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“Oh, God…”
“There is no name listed under who to contact when the deed is done,” Jaguar remarks. “Just a number that leads to an automated line. I’m having my men track down the source, but no averagependejois behind this. I don’t think Braulio has the money or the balls.”
“Franco isn’t safe with me,” I croak. Hell, at this rate, he might even be safer with Braulio, as cruel as that is to admit. At least he would only have to fear bruises and neglect. Not brutality. Death. “I can’t stay near him. They already tried to hurt him once…” I shiver with the weight of the decision. “I need to get him somewhere safe and leave him. I can’t—”
“What you need to do is—” Jaguar hooks a hand beneath my arm, wrenching me to my feet. When he spins me to face him, I sway. He has to hold me upright, his strength unwavering. “Not second-guess me. I said that you had my protection, Lupe. You doubt that, and you doubt me. You’ve already pushed your luck more than once—” He thumbs my bottom lip. “Let’s not try my patience any more than you already have.”
“Your protection,” I say thickly, hating how the word tastes on my tongue. “But to earn it, I have to give my body to you, don’t I? Let you impregnate me without my consent. I have to—”
“No. You misunderstood me.” He swipes his thumb along my chin, gathering the tears I didn’t even realize were falling there. He stares at them as if marveling at the sight. Almost as if he’s never taken the time to savor the sobs of his victims before.
“I never said my protection was contingent on sex, or my child. When I plant my seed in you, Lupita, you won’t be unwilling. Trust me on that. Count yourself lucky. You’ve already placed a down payment on my protection. I need a few more things from you to seal the deal. One, you wipe away these tears and show Francisco a good day out. We’ll take him to the park. Out for ice cream. Nice, wholesome family shit. My second condition is that you wait until we return to Texas to dredge up these nasty little rumors. We won’t reveal that darkness in front of him.Claro?And then…” He leans in, his voice low. “Then, I will punish you for this and take my time doing so.”
His tone chills me to the core, his expression equally terrifying. Yet I don’t feel an ounce of fear as I tilt my head back to hold his stare. Why is that?
Maybe my newfound bravery has something to do with how his smile has widened. Cut to slits, his eyes rove over me, zoning in on my body like a man shamelessly taking stock of property he owns.
I feel myself flush, as the air thickens in my lungs. I can’t stop my teeth from seizing my lower lip to shut myself up. Jaguar chuckles. He’s loving this, savoring getting a rise out of me. As if to reward me, he reaches around me to cup my ass, groping harshly through the thin fabric. Gasping, I’m thrown against him, forced to cling to his forearms for balance. The thick muscle twitches beneath me like a hungry predator, desperate to consume me whole.
“Do you hear me?” he asks against my ear. “I want you to confirm that you do.”
“I understand,” I tell him, righting myself as his hand falls away. “But I have a condition of my own. When we have our ‘conversation,’ you tell me everything. Exactly what you’re planning. Having you toy with my life is one thing, but not Franco’s. He could be at risk because of me. I need to know you understand that.Claro?”
“Crystal, chica,” he says, patting my cheek. Then he snatches a fistful of his black shirt and dabs at my sore, still-leaking eyes. “We’ll hold off on each other for now. A truce of sorts. But damn… Am I going to enjoy taking my retribution out of your pretty little skin. There—” He steps back and lets his shirt fall. “All better. Let’s go.”
He extends his hand for mine, and I’m startled by how quickly I reach for it—despite the threats and the fear crawling beneath my skin. Despite the look in his eye that very much promises retribution.
A part of me can’t deny that even at his worst, the man has a quality about him that demands trust.
Even though I know I will regret giving him an ounce of it.
CHAPTERFOUR
When we finally leave the house, I’m struck by how different this moment is from the previous times I’ve gone out with Jaguar. We’re devoid of his usual entourage, for one, accompanied only by Horatio and a stern-faced driver who commands the sleek SUV we find waiting in a circular driveway out front.
It isn’t lost on me just how different he is without his posse to perform for. He drops some of his swagger, but rather than diminish him, he stands taller, radiating confidence I can’t deny. Damn him. He’s mesmerizing.
“Pedro will not be joining us,” Jaguar says, explaining his absence. “I’ve arranged for him to be entertained while we’re gone. Don’t worry, Lupe—” He reaches out to run his knuckles against my cheek. “A friend of yours is a friend of mine.”
That doesn’t sound like a good thing. My stomach churns ominously, but I stop myself from looking back and hunting for any sign of Pedro on the property. It’s what he wants me to do. Visually show fear. Doubt him. Give him a reason to push my buttons and test my patience.
So, I smile and reach for the tiny figure walking on the other side of him.
“What would you like to do today, Franco?” I ask, pulling him close to me. As close as I possibly can. I tighten my grip on his hand so he can’t wiggle away and ensure I sit beside him in the back seat. Not Jaguar.
“Go on,” Jaguar prods, his tone dangerously soft—a warning. “This is your day. Tell us what you’d like to do. Whatever it is, I’ll make it happen.”
“Really?” Franco looks from Jaguar to me, his brown eyes comically wide. “Can we do mini golf? I always wanted to go.”
I wince at the pleading note in his voice.
“Of course!” Jaguar laughs. “Mini golf it is. Let’s see if you can beat me by the end.”
The car takes off while I sweat in terror. If there is a bounty on me, traipsing out in the open seems like the worst possible thing to do. I feel like there’s a target on my forehead, and everyone around me is in mortal danger.
Even Jaguar.
Though, for all the attention he pays to me, I might as well be invisible. Franco has his full focus. They joke together. Laugh. Chat about video games utilizing terms I don’t even understand.
