Just as he slammed into her one last time, releasing his tight grip on her neck and forcing a shattering orgasm from her, he lowered his lips and growled into her ear, “Mi esposa. Hasta la muerte.”
My wife. Until death.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“She’s planning something.”
Mateo had asked for this meeting. Was giving Sotza a complete picture of Vee’s movements for the week. Since meeting Vee in person, getting to know her intelligence and cunning, Mateo had more respect for her. Was more willing to babysit a woman. It certainly didn’t hurt that her daughter was a stunning, younger version. And the two women spent a lot of time together.
“Explain,” Sotza said, sitting back in his chair and watching the younger man coldly.
Mateo didn’t sit. He rarely sat down unless invited to dinner at the main house. He was energetic, athletic and driven. Sotza suspected he also wasn’t conformable enough to settle easily around his boss. Sotza didn’t have a problem with his subordinates feeling ill at ease around him. It indicated healthy respect.
“She’s watching the security rotations with more than passing interest and asking questions.”
“That is her right as my wife and mistress of my property. If she were to see a fault in my security I would expect corrective action to be taken immediately.” Sotza placed a hand on the desk. The one with his wedding band.
Mateo’s eyes flickered to the plain gold band. He pushed forward, despite the subtle warning. “No, she’s not complaining about security. She’s filing the information away in that sharp brain of hers. She’s definitely planning something, and I don’t like it.”
Sotza watched the other man, silently thinking over his words. “You want me to put a leash on my wife?” His tone was quiet, pleasant almost. Deadly.
To Mateo’s credit he didn’t flinch. Though he’d heard that tone many times. Usually as Sotza was explaining something to the person sitting under his knife. “No, Señor Sotza. I would not suggest such a thing.”
“I didn’t think so,” Sotza said, satisfied. “You may go back to work now.” Mateo nodded sharply, turned on his heel and strode to the door. Sotza’s voice stopped him. “And Mateo?”
“Si, Señor?”
“You will continue to attend to my wife. Catalogue her movements, but do not interfere. No matter what. Am I understood?”
“Of course, Señor.” Mateo left the office. Likely more confused and annoyed about the situation than he had been. It amused Sotza to fuck with his second-in-command a little. The man was arrogant, cocky, sure of his skills. While his attitude had been well earned under Sotza’s regime, it still wouldn’t hurt the man to get knocked down a peg. And Sotza needed to play this situation carefully.
Sotza was in love with his wife. It was unexpected. It was uncomfortable, inconvenient, aggravating, exhilarating. He had sensed from their very first meeting that they would be compatible, both physically and practically. Vee was a sharp woman and brutal in her own right. She didn’t realize it, but she was the eye of the storm. Everything whirled around her, chaotic and elemental, eventually crashing down to land at her feet. She demanded the chaos bow to her, and it did.
She was beautiful in a way she didn’t perceive. Yes, she understood her physical allure, her sexiness, and she used it to draw people in like flies to honey. But she couldn’t possibly understand how intoxicating her idealistic innocence was to the dark world she inhabited, to Sotza. For a thirty-seven-year old woman with several lifetimes worth of experience, she was innocent to so many things. She was intelligent, she operated in the underworld with relative ease, could hold her own, yet she still held onto that purity. Whether she realized it or not, she wanted the world to be a better place and she took action to push it in that direction. As his wife, he wanted to preserve this characteristic, nurture it, bask in the essence of something he’d been forced to lose as a child, maybe never had.
Vee pardoned people that shouldn’t be pardoned, giving them free passes when they fucked up. She was protective of the people that drifted into her circle. She wasn’t just mother to Raina, she was mother to all that she deemed worthy. She loved and protected. She listened with her ears and her heart.
It was gratifying that she tried to step up with him, bold that she wanted to watch him at work. But also, it made him a little happy that she wasn’t as bloodthirsty as he. It made her softer, more feminine. Alluring. Made him want her even more. His mistake, letting her come with him to deal with John. A mistake he wouldn’t repeat.
Now it was up to Sotza to protect the things he loved about his wife. She thought he was trying to force her into the shadows, to force her obedience with his heavy handedness. And, in a way he was. He needed her to listen and obey no matter the situation. It was the only way to protect the precious woman she’d somehow managed to preserve through decades of abuse. She couldn’t shine until she was free to do it without obstacles. And one of those obstacles was Vee herself. If she couldn’t settle into the structured, brutal and demanding lifestyle that came with standing at Sotza’s side, then he would have to keep her locked up, away from the world. A pity. Someone like Vee should always stand in the sun.
During the days she coldly ignored him. She would attend meals with him, speak when spoken to, but she refused to extend to him the warmth she showed others. Her attitude amused him and assured him that his rough handling hadn’t broken the part of her he wished to protect, that fiery independence, the softness that allowed her feelings to be hurt by his actions. Sotza was nothing if not patient. He’d learned over his years of leadership that quiet patience would lure his prey to him, rather than send them running into hiding. Not that he minded chasing Vee back in Miami, but now was the time to let her find her way to him.
She still had free reign of the house and grounds so she spent her time exploring, spending time with Raina and getting to know his staff. He was aware she had the ulterior motive of trying to find out his security rotations. Sotza trusted his people. They were flawless when it came to security.
Sotza spent the next week waging a campaign of dominance over her body, proving to her that he was her master. At first, she tried to resist, tried to push him away, but the more he pushed back, the more he loved her body with erotic violence, the more she fell victim to his advances. He would purposely disconcert her, cornering her in some part of the house, sometimes a room that was more public than she was comfortable with. He would shove her against a wall, bend her over a table, whatever his imagination decided, and he would fuck her. Sometimes hard, when she resisted, and other times leisurely, teasing her, bringing her senses alive before fulfilling them both.
Each evening, as she was getting ready for sleep, Sotza would come to their bed. After the first night, she stopped trying to deny him. There was no point. He always won the fight, by sheer physical strength and by mental fortitude. He wanted to own her, show her that every part of her belonged to him, even the heart she tried so hard to shield from him. He’d proved it the first night after John’s death, and every night since, ruthlessly bringing her body alive under his touch. Forcing the words he wanted to hear past her lips.
Some might say his coercive methods wouldn’t work. That what his wife said in the throes of passion meant nothing. Sotza considered what he was doing to Vee in the same light as torture. Sure, what the victim said while under duress could mean anything. Any person would lie under extreme circumstances. But Sotza looked beyond the words. He looked into the eyes and hearts of his victims and pulled the truth from them. More importantly, they saw the truth for themselves. Eventually, when left to linger on the matter long enough. Vee had shortened John’s life considerably more than Sotza had intended. He would have kept the man alive long enough to allow him to recognize his errors in life. Long enough to make peace with his God. But she was soft. And kind. She didn’t understand the necessity of pain as truth.
It was his intention to show her the way to truth between them. He would b
reak her down until he conquered her, owned her. Mind, body and soul.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Vee.” His deep voice disturbed her thoughts and stopped her in midstride. She turned slowly on the spot, mentally preparing herself for the coming confrontation.
She was walking through the gardens, searching for Raina who seemed to love the hedge maze. Vee didn’t see the appeal, she kept hitting dead ends which frustrated her almost to the point of wanting to burn the damn thing down. Vee was too no-nonsense for something as whimsical as a garden maze. While she could understand the visual appeal, she hated wasting her time. Which she did every time she went into the damn thing. A part of this garden, especially the maze, called to Raina. She spent hours sitting among the shrubbery, thinking and writing. Sometimes Vee sat with her, quietly observing while Raina did her thing. Sometimes they would walk and talk.
Her heels clicked on the paving stones as she wandered through, lost for the most part, searching for her daughter. Somehow she’d either stumbled on Sotza or he’d known exactly where to find her. She suspected it was the latter. The man was incredibly good at always knowing precisely where to find her and sneaking up on her. She gave him a pointed look, refusing to speak.
As she much as she thrilled at his touch, the truth of their relationship was hammered home, again and again. Each time he cornered her, fucked her, brought her body alive against her will. She was not his equal, and she never would be.
“Walk with me,” he said. His eyes took on a warm glow as they slipped over her body, taking in her neat white blouse, buttoned right up her neck with a little ruffle around the top, her grey satin pencil skirt and high heels.
Sotza was more casual at home. Dress pants, button up shirt with the top few buttons undone and sleeves rolled up. He wore a vest too. And though it was a little old-fashioned, it looked mouth-wateringly good on him. It highlighted his lean frame. He looked good to her. He always looked good though.
“Do I have a choice?” she asked coldly.
“You always have a choice, Vee.” He stepped up toward her. “But, as you have learned, your choice will inform my subsequent action.”
“You’re a bastard.” But she allowed him to take her arm.
He ignored her provocativeness. “I want to show you something.”
“Is it a severed head?” she asked sarcastically. “Because I’d rather wait until lunch has settled.”
As if she hadn’t spoken, he led her leisurely through the maze, like they were simply a couple, out for a simple stroll in the estate gardens. Vee forced some of the tension from her shoulders and relaxed, at least as much as she could while in Sotza’s presence. She inhaled the fragrant scent of the greenery, intermingled with the perfume of the flowers. It was impossible to resist the allure of his garden, to remain angry while she was in the presence of such beauty.
“Why did you have this garden built?” A bit of warmth infused her words. “It doesn’t serve a purpose. Unless you force your victims to try to get through the damn maze as a form of torture.”
He chuckled and shifted his hand from her arm to slide it across her back, resting his palm just above the curve of her ass. He reached for her with his other hand, holding her hand in a light grip. The move was almost romantic or would have been had she trusted him.
“I didn’t build the garden, my father did. But I maintained it and expanded. I had the maze added to the grounds about twenty years ago. It’s relaxing to come to such a place when my thoughts are chaotic. I feel more at peace here than most places.” He led them toward what she thought must be the center of the maze.
“It’s magnificent,” she admitted hesitantly.
“But?” he prodded.
She sighed and shrugged a shoulder. “I keep getting lost.”
He smiled down at her as they took the last turn. They were in the middle of the maze. There was a bench and the hedges had been allowed to grow as tall as trees. Vee thought it looked ominous and didn’t enjoy spending time in that section, even with Raina.
“I’ve been here before,” Vee pointed out.
Sotza didn’t respond and she began to wonder if he brought her to the middle of the maze so they might have a secluded moment for him to continue his campaign of dominance over her. She stopped walking, eyeing the bench with trepidation. There was no chance she wanted to fuck around out there, in the cool mountain air where anyone could stumble upon them. If that was his intention then he was about to be sorely disabused, via a heel stabbed into the centre of his foot.
“Sotza…” she said warningly. He didn’t say a word, just held her hand and led her toward the far corner of the section they were standing in. She shivered and squinted as shadows embraced them. “What are you doing? It looks like spiders might live back there. I don’t like spiders.”
His chuckle of amusement ran through her like warm spicy rum. It felt good, comforting and incredibly sexy. Though it’d been well over a year since she had a drink, the memory felt right. Sotza was an addiction. He was intoxicating. Even when she wanted to hate him she still craved him.
“No spiders,” he said in his deep soft voice. “I promise.”
He dropped her hand and took several steps forward, further into the shadows, then, even though she was looking right at the shady spot he’d been striding toward, he disappeared. “Sotza!” she gasped.
“Come to me, Vee,” he said. His voice clear and crisp. “Step toward my voice.”
She blinked several times and tried to figure out where he’d gone, why she could hear him as though he was standing next to her, but she couldn’t see any part of him. She held an arm out and walked forward. The darkness settled around her and she swore she was about to walk directly into a hedge filled with spiders.
She jumped when a hand came out of the shadows and landed on her arm. He wrapped his long fingers around her forearm and pulled her gently forward. Vee took small hesitant steps not wanting to trip over a paving stone. It was so dark she couldn’t even see her own feet. She could sort of see Sotza’s outline as he walked in front of her pulling her forward. Then he was taking steps to the side, pulling her along. She twisted to look behind her. Her mouth dropped open when she realized she was completely engulfed by the shadowy hedges.
“A hidden passage?” she murmured. She didn’t want to speak too loudly. It felt inappropriate in a space where the only sound was the tapping of her heels.
“An optical challenge,” he said. “The hedges have been allowed to grow taller here, reaching a certain length and particularly shadowing that back corner, creating the illusion of a wall. It’s impossible to see the true passage unless you walk right through it.”
Vee was both stunned and a little creeped out by the hidden passage Sotza was leading her down. If he wanted to kill her without witnesses, this would be the place to do it. Although, if Sotza really wanted to kill her, he could do it easily. And he wouldn’t give two fucks who saw.
Sotza stopped, his hand tightened a little on her arm before falling away. She heard rustling as he touched the brush. Then she heard a soft scrape. “This,” Sotza said, “is the true center of the maze.”
He pushed open a door, flooding the passage around them with light. Vee slid past him, her mouth open in awe as she walked through the door. It was an area the size of a large room. Somehow, the hedges had been trimmed in such a way that the area was brightly lit, the sun shining in every corner. In the middle was a sundial. Ivy wrapped up the marble base, twining through the dial. The entire area was filled with pink, red and white roses. In one corner, surrounded by roses, was a bench.
Vee walked to the sundial. Looking down at it she traced her fingers across the roman numerals. Warmth from the sun shining on it touched her fingertips. She turned to look at Sotza, studying him.
“This is yours?” she asked.
He nodded, staring at her, a small smile playing around his lips. “Yes, I built this. It’s where I come when I need an escape. No one knows a
bout it, except the gardener who helped me design and install it. He still maintains it for me, though he’s well past retirement age.”
“It’s… beautiful,” she said softly.
She wandered to the bench and sat down. Again, the warmth that’d seeped into the wood was now caressing Vee. Sotza sat next to her, close enough that his knee brushed hers. But he didn’t touch her beyond that. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together in front of him.
“You’re the first person I’ve brought here.”
Her breath caught and she watched him, watched his profile, the beauty of the garden in her peripheral, the sensual perfume of the roses wrapping her in a cocoon. The moment held significance. She thought she understood. Sotza was a killer. Out of necessity he killed. But just because he was cold and efficient at his job didn’t mean that he couldn’t perceive beauty. That the monster, The Butcher, wasn’t able to understand the personal cost of being an underworld boss. And he brought Vee to his private sanctuary. Was he trying to tell her that she gave him peace too? Or perhaps it was that she was the beauty that tamed his inner monster? It didn’t matter. She was happy to be here with him in this place.
“My father was a cold man,” Sotza said unexpectedly.
Vee smiled and lifted a brow, “I figured that you got it from somewhere. My best guess would’ve been your dad.”
Sotza turned his head to look at her, his expression serious. “You think I’m a cold man?”
She considered him. “I think you can be cold, yes,” she said softly. “But you have those moments where I know you’re anything but cold.”
Queen’s Move: Book Two of The Queens Page 23
