that it gives me a tingling sensation between my legs again.

  I watch as Rey arranges the haphazard pile of wood in a way that allows airflow, putting the smallest pieces in a nook at the bottom of the pile. Everything he does, he does with mastery. I’m amazed by how much he knows, but then again, he’s a whole heck of a lot older than me.

  “Stand back,” he cautions, pouring the last drizzle of gasoline over the wood and holding me back with an outstretched arm. “I don’t want you to get burned.”

  That’s nice of him, but I think I can handle myself.

  I jump back as he lights a match and drops it onto the wood, setting it ablaze in an instant. I can smell the burning gasoline in the air, and the fumes hit my lungs hard, causing me to cough and step further back.

  “I’m going to let this burn through the night, but it should be out by morning,” Rey says. “It’ll keep the wild animals away.”

  At the mention of wild animals, I step closer to the fire. It’s chilly outside, even though it was so hot during the day. The Texas desert doesn’t hold heat well after the sun goes down. It evaporates into the night air like moister does under the heat of the day.

  Rey gazes into the fire with me for a moment, his pale blue eyes now orange from the flames. He looks like a wild animal, primal and hungry. It should scare me, and it does, but it also arouses something deep within me.

  I jump when he suddenly looks my way.

  “I’m going to have to tie you up tonight,” Rey says.

  “W-what?” I stammer, not sure if I heard him right.

  “I don’t want you running off anywhere,” he clarifies.

  I frown. “Really? My hands almost fell off the last time you did that.”

  “I won’t tie it so tight this time, but I’m not risking you escaping.”

  “You think I’ll run to the police?”

  “I think you’ll die.”

  “Then why do you think I would try to run? I’m not keen on being eaten by wild animals.”

  He chuckles. “Because you’re stupid.”

  “How dare you,” I reply, surprised that he would say that to me after what happened between us in the car. I guess I can’t trust a cartel boss ever to be kind.

  Rey ignores my offended expression, returning to the car and pulling out the plastic tubing again. I can’t believe that he thinks I’d run off into the desert at night to be eaten, but I’m not in any position to argue with him. Besides, at this point, it’s probably safer to be tied up with him than anything else. Something could still try to snatch me and drag me off into the night.

  Just like Rey did.

  “Come over here, and we can get you secured,” Rey says, as though he’s doing me a favor.

  I don’t resist. There’s no point, and I’m too tired to care at this point, and I trust that he’s not going to kill me. He really does just want to keep me safe and keep an eye on me. He’s proven that so far.

  Rey takes my hands and ties them together with the tubing, but he’s gentler this time around. His rough hands linger on my skin as he touches me, sending little jolts of excitement through my body. I don’t want to enjoy this, but my body is singing a different tune than my brain is.

  “There,” he says, looking up into my eyes once he finishes. His iris glow in the light of the fire, and for the first time, I see the softness inside of him. I never knew a man like Rey could have softness, but it’s there. I know it.

  He pulls his hands back slowly, as though he doesn’t want to let go of me. His eyes remain fixed on mine, but he doesn’t say a word as he steps back, holding the tube attached to my wrists like a leash.

  He pauses, staring me down until I get too shy and look away. Then, he wraps the tube around his own wrist, binding us together for the night.

  I don’t mind it so much now. I actually feel safer this way. Nothing out here is going to mess with a man as big and powerful as Rey.

  “The sleeping bag is in the back,” Rey says, tugging his end of the tube and leading me back to the car.

  “Are you sleeping in there?” I ask, peering in as he grabs the rolled bag from the foot space. “It’s kind of small.”

  “We’re sleeping by the fire,” he replies, tossing me the bag. “Lay this out.”

  “I mean, we could always sleep in the car.”

  “No,” he replies flatly.

  “You don’t trust me?” I ask as I unfurl the sleeping bag.

  “Not in the least,” he replies.

  I roll my eyes, throwing the bag close to the fire. “Well, I don’t trust you either.”

  “You shouldn’t,” he says, untying the tube from his wrist.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting comfortable.” He lets the tub fall the ground, then pulls his shirt over his head, revealing a well-muscled and tattooed torso. His abs jut from his stomach, and one of his nipples has a small silver bar through it.

  I shiver, but I can’t tell if it’s from the cold or from seeing his partial nudity. I follow the tattoos down from his stomach to his low-rise jeans. They don’t end. Instead, the black ink trails down to the bulge between his legs. I wonder just how far down the tattoos go.

  His thumbs slide into the hips of his jeans, and he pulls them down with a firm tug. My eyes are locked to his movements, unable to look away from his body as he reveals it to me. I’ve already gone too far, sinned too much, but for some reason, I can’t stop. I want more.

  “There,” Rey says, picking up his end of the tube and tying it back to his wrist. “Much better, wouldn’t you say?”

  I ogle at the bulge in his underwear. It’s enormous, but I already knew that. Now, I can see more of it – the thick outline of his cock, and the heaviness of his balls. I’m drawn to it, even though I swore I would never even look at a man’s penis until I was married.

  “Care to join me?” Rey asks, stepping toward the sleeping bag next to the fire.

  “Uh, what?” I ask, looking up at his eyes before I get myself into trouble.

  “It’s going to get colder. You should join me in the sleeping bag,” he suggests.

  “That sounds dangerous,” I say, reluctant to get so close to him when he’s so naked.

  He shrugs. “I don’t know about you, but I’d like to get some sleep. I don’t see what’s so dangerous about that.”

  I plant my hands on my hips. “You see, that’s the thing. I don’t know if I can believe you.”

  “Do you want to find out?” He slips into the bag, patting the narrow space beside him. There isn’t much room for me, and I would be pressed rather close against his body, but it would be better than sleeping out in the open.

  I shiver again.
/>   Fuck it.

  “Alright,” I say, stepping toward him and letting my arms swing down by my sides. “But keep your hands to yourself.”

  “That might be kind of hard,” he replies, shifting to make more room for me in the bag.

  “No, it shouldn’t be,” I say flatly.

  He chuckles. “Just don’t freak out if I touch you. This bag is only meant for one person.”

  “You should sleep on the ground then,” I reply.

  He raises an eyebrow. “You’re not the one who makes the rules, remember? I’m the boss.”

  I bend down, intending to slide into the sleeping bag with him, but he holds out a stiff arm to stop me.

  “Not so fast,” he says.

  I stand up straight. “What is it this time?”

  “Clothes off,” he says, flicking a finger through the air at me.

  “I’m not getting naked.”

  “Just the shirt and shorts, dear. You’re filthy.”

  “I’m sure you’re used to that,” I reply in the snarkiest tone I can muster.

  He smirks. “I’m used to being filthy with women like you, but that happens when we’re both naked.”

  “You’re so perverted,” I say, shaking my head at him as I unbutton my shorts.

  “Yes. Yes, I am,” he replies with confidence.

  I’m not going to draw this evening out any longer by debating whether I should keep my clothes on. It’s not a big deal that he sees me in my underwear. It’s basically the same thing as a bikini, and I’ve worn that plenty of times.

  Still, I’m shaken by the hungry look in his eyes as I shimmy my shorts to the ground, standing a foot away from him in my panties. I can already see a bump in the sleeping bag, sticking up between his legs, warning me about what might happen if I get in with him.

  Maybe I’m too tired to care, or perhaps it’s because I know that a man with as much history as Rey can’t judge me for doing this, but I go along with him. I remove my shirt, standing in just a bra and panties as I wait to be invited into the sleeping bag again.

  My hands instinctively go for the clasp in the back of my bra, even though I don’t intend to take it off. I even unhook one of the clasps before I stop myself. Unfortunately, this excites Rey, and he can’t stop himself from chiming in.

  “Woah, putting on a show for me?” he asks as I jerk my hands away from my bra.

  “No,” I blurt defensively.

  “Don’t let me interrupt you. You can remove the bra,” he says, a cocky grin stretching across his face.

  Ugh, he thinks I’m doing this for him. He believes that I’m trying to be sexy for him, but dammit, I just want to go to sleep. My bra is halfway unhooked, and I’m standing in front of him in my panties for him to enjoy. This isn’t how I wanted things to go.

  “You know what? Fine,” I say, unhooking the final clasps on the back of my bra and shrugging it off. I drop it in the sand beside my shorts. My breasts meet with the cold night air, and my nipples grow stiff immediately.

  “Damn,” Rey says, staring at my tits like he’s never seen a pair before in his life.

  “Are you done?” I ask, planting my hands on my hips.

  “Not yet,” he says, his eyes wide with delight. “Maybe do a little bounce for me.”

  I cross my hands over my breasts, hiding them from his view. He’s seen enough of me already, and I just want to go to sleep. At this point, I’ll lie down in the sand and sleep there if he doesn’t hurry up and let me into the sleeping bag with him.

  Rey takes his time letting me in, his eyes moving over my body with delight as I stand by the fire, waiting. The seconds move by slower than cold syrup, eroding my dignity. I keep my arms crossed over my breasts, but that doesn’t stop his eyes from fixating on my panties, eyeing the place he touched in the car.

  God, I let this monster of a man touch me there. What the hell was I thinking?

  Well, I wasn’t thinking. That’s just it.

  “I’m starting to like you,” Rey finally says, pulling back the edge of the sleeping bag to finally let me in.

  “Don’t,” I grumble, clambering in beside him. As I slip in beside him, his masculine scent fills my nose. He smells like tobacco and leather, with a hint of sweat. I’ll admit that it’s relaxing, like diving into a lavender bath after a long day.

  “Move over,” I say, using my elbows to gain adequate space. He’s way too close to me.

  “Ouch! Stop elbowing me,” he says, pushing my arms away and trying to scoot closer.

  “Then get out of my way,” I say, turning over so that my back is facing him.

  He turns to spoon me and places an arm over my side, the weight of it acting as a trigger for my relaxation. I relax into his touch, allowing him to keep his arm over me. It’s so warm and so comforting, even if it’s coming from a cartel boss.

  Rey pulls me closer to him and presses his chest into my back. It’s hot, radiating with pleasant energy. As long as he doesn’t reach around and try to touch my breasts, I’ll let him spoon me. It’s for warmth and nothing else.

  I fall asleep quickly, cuddled up with the man of my nightmares by the fire in the middle of the desert. We have a long journey ahead of us, and there has already been so much that has happened.

  Tonight, we rest.

  Tomorrow, we continue onward.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Eddy

  If that drug smuggling sonofabitch thinks he can kidnap a woman from my town without facing dire consequences, he’s dead wrong.

  I expected Marybeth to run late, seeing as I only gave her fifteen minutes for her break, but when she didn’t return at all, I knew something was up. She couldn’t have been so angry at me that she quit. But after seeing the news, I know what happened.

  El Rey del Desierto has kidnapped my woman, and I’ll be damned if I don’t blow his fucking head off for it.

  I load six shells full of buckshot into my shotgun, putting one in the chamber with a satisfying pump of the black plastic fore-end. Sheriff Wesley says it’s not safe for bounty hunters to go after Rey, but I’m no bounty hunter. I’m a goddamn hero.

  My mission is simple – kill the Desert King, and rescue Marybeth. Maybe then she’ll see sense in getting back together with me. I might just get my dick wet in the process, too, if I’m lucky. She may have turned me down before, but when I’m the hero, it’ll be impossible for her to say no.

  I glance at the television, reruns of the news looping scenes of Rey’s red Mustang from security cameras at the corner store over and over again. I can clearly see Marybeth getting out of the car and going inside the shop, no doubt forced by Rey to do so. That bastard has no respect for women.

  My face grows hot with jealous rage at the thought of what he may have already done to Marybeth. I can’t stand to think about his grimy hands touching the body that belongs to me. I can’t stomach the image of her pure body taken by such a terrible man.

  I won’t let anyone touch her, even if she wants it. She’s careless and silly, but she’ll come around once I save her. She’ll realize that she made a huge mistake when she broke up with me.

  I sling the shotgun over my shoulder and grab the pistol from my bedside table, shoving it into the front of my jeans. Without even turning to TV off, I leave the house, barging out into the front lawn as the sun begins to rise.

  My truck hums in the driveway, waiting where I left it with the engine still running. I’ve been all over town, even going so far as to break into Marybeth’s house to see if there was any evidence there, but I’ve come up empty-handed. The best I can do is keep an ear to the radio and a foot on the gas in the direction they were last seen going.

  I hop into the seat of my truck, laying my rifle down on the passenger’s seat where Marybeth used to ride while we were dating. The funny thing is, I don’t think anyone else has been in the seat since.

  The truck rolls backward down the driveway, crunching over the loose pebbles that have infiltrated my unkempt drivewa
y. It’s a pain in the ass cleaning this thing since my pops died. He used to do it, but I frankly don’t give a rat’s ass about maintaining the place.

  Marybeth used to bitch about how messy everything was, but that’s just how women are. My mom would nag me too when I was little, but she passed years before my pops did. I ain’t got nobody now, and in a fucked up way, I like it.

  The news on the radio is still looping the same junk they have since yesterday, so I switch to the country station as I pull out into the road.

  The heavy twang of lonely Texas guitars fills the cabin, drowning out most of the thoughts in my head, but not all of them. I’m still worried about what Rey has done to Marybeth. I don’t think we could still be together if he’s already touched her like that. I wouldn’t take a dirty woman.

  I drive faster than I should, racing down the narrow neighborhood streets until I’m on the open roads. I roll down a window, letting the air mix with the negative emotions that have filled me to the brim. My stomach is twisted up so tight that I can’t relax my abs, and my shoulders are so tight that they nearly touch my ears.

  I reach over to the glovebox, popping it open and pulling out a small flask. I need to take the edge off.

  The lukewarm liquid burns my lips as I tilt the flask. Nobody else is on the road, so there’s no risk. I wouldn’t care anyway. I don’t give a fuck about other people, aside from Marybeth. She might not know it, but I still care about her.

  I cough, a thin spray of brown liquid splattering across my windshield. I forgot how strong this shit was. It burns my throat worse than when I got pepper-sprayed at the police academy. Life would’ve been easier if I had been able to land a job as a cop, but they denied me after I showed up drunk.

  At least the drive-in doesn’t care how much I drink, as long as I get the job done. We barely have any customers, anyway.

  I recap the flask and return it to the glovebox, retrieving a pack of cigarettes instead. I’ve been trying to quit, but I keep coming back to them when I’m stressed out and now is one of those occasions. I’m throwing caution to the wind.