by Karina Halle
I shook my head. “I am not a snitch, Este. There is still honor among cartels. We don’t rat each other out to the Americans.”
He snorted, shaking his head like I’d just said the most ridiculous thing. “Oh, come on, Javier. You and your stupid moral code that doesn’t exist. There is no honor. How do you think Chapo was caught before Salvador took over? Huh? The cartels put up those wanted posters around the continents, not the Mexican government, and not the American one. This is a new Mexico. There is no code among men because there are no men anymore. Only monsters who sit behind their desks and give orders.” At that, he looked at me with a touch of exaggerated disgust.
“You think I’m a monster?” I asked. Funny how Luisa said I wasn’t.
“I think you’ll get there one day,” he said carefully. “If you don’t mess up.”
He was talking around me and I hated it. I waved my hand at him. “You’re starting to bore me, Este. Go and pack everything up.”
“Where are we going?”
“Back to my place.”
“What about a safe house?”
“I miss nice things.”
“You can’t bring Luisa there.”
“I can do whatever I fucking want,” I said, and instinctively reached under the desk for the gun I had put there. Este picked up on it and nodded, quickly leaving the room. He was right. He wasn’t that much of an idiot after all.
Once he was gone, I was alone with my thoughts. Then my thoughts became too convoluted for me to wade through. So I got up and went to tell Luisa the news.
As usual, there was no answer to my knock. I opened the door and poked my head in. She was up, staring out the window, wearing that hot pink dress again, her hands behind her back. She didn’t look over at me when I came in the room. I was glad. It gave me a few private seconds to appreciate the marvelous things her ass did to my dick. I had another week of this luxury.
“I have news,” I said, clearing my throat.
Her shoulders tensed up but she didn’t turn around. “Oh? Good or bad?”
“I’m not sure. What would be good news to you?”
“That you’ll just let me go free.”
I pursed my lips. “Well, that means I have bad news, I’m afraid. Because I can’t let that happen.”
She didn’t say anything to that. I walked over to her and paused at her back. I lifted up her thick, soft hair and placed it gently over her shoulder, and peered at my name underneath. It looked less ugly now that it was done. I began to swirl around in the memory of the night before, the way she begged for me to finish it, to brand her, the way she told me she wanted me. I closed my eyes briefly and took in a deep breath through my nose.
“My name looks good,” I said softly.
Her shoulders slumped. “Am I going back to Salvador?” Pure desperation tore through her voice.
“No,” I said.
“Are you going to kill me?”
“No.”
Finally she turned around and looked at me, puzzlement on her beautiful face. “Did you even hear from him?”
I nodded.
“What did he say then?”
I ran my tongue over my teeth. “Well, we’ve made a new bargain.” Her eyes widened. “He said he needs time to give me what I want. I gave him one more week.”
A cynical smile flashed across her lips. “You see. He doesn’t want me.”
“You sound happy.”
“You have no idea what happy sounds like,” she sneered, her eyes flashing with bright fire. “I am only relieved, but I am still here and I still face the same fate in a week. You’ve bought me more time to face my own death. How can I be happy about that?”
I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t feel the way my heart pinched from her words.
I stepped closer to her and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “I think I showed you last night just how easy it can be to pass the time,” I said, lowering my voice. “I think you can find happiness in the time I’ve bought you. Don’t you?”
She rubbed her lips together and looked away.
Where was that sexually curious girl from last night? I leaned down and grazed her satiny earlobe with my lips. “You’re mine for another week, Luisa. Why not make it count? The tip of my tongue was only the tip of the iceberg. Trust me, you’ll want to see—and feel—the rest.”
I slipped my hand around the small of her waist, relishing in how large it felt around her, and started kissing down her neck. Her nape was so soft, so seductively fragrant with just her own scent that it took a lot of effort to stay the course, to not throw her down on the bed, rip her dress off, and fuck her brains out.
She relaxed into my touch, into my lips and tongue, but it wasn’t long until she pushed me back, her hand on my chest.
“No,” she said, her voice uneven as she stared up at me.
I raised my brow. “No?” I removed my hand from her waist and used it to straighten my tie. “All right then.”
I turned around and strolled to the middle of the room. I gestured to the clothes scattered everywhere. “I suppose there are more pressing things to deal with. You’ll need to pack up everything.”
“Why?” she asked, her hand at her heart.
I smiled. “It’s no longer wise to stay here. I’m taking you home.” She froze and I quickly went on. “Home to my place. No more safe houses, no rented mansions. You’re coming to stay with me.”
“Is that … safe?”
“My darling, you can’t get any safer. I spend what I earn. I have informants at checkpoints outside of my local town who report all new people moving in, people who may be part of rival cartels. I have sicarios patrolling the town, searching for new vehicles, new people that may have gotten past the checkpoints. It’s just as controlled as any federal agency. In matters of safety, I spare no expense. The same goes for shoes and liquor.”
At that she glanced down at my shoes, perhaps noticing their quality craftsmanship for the first time. And they say women were always first to notice fine clothing.
Then again, Luisa was born poor. Her knowledge of wealth and style was only thrust upon her in the last few months, lost in the mess of abuse and brutality. I could smell that depravity waft in over the phone that morning, the sickness that was Salvador. I kept trying not to think of them together, of the things he must have done to her, but hearing his voice made it all the more real. I started to wonder how the hell I would be able to give her back to him in a week.
“Are you okay?” she asked me.
I blinked, bringing myself back to the scene.
“Yes, fine,” I said quickly. “I’ll come back in a few. Then we’ll be gone.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Luisa
It took me a few moments to wrap my head around the new situation. When Javier came into my room, I was certain my world was about to change forever. Either Salvador was making the trade and wanted me back, or Javier would have to shoot me in the head—or at least get someone else to do it. I hadn’t been kidding when I said I wanted him to pull the trigger. It only seemed fair, and if I was going to die because of him, he was going to suffer.
To have a week of your life extended was an odd thing. I wasn’t sure if I was grateful or not. It was another week of uncertainty, but it was still another week of being alive. A week held chances, surprises, and possibilities—if one was in an optimistic mood. I wasn’t, of course. No one in my shoes would be. Though I had to say I felt my knees threaten to give out when Javier started kissing my neck.
That man’s lips did things to my skin—shocked me, gently, with warm electricity—and I found myself wanting him to raise his head and bring his lips to mine. I wanted to know what that felt like. But I wasn’t about to give him the upper hand. As much as I didn’t want to say no to him, as much as I fantasized about a repeat of last night, I did say no.
And to his credit, he immediately backed off. Didn’t even try to make me feel bad for it. Javier definitely followed
his own set of morals and honors, and it was strangely fascinating trying to uncover each one. A whole week of discovery lay before me. I suppose that was the only bright side to everything. That, and the fact that I was still alive.
The only thing that really worried me—other than my outcome in seven days—was the fact that we were leaving the safe house for his compound. I had no doubt that the place was well protected but it couldn’t have been a good thing that I was going there. I was still considered the enemy, hostage or not. I was Salvador’s wife and could return to him, report back to him, spy for him all to re-enact revenge on my cruel captor, Javier Bernal.
It was almost as if Javier was trusting me, though he had no reason to.
And for some reason, that scared me.
It wasn’t long until I was “packed.” I just shoved all my clothes back into the bag that they came from. I no longer thought of them belonging to someone else, except when I had to hike up the long skirts so they wouldn’t drag. They were a part of me, part of this disturbing transition from one life to another. Some of the articles had bloodstains on them that wouldn’t come out with soap and water, but I didn’t care. I liked the stains, what they meant, what I’d survived.
Esteban came up to my room to get me, limping slightly. I asked him the other day what happened. He wouldn’t say, which made me think he was getting too cocky with Javier for his own good. I was glad he had been put in his place.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone. I could see Franco and a guard leering around outside the door. In Esteban’s hands he had a blindfold and handcuffs.
“What’s going on?” I asked, trying not to panic.
“You don’t like kinky games?” Esteban asked with a smirk, coming toward me.
I instinctively took a step back.
He stopped and gave me a wry look. “Oh, come on, hey. I’m just getting you ready for your journey. You don’t think we’d actually let you see where we are taking you.”
I suppose he was right. So I was just trading one golden prison for another.
“Now be a good girl,” he said. “And we won’t have to hurt you.”
At that, the old doctor stepped into the room holding out a syringe. Like hell I was going to let them drug me.
“I think I’ve grown tired of being the good girl,” I snarled.
Este frowned, and I took that moment to pick up the lamp beside me and bash it into his head. I got him right on the bruise from where I’d smashed the rock into him. He swore as the glass shattered all around him, but I was already jumping across the bed and going for the other lamp, ready to fight off the doctor.
But when I turned around, Franco was coming into the room and shoving the doctor aside. The dull, mean glint in Franco’s eyes and his veiny muscles meant that there was no way I could fight him off, even if I managed to grab a piece of glass and gouge it in his eye. Nothing would stop him.
He lunged for me, his hands hard on my chest, and he pushed me. I flew back against the wall, my head striking it, producing a shower of stars in my vision. Suddenly I felt rough hands grabbing my arms, squeezing them until I thought they would break like twigs, and through the throbbing in my ears I heard people shouting.
The next thing I knew there was a loud bang, a shot, and the blurred vision of Franco began to slip away. His grip on me loosened and now he was swearing his head off in between screams of pain.
I squinted, trying to see past the waves of dizziness and stay upright, and I saw Javier standing in the doorway, a gun in his hand, pointing it right at Franco who had turned around and was yelling at him. I looked down and saw him trying to clutch his foot, blood seeping out of his shoe and onto the floor.
“The next time you touch her,” Javier said, his eyes crazed with burning rage, “I will remove the foot I just shot. And your other one. Then your hands,” he stepped closer, the gun still trained on him, “and your shriveled cock.” He aimed the gun down at Franco’s crotch. “And then I’ll piss on every single wound. I’ll take your head last, so you can see each piece of you disappear, and then I’ll piss in your skull. Do you understand?”
Franco didn’t. He told him to fuck off.
The room seemed to freeze.
But Javier marched right up to him and pistol whipped Franco across the face, a man twice his size. He whipped him so hard that blood spurted out of his mouth and sprayed onto my arms and chest. I held my breath, so certain that Franco wasn’t going to take that. But he did. Power was everything, and Javier had power. He just proved it.
Javier shoved him out of the way and gave me a quick glance of concern before he turned and faced everyone else in the room, a guard at the door, the old doctor with the syringe, Esteban who was holding his head and cursing.
“All I asked of you fucking delinquents was to bring Luisa to me.” He glared at the doctor. “I did not ask for her to be drugged. I did not ask for Franco. This should have been an easy process. Now I have another reason why I have to do everything my fucking self if it’s going to be done properly.” He jerked his chin at Esteban. “Leave the blindfold and the cuffs and everyone get the fuck out of here before I lose my temper again.”
The men obeyed with no hesitation and left Javier alone with me.
He sighed and rubbed his hand down his face before he turned to look at me again.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked wearily.
“No worse than you have,” I answered.
He nodded. “Good. Because I meant what I said.”
“About?”
“About him touching you. I don’t want anyone touching you. I won’t let it happen. You won’t have to worry about that.”
“I don’t know, you seem like a very touchy feely bunch here,” I said humorlessly.
“I’m serious,” he said, taking a step closer to me. He ran his hand down the back of my head where it hit the wall, gently cupping it. His eyes bore into mine and I couldn’t look away. “I will protect you. I promise, and I keep my promises.” He paused, licking his lips. “The only person I won’t be able to protect you from is me.”
I believed it. And in some messed up way, I was okay with that. I could survive him, his touch, his anger, his passion, because I was starting to understand him. I just couldn’t survive anyone else.
“All right,” I said slowly, still locked in his gaze. I wondered what they were seeing in me, deep down. There was no way he could look at me like he was, his stare so absolutely penetrating that I felt it in my heart, and not see something. I wanted to know what it was, who I was in his eyes.
But he looked away suddenly, breaking the spell, and pressed his hand to the back of his neck. “I’m afraid I’m still going to have to blindfold you and put you in cuffs. But I promise, you will not leave my side.”
I nodded and bit my lip while he picked up the cuffs and the black satin sash from the bed.
I dutifully held out my hands for him. “Do you prefer in front or behind?”
He smiled openly at me, and it was the most shockingly beautiful sight. He looked so damn young, almost angelic. “Oh, my beauty queen, you should know I like it every way possible.”
“I meant the handcuffs,” I said, though it came out in an uneven whisper. I was still a bit shaken.
He cocked his head at me. “Well, just in case,” he said. “The more informed you are, the better off you’ll be. Let’s take it from behind for today.” He quickly walked around me and pulled my arms back, snapping the cuffs over my wrists, which now felt heavy and weighted with the cold metal.
I swallowed the tiny prick of fear that was forming in my throat as he reached around me and placed the blindfold over my eyes. The world went dark, save for a tiny sliver of grey light at the bottom, and he tied it securely behind my head. Now I was one hundred percent powerless and completely in his trust.
I could only pray that he really did keep his promises.
He gently grabbed my upper arm and put his mouth to my ear. “Now I’m going to pick up you
r bag and take you down the stairs to the car. I’ll put you in first, then I will come in right after, and we’ll be on our way. If you need us to stop to use the washroom, well, there are plenty of trees. I’ll try not to watch you too closely.”
I raised my brow, the fabric barely budging from the movement. “How courteous.”
I could sense him smiling. “I’ve been called worse.”
True to Javier’s word, he literally did not leave my side during the excruciatingly long journey to his compound. And, as he had said, he was even there when I had to pee. I was trying to avoid it, but wherever he lived was an eight hour journey, and even I couldn’t hold it that long. There’s nothing quite like trying to pee in the jungle with a blindfold and handcuffs. I suppose he could have taken the blindfold off for just those moments, but from the sound of his laughter ringing through the trees, I could tell it was funnier this way. To him, that is.
It was near the end of the ride that I found myself falling asleep. I must have dozed off for quite some time, because the car jolting to a stop woke me, and when I raised my head, I realized I had fallen asleep on Javier’s shoulder. The feel and smell of him must have been strangely comforting. I felt embarrassed for some reason but said nothing, wondering why he had let me sleep that way.
“We’re here,” he said in a quiet voice. In the darkness, it washed over me like silk.
I heard the doors open and felt his grasp on my arms as he gently pulled me out of the vehicle. I gulped in the air, still smelling fresh and sweet. Mountainous. It was cool, making my skin erupt in goosebumps. It figured he would have a fortress somewhere up high. I started to miss the dry, hot desert air and sea breezes of Los Cabos. I started to miss a lot of things.
I was brought down a smooth path that felt like cobblestones beneath my shoes, and unfamiliar voices greeted Javier from all sides. I was ushered inside, across a tile floor, then up a long, curving flight of stairs. He took me down a lushly carpeted hall and finally into a room.
