AllFreeNovel
Share Us
However, at his unspoken command, they all part to make way for me.
“Ah, you look nice and well rested,” Jaguar praises, patting the space beside him. “Sleep can do wonders for devious little kitty-vipers. Sit.”
I comply, mainly because—despite feeling far better than before—I’m still weak and disoriented. The music playing nearby grates on my throbbing head, and I feel dizzy inhaling so much cheap perfume.
Jaguar, however, seems to feed off the estrogen. “Ladies. Tell Tiena here how much you love hanging out with me.”
“We love it here,” all six crow in gushing unison.
I’m too tired to put on my unbothered act or remember Pedro’s rules for seduction. I wince, cradling my aching temple with one hand. “What am I doing here?” I ask out loud.
Jaguar laughs. “I want your advice on something. Where is that tablet?” He extends his hand, and a simpering blond beside me places the requested device on his lap. “Oh, here it is. Now, which one do you like? We’ve already voted, and the consensus is this one.”
He extends the tablet to me, and I see three snapshots of different mansions. I vaguely remember him viewing something similar earlier. Does he intend to show off his wealth now that he’s killed off his last accountant?
I have no desire to help him.
“I’m sure you don’t need me to help you make a decision,” I say.
An annoyed grunt displaces his charming laugh. “Play along,” he says, lowering his voice just for me to hear. “Don’t be so spicy, just yet. You are to trust me, remember? As you can see, I take very good care of my toys. Pick.”
Biting back a sigh, I inspect the tablet again. The property he’d pointed to as the current frontrunner is an opulent, sprawling villa much like this one. It seems too beautiful to possibly be real. The perfect vehicle to show off a disgusting amount of wealth by a man who makes his fortune off the desperation and exploitation of others.
Spite might be the sole reason I point to its polar opposite among the list of three. On the other hand, I think it may genuinely be my preference—a sleek, modern-style home with large glass windows. Unlike the other option, it gives the allure of stingy modesty. Mystery. When I point to it, I’m satisfied with my choice until a cold, cruel voice in my head whispers—That’s not why you like it. You know why. It’s the house he would pick were he given the option.
Diego.
I shudder, too disgusted to catch all of what Jaguar says next. “…moody for my tastes, but what the lady wants, she gets. The rest of you, clear off, and send out some food for our Tiena. I’m sure she’s starving.”
He places his hand on my upper thigh, his smile lethal.
“I hope you have an appetite.”
“What game is this now, Jaguar?” I ask. God, I could kick myself for not playing along. I know firsthand the danger that comes with pissing him off. For whatever reason, the events of last night have stripped me of my prior armor, and I have nothing left to hide behind.
Diego isn’t the sole reason, either. I’ve fought not to remember what happened between me and the stranger beside me in his private study. He fucked me senseless and then used his mouth on me in ways that would make even Pedro blush. Then he told me that I had gotten my wish. He wanted me, after all.
If he meant it as a joke, it wouldn’t be the first time he humiliated me. He’s sadistic as hell, but he’s also got a strange sense of humor.
“No game.” He pats my thigh gently and leans against the cushions at our back. “No, no… Game would imply that there is something left to be won, but I’ve already gotten the main prize, haven’t I? You. One new woman to add to my harem of six. At least the six I have this week. Tell me, Tiena, will you even last that long?”
He’s mocking me, and I can’t blame him. At his dismissal, most of his harem has migrated to the pool. They frolic about, aware of all eyes watching them. Beautiful, charming, undeniably perfect women.
“I’m not jealous,” I say, still watching them. “And I won’t demean these women by claiming to be above them. I’m sure they are all intelligent, and witty, and some may even be more educated than I could ever hope to be. None of them can offer you what I can.”
“Oh?” He strokes his chin, his eyes agleam. “And what is that?”
“They don’t want you,” I say, beating him to the punch. “Not really. Oh, yes, they covet your money, your power, and the ability to stay in your beautiful mansions free of charge. I’m sure they even like to be seen on your periphery, able to bask in a fraction of your influence. None of them really wantyou, Julian Domingas. They wouldn’t be so eager to flee from you if they did.”
Case and point, none of them look back at our corner, so eager to obey him by ignoring us.
“They fear you,” I tell him, confident of the fact. “Maybe not even physically, but emotionally. They know you would gleefully eat their souls for dinner and then move on to the next. They won’t ever take that risk.”
I don’t look over to see how he interprets that statement. Maybe I’m afraid of him, too. Every instinct in my body certainly wants me to be.
With a sigh, he removes his hand from my leg. “Wicked sharp tongue,” he scolds. “No wonder Braulio had to beat your ass into submission. I saw the scars.”
As another secret comes to light, I wrap my arms around myself to soften the unease. But he’s right—if one swaps Braulio for Diego. He beat me mercilessly, and it’s only now, a decade on the other side of that hellish relationship, that I can clearly reconcile the violence for what it was. Loathing, not love.
