by Julia Sykes
“Don’t get shitty with me,” he said coldly. “I know you were already considering it.”
I bit out a curse. “Okay,” I allowed. “I agree to your terms. Sofia will remain a virgin until Ronaldo is dead. But she’s mine, Adrián. I won’t touch her, but this doesn’t change anything. She still belongs to me.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t touch her,” he replied drily.
I heard a car engine rev, and my stomach dropped. The sound was far too close to be coming from the road. Someone else was on my property, and I’d left Sofia unguarded.
I ended the call and sprinted toward the sound. If the intruder wasn’t bothering to mask their escape, they must already have Sofia in their possession.
It seemed I would get the chance to kill another man before the night was through.
Chapter 8
Sofia
My heart hammered against my ribcage, and my stomach churned.
He’s a criminal. Mateo is a violent criminal. Oh, god…
My throat convulsed, and I swallowed hard against the urge to vomit.
The floodlights that had suddenly shined through my window only seconds ago now illuminated a nightmare scene.
Mateo’s massive body was a darker shadow against the tree line at the back of the property. I couldn’t see his face, but I recognized his brawny frame.
He moved brutally and faster than I could have imagined, given his size. I scarcely had time to draw in a horrified breath before two men were dropped by Mateo’s meaty fists.
A third man shifted something that was slung across his shoulder. Was that…an assault rifle?
In the second it took me to slap my hand over my mouth to stifle a scream, Mateo had ripped the gun out of the man’s hands and jammed the weapon into his ribs. Mateo launched himself at the injured man, and they both went down.
All four men were on the ground. The floodlights made the grassy lawn glow an eerie neon green, casting the tree line into deeper shadow. I couldn’t make out what was happening anymore, and for a moment, I feared for Mateo. At least one of those men had a freaking assault rifle.
But no shots rang out.
I pressed my face close to the window, straining to see if he was okay.
Then, a feral roar echoed through the night, sending a chill racing up my spine. Surely, that was a wild animal. It couldn’t be human. It couldn’t be Mateo.
That animal. It was what my father always called Mateo. I’d thought he was being mean and judging Mateo for his less-than-tailored appearance.
I’d liked how wild Mateo looked. I liked his thick black beard and indecently tight t-shirts. I’d never swooned for a clean-cut man in a suit the way I did for Mateo in jeans and a leather jacket.
But Daddy hadn’t been making snide remarks about Mateo’s style.
He knew something about Mateo that I didn’t. He knew that the rough-around-the-edges man I had a crush on was actually a vicious criminal capable of brutal violence.
The shadowy form of Mateo’s huge body stood tall once again. I could make out two other men struggling to their feet. I didn’t see the fourth man, the one who had held the rifle.
A few seconds later, they all disappeared into the trees.
How long until he comes back?
Because Mateo was definitely coming back for me. He had made it clear that he was holding me hostage, and he didn’t intend to let me go. I’d put a silly spin on the situation, pretending like being at Mateo’s house wouldn’t be all that bad. Even when I’d been emotionally hollowed out by the isolation punishment he’d imposed upon me, I’d still been completely delusional about Mateo’s true nature.
Why did I keep doing this? It was as though I’d hardwired my brain for denial and willful ignorance my entire life, and I couldn’t break the habit. Every time Mateo revealed something awful, I somehow managed to minimize it or distract myself from thinking about it altogether.
But I couldn’t minimize the horrific shock of violence I’d just witnessed. I couldn’t distract myself from the memory of his beastly roar.
He would come back out of the trees soon. He’d come back into the house. There was nothing to stop him from coming into this room.
And I was trapped, locked in.
I pressed my hands against the window, and touching the cool glass jolted my brain to register the fact that it was a possible means of escape. There was hardly any drop from the windowsill to the ground outside. If the window wasn’t sealed, I could easily leave this room.
It seemed utterly ridiculous that this had never occurred to me throughout the course of the day.
Then again, I hadn’t really wanted to leave until now. I’d thought the alternatives were being forcibly taken to Daddy or going on the run.
I’d take my chances anywhere, as long as I could get away from Mateo. Sitting docilely in one monster’s lair because I was scared of others was beyond stupid behavior.
If I was going to escape, it was now or never. Mateo could walk back into the yard at any moment, and I had to start running.
I reached for the window latch, silently berating myself when it opened without resistance. God, I’d been such an idiot to not try this sooner. Instead, I’d sat in a locked room like a miserable, scolded child all day.
I pushed the window open and sat on the sill, swinging my legs outside. The night air kissed my bare legs, and I realized that I was only wearing Mateo’s huge shirt. For the space of a second, I considered going back for my dress and flats, but I couldn’t waste any precious time.
I pushed off the sill, dropping only a few feet before my toes hit the grass. Uncertain of where I was going, I took off running. I knew I had to get out of this overly-bright yard before Mateo came back, so I raced along the exterior of the brick house. I took the first left turn I could find, tucking myself into shadows.
I paused to assess my surroundings. Although it wasn’t nearly as bright as the yard, soft golden lights illuminated the area. Judging by the large, white-columned porch, I appeared to be at the front of Mateo’s house. The driveway had been designed around a central fountain, the pavement encircling the water feature. The golden light wasn’t bright enough to reveal the entire driveway, and the asphalt disappeared into darkness. I couldn’t tell how far I was from the nearest road. And even if I got to a road, I didn’t know how far I was from Mateo’s nearest neighbors.
I had to get as far away as I could, as fast as possible. Mateo would come after me the moment he realized I was gone.
There was a large structure on the opposite side of the porch. I’d initially assumed it was a wing of the house, but at second glance, I registered garage doors. I’d never seen a garage that large, but I didn’t waste any time pondering it. If I could get a car and drive away from here, that was all that mattered.
I jolted to action, sprinting to the structure. The huge doors wouldn’t open from the outside, but I quickly discovered a smaller entryway. When I darted inside, overhead lights automatically came on.
Holy shit.
Mateo had a lot of fancy cars. And motorcycles. And some strange vehicles I didn’t have a name for. I was pretty sure one of them was the Batmobile.
Before I could despair that I had no idea how to hotwire a car, I noticed the neat rows of keys hanging on the wall to my right.
I grabbed the closest one and pressed the unlock button. A black BMW flashed its lights, but it was two rows back, and I wouldn’t be able to get it out of the garage without moving other cars out of the way.
Frantic, I started pressing random unlock buttons on different keys until one of the cars closest to the door made a cheery little beeping noise.
The last thing I needed if I wanted to remain inconspicuous was a bright yellow Ferrari, but I was running out of time and options.
I found a switch near the big garage doors, and they slowly began to open. Hoping that they would somehow lift more quickly, I flung myself back toward the car and wrenched open the door before dropping
into the driver’s seat. It took a few tries for me to steady my shaking hands, but I managed to get the key into the ignition.
The car roared to life, making me jump.
Shit!
Too loud. I was making too much noise.
Acting on muscle memory, I put the car in drive and slammed down on the accelerator. The Ferrari snarled, but it didn’t move an inch.
My heart leapt into my throat, and I anxiously searched the car for the source of the problem.
“Oh, no,” I groaned. “No!”
Mateo drove stick shift. I’d only learned how to drive an automatic.
Panicking, I started slamming my feet down on the pedals and moving the stick shift in random patterns. The Ferrari growled at me, angry that I was fucking with its expensive mechanics.
Mateo appeared in the open doorway, his huge body seeming somehow even larger when illuminated by the car’s headlamps at close range.
A strange yelp leapt from my throat, and I scrambled to lock the doors.
His muscles tensed and bulged, his dark eyes searching for something I couldn’t see. His teeth were half-bared, and I knew if the car weren’t snarling so loudly, I’d hear a similar noise rumbling from his chest.
His gaze met mine through the windshield, his furious expression dropping to one of concern. “Who else is here?” he demanded. “Who are you running from?”
“You!” I shrieked, pressing down on the gas pedal.
The Ferrari hissed and spit, but it didn’t move.
“Stop that,” Mateo ordered. “You’re ruining the transmission.”
His features pinched with irritation, but the terrifying beast of a man was gone.
That didn’t mean he wouldn’t come back.
“Get out of the car.” The command took on a more coaxing lilt, but I wasn’t falling for his softer side. Not again.
I shook my head in wild denial.
He sighed and walked toward the Ferrari, approaching me on the driver’s side. He peered down at me through the window.
“I know I made a mistake today,” he said, his deep voice rich and soothing. “I didn’t think sending you to your room would upset you so much. I shouldn’t have left you alone. I’m sorry.” He crooked his finger at me, beckoning. “Now, come on out of there.”
“No,” I choked.
He cocked his head to the side, considering me. “I know you’re mad at me, but—”
“I’m not mad!” I burst out, hysterical. “I’m scared. You scare me. I want to leave.”
Hot tears tracked down my cheeks, blurring my vision.
He pressed his hand against the glass, as though he could reach through it and touch me. “Sofia…”
The pain in his rough tone ripped me apart. I wanted to believe in this Mateo. The man who was tender with me and comforted me.
This man wasn’t the one I’d just witnessed unleashing shocking violence.
A sob wracked my chest, and I buried my face in my hands.
“I’m going to unlock the door now, Sofia,” he said gently. “Don’t be afraid.”
The longing rasp in his voice tore at my heart more viciously. He didn’t want me to be afraid of him.
I didn’t want to be afraid of him.
But I was.
He must have a spare key, because I heard the locks disengaging. I didn’t bother trying to stop him from opening the door. What was the point? I couldn’t drive this car. I wasn’t going anywhere.
He dropped down on one knee, getting on eye level with me. He regarded me cautiously, the tension in his body suggesting that he was restraining himself from reaching for me.
Part of me wanted him to. I wanted to feel him stroking my body, reassuring me that everything was going to be okay.
“I saw you,” I admitted on a strangled whisper.
“What did you see?” he prompted, sounding more strained than ever.
“I saw you…beat those men.” The words didn’t seem nearly strong enough to capture the horror of Mateo in violent motion.
“And what else?” he pressed.
“They… They got up and you all went into the woods.”
He blew out a breath, and his shoulders relaxed slightly. “I’m sorry you saw that. I know it must have been upsetting for you.”
A tiny, maddened laugh bubbled from my chest and died in my throat.
Upsetting was the understatement of the century.
“This isn’t my life,” I lamented, wishing that speaking the words aloud would make them true. “My life isn’t like this. I don’t want it to be like this.”
“I’m sorry, florecita, but this is reality.” He delivered the blow quietly, but it still made me flinch. “Your father sent those men. I thought they had come to take you from me. I couldn’t let them do that.”
“Because I’m your hostage,” I said miserably.
“Because you’re—” He ended on a low grunt, holding in whatever he’d intended to say.
“Because I care about you, and I don’t want to leave you exposed and vulnerable. I’ll protect you, Sofia. I know it’s confusing for you right now. But I swear, I’ll protect you with my life. I will never hurt you.”
“I want to leave,” I whispered, although I tasted the lie on my tongue.
“Do you?” he challenged softly. “If you’re not here with me, your father will find you and take you back home with him. Is that what you want?”
“You know I don’t,” I said brokenly.
“Then stay here and let me take care of you. I won’t let anyone hurt you, Sofia. And you don’t have anything to fear from me. I fought those men because they were a threat to you. I’m sorry you had to see me like that, but I’m not sorry for what I did. I would do that and worse a thousand times over to keep you safe.”
I sniffled, but I didn’t have a verbal response to such an overwhelming statement. I was still deeply shaken by witnessing the reality of Mateo’s violent capabilities.
But he hadn’t been violent with me. He could have unlocked the door right away and ripped me out of the car by force. Instead, he’d spoken to me quietly and was giving me the chance to absorb what was happening in my life. He was waiting for me to trust him to keep me safe.
I definitely wasn’t ready to trust him implicitly, as I’d mistakenly done this morning. But I did believe that he wouldn’t hurt me.
“Are you ready to go back inside?” he asked, allowing me time to make a decision.
I managed a jerky nod.
“You’re shaking,” he murmured. “I’m going to carry you.”
He reached for me, and I cringed.
“Easy,” he cajoled, not pulling away. He braced one brawny arm behind my shoulders and another beneath my thighs.
He carefully extracted me from the car, pulling me close to his chest.
I closed my eyes and allowed my cheek to rest against his shoulder. My entire world was falling apart, and although Mateo had a hand in its destruction, he was the only solid thing I had to lean on.
“That’s better,” he soothed me. “Good girl.”
Chapter 9
Mateo
I didn’t allow myself to sleep beside Sofia after pulling her out of my Ferrari, even though I was tempted to. I’d held her and let her cry in my arms until she’d exhausted herself. Then, I’d tucked her into bed and made sure she was asleep before retiring to my own bedroom for the night.
As a gesture of goodwill, I didn’t lock the door to the guest room. I didn’t want her to wake up feeling trapped and frightened. Not after last night.
Recalling her abject terror at the sight of me made my stomach knot.
Never again. I would never give her cause to look at me like that again: like I was a monster out of her worst nightmare.
I was choosing to give her space this morning, but I set an early alarm for myself as a precaution. I didn’t intend to give Sofia time alone to think about sneaking out again. I owed her a punishment for that already, and it would be tricky e
nough to administer without adding to her transgressions.
She was still soundly asleep when I went in to check on her. Deciding to let her rest, I went down to my basement home gym and put in a short workout. As long as I kept my phone nearby, I would be alerted to any disturbances to my security system. No one could get onto my property without my knowledge.
And Sofia couldn’t get out, either.
Judging by the open window in the guest room when I’d put her to bed, she’d snuck out that way in her mad dash to my Ferrari. This morning, I made sure to activate the security alert associated with window breaches on my home, something I obviously should have done sooner. I hadn’t thought Sofia would actually want to leave desperately enough to make a break for it, but I also hadn’t anticipated her witnessing me brutalizing the men who’d tried to infiltrate my property.
Thank fuck she hadn’t seen me crush the dead guy’s throat. If she was so distraught over shadowy violence from a distance, I shuddered to think how she would react to that kind of gore up close.
I limited my workout to the bare minimum, resolving to put in more reps later in the day. Now that I had Sofia to protect, it was more important than ever that I keep my body in peak physical condition.
After half an hour of weights, I wiped down my equipment and took the stairs to up to the ground floor two at a time, eager to get back to her before it got too late in the day.
I checked the guest room on my way down the hall. The bed was empty, but the bathroom door was closed, and I heard the shower running.
I set out another one of my clean shirts for her to wear, leaving it on the bed and shutting the bedroom door behind me to grant her some privacy.
After a quick shower of my own, I returned to her room. My hand was on the doorknob before I stopped myself from barging right in. I didn’t like having barriers between me and Sofia, but I hated the terror in her eyes even more. I would prove to her that she didn’t need to fear me.
