Taking the Thief

by Steele, C. M.

  “Where are you, Marisol?” I frantically rush out.

  She pauses which instantly has me concerned. “Um, I think there was some mix up at the airport. I just landed on another island in the Caribbean.” I fucking knew it. The bastard must have set this shit up. What the hell was he up to?

  “What island? I’ll have my plane come for you right now,” I tell her. I’m getting her out of that place. Then I’m going to own his whole fucking life.

  “Um…Ostrov.” She takes forever to respond, and I know that he must be around there.

  “What the fuck is he playing at?” I roar. Voy a matar that bastard. I’m going to fucking kill him if he hurts her.

  “What do you mean? Who are you talking about?” she asks. Fuck, she’s scared. I can hear the hesitation in her voice.

  “Mikhail Dobrev. I know this is all his doing.”

  “Well, I’ve been taken to the resort. I’m in a stunning room right now,” she says, playing as if there’s nothing wrong. My mind is reeling with ideas about Dobrev’s motives.

  “Have you met him?” I question suspiciously.

  “I don’t know. There were a few men around when I arrived,” she exclaims. She’s bullshitting me.

  “You know, he looks like the typical Russian mobster type.”

  “I think you watch too many movies. I doubt it’s his doing. Maybe it’s a mistake.”

  “It’s no mistake. His sister is here,” I inform her. She gasps immediately in shock. Damn, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I needed to be a better brother. She’s going to be freaking out now.

  “His sister is on the island with you?” she repeats my question.

  “What the hell is my sister doing there? You let her go now,” Dobrev demands. The fucker was in the room with her. I knew it. He’s holding her prisoner.

  “No.” I’m not letting that happen.

  “No?”

  “No, you sent her here to spy on me. I know you did. And she committed a crime. She pretended to be Marisol, checking into her room.” It’s a lie because she never got that far, but that’s not his business. That was her intentions. “I think it’s interesting that you’re playing innocent. Send back my sister, and I might return her without pressing charges,” I tell him. It’s the only deal he’ll get out of me.

  “No. Not going to happen. Ever,” he replies tersely.

  “What the fuck does that mean? You can’t keep her captive.” I’m going to get my men ready. We’re getting her back. I know his island is considered sovereign territory, like mine, but that doesn’t mean I won’t steal her back. He wants war he’ll get it.

  “The hell I can’t. My island has its own rules, and they are made up by me,” he argues.

  “Fine. You’re not getting your sister back until I get mine.” I can play that game, too.

  “Don’t test me, Navarro. She’s not involved in this.” What the fuck does that mean? My sister doesn’t even know anything about the family business.

  “Neither is my sister,” I tell him.

  He gives a chuckle which only pisses me off more. “No, your sister will one day be my wife. So I don’t care what you say. I’ll give you money to get my sister back,” Dobrev tosses out as a bargaining tool.

  “Are you crazy?” I ask. He can’t be seriously interested in my sister like that.

  “About Marisol. Now be good to my sister and return her. If you harm a hair on her head, I’ll destroy you.”

  “Relax, I’m not a killer unlike you, Dobrev.”

  “You don’t know anything about me.”

  The fucker hangs up on me. I close my eyes and growl out, “Pinche baboso. He doesn’t know who he’s fucking with. Where is his sister?”

  “She’s in the interrogation room.”

  “Okay, I’m going there. I’m doing this alone.”

  “You’re not going to kill her, are you?”

  “No. Of course not, but I must get answers from her. What does she want?”

  “Maybe she wants to seduce you and get info for her brother,” Grant offers.

  “Perhaps you are right. It’s not going to happen. I’m not going to sleep with a whore.”

  “True, but I don’t think you’ll sleep with anyone. Seriously, when have you ever gotten any?”

  “That’s not your business. I’ve worked my ass off to give Mari the life and make up for my parents’ death.”

  “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean to rag on you. I’m going to talk to her accomplice.” I nod and follow Grant out. At twenty-nine, I haven’t been with many women. The last time was before my parents died. Damn, that was in college. It didn’t matter because this girl wasn’t going to get to me. I wanted nothing to do with a thief.

  I storm toward the secured room, scan my ID and take a deep breath, and I enter. And as I close the door behind me, a pair of pale blue eyes look up at me from a veil of black straight hair. I’m so damn fucked. She’s spectacular, mouthwatering spectacular. I can’t get my attention off her face long enough to notice anything else. Swallowing hard, I wait for her to say something. I’m not sure what exactly but something because my brain just hit a brick wall.

  Chapter 3

  Natasha

  I hear the click of the door unlocking. Nervously, I hesitate to lift my head. The room has been perfect for my brain, but I have a feeling an angry flare-up is about to happen. As the door closes, I feel the energy shift in the room. It’s strange, but my body tingles insanely. I untuck my arms and raise my gaze to see who my latest interrogator is.

  And shit, the man is gorgeous. From head to toe, he looks like pure masculinity. His light tan skin contrasts with his white dress shirt and dark hair. My eyes move to his sleeves that are rolled up to reveal muscular forearms. The low light in the room hides his eye color from me, but the long eyelashes add to the beauty of the man staring me down.

  He leans over the table with his fists clenched and his knuckles bared. I wonder what his hands would feel like running over my skin. Um…what the hell is wrong with me? This guy is my enemy, and I’m ogling him like I want him to spread me open and have his way with me. Thankfully, my throbbing head takes away the lustful desires. The sharp pain reminds me that I’m not better yet and I won’t be until I can get out of here and rest.

  “I don’t know who the girl is,” I mutter, putting my head down to relieve the ache in my skull, and in my core, which seems to have come alive.

  “My sister. And your brother Mikhail is keeping her captive.” Like he’s doing to me this second. Fine ass jerk. I lift my head back up and scowl. This time I get to see his light brown eyes up close. They’re ridiculously perfect, but I’m not going to take his shit.

  “What? That’s bullshit. I don’t know who you are or who your sister is, but Mikhail would never do that.” My brother isn’t a criminal. That’s something I know for sure. There’s no way he would do something illegal after spending all his time fighting to get away from the stigma of the past. Leaving Russia had been the best idea for us, and he wouldn’t ruin it with kidnapping.

  “I’m Julian Navarro, owner of Navarro International hotels and Resorts. Besides, why wouldn’t he when he sent you here?” he questions, a scowl on his face. He looks down then quickly back up again, but I didn’t miss his eyes focused on my cleavage.

  I close my eyes and get myself together before I do something stupid and give him a better view of my chest. Accusing my brother of sending me here does enough to calm the heat down. Mikhail would never put me in danger. “My brother is a good man. He wouldn’t even introduce us if we were in the same room. Besides, I don’t want to be here. I was expecting to be on Ostrov. I just want to go home. I swear I didn’t know about the passports.”

  “No one called you Marisol on the flight or anything?” he challenges me. Damn, I can’t remember anyone addressing me really at all.

  “I have a fucking migraine; I was resting on the flight,” I inform him with
a tinge of anger in my voice.

  “Damn, you’re sick?” he asks with a grimace stretching across his face.

  My eyes roll automatically, forgetting that it’s only going to send a sharp pain to my temples. I’m not above being a smart ass, so I toss out, “I’m not contagious.”

  He leans over the cold table, staring at me fiercely, muttering in Spanish I presume, “Por supuesto, of course, of course. Let me get you somewhere you can rest.”

  I twist my head to the side, wondering if he thinks I’m stupid. “What? I’m not following. Why would you help me? Are you afraid I’ll die in my little cell here?”

  A low rumble comes from his chest before he utters, “Don’t be difficult, Natasha.” His voice is soothing.

  “Wow,” I murmured aloud, catching his attention to my mouth. Damn, I better keep my thoughts clean. They’re liable to escape around this guy. The way he said my name traveled straight to my soul. I have no words. It soothes the pain just enough to feel normal again.

  “Come,” he orders, stepping around to my side of the table, and taking me by the hand. I grab my bag before I forget it here. He pulls it from me and throws it over his shoulder. We move to a bank of elevators, then I find myself lifted into his arms, cradled and strangely feeling protected.

  “You don’t need to carry me. I’m sure that I don’t have the strength to run away.”

  “No, you don’t, but I don’t want you passing out in front of my guests.” I roll my eyes, then close them because he’s pissing me off. Yeah, I think him carrying me grabbed more attention than the possibility of me fainting.

  “You’re making a scene already.”

  “No, most don’t know I’m the owner. They think I’m carrying my woman back in from a honeymoon outing. It happens a lot around here.” God, I’m doing my best to not react, but calling me, his woman hit me straight in the chest. This isn’t good. Whoever brought me here had nefarious motives. Was it this guy, pretending that it was supposed to be about his sister? Or was it Viktor? Whoever altered our passports had to be close enough to do that? The elevators close on that thought.

  “Tell me how old you are,” he demands.

  “I’m nineteen,” I mutter, resting my head on his chest. Goodness, why do I feel so right in his arms?

  “Ay Dios, you’re a baby.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far, old man. I am young, though.”

  “Me voy al infierno.”

  “What?”

  “Nada, nothing. Talking to myself.”

  “Just don’t answer yourself. That’s bad,” I giggle out. He cracks a smile then stiffens up when the doors open.

  “Come,” he repeats.

  “Um, you are carrying me. I’m going where you go unless you want to put me down.”

  “No, not going to happen.”

  “I’m not going to run away yet. I’m too weak for that at the moment.”

  He mutters something under his breath, then sets me on my feet and slides his key card into the room. We enter a large foyer. I wonder if this is the suite he had for his sister. I don’t even care. He walks over to the left and down the hall to a large bedroom. The sun is coming hard into the room, sending blinding pain to my head. I scrunch my eyes closed, hoping it’ll help which it does. He sets me on the bed, then says with a cocked brow, “Rest.” He moves to the large sliding balcony doors and pulls the drapes closed. “Better?” he asks, leaning near the bed and squeezing my hand.

  I nodded unable to calm my racing heart from the way he looks at me with utter warmth. “Horita vengo. I’ve got to talk to your brother again. I’m going to send up the island doctor. Excuse me.” He gives my hand one more squeeze before walking away.

  I press my head back against the pillows. These are nice and cool to the touch. Turning to my side, I look around the room. It’s inviting but more masculine. The bed is perfect with white sheets and a super fluffy comforter. A large picture of a Mayan pyramid is on the wall, and I stare at its beauty. Within a few minutes, I fall asleep.

  Chapter 4

  Julian

  I rush out to find a doctor. It’s fucking silly of me to be worrying over the thief, but the second I stepped into the little room, I knew she was the one. The one, my father, told me would steal my heart and soul. I hate knowing that she’s struggling to exist with her head pounding. I rarely ever have a headache, but it does suck when it hits. The way she looked so fragile and small in my bed, broke the ice around my heart. I have to get her back to good health. I call down to the reception desk which has all the information on hand. “Carmen, Llame al médico a mi apartamento.”

  “Ahora?”

  “Si, now. Gracias.” I end the call because I don’t want questions.

  As soon as that’s done, I send a message to my sister. Dile a Mikhail que no voy a devolver a su hermana. Ella es mia para siempre.

  With my phone in hand, I go back to the room and see her asleep. I need answers. I want to know why she’s here, but there’s one answer I have. She’s never leaving. She’s mine forever. I stare at her as if she’s a luxury car that I must examine all the lines with their curves of perfection. Natasha is a wonderfully beautiful woman. Ay Dios mio, she is not even indeed a woman yet. Nine years my junior is bad. I am most definitely going to hell for this. I sit down on the bed, brushing my hand across her cheek. She’s a little warm. Damn, I don’t know how to take care of her, but I’m going to do my best to figure it out. A moan escapes her lips, and I ache to taste them, wondering if that will soothe both our aches. The extraordinary way she captivates me seems to be unintentional, but it doesn’t make a difference because my mind is made up about her.

  A knock at the door takes me away from the room and my newfound reason for existing. I don’t understand what is going on other than I want to keep it going. I open the door, letting the doctor in, then I see my assistant waiting in the wings. Her eyes are wide with curiosity, but I’m not filling her in on my private life. For the first time, I actually have one, and for the next twenty-four hours, I want to keep it that way. “Carina, I’m sorry. I’m dealing with some issues, please cancel the rest of my day. I’ll be back to work on Wednesday.” I close the door without welcoming her in.

  “Que Paso, Senor Navarro?”

  “Vente,” I answer, explaining what’s wrong with Natasha on our way to the bedroom.

  “Bueno. You don’t need me. Rest, some meds, and a little darkness will be the best remedy, and once the major pain subsides, she must eat. It will stop from a hunger migraine taking the light’s place.” He goes in his bag and hands me a bottle of Ibuprofen.

  “Bueno, gracias,” I thank him, walking him back to the door. “Te vayas bien.”

  Once he’s gone, I call down to have food made for us. She’s going to need something to eat. I go back into the room and kick off my shoes and undo my tie. I grab my phone and check my emails to get some work done. I want to spend my free time getting to know her better—in every sense of the word. As much as I’m lusting over her, it’s more than that. I can feel my heart wanting to burst from my chest.

  She moans and turns, waking up and looking up at me. “Oh goodness, I thought I was dreaming.” Damn, if this is a dream, it’s one I don’t want to wake up from.

  “How are you feeling, muñeca?” I ask, pressing the back of my palm to her forehead.

  “I’m okay. My name is Natasha, though,” she says, looking at me with sleepy eyes.

  “I know. Are you hungry?”

  “I am. My head isn’t pounding so bad right now,” she answers softly. Damn, I want to taste those pink lips and see if she moans just as softly.

  Gathering my control, I inform her about the doctor’s visit. “The doctor told me that it’s the best time for you to eat.”

  “You called a doctor?” She seems surprised by that. I guess she should because I’ve been the enemy from the moment she stepped on my island.

  “Yes, of course I did.
We have one in the hotel in case of emergencies.” I stretch out my hand for her to take. She reaches for it hesitantly as she sits up on the bed. “If you’re not feeling well, I could always bring the food in here.”

  “No, that’s okay. I’m fine. Why are you being so nice to me? You said I was a thief.”

  “Maybe, I believe you,” I say. I do believe her. She’s the pawn in someone else’s game.

  “Well, that’s a relief. The nicer you is much better.”

  I smile like a jackass, but it makes her blush the prettiest pink. I’ll do whatever I can to get her to give me another.

  Chapter 5

  Natasha

  We move into the dining area of the suite where he refuses to let me lift a finger. He got us large steaks with roasted potatoes and steamed veggies. My stomach rumbles stronger than I expect; I hope he didn’t hear it. “So what do you do in Miami?”

  “Nothing really. I’m on summer vacation from college, but I might as well have not gone at all,” I sigh, taking another bite of my steak. I hate school. I’m not sure why because I’ve always done well.

  “Why?” he asks, then takes a drink of his wine.

  I shrug while I think about how to express myself. I decide frankness is the best way. “I don’t know what I want to be. It’s a waste of my brothers’ money,” I say, taking a drink of water. I’m too young to drink, but my brothers let me have some on special occasions, and it’s only one glass of wine or champagne because it goes straight to my head. Right now, I need my wits about me. Being around the sexiest man in existence is already hard to resist.

  “You have the two brothers, right?” he asks. I’m not sure how much he actually knows about my family considering he’s a very busy man.

  “Yes, Mikhail and Ivan. I’m the youngest. So it’s you and your sister?”

  “Yes. My grandmother took care of her for me when my parents died so that I could finish school my last semester then take over the resort. My parents’ death sent this place spiraling down the drain.”