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“And Navid?” His voice dips into a disarming, gruff rumble. Whirling around, I inspect his expression and shudder. He’s angry again, but I suspect this wrath isn’t meant for me.
“Yes,” I croak. “The boy your father chose as Juan’s recipient—”
“Chose,” he says with a cold chuckle. “I think I prefer that word choice. When my fatherchoseNavid to replace his true son, well he initiated him into the Domingas family—whether the bastard wanted to be or not. Our family rises to the occasion when one of us is threatened.”
“Is he who you plan on arriving?” I ask cautiously. This topic still feels like a landmine. I can’t even imagine what type of man this Domino must be. Someone even Jaguar refers to with a twisted mixture of resentment but maybe a little respect as well?
“The men who have Pedro are not the averagependejos,” Jaguar admits. “They are skilled. Clever. Even I can admit that. It will take more than some random, untrained bastard to track them down.”
“But you will?” I ask. “Hunt him down. Please, I’ll do anything you ask.”
Or, the first chance I get, I’ll leave this place and hunt Pedro down myself.
“You don’t need to beg for my assistance,” Jaguar snaps. His hand captures my chin, forcing me to meet his probing stare. The anger I find in those dark eyes surprises me. This time, I’m the source of it. “I thought I made that clear. You’ve earned the right to command my help. So, demand it. My woman will never beg any man. Not even me.”
I shudder at the implication of that statement. Facets of it feel way too dangerous to dwell on now. My status with Jaguar can wait. For now, Pedro and Franco’s safety are all that matter.
“Help me find him. I won’t leave him with those monsters. I can’t.”
He smiles as he releases me. “You don’t even realize the concessions I’ve made for you already. My men are on it, but getting close to the bastards won’t be easy. Which is why I need you to tell me everything you know about your old lover.”
I’m holding my breath without realizing it. When I breathe again, I’m aware of him watching me like a hawk. Tentatively, I say, “You know about him.” I can’t even bring myself to say his name. After days in Jaguar’s thrall, maybe I wanted his possessive lust to drive Diego from my mind for good.
“I’ve known from the start that your lover was never Braulio,” Jaguar says evasively. “A woman like you? Ah, you would have smothered that bastard in his sleep. You try to hide it, but that viper spirit is evident to any man who likes his women feisty. You were never Braulio’s.”
“And I’m sure a man with your resources already did research into me. Who I really am.”
“Who you are doesn’t mean shit to me,” Jaguar says with a dismissive shrug. “It never did. I only place stock in what I can see and verify for myself. You claimed to be Franco’s mother, and you’ve acted as such from the start. Your name. Your identity. It was always trivial. But yes, Lupita, I’ve known who you are for a while now.”
“So why the games?”
“Why not? I like to know the mettle of my opponents. Where their loyalties truly lie.”
“And you know about Diego,” I say hoarsely. “For how long?”
“Since the night you dove into my pool from a second-story window,” he says. “Did you really think I wouldn’t question that level of desperation? I know Braulio. You wouldn’t fear that bastard half as much. Only a true monster could have you so shaken.”
“And yet, you think I loved him.”
“Wrong,” he scolds. “I know you do. I may not be well versed in the emotion, Lupe, but I can tell when a man has the interest of a woman. I can see him in you. You even cry for him some nights. Did you know that?”
“I don’t… I hate him,” I say thickly. “I never long for him. Never.”
“Tell yourself that if you must,” Jaguar says. “For now, we will focus on Pedro. To find him, I can’t rely on my usual men. Your Diego is a smart bastard. He’s evaded all of my attempts to track him down. In fact, it was only recently that I settled on his identity at all.”
“How?”
“Your concern for Francisco,” he says. “It was no secret Tiena Sanchez didn’t give a fuck about her son. But why take on her identity in the first place? I knew the answer lay in your past. You were afraid of someone.”
“So, was this all just an elaborate ruse to get me to open up to you?”
A darkness falls over his expression. “Don’t make any mistake, Lupe. You weren’t honest with me from the start, but I have been nothing but clear about my intentions for you—” He strokes my cheek in a chilling caress. “You are mine—do you hear me? I knew from the second you sauntered up to me with those gleaming, secretive eyes that I would have you. Me. I won’t surrender my prize to another man. You made your choice when you promised yourself to me. I will take what I am owed.”
My mind reels. Does he really mean that? God, I can’t tell. His voice sounded emphatic enough to make me shudder with apprehension.
“And if I decide that I don’t want to be owned by any man?”
He chuckles, and his upper lip quirks into a smirk. “That is what I like about you, my Lupe. That curiosity. It’s sexy as hell, especially when you already know the answer to your question. Leave me if you want. Test my patience. We will have a hell of a time, you and I. And, after I’ve punished you for your insolence, you might even enjoy the makeup sex.”
