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“And I told you no.” I shrug defiantly just to piss him off. “When my grandfather tells me to do them, I will. But until then, you should remember that I don’t answer to you. Other than my grandfather, the only people with authority to order me around are my father, Lorenzo, and the Ghost. If you don’t like my behavior, you know where to find them.”
He sneers, his eyes gleaming as he leers at my body. “Your grandfather mentioned your postponed wedding during my visit last week. He’s growing impatient with you and Lorenzo stretching the date. You should have been married a decade ago. I told him not to wait, but he was too preoccupied with Esteban.”
“I’ll speak to Lorenzo about setting a date when I see him later.” I raise a brow, hoping to anger him to the point of storming out. “Anything else?”
“He wants you married before you visit him for his birthday.”
“I’ll see what I can do to clear some time on our schedules.”
Juan smiles at me, showing off the two golden teeth he got to replace the ones Lory knocked out.
“Eduardo wants you to go to Mexico to do it,” he announces, causing me to fight with my expression. “That way, you can use your real name, Jasper.”
The way he says my name makes my skin crawl. It’s a nasty purr, pulling at the memories of him trying to rape me as a young teen. He’d pleaded with my grandfather to rethink his arrangement between Lorenzo and me. And Senior had almost given me up to Juan…
But Lory saved me from that fate by explaining that I wasn’t the blossoming virgin Juan wanted. My betrothed had already taken what was his, teaching me what he liked.
It was a horrible conversation to witness, but I kept my mouth shut until we were alone. I could never be mad at Lory for speaking up. But I wished he would have left out the details of our sex life. Our proclamation of love didn’t dissuade Juan, but my grandfather acted happy that our relationship was progressing naturally.
Not that he cared. Love was never part of the agreement made on our behalf.
Since then, we’ve put on a stellar act whenever we visit him or come to the compound. No one questions our status... And only Javier and Tomas know we’re not together. Though I suspect they think we have some kind of open relationship going on.
“That will take some time to arrange,” I mention, lacing my fingers together so I can dig my thumbnail into my palm. “We’ll work out dates this week or next.”
“That won’t be soon enough,” he argues.
“Lorenzo and I will be the judge of that,” I state with finality, my tone clipped and disrespectful, rarely used within these walls. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I have work to do.”
Juan Carlos drops the files into the open drawer and pulls a key out of his pocket to lock them up.
A key he shouldn’t have.
I’ve never trusted this man. But the more I’ve seen him since my grandfather has been away, the more I loathe his presence. Which is saying something… I’ve been under this man, had him rip my dress down the middle to expose my body, his cruel fingers shoving inside me as I fought to get away.
Yeah. I’ve waited a long fucking time to seek my vengeance.
I can wait a little longer.
As he walks by me, he pauses, reaching his hand up to toy with the loose hair at my shoulder. “If you aren’t married to Lorenzo within the month, Eduardo has promised you to me.”
I stare into his soulless eyes, hoping he can foresee his murder. “I will die before I give you any part of me.”
“That won’t stop me from getting what’s owed to me,” he murmurs, his fingertips grazing my cheek. “You would be mine now if Navarra hadn’t died and Ed hadn’t taken a liking to his widow. You could kill yourself before I fuck you, and I’d still see your blood on my cock.”
“Juan,” Lory rumbles from the doorway, a savage expression darkening his features. “Back the fuck away from her.”
“Of course,” he drawls, smiling at me. “He’s always right on time, isn’t he?”
Lorenzo steps into Juan, his anger all-consuming, filling the room to near bursting. “I will skin you alive if you ever touch her again. I should have done it before, but make no mistake, I will finish the job if I find you near her. From now on, when she walks into a room, you leave without a word. Do you understand?”
“Do you threaten all the little boys she sees?” Juan sneers. “Or do you even know of her infidelity?”
“She does what I ask.” Lory smiles at him, sadistic promise waging war in the bottomless pools of his ebony eyes. “I like to watch her with the Bay peasants, using and abusing those who seek the thrill of playing with the demons amongst them. Should I remind you this demon fucks the Devil and the Ghost?”
Juan casts a quick glance at me. “Until one of you kills her or kills each other for her. Once you two are dead, the Ghost will answer to me.”
“The Ghost answers to no one.” Lory chuckles. “But Jasper stays in his favor. Maybe you should keep that in mind before you talk of fucking her corpse. You won’t like what happens if that oversight gets back to him.”
