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I screamed out his name, my fingernails scoring his back. I gave him everything, but at the same time, I claimed him as well, marking him.
I loved Andrés, and he was all mine.
Chapter 22
Andrés left me with a promise to return in a few hours. He was going to see Cristian to convince him to give me more time. Despite my devotion to Andrés, I couldn’t bring myself to help with his business. And he wouldn’t ask me to. In the beginning, he’d been determined to make me cooperate in order to protect me, but we were past that now. He promised he wouldn’t force me to do anything that went against who I was.
Because he cared. He cared about me, not some version of me that did exactly as he said. I wasn’t his doll. I wasn’t his pet. I wasn’t his fucktoy.
He might not have told me he loved me, but I could feel it in the reverent way he held me, the way he called me his. I knew he’d lost the people he loved in the past. He wasn’t ready to say the words aloud, because he was afraid he’d lose me, too. I was still targeted in Cristian’s crosshairs, and I didn’t expect Andrés to admit his feelings for me until I was safe. Until he was certain his sadistic brother wouldn’t take me away like he’d taken Andrés’ beloved sister and grandmother.
So for now, I was content with his branding kiss, with his harsh claiming of my body. His possessive touch communicated all the things he wasn’t ready to say to me.
I still didn’t understand how we could have a future together, but I resolved to come up with a solution. I needed to push aside my worry and focus on formulating my plan.
Not worrying was difficult when I knew Andrés was facing his brother right now, defying him in an effort to protect me. I didn’t particularly enjoy feeling like a damsel locked in a tower for safekeeping while my dark knight fought my battles. But without a computer, I really wouldn’t have been much help in a fight.
I resolved to ask Andrés about that when he returned. Now that there was trust between us, he might allow me access to his laptop. I c
ould take down Cristian’s organization piece by piece, destroying his financials and leaving him utterly ruined.
But it was Andrés’ livelihood, too. And although I knew he didn’t approve of the Bliss and human trafficking, that didn’t mean his hands were clean. I’d become convinced that he had a good heart, but he’d never known anything but a life of violence and crime. Circumstance had twisted him into a cruel monster on the surface, but I’d seen the damaged man at his core, the boy who had lost everything. His scars ran deep, and although he wouldn’t like to admit it, he feared his brother. He was as much a captive in his dark life as I was in this suite.
I just had to convince him that I could help set him free, if he’d let me. He might not be able to take on Cristian, but I could do it for both of us. A few clever keystrokes would bring his entire empire crashing down.
I was only idly turning the pages of my comic book out of habit as my mind was absorbed in plotting Cristian’s downfall. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been skimming through the story without reading when Lauren arrived with my lunch.
I sat up in bed, covering myself with the sheet. I still wasn’t comfortable with anyone but Andrés seeing me naked, even though Lauren had seen everything already.
She didn’t even look me in the eye today. I suspected her jealousy of my relationship with Master Andrés might be growing into resentment. Not to mention the fact that I’d recently attacked her.
Without a word, she handed me the morning after pill and a glass of orange juice. I’d taken the birth control shot a few days ago, but it wasn’t guaranteed to be effective immediately, and Andrés hadn’t been using condoms with me. I didn’t want him to, anyway, so I’d accept the slight nausea that came along with the pill. I really wasn’t ready to get pregnant.
I drained the glass of juice and handed it back to Lauren. She finally looked me in the eye. Her lovely face was drawn with anguish.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I blinked at her. “Why? Because of Andrés? I know you care about him. That’s okay.” I didn’t begrudge the woman her admiration of my captor any longer. I understood everything she’d claimed about him. He was kind. He was a good man, deep in his soul.
“No,” she said softly. “Master Andrés is going to be so angry with me.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, more sharply. Fear for Andrés flooded my chest, pressing against my heart.
“Cristian made me,” she said, wringing her hands. “You have to come with me now.”
I shook my head. It felt lighter than it should, but I couldn’t focus on that. “I’m not going anywhere without Andrés.”
“You will in a minute.” Her eyes filled with tears. “He’s going to hate me.”
My body heated with anger. Or was it just hot? No. I was very aware of the cool air caressing my skin, making it pebble. I shivered, feeling as though Andrés was running his fingers down my spine. My core warmed and pulsed, need blossoming low in my belly.
“What did you do?” I asked, even as a pleasant, floaty sensation settled over me. It felt almost as good as being suspended in Andrés’ ropes.
“Cristian made me put Bliss in your drink. He wants you to be with the other girls, since you won’t work for him. You have to come with me.”
“I don’t…” The refusal died on my tongue, and a soft moan left my chest as my clit began to pulse.
“I’ll try to keep the worst ones away from you,” Lauren sniffled. “Come on. We have to go.”
