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It hadn’t been easy to get through Sergio, who still abhorred the very sight of her. But seeing that anything he might do to her would incur the wrath of his people, Sergio had decided on a morepeacefulapproach. He’d proposed an alliance through which both would mind their own business while working for the good of the community—or, in simpler terms,Sergio’sgood. Noelle didn’t fool herself for one moment that everything he did was for his own benefit, including accepting her new position. But she’d accepted, for she had her own ulterior purpose in doing so.
Yet that had been merely the beginning for Noelle.
As Tonacacihuatl, she’d escaped certain death and had gained access to a metaphorical power. But she needed more—much, much more. Her initial goal might have been to ensure her survival, but her subsequent one was to find her Blue. And forthat, she needed more than just the perceived adoration or terror of the people.
She neededtangiblepower.
And so the negotiations had started.
Since she had the upper hand, she’d managed to persuade Sergio to let her manage the drug testing facility. Her reasoning had been simple. By gaining access to the workings of the drug facilities, she would get control of the product while also infiltrating Sergio’s extensive international network.
From the beginning, she’d taken her role seriously as she’d changed the protocols involved so that less people died because of the testing. At the same time, she brought new ideas to the table as she suggested new combinations of drugs that could potentially make Sergio a lot of money.
When the new batch of experimental drugs had become a success, she’d officially proven herself in order to go to the next step.
Connections.
She needed to find the right people that could help her track Rafaelo, and she knew that only by becoming a respectable figure in the underground world could she achieve such a thing. And she had.
For a couple of weeks now she’d started attending auctions looking for the perfect test subjects, and in the process she’d made new acquaintances.
One of them was Alonso Vasquez—a weapon dealer that specialized in custom artillery.
“I’ll see you next month?” Alonso asked, his tone hopeful.
“I think this is plenty for now. I’ll reach out when I need more,” Noelle shut him down gently.
Signaling to one of her men to carry out the items, she turned to Alonso and gave him her thanks before heading out.
“I’ll be waiting, querida,” he winked at her.
Noelle kept a pleasant smile on until she left the building. But as soon as she got in the car, her disgust showed on her face.
“That bad?” Lucero asked with a raised brow.
“As usual,” Noelle sighed. “Why is it that every man I interact with can’t take a hint? They all want only one thing. Just because I’m female doesn’t mean I’m open for business,” she groaned.
“At least they’re not trying to force themselves on you.”
“Oh, trust me, Alonso would have long done it if he wasn’t afraid of Sergio. You remember how he behaved last time.”
“That's why he’s waiting for you to give him the green light. If you’re a willing participant then Sergio won’t have to know,” Lucero pointed out.
“Men,” Noelle rolled her eyes. “I’ve made it clear it’s never going to happen but he’s still trying his luck.”
“I think the more unavailable you are, the more he wants you. Remember what happened last week at the auction.”
Lucero always accompanied Noelle at auctions to pick the new test subjects. Though at first she’d objected because she didn’t morally agree with the concept, she’d put her own beliefs aside to be by Noelle’s side.
Every time they traveled outside of the hacienda, Noelle received all sorts of propositions from the men present—most not used to being rejected by a woman. And a few times, Noelle had been forced tomakethem understand, even if that meant taking a rather drastic approach—namely, killing them.
But what was a girl to do when someone invaded her personal space and decided it was his God given right to touch her? Of course she ought to defend herself.
With her rise in power, Noelle’s body count had also risen.
If in the beginning she’d only done it when necessary, her temper had gotten worse and worse as she’d realized just how misogynistic the world was and how she had to fight for every little opportunity. Whereas her male counterparts were congratulated for every silly thing, she had to prove herself ten times over in order to get the barest acknowledgment. There was also the matter that men did not believe a woman should have such a high position in the crime world—after all, they could only ever be victims, never more. As such, her capacity to withstand bullshit had reached an all time low, and if the person in question was inconsequential, she didn’t shy away from doling out a punishment that equaled the crime. And in her eyes, there was no worse crime than laying a hand on a woman.
Lucero, too, had gotten her fair share of harassment, which Noelle was always quick to rectify, even if her friend thought her measures too drastic.
