AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The area is clear, Stefano,” Raúl assured me. “Everything is winding down. Rodríguez will make sure that what’s left of the estate burns. If there are any survivors in the jungle, they aren’t interested in calling attention to themselves by taking a shot at us.”
As he spoke, my vision adjusted, and I took note of the eight-man team flanking Raúl. The lights that had briefly compromised my sight were mounted on the men’s assault rifles. None of them were pointed at me, but they were armed and ready to defend us.
I drew a deep breath, the strange tension in my chest easing. I’d gotten Carmen out safely. Now, I could properly enjoy my victory.
I ushered her through the doorway, holstering my gun so I could capture her hand. Every line of her lithe body drew sharp with fury, but she didn’t try to pull free from my grasp. The malicious spark in her gray eyes told me she was far from conquered; she was simply smart enough to know when she should conserve her strength for the next battle.
A wide grin split my features, completely genuine and not at all calculated. This was why I’d wanted Carmen: her fiery spirit made her surrender so much sweeter.
“Who is she?” Raúl asked, distracting me from my prize.
His dark green gaze was fixed on Marisol, tracking a quick assessment of her petite frame before studying her face. His prominent brow lifted, and his eyes flared with hungry interest.
“Marisol is under my personal protection,” I said firmly.
Raúl was a loyal associate, not my underling. I couldn’t order him to do anything. If I tried, he would probably challenge me. I would eventually win, but it would be bloody for both of us.
“No one touches her,” I added for extra emphasis.
Judging by the tick in Raúl’s granite jaw, he wasn’t pleased by my declaration. I supposed Marisol was remarkably beautiful, even covered in sweat and dirt. But Carmen commanded my full interest, and I’d promised her I would keep Marisol safe.
I wasn’t foolish enough to live by a code of honor, but I kept my word. Trust was essential in securing loyalty, and loyalty was the key to maintaining power.
After a tense moment, Raúl inclined his head in agreement. “No one touches her. I’ll see to it myself,” he swore. “Let’s get moving. If there’s no one left to kill, I’d like to go home.”
I nodded, waving for the team to move forward into the jungle, their rifles illuminating our path. Keeping my grip on Carmen’s hand, I tethered her close to my side. I had no intention of allowing her the opportunity to make another break for it. Hunting her through her mansion had been irritating enough. I didn’t want to contend with the threats she might face in the wilderness before I got her to safety.
Her sharp intake of breath on the first step caught my attention, and I glanced over at her.
“You’re limping,” I noted, my lips twisting in distaste when I looked down at her muddy feet. “You’ve been barefoot this whole time?”
I’d been too distracted when I’d first caught up to her in the mansion to notice her feet; I’d been more concerned with keeping her in one piece. And when we’d fled the crumbling house, I’d been guarding her back so closely that I hadn’t gotten a clear look at her.
“I’m fine,” she insisted tightly, the fine lines around her mouth drawing deep on a grimace. “I’ve been running for over an hour, and I haven’t felt anything.”
I pulled to a stop, preventing her from continuing forward. “That’s probably because you had massive loads of adrenaline pumping through your system.”
I shifted, preparing to drop to one knee and inspect the damage. With all the mud covering her skin, I couldn’t tell if she was bleeding. Fuck, there had been broken glass everywhere in that ruined house. There was no way she’d managed to avoid getting cut. The only question now was how seriously she’d been injured.
Damn stubborn woman. If she hadn’t been so obstinate in the first place, I could have carried her to safety right away. Instead, she’d shocked me with her combative skills and almost busted my nose with the back of her skull.
“Try to touch me, and I’ll kick you right in the face,” she warned before I got halfway into a crouch.
I straightened, scowling down at her. “You won’t let me carry you.” It was a statement of fact; I didn’t need to hear a barbed retort to know that.
Her lush lips twisted in a cruel smirk. “Now you’re starting to get it. Nothing about this little arrangement you’ve made is going to be fun for you. I will make your life hell until you choose to either kill me or let me go. I will never be tamed.”
