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“Fuck,” he curses to himself.
“You really shouldn’t talk like that. It’s not very becoming,” I mock his earlier statement.
“I’ll never understand how you survived on this earth for so long with a mouth like yours. Any other man would have strangled you by now. Or at the very least, gagged you.”
“There’s still time,” I dare him.
I’m walking a thin line, I know that. He showed me firsthand yesterday what he’s capable of, yet here I sit, poking the bear.
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Or what? You’re going to shoot me in the head next.”
“Goddamn it, Mila. Will you fucking stop?” He blows out a frustrated breath. “I’m sorry for how everything went down yesterday. I’m sorry for what you were forced to witness and the effect that has clearly had on you. But this is cartel life. I can’t change the way things are. You heard Danny, they think I’m soft. What kind of message would I be sending if I let him walk away or I sent someone else in to finish him off? My position, my power, is completely reliant on fear. If they don’t fear me, they don’t respect me.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Maybe it is. But that’s the way things are. The difference between me and men like your father is that I don’t view mercy as a weakness. I view it as a strength. But even I have my limits. And what Danny did, it could not be excused.”
“Not even for my sake apparently.”
“Especially not for your sake.” There’s a harshness to his voice. “A lot of my men are already pissed about the way I’ve handled you. Most would have me string you up and let them take turns fucking you if they had it their way.” I shudder at the thought. “Is that what you want?”
“Of course it isn’t.”
“Then please, open those pretty blue eyes of yours and look around. Look at everything I’ve done to make you comfortable, to ensure your safety. And don’t get hung up on the things I can’t do for you. Because that list is very long.”
“I just... I don’t like the way you treat me sometimes. It’s like you’re one person when it’s just you and me and someone else entirely when other people are around.”
“Of course I am. Because I let you see me. My men, they see their boss. Ruthless head of the Rivera Cartel. But you seeme. The man I can’t be in front of anyone else.” My anger begins to melt away. “You aren’t just my prisoner. And you aren’t just a warm pair of legs for me to climb between. Fuck, little bird. You are so, so much more than that.” He stands, closing the short space between us.
I pull my legs in closer to give him room to sit next to me.
“And yes, I’ll admit that in the beginning it might have been just sex. But it’s not anymore. I hope it’s not for you either.”
“It’s not,” I admit quietly.
“I can’t promise you anything. I can’t promise you a future. All I can give you is right now. But I can give you my word that when it’s just me and you, you can have all of me. The good, the bad, and the ugly, for as long as I can possibly give that to you. The only question is, is that good enough?”
I don’t know what to say. So many things swirl through my mind. This man. This beautifully flawed man is giving himself to me in a way I never expected and no matter how frightened or angry I am, I can’t turn away from that.
“It’s enough.”
A smile spreads across his handsome face.
“Good. Now will you please come here because I’ve been dying to kiss you for hours.” Without waiting for me to respond, he grabs my arm and tugs me into his lap, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips.
——
“LADIES.” DIMITRI NODShis head in approval at the spread of food lining the kitchen countertops. Over the last four days, I’ve kept busy helping Norma. You’d be surprised how much work it is trying to keep up with feeding over twenty grown men. By the time we finish cleaning up after one meal, we’re already prepping for the next.
As exhausting as it’s been, I’m thankful to have something to keep me busy during the day. At night... Well, Mateo has me well covered in that department.
“You’ve outdone yourselves, per usual.” Dimitri grabs a paper plate, loading it up with a heaping pile of lasagna, before dropping a couple of breadsticks on top.
We started with less than ten people here the first day. A couple more joined the next. And even more came yesterday. It’s like a steady stream of cartel soldiers all answering their boss’ call. And while most are downright terrifying looking, some of the guys aren’t half bad. One of them, an older gentleman named Ox, has even taken to flirting with me whenever he comes in to eat. It’s harmless, of course, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t caught Mateo glaring at him out of the corner of his eye when he catches him doing it.
The house is crammed. With only three bedrooms available after Norma and I claimed the two upstairs ones, the others are forced to bunk up, most sleeping on the floor. It helps that they sleep and work in shifts.
