She picked up the phone, opened up the phone keypad, and then looked at the list.
“I’m number one. You’re to try me first because more often than not I’ll be close by. Gideon is number 2. He will be working less hours for the marine patrol then Andreas, who is number three and Cerdic, who is number 4 on the auto dial. Got it?”
She nodded, and he raised both eyebrows at her. She understood he wanted her to test it. She pressed one and hit the button for speaker. Immediately the phone on his hip rang.
“Good. Press number 2.”
“Now?”
He nodded, and she left it on speaker then hit number two. The moment the deep, intense voice answered, she couldn’t speak. “Hello? Hello, Sophia?”
“We’re testing the line. All is good. Later.”
“Yes, sir.”
She couldn’t believe her body’s reaction to the tone of voice of bodyguard number two, Gideon. Holy crap. He sounded like a man with a thick beard, who smoked cigars and set off bombs. It was deep, scrappy, and hard.
“Well?” Lew pushed, and she went on to test number 3 and then number four. After hearing each of their voices, she now was curious as to whether they looked like she thought they might because of their voices.
“You’ll get to meet each of them in the next several days. Every couple of days we’ll drop off a schedule of where we’ll be and what may be going on so you’ll know who your first contact should be if you need anything.”
“Why don’t you just text it to me?” she asked, already feeling on edge and very unsure about how this was going to work. They would constantly be around her, and she wasn’t sure she wanted that. She was trying to pull her shit together and get stronger, and she didn’t think being around strange men who looked like giants would be helpful.
“Sophia, we’re here to protect you, and in doing so, we will be doing a house check and, at night, a perimeter check. We’ll even do a beach check so you feel safe and secure. You’ll get used to us being around, and you’ll feel more comfortable. I promise.”
She wondered if she would actually get comfortable or if their size and their attitudes would do the opposite and put her on edge. She truly wasn’t sure, but it appeared she had no choice and was about to find out.
“We’ll see,” she said, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. She stepped away from him farther.
“If there’s nothing more, I’m pretty tired.”
He stared at her.
“That’s it for now. Just remember that phone goes everywhere with you. We’ll talk later. Oh, and there are some basic things in the refrigerator and the cupboards to eat. We weren’t sure what you liked, but until we get a list from you and get to the store tomorrow, it will help you for tonight.”
She didn’t argue and tell him she planned on ordering and having the groceries delivered. Earlier he hadn’t seemed too keen on that.
He nodded and then headed out the door from the kitchen to the deck and down the pathway. She locked the door and then went through the entire house, making sure every window and door was locked. She felt sad because the air was beautiful, and a gentle breeze felt good filtering through the house. But feeling safe was more important, and she just didn’t know if such a place existed, never mind if she would ever feel safe again.
Chapter 3
“I don’t know what I was expecting but not for her to look like this. Not after the file we got from Jeremy prior to her arrival,” Lew told his team as he passed around her picture.
Andreas whistled low. “My God, she’s gorgeous. What the fuck was she doing with this asshole?” Andreas stared at her picture and then passed it to Cerdic.
“Damn,” Cerdic replied and then passed it to Gideon.
“It’s hard to believe, but however they got involved, it turned ugly fast,” Lew said. “As you all could see going over the file, this guy Mateo is bad news with lots of connections and resources he is currently tapping in on. It’s been months since Jeremy blew his cover and got her out of there. No sign of the prick or his partner, Deavan Hoyt. Although our part in this case is strictly to be bodyguards and protect Sophia, Jeremy has given us some access to some of the details surrounding the case and Sophia’s part. As you all could see, the narcissistic bastard went as far as branding his employees and men that were loyal to his business organization. Jeremy has the mark on his upper arm.”
“That’s sick, never mind fucking painful. This guy Mateo is into other masochistic shit?” Gideon asked.
“From what I’ve read, he has some fetish with fire, burning people who have not exactly succeeded in pulling off his requested missions and deals. They have also connected him with a series of five missing people, all professional people from lawyers to a doctor. Somehow there’s a connection between them and Mateo’s business dealings. Not our problem, but it gives us an image of the kind of environment Sophia was forced to remain in. Jeremy said she had no idea until recently that this guy was cheating on her, committing criminal acts, and when she found out, she demanded to leave. It didn’t happen.”
“What did he do to her, Lew?” Andreas asked.
“Not a clue and Jeremy didn’t specify. He just said what she went through was traumatic and that she was going to need time to heal.”
“So what’s the next step?” Gideon asked, taking her picture into his hand and staring at it.
“Introducing yourselves and making her feel safe. She won’t engage in much conversation. She’ll try to blow off any need for help. Just give her the time she needs. Our job is safety and security. I think we can handle that.”
* * * *
“What’s the obsession about? We just barely got you out of the fucking country on that cargo plane, Mateo. Do you want to end up in prison for life, or do you want to live and never look back?” Castella Moya asked Mateo as Mateo declined another offer of a blowjob by some goddess of a whore Castella had walking around his estate. The man was a millionaire with connections across the globe.
Mateo looked at Deavan, who was smiling wide and caressing the ass of a woman who wore a purple string bikini. They were all sitting by the outdoor pool, the music played softly in the background, and Mateo and Castella were in the cabana. This place, Castella’s home, was like something out of a movie. It was paradise. He was so glad that he’d started doing some business with him last year and that they had gotten close. Mateo got some of Castella’s men out of prison quickly. He also hooked them up with drugs, booze, and women during the time they spent in jail waiting to be released.
Mateo didn’t answer Castella. His thoughts were on Sophia and, of course, Jeremy. Castella had gotten copies of the surveillance videos at the hotel suite in Chicago. He saw how Jeremy got Sophia out of there and into an SUV with federal agents. It killed Mateo to think Jeremy was an agent working undercover and privy to so much information, information that could send Mateo to prison for life, but he worried more about what Sophia knew and what he’d sworn her to secrecy about. If she dared tell the feds about the safety deposit box and then bank accounts in Europe, his funds would be seized and he would be broke. In that safety deposit box was a key to another safe and documents, thumb drives, files with evidence of hits he’d done, fires he’d started, and people he’d killed to prove he was legit and could handle anything.
His actions had gained him respect and business deals. He was fucked if she told the feds about the security boxes. But then again, he wasn’t certain she knew of them or even recalled him talking to Deavan about them that night he branded her and they played with her body. God, he missed her body, the feel of her large breasts and firm, round ass. Even the way she filled out her clothing from dresses to those short skirts and sexy bras and panties. Fuck, I can’t live without her. I can’t.
“Jesus, Mateo. This woman is that important to you? That fucking special you’re willing to risk your location? I won’t be part of this. I won’t risk my estate, all I’ve fought for and worked so hard for here in Ve
nezuela. You want to hire men to find her and bring her to you, then you do it away from here.”
Mateo looked at Castella.
“This was only temporary, Castella. You know as well as I do that I would never place you in danger. I need a few more weeks. I need men to locate Sophia before I can make plans to get her delivered to me.”
Castella took a puff from his cigar and exhaled. The smoke twirled around and then into the warm air.
“Then you need a place that will be too difficult to get to you. A place filled with dangers for any federal agents wanting to rescue her. Perhaps Cordoba?”
“Colombia? I don’t know if that is good enough. Jeremy had to be highly trained, and federal agents these days seem to be comprised of retired soldiers. Men like that would find me too quickly.”
“Then maybe Panama, one of the small villages. I know people. Or perhaps Ecuador or even Peru? It won’t be exotic and beautiful, but in a year or two when the heat dies down, you can move with her closer to the water’s edge. To the islands and tropical places you’ve loved.”
“You are right, but I need to find her first, and considering our snitch is trying to secure his cover, it may take some time.”
“You’re very impatient, Mateo. But lucky for you, I have some connections of my own.” Castella snapped his fingers, and one of the servants came over.
“Call Frederick Price and set up a secure conference call for me tonight with him.”
Mateo nodded and thanked Castella.
Mateo thought about Sophia and her sexy, curvy body, the way her thick, long brown hair fell nearly to the middle of her back, and how obedient and faithful she was to him. If he had only been faithful to her, she never would have gone with Jeremy. Unless Jeremy had already been fucking her. Maybe they had an affair, and that was why she’d left with him. But how could he do the things he enjoyed in bed with other women with sweet, innocent Sophia? She had been a virgin, and he had her first and would be the only one to decide who fucked her and who didn’t.
If she cheated on him with Jeremy, then he would torture both of them together. He couldn’t hurt Sophia in the way his body, his sexual appetite needed to. When he’d branded her skin, seen her beautiful flesh part and turn red and bleed, it had aroused him entirely too much to analyze. If he did to her what he did to other women, burned them, left forever marks of his on their bodies, she would have died. As it was, he tended to take things too far. She needed to stay perfect and unharmed. The M branded on her lower back would forever be a reminder and a symbol of his ownership. It wouldn’t matter if it took months or years to find her. He would, and when he did, he would make certain she knew the only way to leave him would be by his hands, taking her final breath.
* * * *
Sophia awoke in a panic. She gasped and jumped up, trying to familiarize herself with the new surroundings. The sound of the ocean could be heard outside, despite the closed windows. She calmed her breathing and felt the burning against her skin. The damn marking on her back. It ached as a constant reminder of her being Mateo’s possession. Not anymore. One day she would remove it, hide it, or turn it into something beautiful, not ugly and evil.
She looked around the room, which was so big and filled with light. It was a stunning bedroom, a dream home altogether and hers for as long as Jeremy thought it was safe. When she thought about that, she thought about Lew and his team. She would meet them all today at some point, and she needed to get mentally ready.
She climbed out of bed and stretched her arms. A shower first and then she would need to look up information on the Internet about the shopping and home delivery service. From there she needed any clothing stores that might deliver, or she may be forced to head out. But not today. Not any time soon. Too risky. What if he were out there or one of his buddies? Then what? She felt the shiver of trepidation and fear. Would this ever go away?
After her shower, she headed downstairs, prepared to make some coffee and figure out the password for the Internet. She’d forgotten to get that from Lew, but as she turned the corner, she spotted a guy on her deck. She gasped. Where the hell is the phone? She thought about it a moment, and there it sat, right on the island where she’d left it last night. She was being stubborn. A second glance toward the door and she saw that he was cleaning the hot tub. Really? At this time of the morning? Then she looked at the microwave. Eleven? She should have known. She hadn’t fallen to sleep until six and then kept waking up. The last time she looked at the clock it was nine. Two hours sleep? Not bad at all.
She held the phone and debated about calling. But Lew did say there were four of them, including him, around, and they took care of the house. She watched him closely. He was a big guy, almost as tall as Lew, at least six feet three, and filled with muscles. Then he bent over to grab some chemicals and, man, did he have a nice ass. As he stood up, he turned toward the sliders, and she gasped, pulled the phone to her ear, and hit the auto dial 1.
The guy was watching her but didn’t move a muscle. In fact, he raised his hands up palms forward as if signifying he was harmless and wouldn’t move a muscle.
“Sophia, what’s wrong?” Lew asked in that hard, deep, angry voice of his.
“Uhm, there’s a guy here. On the deck by the Jacuzzi.”
Lew exhaled. “It’s okay. That’s Gideon. He’s one of my team, and I sent him over there because I’m stuck fixing something at one of our rentals up the road.”
“Are you sure it’s him? What does he look like?” she asked, wanting to be a hundred percent sure.
“Six foot three, two hundred pounds, brown wavy hair, brown eyes, and an expression right now that makes him appear annoyed I’m sure.”
“His hands are up.”
“So that you know he’s a good guy. Open the door and ask him his name while I’m on the phone.”
She swallowed hard and slowly moved closer. Gideon, if that was him, gave her body the once-over. She probably shouldn’t be wearing a tank dress. She slowly cracked the door open.
“Identify yourself,” she said to him.
“Gideon Sparks, ma’am. One of Lew’s team members and one of your bodyguards.” He eyed her body over. She felt her cheeks warm, but she quickly closed the door and locked it. “Go ahead back to what you were doing,” she said through the glass door.
“All good, Sophia?” Lew asked.
“Yes. Thank you.”
She disconnected the call and then leaned against the counter, holding the phone to her chest. Gideon watched her and then placed his hands on his hips and gave her an annoyed expression. She could hear him through the glass doors.
“Unlock the door, Sophia.” She didn’t move.
He spoke as if he were ordering her around, just as Lew did.
“We need to meet so you won’t get scared again,” he said, and she thought about it a moment. She looked him over. He was bigger than big, especially compare to her. Not that she was a peanut, but these men, Gideon and Lew, made her feel like one.
He nodded toward the door, his expression again annoyed as she slowly unlocked the door and then pulled it slightly open.
He stared down into her eyes then at her lips.
“I’m Gideon. You’ll be seeing a lot of me around here and the other two, Andreas and Cerdic. In fact, Andreas should be coming by soon to do a sweep of the house.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Well, you’re not in charge. Lew is,” he snapped at her, and she stepped back, suddenly afraid of this man Gideon, despite that fact that he was supposed to be a good guy.
He exhaled.
“Listen, we’re here to do a job, to keep you safe and secure. Jeremy asked us to watch over you, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do and our way. Now, the Jacuzzi is all set and cleaned. The beach has been checked by Cerdic, so if you would like, you can go out to the beach while we do the house check.”
She crossed her arms and stared up at him, wondering why he was so hard and abrupt, thinkin
g how annoyed it made her but also how aroused she felt. It was crazy. He wasn’t even her type at all. Not that she had a type. In fact, she needed to do some heavy soul searching while here so she could figure out what she wanted and needed in a man and whether that was even a possibility. As far as she knew, she was destined for loneliness and had a future of living in fear as long as Mateo and Deavan were on the loose.
She swallowed hard, as he seemed to look over her body again. She was well endowed and then some. Finding a bra to fit her big breasts was annoying, and having guys drool over her boobs was just as annoying.
“I won’t be going to the beach. I’ll stay here in the kitchen. Your sweep or whatever shouldn’t take long. I haven’t even been here a full twenty-four hours.”
“I’m sure Andreas will be fine with that. So do you need help with finding your way around the kitchen?”
“I’m good,” she said, and he nodded and then walked away.
She watched him pick up the bucket and supplies of chemicals and then head off the porch. He waved to someone, but from where she stood, even with her face practically pressed against the glass, she couldn’t see who it was. Probably Andreas or Cerdic, as they called him. What interesting names. They sounded like the names cavemen had. That made her chuckle to herself as she looked around the cabinets for coffee after she spotted the maker on the counter.
She started to make a full pot, thinking she had a lot to do online to learn about Treasure Town and what it may or may not have to offer her. Jeremy had given her the name of a reputable tattoo parlor and a guy named Tank he knew very well. He also mentioned that if she wanted to get a job working somewhere that Nate and even Lew would help her out. She wasn’t sure if she believed all Jeremy’s hype about this town. Growing up in Chicago was way different than the beach and boardwalk life. It made her look at the number of the tattoo parlor again. She couldn’t even lay out in a bikini and enjoy the sun and getting a tan. Not with Mateo’s marking on her. She needed to get rid of it, or hide it somehow, but how could she trust this guy Tank? She didn’t know if he was capable of doing such a thing. She didn’t want to answer his questions or have him look at her as if she were some whore whose man claimed her by marking her permanently. She felt the tears fill her eyes and then heard a knock at the glass door.
Hearts on Fire 6: Healing Sophia (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4
