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I can’t breathe. All I can do is fight for air and try to stay standing.
“How does Navid factor into all of this?” I demand, turning back to the topic at hand. “Finding Pedro.”
His expression falls. “As much as it pains me to admit, Navid is a competent tracker. He goes by Domino now, and the bastard is under the radar. I doubt your Diego will expect me to utilize him. Our relationship is strained, one could say. No one would expect he could ever work for me willingly.”
“And why would he? If he hates you.”
“Because you are going to convince him to,” Jaguar says. “Navid can deny me at the point of death. But you? You and that magic tongue will be able to convince him in a way that I can’t. He never could shy from the chance to be a hero.”
“You said he’s under the radar. Why? How do you know where to even find him?”
“Let’s just say I have my ways,” he says. “He should be here by tonight. And you…” He strokes the hair from my face. “You will be tasked with making sure I don’t kill the motherfucker.”
Oddly enough, I’m not put off by the casual mention of violence. This is how Julian Domingas operates—in a constantly shifting game of pros and cons. For once, he’s letting me see his thinking process up close, and I can’t deny that I’m intrigued.
“Tell me about him,” I demand.
He beckons me closer with a nod of his chin and sits, settling me onto his lap. “What do you want to know.”
“Who is he? Navid?”
“A selfish bastard unworthy of the Domingas name, and yet… He is family. He has experience working as a double agent, feeding the cartel info on our closest rivals. Up until recently, he worked for a man by the name of Roy Pavalos.”
“Let me guess. You were behind that chaos.”
He smirks. “You don’t seem very surprised, Lupe. How else would I build my empire? By kissing babies and holding hands?”
“No,” I admit. “It’s just… If you hate this man so much, why keep him alive? Especially if he betrayed you once.”
His eyes narrow. I’ve struck too close to the truth. Will he reveal yet another piece of himself to me, or shut down?
I reach out for his hand, suddenly eager for him to pick the first option. I’m already drunk on the snippets of Julian Domingas he’s fed me. I want more. I crave it.
“I want to know,” I say, testing out his previous request. He wants me as his willing partner? Well then, partners are allowed to make demands of each other, are they not?
I hunt his eyes as they process my request, glittering with mystery. Suddenly, he thumbs my lower lip, making both part beneath the pressure. “Domino is a capable bastard. You tell me why I might want to keep his lying, traitorous ass around.”
“Because… At the end of the day, he still has a part of Juan alive inside him,” I say, my eyes widening at the revelation. “He is still your brother, whether you want him to be or not.”
He doesn’t react to the statement, but I sense it’s the cold, bitter truth—and it’s yet another subtle warning to me. Should I ever be insane enough to bear a child for this man, that will cement an unbreakable tie between us. He will never let me go.
“Ah, I know that look,” he scolds, stroking my chin. “That shocked, fearful expression as though I pulled out a knife and pressed it to your throat. Tell me why that is.”
It’s my turn to bare a part of myself to him. Am I ready to do so? Hell no. My heart feels so heavy in my chest. The weight drags my body down until he’s fully supporting me. The scary part? He does so without question.
“I don’t know if I can let myself be owned by you,” I confess.
He doesn’t react, at least not outwardly—but I feel his hand tighten its grip on my ass, a subtle reminder of his hold over me.
“And why is that? After all, you came to me, promising me your heart and soul.”
“It’s one thing to be a trophy,” I say. “It’s another to be… Consumed.”
Wholly, without question.
I can’t tell what he’s thinking behind those dark, fathomless eyes. When his upper lip quirks into a smirk, there is no warmth in it.
“I’ve had women as trophies,” he says. “I keep them on a pedestal. I keep them sweet and dressed in whatever designer bullshit they desire. I keep them at arm’s length, and I prefer it that way. From day one, you challenged that. You wormed your way into my inner circle with a skill I must admit I found charming, at first… You claim you don’t want to be owned, but that’s what your body screams for when I’m buried inside of you. Me. Me alone. No one else.”
