Suddenly a disturbing thought jerked his head up so forcefully that it startled his brother. “Do you think she fucked the little bastard?” Victor snarled.
“If it was any other woman, Victor, I might say yes, but Valentina? No way.” Tony could see his brother’s shoulders relax but he still wasn’t entirely convinced his brother was anything less than enraged. Tony leaned in, knowing he needed to calm Victor down before things got out of hand. “I can assure you, Vic, she didn’t fuck him.”
“How can you be so sure?” Victor muttered as he shot his brother a baleful look.
“Because, first of all, he’s not her type. He’s not anybody’s type. A woman wouldn’t fuck that little shit unless she was trying to accomplish something.”
“She’s not like that.”
“Exactly,” he said as he leaned back and settled deeper into the sofa cushions. “She seems like a good woman. When you find a good woman, you have to have faith in that goodness. There may come a time when it’s the only thing in your life that’s good, the only thing that makes your life worth living.” He was quiet for a moment, so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice his brother’s frown and concerned look at his grim words. Before Victor could question him, Tony shook his head and exhaled harshly before meeting Victor’s eyes. “Even if she was manipulative like that – which she’s not -- there was no need for her to fuck him. She had the guy wrapped around her finger already. By the time he showed his true colors, you were waiting in the wings to come to her rescue. And you better watch yourself, bro, or she’s going to have you wrapped just as tight.”
“Fuck you.”
“You’re the one who’s fucked, my man. You just don’t know it yet. By the time she’s done working her sexy mojo on you”—
“Seriously, fuck you”—
“Alright, alright…” Tony raised his hands in surrender, figuring he better shut up while he still had his teeth. He had pushed his temperamental brother about as far as he could or should, which was confirmed when Victor broke the pen in half and threw it against the wall.
Yeah, right about now would be a great time to shut the fuck up. Tony still couldn’t help smirking, though. Getting under his big brother’s skin was just as fun now as it had been when they were kids.
Chapter Nine
“That bastard!”
That fucking mobster had stolen his precious woman and taken her to America. What was he going to do without his beautiful, precious doll? He’d spent years following Valentina Vargas, had invested countless hours of his life in finding out everything there was to know about her. Some people would view him as a stalker but he knew the truth: he loved her, even if it was one-sided. Unrequited love was a bitch. She just needed a chance to see him for who he really was. That asshole had stolen that chance from him. He hated him for it.
Then a thought came to him from out of nowhere, like a gift from the gods. He would simply go get her. He was the only person who could rescue her.
He picked up the panties he’d stolen from Valentina’s old dressing room and rubbed them between his fingers as he lay on his bed. He closed his eyes as his cock sprang to life, the way it always did at the thought of her. He wrapped the silky scrap of fabric around his shaft and stroked up and down. Yeah, her pussy would be silky soft just like that. And tight, he thought as he fisted his shaft extra hard. His balls drew up tight and he briefly considered soiling the garment with his seed, but decided against it. He didn’t want to alter it in any way.
He tossed the panties aside, opened the nightstand drawer, and took out the photograph he’d secretly taken of her between scenes. She was studying her lines for the next take and had the tip of a pencil between her teeth. Fuck. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her image as his hips jerked back and forth into his other hand. Moments later, as he lay prone on his bed catching his breath, he whispered as if she were there with him in the room, “Don’t worry. Please don’t worry. I’m coming to rescue you.”
He picked up his phone and looked up a florist close to where he had heard the monster mobster lived. Louisville Fucking Kentucky. He would have never thought to look there, that’s for sure. Luckily, Luis’ office was always a treasure trove when one needed information. The bastard was the king of clutter and left all kinds of things on his desk. He had learned that the whole Ramirez family lived on the same property, in a compound of sorts. He supposed it was necessary for common thugs to live like that, with armed guards and mile-high fences, after all the blood they’d spilled. She deserved so much better.
It would take some serious skills to get into that compound, but for her he would do it. He would rescue her and kill the man who had taken her from him. The first thing he had to do, however, was give her a sign that he was coming for her.
Chapter Ten
Even the bathroom in this place was spectacular, and the shower was unlike anything Valentina had ever seen. Having moved easily among the rich and famous for years now, she wasn’t easily impressed. The same creamy tone adorned the walls, accented by a tile pattern of gold and burgundy. Shower heads were strategically placed in the large, open area.
As she stepped under the water, she wondered what it would be like to have Victor touching her while the water cascaded over her skin. She tossed her head back and let the hot water soothe her fear of the unknown.
She chastised herself inwardly, but nothing would have prevented the intrusive thoughts about the stranger who held her destiny in his hands. His masculine presence was as authentic and real as the water washing away the stress and fear of the last 24 hours.
She still didn’t know why he’d brought her here. Surely someone would wonder where she was and launch a search. Then again, she and Luis hadn’t parted on the best of terms after the stunt he pulled on the movie set. He’d probably view her disappearance as an act of rebellion, and just one less problem to contend with.
Which brought her back to her present predicament. The only thing Victor had made clear was that she belonged to him now. Although she couldn’t make any sense of her visceral reaction to him, she was nobody’s possession and she had no intention of making it easy for him. But she was strangely intrigued by this man who appeared to be a force of nature, able to control the world around him with an unwavering will.
She chuckled as she thought about the battle that lay before her, her laughter bordering on hysterical when she opened her eyes and saw a bottle of her favorite shampoo. A small smile curved her lips as she poured a handful of shampoo and held it to her nose, finding comfort in the familiar floral scent.
She was in a country that was unfamiliar to her, apparently at the whim of a man who somehow knew every detail of her life. One way or another, Victor Ramirez was determined to get his way.
“Vamanos, hermano. Tenemos trabajo que hacer.” Tony always got second looks when he spoke Spanish because of his light hair and light skin. But Tony was something of a Renaissance Man, fluent in Spanish and English, not to mention the languages he had easily picked up during his time overseas. And he was intensely proud of his Latin roots. Their father had insisted the household staff speak nothing but Spanish to them. He had insisted that they be proficient in the language of their homeland and well-versed in their heritage.
“Fucking lowlifes trying to ride off our success, they never fucking learn.” Victor’s voice was harsh, like the frustrated growl of a predator being denied his next hunt.
The ride to the warehouse had been quiet, with each man lost in his own thoughts as the evening sun cast its rosy glow over Louisville.
“He’s here. There’s King’s SUV.”
“He better hope he hasn’t killed him yet,” Victor muttered. “I want to play.”
The hair on the back of Tony’s neck stood up. His brother was a ruthless man, and unpredictable. Lately, with the Vargas woman gnawing at his brother’s nerves, he’d been even more temperamental than usual. Tony cut the engine and looked over at Victor in warning. Whether he could
reason with him or not remained to be seen.
“Victor, repeat after me: we are not here to kill this guy.”
“Fuck. You.”
“Seriously, man, we’re not here to kill this guy. Killing a bigwig with the FCC is asking for trouble we don’t need. It will bring government heat down on us that we don’t need. Hey--” he said when Victor rolled his eyes. “It would be counterproductive. A little persuasion, a little blackmail – that’s one thing. We have enough government officials in our pocket already, so we know how to ensure he keeps his mouth shut. But murder? That’s something else, man, and not what Dad wants.”
Victor cut his eyes at his brother, his lips pressed into a harsh line. “Since when did you start running things?”
Tony grimaced as he opened his car door. “Do not even try that shit on me, Victor. That’s the word straight from our father. He specifically said not to kill this guy. We may need him later. God knows by the time you’re finished with him he’ll be more than happy to be on our payroll. So, reel it in, my brother.”
“Oh, fucking calm down…I just want to play a little bit,” he said as he joined Tony at the back of the car and walked with him toward the entrance to the old warehouse.
“That’s what worries me. You’re too much like our uncle, man. You’re fucking crazy.”
“I’m just ensuring my woman gets everything she wants. By making her dreams come true, I’m setting the stage to get what I want—complete control over every inch of her and every aspect of her life.”
Tony could see the tick in Victor’s jaw that always meant there was no changing his mind. He of all people knew there was no talking to Victor when he got something in his head and one thing was for sure: Valentina Vargas had definitely gotten all up in his brother’s head and under his skin.
Victor unlocked the warehouse door and held it open, smirking as he gestured grandly with his arm. “Ladies first.”
“Really? Oh, fuck off--”
“What’s up, guys? Hope you don’t mind, but I couldn’t help but get the party started. He’s all ready for you.” King smiled at the two brothers as the door banged shut behind them.
“Please, please, you’ve gotta help me…” The words came from Jack Langston, an executive in the Broadcast Consumers Division for the FCC. He had come to Louisville two days ago on business and was now a guest of the Ramirez family, hanging upside down from a chain over a large metal tub of ice water. It was a surreal scene with the businessman still dressed in his shirt, tie and tailored slacks, no doubt after a day of meetings. The tie dangled in front of his face as his body swung slowly over the bucket.
Victor turned and cast an amused glance at Tony. “Let me guess. He’s scared of water?”
Tony just smiled and nodded smugly. Nobody could dig around and find out a person’s deepest fears like Tony could. There was nothing more fun to him than fucking with someone’s mind. But whereas he was all about the psychological mind fuck, Victor was all about bringing it to full physical fruition in the form of interrogation and torture. Together, the two men were unstoppable.
Victor strode over to the electric chain hoist and pushed a button. A thrill went through him when he heard the man shriek and saw his eyes widen in fear right before his head disappeared from view as he was lowered into the tub of ice water.
Victor checked his Rolex as he whistled under his breath. “How’s Lola?” he asked absently.
“She’s good,” King replied equally casually. “Glad to be back though. She hates to fly.”
“Yeah.” At the twenty second mark, Victor raised Langston back up. The man spat and sputtered, shaking his head as he fought for air.
“Brain freeze is a bitch, right?” Victor pushed the button again and stopped it seconds later when Langston writhed in mid-air and screamed, vowing he would do anything they wanted if they would just let him go.
“I’m begging you, please. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
Victor knelt down and grabbed a handful of the man’s sopping wet hair, yanking until they were nose to nose. “Oh, I think you know perfectly well why you’re here. You’ve connections we need. You’re going to make sure we dominate the market for Latin television entertainment, or I’m going to. Drown. Your. Fucking. Ass.”
“I already told Ricardo I would clear the way for you. I know how to bypass all the regulations and I swear I’ll generate so much red tape that it’ll be difficult for anyone else to compete with you.”
“Difficult?” Victor asked conversationally. “Hmm. I’m not really comfortable with ‘difficult’.”
Langston’s screams were muffled gurgles as his head disappeared in the water once more. This time Victor waited thirty seconds before he raised him back up with the hoist.
“I want a fucking guarantee.”
When Langston had finished choking and slinging snot, he assured Victor he would do whatever it took to make sure the Ramirez family’s domination of the Latin television market was assured. Showing the very married Jack Langston a few incriminating photos of his extracurricular activities in his hotel room didn’t hurt either.
Things were going as planned. Now there was just the matter of securing Valentina’s hand in marriage. Victor knew she was going to be a challenge. It was part of her charm. She’d spent too many years on her own to just give in to Victor without a fight. But that was the beauty of it; Victor never walked away from a fight.
Chapter Eleven
Valentina didn’t hear Victor enter the bedroom. She didn’t know he was there until she saw his reflection as she sat at her makeup mirror. As she slowly lowered her hairbrush, she absently wondered why the hell all the interesting moments in her life seemed to happen when she was in front of a mirror. Strange, really. Mirror, mirror…
He looked at her with such intensity that she found herself unable to break eye contact. He conveyed to her without saying a word that he intended to do anything necessary to keep her right where she was until he chose to release her. Or not.
“You’re all wet,” she observed, her voice husky, and immediately regretted her choice of words. He looked like he had been on the losing side of a backyard water gun battle. “How did you get so wet?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he murmured as he removed his jacket. “The question isn’t if I’m wet. The question is, are you?”
He stepped in closer behind her and slid his hand under the collar of her robe so the backs of his fingers grazed the nape of her neck. This time she didn’t even pretend to resist. He stroked lightly over her collarbones, his fingertips ghosting along her skin until they were splayed over the upper curve of her breasts, just shy of her nipples. He paused then, his unblinking gaze fixed on her face, as if given them both a moment to recognize the significance of his touch.
It did not escape her notice that the ill-fated movie scene with Mateo had begun in much the same way. How could he possibly know that? But she felt sure he did. And yet, she didn’t feel the revulsion she had felt at Mateo’s clammy touch. These feelings were unlike anything she’d ever experienced before and she found herself powerless to object or even move.
Victor’s hands drifted apart slowly as he savored this one-of-a-kind moment of discovery. He slid her silk robe open to reveal full breasts tipped with plump, dusky rose nipples. He ran the pad of his thumb over the plush tips, humming with approval as they pebbled tightly, rolling easily between his thumb and forefinger. He grazed his palms lightly over the stiff, erect nubs, feeling the points shift back and forth with the motion of his hands.
A low moan escaped her lips. He smiled seductively and leaned down to kiss her neck, nibbling a path up to her ear. Unable to resist the allure of her full, heavy breasts, he covered them with his hands, spreading his fingers wide as he explored the firm flesh. The feel of his hands on her breasts sent a blast of scorching arousal coursing down Valentina’s spine. She shifted in her seat as a surge of creamy heat soaked her pussy.
“I can give you everything y
ou’ve ever wanted, my Valentina,” he murmured against her skin. “I am your ticket to stardom, I am your path to true happiness. I come with your dreams; you can’t have one without the other. Let me have you, Valentina. You’re no fool; surely you understand that with or without your surrender, you’re already mine. I always get what I want, and I want you.” He straightened and met her gaze in the mirror. “I’m not a man who will take no for answer.”
Her eyes glazed over as he relentlessly touched her, stroking and caressing her breasts. Her nipples were ruby red now from his attention, jutting out impudently like succulent raspberries, and all he wanted was to taste them on his tongue.
“I almost killed a man for you today,” he said through gritted teeth as he clutched her breasts harshly, “because I want to give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”
Words wouldn’t come. With him caressing her sensitive flesh, it was as if she had been put under a spell. She wanted him to never, ever stop touching her there. She wanted him to touch her everywhere.
It should have horrified her, but the thought of him brutalizing another man to ensure her success was a turn-on she couldn’t deny. And yet she tried valiantly to show him otherwise even as she arched into his hands.
“I’m not the kind of woman you can control, Victor,” she said breathlessly before swallowing hard. “If you’re asking me to trade my body for fame, then just say it so I can say no and be on my way.”
His hands stilled as he absorbed her words. Slowly, with that same relentless eye contact, he trailed his hand down, down, down until her thighs parted and he cupped her silky, bare mound.
“You misunderstand me,” he murmured. “Let me explain.” As his hand clenched around her, he slipped a fingertip inside her slick heat and closed his eyes, his lips opening slightly as his chest rose and fell with his ragged breathing. “You make it sound like you have a choice. I’m not asking you to be mine, Valentina. I’m telling you that already are. You are not trading your body for favors from me. You simply belong by my side and I will destroy any obstacle in my path to make it so.”
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