Thieving Hearts

by Nikita Slater

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Katie barely had a chance to process what had happened before Roman was rolling off the bed. She stared in horror and gasped for breath as he stalked to the door and jerked it open. She scrambled up against the headboard, attempting to yank the now seriously disheveled robe over her body. Naked, Roman demanded the key to her handcuffs before slamming the door shut and stalking back to her.

  He loomed over her, a dark frown once more marring his rugged features. Geez, they’d just engaged in seriously mind-blowing sex. Couldn’t he lighten up a little bit? Once her wrists were free, he cradled them in big hands and ran his thumbs over them, his gentleness somewhat at odds with his fierce expression. Finally, he let her hands go, apparently satisfied that she hadn’t sustained further damage. Without a word, he redressed, his eyes never leaving her face.

  God, Roman Valdez was one intense man. She didn’t know what to do with him. This is exactly why she couldn't stay. He mixed her up inside and made her feel crazy. Well, crazier than she was and that was really saying something. His intensity frightened her. They needed to sort out what it was they were doing if they were actually going to move forward with their lives. And she needed to show him he couldn’t do that by acting like a caveman every time he got his hands on her. She tried to move away from him when he approached the bed once more, but he took hold of her chin and forced her to look up at him.

  “You will allow Lana to help you dress,” he said coldly, his eyes lashing her with the promise of more pain if she disobeyed him. “You will not throw another tantrum. Do you understand Katerina?”

  When she only pressed her lips together and glared defiantly up at him he sighed heavily and pinched her chin, giving it a shake. “You think it is wise to test my patience, mujer? Believe me, my beautiful lady, after last night, I want nothing more than an excuse for a repeat performance. That was… fucking caliente, baby.” His voice dropped an octave and his eyes turned to hard obsidian pools of desire at the remembrance. “Only this time, maybe I use a horsewhip instead, no? I think I like it with a little more blood than you do.”

  The blood drained from her face as she watched the sadistic pleasure gleam in his eyes while he pictured the scenario. “I will do what you want, Roman,” she whispered, dropping her eyes.

  He released her chin and caressed her cheek before stepping away from the bed. Her shoulders relaxed when he turned to leave the room. Before he opened the door, he glanced back at her and said in a low, heated voice, “One more thing, Katerina. You do not wash between your legs before the ceremony. You will marry me the way you are, with my seed wet between your legs. Every minute you are down there listening to our vows you will remember who owns you.”

  She gasped, her mouth falling open as he left the room. She sat just like that, contemplating how she could possibly get out of marrying such a crazy, obsessive, totally controlling male when Lana entered the room, took one look at her and blushed. Katie blushed back and then they both started laughing while Lana hurried to close the door.

  “Please tell me he didn’t leave any fresh marks on you,” Lana said in a scolding voice. “That man, he is worse than my Jorje!”

  Katie shook her head and then submitted herself to Lana’s capable hands, allowing the other woman to prepare her for her wedding ceremony. She quickly found out that was why Lana had come to the hacienda essentially wearing her best dress and all her finery. Katie was flattered that her wedding was so important to the other woman, though she was a little embarrassed that Lana knew she was getting married under duress.

  As if understanding Katie’s flustered state of mind, Lana kept up a steady stream of mostly one-sided conversation while helping her charge prepare for her wedding ceremony. Which was apparently to take place in a little over an hour. Lana chattered away as she brushed the fresh knots from Katie’s hair, curled the glossy locks and then pinned the sides up with two beautiful pearl combs.

  “I was not a young girl when my Jorje decided to pursue me. I had decided long ago that marriage was not for me, having watched my parents fight and my papa come home drunk all the time. Instead, I wished to work and remain independent. Not a common idea in this area, but there you are. Anyway, I was not opposed to flirting and messing around when Jorje first approached me. But he was an old-fashioned guy and he would have nothing less than marriage. So, I refused and went my own way.”

  “I’m so sorry about your parents, Lana,” Katie said, meeting Lana’s gaze in the mirror while the other woman worked on her hair. “Sometimes my dad drank too much, too, if things got stressful at work. I guess we were lucky though, he wasn’t a mean drunk and he usually stayed at the club to sleep it off. So, what happened with Jorje? If you walked away from him, how did you end up married?”

  A small smile curved Lana’s lips and she patted Katie gently on the shoulder. “There is a reason my man works for the Valdez, niña. Much like yours, my man does not take no for an answer. He quite swept me off my feet.”

  “B-but you seem so happy?” Katie spluttered, taken aback.

  Lana chuckled and patted Katie’s hair after putting the final touches on it. “Of course, I was not happy at first. I kicked and screamed and fought even angrier than you. But that was many years ago and we have settled into a happy marriage with many blessings. I would not trade my Jorje for anything in the world.”

  Katie was smart enough to realize that Lana was trying to reassure her that her own story may work out the same. That Katie could learn to find happiness in her captivity. Katie gave her a tremulous smile. Right now, she didn’t know how to think or feel. All she knew for sure was that it wasn't right for Roman to tell her what she was to think, feel and do. That she had to decide for herself what she ultimately wanted, and the only way to do that was to leave. Perhaps it was a good thing Ivan essentially sold her to Roman and took Source for himself. As terrible as it was that one of her good friends was at Ivan’s sadistic mercy, it freed her to leave Roman’s control and, for the first time in a long time, make a decision for herself.

  “I can't believe I haven't asked you earlier, but do you and Jorje have any children, Lana?” Katie asked, turning on her seat.

  The sadness that leapt into Lana’s eyes was impossible to miss and she instantly wished that she could take back her words, no matter how innocently spoken. She took Lana’s hands in hers and squeezed them compassionately.

  “No, we were not so fortunately blessed. It is part of the reason I was eager to work in this house when I found out Mr. Valdez was to bring home a wife,” Lana said, brightening. She patted Katie’s cheek when Katie visibly blanched at the idea, suddenly remembering her birth control pills, tucked inside her carry-on bag at the motel room she’d rented in town. “Do not worry, niña. You are young and healthy. There will be many children in your future. Come now, let’s get you up. We only have a few minutes left for the dress.”

  Katie stood silently, trying to figure out the odds of pregnancy from one missed birth control pill and two bouts of sex, while Lana pulled the robe from her and handed her a pair of white sink panties and a matching bra. Katie squirmed and blushed when the crotch of the panties became instantly soaked with a combination of Roman’s semen and her own juices. Just the way he’d planned it, the barbaric bastard.

  Next, Lana had Katie step into a beautiful silk and lace white dress. It was modern in that it was cut to just above her knees and hugged her every curve, but was traditional in every other way. It was long sleeved and high in the front and back, covering her to her neck. It also covered any evidence of the whipping. Clearly Roman had planned her entire abduction well in advance. The dress looked both classic and chic. Lana provided Katie with a pair of four inch white stilettos, that added even more length to her already long legs and finished off the dress perfectly.

  “Pardon, but the niña will have to sit for the next part, as you are much taller than me at the moment,” Lana chuckled with a twinkle in her eye.

  Katie smi
led and graciously sat so that Lana could add a small wedding tiara just above Katie’s bangs with a short fluffy veil attached. Then, taking Katie’s arms, she helped the younger woman stand in front of a long mirror. Katie stood for a moment looking at herself, and then her shoulders began shaking as she fought valiantly against crying. This was actually happening to her. Today was her wedding day.

  “I want my mom,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

  Then Lana was in front of her, hugging Katie tight against her and rocking her gently. Though she was tall and beautiful, with the presence of a queen and the courage of a lioness, this young lady was still very fragile.

  “Shhh, it will be okay my niñita. I know you miss your mama, and perhaps one day you will share your special memories with her. But for today I will be your mama if you will allow. Now look at me and dry your eyes. Your man out there will marry you no matter what you have to say about it. Be the brave woman I have seen and go with dignity, si?”

  Katie looked down at Lana, drawing on her strength. She took several deep breaths then reached under her veil and ran the edge of her fingers under each eye to make sure her mascara hadn’t run. Lana gave her an approving nod.

  “Si,” Katie agreed, “I will go with my pride intact and you will be there with me.”

  They sat quietly together while Lana did a few last-minute touch-ups on Katie’s make-up. Ten minutes later a loud bang on the door interrupted them. Katie jumped and stared at it like the boogeyman was on the other side come to get her. Lana gave her a reassuring smile. “It is time.”

  They stood together. Lana took Katie’s hand and called out that they were ready. They were escorted through the hacienda by both Miguel and Lana’s husband Jorje, a broad, stocky man that looked like he ate poisonous snakes and nails for breakfast. After meeting the man, Katie could definitely see Lana’s hesitation in marrying him. She could also see why Roman had made him second-in-command. They probably sat around the breakfast table eating scorpions and discussing their daily agenda of mayhem and killing.

  Jorje took Katie’s elbow in a firm but impersonal hold as they descended the stairs, ensuring her safety while she took the steps in her sky-high heels. At first, she was confused that he wasn’t helping his own wife and leaving Katie to the care of her guard, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized how cartel mentality would work. Katie was soon to be Roman’s wife, which made her second highest in his organization, whether she liked it or not. Jorje was next in line below Katie. By ensuring her safety first, he was showing allegiance and loyalty to the Valdez cartel. He was also a married man, likely twenty years Katie’s senior. His touch would be the least likely to set off her extremely possessive soon-to-be husband.

  Good thinking, Jorje. I’m sure Miguel enjoys keeping his body parts, Katie thought cynically as they stepped off on the main floor. Jorje, an even smarter man than he looked, dropped Katie’s arm entirely and waved her down the corridor. Remembering the blueprints, Katie glanced longingly toward where she knew the front doors were situated before preceding their small group in the direction Jorje had indicated.

  Katie’s heart beat faster and faster as they approached the end of the hallway, where Jorje indicated she should stop and wait while he knocked on the door. Roman’s voice bade them enter. She stepped back as the door swung open to reveal Roman’s office. A large, darkly furnished, masculine room. He wore the same suit he’d removed earlier in her room, only he'd added a jacket and tie. He was so incredibly handsome. A dark Mexican prince who stole his princess one night and married her the next.

  He moved forward, taking her hand and drawing her into the room. Katie noticed another man, a priest, standing to the side of Roman’s large desk. She looked around, panic beginning to swell in her chest as she caught sight of the marriage certificate on the desk.

  She raised her eyes to Roman’s, trying to see him from beneath the veil. He reached underneath and brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. Then he smiled. Not a sinister or a threatening smile. An intimate smile. One that was for Katie alone. The smile, combined with the soothing touch of his thumb against her lip, calmed her enough that she knew she would be able to take this step with him.

  “Come, Katerina, it’s time,” he said, his deep accented voice washing over her.

  She nodded and sucked his thumb into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the thick digit, knowing that no one could see what she was doing beneath her veil. She enjoyed the surprised flare of his eyes, followed by the contemplative narrowing as he jerked his thumb to the edge of her mouth and then almost unwillingly back in the moist depths, before finally pulling out. She would marry Roman because she had no other choice. But her tiny revenge for this shotgun wedding was that her groom was going to say his vows with a hard-on.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  The ceremony passed quickly. Roman was correct, Katie barely had to do anything except stand silently by his side. Perhaps he’d paid off the priest, or maybe he really did have this kind of power in the area, but no one seemed surprised or dismayed when the bride said nothing during her wedding ceremony. He lifted her veil at the appropriate time and took her lips in a chaste kiss that felt strangely obscene given his treatment of her earlier, and his semen still slick between her thighs. Then, he held her hand while she signed the register and placed his name boldly next to hers. And, just like that, they were married.

  Katie looked up at him in stunned disbelief. He had actually done it. This man that she’d known for more than half of her life had taken her in marriage without her consent. She searched her heart and realized she couldn’t find true disappointment at being tied to him in such a fundamental way. She did love him, after all. But she couldn’t be pleased that he was going about things in such an ass backwards way. Where was the proposal? The declarations of undying love? Where were the flowers and bridesmaids forced to wear ugly dresses? This is not how her dream wedding was supposed to go. Not that Katie had ever planned on having a dream wedding. This was her second time down the aisle and neither had really been her choice.

  Fucking men! she thought with disgust, narrowing her eyes at her brand-new husband.

  He stared back at her, his emotionless eyes as unreadable as ever, giving none of his thoughts away. Well, she supposed that was better than the triumphant expression she had been expecting. He took her arm and together they thanked both Lana and Jorge for standing with them and the priest for performing the ceremony. Roman discussed some kind of formal meal with the other couple before leading Katie from the room.

  She followed him down the hall and around the corner, tracing the corridors in her mind through the blueprints she had spent so much time studying. She knew exactly where he was leading her when they finally stopped. He entered the code into the door and pushed it open. Katie gladly welcomed the chill air as it rushed at her, hungry for a glimpse of the gorgeous painting. Her heart pounded in remembrance of the way Roman had captured her while she had been standing in front of it, staring in shock. Hard to believe that it had only been the evening before when he had lured her into his frightening trap.

  She shuddered and glanced back at him before returning her eyes to Woman with Folded Arms. “She’s so beautiful, isn’t she?” Katie asked, her heart breaking as it did each time she looked at the painting. Seeing it up close and in person was a magical treat she thought she’d never achieve.

  “She’s yours,” Roman’s voice rumbled from behind her.

  “Mine?” Katie whispered.

  “A wedding present,” he confirmed.

  She tilted her head in acknowledgment, her eyes following each harsh, sad line of Picasso’s famous painting. The tortured emotions were there to see, starkly laid out, oil on canvas for their private viewing, the misery of both subject and painter so heartbreakingly evident. It had called to Katie from the moment she first laid eyes on a tiny replicated thumbnail in one of her art history textbooks eight years ago. They stood that way for a long time as she
simply soaked in her new painting. It was the first one she would be allowed to keep for herself. Fitting that it was also her favourite.

  Finally, she spoke, her voice low, shaking with emotion. “God, Roman, I don’t even know what to say about all this. Your level of planning and… and motivation, it’s too much, too intense. To find and acquire this painting… my painting. To resurrect an entire criminal empire that fell more than twenty years ago. To contact my boss and heartlessly hand over my friend – our friend – to him.”

  His voice was sharp as a whip and just as brutal when he spoke. “XSource stopped being a friend to me when he chose to hide you and not reveal the extent of his duplicity. I hope I never cross paths with him, Katerina. Because I will gut him on the spot for playing me.”

  She shivered as he stepped up behind her and drew her against his chest, his gentle actions in direct opposition to his brutal words.

  “Source saved Riley’s life when he helped you and Soloman hunt down her kidnapper. Doesn’t that count for something?” she asked softly.

  “Not when he’s been putting your life in danger for years while playing me and the boss,” he growled, leaning into her, letting her feel his hardness against the curves of her ass. “Now why would he do that, Katie? Why would he allow us to think he was working for us, when he was really working for you the entire time?”

  Katie rolled her eyes and replied sharply, “That’s not how independent consultants work, Roman. Source works for h-himself. He chooses his own jobs. We work well together, which is why he consistently chooses to work with me. Yes, sometimes he told me what you were up to, but only because he knew I cared about you and wanted to know you were safe.”

  Roman’s growl reverberated through her back and his arms tightened against her. She could feel his jealousy thicken in the air. She was an idiot for not telling him the truth about Source. There was no reason now not to reveal Source’s true identity, unless the hacker was able to somehow slip away from Ivan. Until she had definitive confirmation one way or the other she was keeping her lips sealed. She didn’t need to make more trouble for someone who had stayed true to her over the years, helping her out of more jams than Katie could count.