Casey shivered at his callousness, his ability to take a life one moment, steal the dead man’s wife the next and then continue as if nothing had happened. And yet… there was something undeniably attractive about him. His scarred face and thick, black hair woke something within her. Called to her with a wildness that frightened her because she knew the things she felt for him were nothing like anything she’d ever felt for her husband. And that if she wasn’t careful she could find herself in danger of becoming obsessed with her husband’s killer.
As if sensing her stare, he turned his head to look at her, returning the intensity of her regard with interest. She knew she wasn’t alone in her feelings. Not even close. He abruptly finished his conversation with the pilot and turned to her, taking her arm once more. “We’re in luck, nena. Hatcher assures me that the weather has cleared enough that we can maintain my original schedule. We will be able to leave within minutes.”
Her mouth felt suddenly dry and all she could do was nod. She was going to Bolivia.
Moments later she found herself bundled onto the plane and buckled in. She looked around in wide-eyed awe. She knew she’d flown before, when she was a child, or a teenager, but the memories were fuzzy and hard to grasp, not concrete. Somehow, she knew this was much different. The plane was some kind of smaller commercial carrier with passenger seats. It didn’t look very comfortable for a trip that she knew was going to be as long as a flight to Bolivia would take. Then she frowned, a thought occurring to her as the men shuffled past her and began taking seats in the back.
“No one checked our passports,” she mumbled.
Reyes crouched in front of her and checked her seat belt, tightening it across her lap. He chuckled at the annoyed look on her face. “You don’t need to worry about that, cariña.”
She gave him a scornful look as he took the seat across from hers. “You are such a criminal, Reyes.”
He ignored her scathing condemnation.
She turned in her seat and clutched the window frame, watching the goings on of the crew as they prepared the plane for takeoff. Within minutes the plane was taxying down a runway and she was bracing her back against the seat. She could feel Reyes’ eyes on her face, taking in every minute expression, but she ignored him. With each mile that passed between her and her home, her anger climbed.
She watched as the plane banked and soared higher, taking her from the only home she’d ever known. As the airplane rose and the city gradually receded, giving way to ocean the reality of her situation hit her. Panic and rage flared up in her chest and she swung her head away from the window. She glared at the source of her angst, the man who had entered her life like a bulldozer, smashing everything within, figuratively and literally.
“How could you do this, Reyes?” she hissed, and then raised her voice to be heard over the airplane noise. “How the fuck could you do this to me?”
He watched her, his eyes roaming over her stiff body, branding ownership with every heated touch. She wanted to strike out at him, to say or do something to cause the type of turmoil she was now feeling. She hated that this was her life. That she was forever bound by the unspoken laws of the mafia women. Shut up and wait for your orders. He confirmed her thoughts with his next words.
“Don’t worry your pretty head over it, Casey. Just relax and do your job,” he said.
“And what is that?” she demanded.
“Stay gorgeous and fuck me when I tell you to.”
“You know what, Reyes?” she snarled, gripping the edge of her seat to stop herself from launching at him. “You can go fuck yourself, I’m not touching you!”
His eyes glinted with humour and she heard several of his guys chuckle around her. She whipped her head sideways to glare at them. They looked away quickly, not wanting to get caught staring at the boss’s new lady while she stepped dangerously close to the edge of mouthing off to the big guy. Everyone sat in breathless anticipation as Reyes leaned forward and took her chin gently in his hand, tilting her face so she was forced to look at him.
“There is the fire I want from you, cariña,” he said softly, for her ears only. Then he pushed her back, double checked her seat belt and tucked a blanket around her legs so she wouldn’t get cold. “Sleep if you can. It’s a long flight to La Paz and you’ll need the rest.”
Casey subsided and watched warily as Reyes settled into the seat next to hers. But he did and said nothing more to her. She couldn’t really believe he had allowed her to have her small temper tantrum in front of his men. Confusing fucking man. One minute he was acting like a caveman telling her he could touch her whenever he wanted and the next he was telling her to fight him. What the hell did he want from her?
Chapter Eighteen
They stopped once to refuel the airplane in a mountainous region about four hours into the flight. Neither Reyes nor any of his men told her where they stopped, but they seemed relaxed enough as they disembarked the plane to stretch their legs at the private air field. Reyes helped her off the plane and walked with her toward a building where she was able to use the facilities and grab a sandwich.
When Casey emerged back into the morning sunlight she was keenly aware of the intense perusal of several armed men wearing military uniforms. Reyes joined her again, sliding his arm possessively around her back. The eyes that had been on her fell quickly away as though they knew exactly who he was. Apparently, his claim on her sealed her position. Not having any clue where she was, she wasn’t going to fight him on it. He handed her a pair of large, aviator style sunglasses that covered half her face when she slid them on. She was grateful for the coverage. They boarded the plane as soon as it was ready to go.
In less than three hours they were landing in Bolivia at a private airstrip just outside of La Paz. Reyes spent most of the flight either lightly napping or in low-voiced discussion with one of his men, who seemed to replace Alejandro when the second-in-command was left behind. But Reyes also talked to her about her new home just before they landed, perhaps sensing her rising trepidation as they flew over the sprawling city of La Paz, surrounded by the high mountains of the Altiplano. She already knew from the guidebook he’d given her that La Paz was the highest capital city in the world, located in a canyon Southeast of Lake Titicaca. She swallowed hard, allowing her ears to pop as the airplane banked through the thin clouds and went in for a landing while Reyes explained that the next part of their journey would be taken by helicopter as his home was accessible through no other method.
She stared at him with a mix of dismay and astonishment when he told her this, and caught the deliberate satisfaction he clearly wanted her to see on his face. He wanted her to know that she was trapped. That he was taking her to a new cage. He leaned against her, his arm across her back as he pointed out different aspects of the city they were flying over. She was excited despite herself. She’d lived in Miami her entire life and rarely travelled. Having been under Ignacio’s roof and sole control for the past decade, she hadn’t even considered a different type of life for herself. A gentle thrill started to ripple through her, starting in her belly and swelling up through her chest.
Reyes leaned in and spoke low in her ear, “I like that smile, cariña. You are uncommonly beautiful without it, but when your lips curve like that, fuck, it makes me want to conquer the world for you and hand it over on a silver platter.”
Startled, Casey touched her lips, not even realizing she had been expressing joy. So much had happened in the past twelve hours it didn’t even seem possible. But… a part of her was happy and excited. She was in a new place. And despite being caged once more in a new type of prison, it wasn’t Ignacio’s prison. She dared a glance at the man watching her so intently as she surveyed his city, the city that was rushing at them faster and faster. She was now the property of a man that she knew deep in her soul could be as much of a monster, if not more so, than her late husband. But Reyes was also capable of great passion. He said beautiful things to her and gave her meaningful gifts.
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She turned away from him, unwilling to examine their connection further. She just wasn’t in the right state of mind to deal with everything that had happened to her. Ignacio’s body was barely cold and she was being escorted to a new home by his killer, a man who was going to claim her as soon as they arrived at their destination.
His arm tightened around her when the tires of the plane touched the ground.
Casey was allowed to once more freshen up in a hangar washroom at the airstrip before she was rushed to a helicopter. There were two helicopters waiting for them. Reyes and his men split into two groups, Reyes leading her toward one of the helicopters with a hand at her back. They seemed to have organized already as no words were spoken. Casey slid into the seat Reyes pointed at and lifted her arms while he buckled her in. He placed a headset over her ears and adjusted the pieces until they fit her. She clearly had a smaller head than the person who’d used the headset before her. She also had zero experience with such things and made no fuss about his taking over for her. Reyes placed one over his own head and tested it to make sure she could hear him. She nodded, staring at him seriously.
This was it. There was no going back home after this. No way she could get away from a mountain fortress high up in the Bolivian Andes. Not that she had much of a chance of escaping in La Paz, but she had a better chance of hiding out in a city of over two million people than she did in the wilds of the mountains. As the helicopter lifted off she watched her last hope of escape recede and wondered if she shouldn’t have at least tried. Then she forced her body to relax into the cushioned seat.
Of course she shouldn’t have tried. It was an absurd thought to begin with. Where exactly was she going to go at a private airstrip surrounding by a dozen of Reyes’ armed men? And if she had managed to get away, she’d be the only pale, blond woman for miles attempting to catch a lift into a city filled with unknowns. A very unhappy Reyes would’ve been on top of her within minutes. Which would have made the intimacy of their first moments in his home that much more worse.
No, she was doing the best thing for herself in the long run. Measuring the situation and taking the best course of action open to her. One day, eventually, there would be an opening and then, on that day, she would seize it with both hands and start running. Until then, she would take in as much information as she could about her new home and her new jailor.
Chapter Nineteen
The final flight to Reyes’ home took about forty-five minutes by helicopter through treacherous mountain passes and valleys. Occasionally he pointed out volcanoes to her, glaciers and lakes. She shivered and craned her neck, staring in open-mouthed awe at rugged scenery she had never even thought to hope to see in her lifetime.
When they finally landed, Casey was surprised at how energized she was despite her lack of sleep. Her body felt as though it were on some kind of high. She managed to unbuckle her own belt while Reyes tugged the headset off her head, careful not to catch the long strands of her hair. She turned her head this way and that trying to catch a glimpse of his home, but she was frustrated in her efforts when she only saw more mountain peaks.
“Patience, nena,” he chuckled, catching her chin and forcing her to look at him. “The house is lower into the valley. I keep what is mine well protected.” She easily caught both the innuendo toward herself and the implied criticism of her late husband.
He took her hand and helped her step down off the helicopter. The other one was still landing, but he didn’t bother waiting for it. He tugged her toward a rugged looking SUV, followed by two of his men. Another man stood next to the vehicle, opening the back door as they approached. He cast a curious glance toward Casey, but looked away immediately when Reyes gave him a hard look.
As soon as they were buckled into the back of the vehicle, Reyes snapped at the driver. “Take us home. Now.”
She blushed at the impatience in his voice, hoping she was the only one that knew the reason for it. Then she forgot her embarrassment in her eagerness to catch sight of her new home as they crested over the top of the landing pad and took the winding road down into the valley. She had no idea what to expect and was completely shocked by the sprawling size of Reyes estate. It looked more like a town than a home with the amount of buildings nestled within the valley. She could easily see from the way they were structured that they’d been designed with fortification and security in mind. But the overall architecture was beautiful.
As the vehicle drew closer to the main gates she was able to discern which was the main house; it was a truly stunning structure. It was a classic two-story mansion with historic columns and arches. It could have been gaudy, but instead had a truly elegant feel to it. Somehow, she hadn’t pictured a man like Reyes, such a tough, sinister man, in such a lovely home.
She wanted to say something, to tell Reyes how beautiful she found his house, but she couldn’t find the words. It didn’t matter. When she turned her eyes to his, she knew he saw everything he needed in her expressive face. His own transformed into easy lines of satisfaction, the scars easing as his face softened. The vehicle curved around the driveway and stopped in front of the house. Reyes got out first and reached in to help her slide out after him.
They walked through the front doors of his mansion together, past the many watching eyes of his security and staff. For Casey, the entire scene felt both eerily familiar and entirely foreign. She was tempted to cling to Reyes as a source of comfort, but knew she needed to ignore that impulse. It would be like reaching for the tail of a lion, hoping the lion might lead her to safety rather than turn around and devour her whole. Reyes was not her savior; she must never forget that.
“Come, nena, it’s time for us to get some rest,” he said, his voice a deep rumble for her ears alone, though she knew he didn’t care who overheard.
He turned and snapped several orders to a man standing beside him. He spoke in rapid Spanish, but Casey knew the language well enough to catch the general idea of what he was saying and became quickly aware that the man, named Nicolas, was Reyes’ head of security for the compound. Reyes was arranging a time later in the evening when they would meet to discuss anything that had happened during his absence. They would also discuss a security detail for his new… wife? For a moment Casey went ice cold and then hot with fury when she thought he was married and bringing her into the mansion as a mistress. Then it hit her, he was referring to her as his wife. Casey’s mouth fell open in shock.
Reyes finished his conversation with Nicolas and turned to his housekeeper, Serana, and ordered food and drink sent to the master suite. Then he took Casey’s hand in a firm grip and strode impatiently through his home with her in tow. He walked so quickly, she barely had time to register any of the beautiful furnishings or the people who gaped after them and jumped quickly out of their master’s path as he progressed toward his bedroom with her hand held firmly in his grasp.
“Reyes!” she gasped, digging her heels into the carpeted hallway as they approached a set of beautifully carved double doors on the second floor that could only lead to the master suite.
“What?” he snapped, shoving the doors open and flinging her inside by the wrist.
She stumbled into his bedroom and turned to look at him, eyes widening in dismay. She backed away from him as he advanced slowly toward her his eyes gleaming with dark, predatory lust. She licked her lips nervously. “I-I’d really like my own bedroom, Reyes. P-please get someone to show me where I can sleep. I’m very tired.”
“I told you that you wouldn’t be leaving my bed once I had you, Casey,” he said, drawing the words out slowly as he stalked her around the bed. “You need to start believing the things that I tell you. It will be better for you in the long run. More... comfortable, perhaps.”
She turned to look at him warily, tearing her eyes away from the bed that seemed nearly as barbaric as he, huge and piled high with dark coverings and pillows. “I didn’t think you meant quite so literally, Reyes. People in our positions don’t
share bedrooms. Women like me... they get summoned when they’re wanted.”
He stalked a few steps closer, his eyes taking on that dark glow when he was pissed off. God, why did she always have to let her tongue have free reign?
“Women like you?” he asked, his voice menacingly quiet.
She nodded miserably. “Yes,” she whispered. “The wives and the whores. The women, Reyes… we’re nothing to men like you. Men with power.”
He stared at her and she could see something moving behind his eyes, a creeping darkness. She desperately wished she knew what it was. He clearly didn’t like her talking about herself this way, but if she had to guess... she’d just hit the nail on the head. She’d described a world that he was used to living in just as much as she; and he didn’t like it. Not one fucking bit. And if she had to guess again, she’d guess that no woman had ever been summoned to share his room for longer than a few hours at a time, if even that. His room was probably his sanctuary. He likely fucked his women somewhere else.
“Come,” he finally bit out. “We had a long flight and I want to wash your dead husband’s blood off my body before I fuck you for the first time.”
Casey’s mouth fell open and she couldn’t help the look of horror that passed over her face at his blunt words. She knew the harshness of that statement was meant to shock her back into her place. To tell them both exactly where she belonged. Maybe her little speech had reminded him that he shouldn’t be elevating her beyond what she actually was. The pathetic widow of a dead, degenerate ex-business associate.
Reyes grabbed her hand and pulled her forcibly behind him toward a massive open doorway off the bedroom. It was a huge tiled washroom filled with gorgeous frosted glass and light furnishings. She was used to luxury but nothing like this. She would have taken more time to stare around her in awe and touch the things in the lovely room, but Reyes began undressing right there in front of her, capturing her entire attention.
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