“Where?” He loosened his grip on my mouth, but kept the blade poised at my throat.
“D-down the hall. I can show you.”
“I bet you can show me a lot of things, eh mi puta?” He slid a hand up to my breast and squeezed.
I forced my scream to stay put in my throat.
Another man spoke from behind us, near the balcony. He was clearly irritated and giving instructions in Spanish to the one who held me.
“Later, mi puta.” He crushed my breast in his palm, pain roaring through me until he let up.
He shoved me forward and the other man grabbed my upper arm hard.
These were rough men. Their calloused hands and rugged faces telling a story of years of toil. And they hadn’t come to talk, judging by their machetes.
“Now show us where he is. If you make a sound, I’ll give you to Franco.” He jerked his chin at the man who’d first grabbed me. “Comprende?”
“Yes.” I’d heard bits of gossip here and there about how the local workers weren’t happy with their cut of the sugar cane profits. It was as if the Vinemonts had started squeezing more over the past few months, increasing their own income while ignoring the burden it put on the already-strained farmers.
The tension seemed to have reached the point of no return. Would they kill Lucius? The thought thrilled me, but what would happen to me if there was no more jefe? I glanced over my shoulder at Franco, his low brow and toothy leer. I didn’t think it possible until that moment, but I would fare worse if Lucius were gone.
“Go.” The man shoved me forward and I began to walk, hyperaware of the attackers, their weapons, and my own nudity.
I turned toward the left, the direction of the main house, hoping someone would see us and sound the alarm. It was broad daylight, after all, and the house had a few servants. We passed some bedrooms, and I saw a glimmer of hope as Raul, one of the butlers, turned the corner ahead of us. He froze, his mouth falling open as he saw me. Then he stared at the man who held my elbow. I willed him to run, to yell, to do something.
Instead, he dropped his gaze and retreated into the nearest bedroom, closing the door behind him. Fuck.
Franco laughed low at my back. “Coño.”
I kept walking, leading them toward Lucius’ study. We didn’t pass any more servants, and the house seemed eerily quiet. The adrenaline in my system amped up another notch, my heart beating loudly in my ears as my steps began to falter.
“Keep up.” The man lifted me by my arm, forcing my gait to stay steady.
I took a few more steps toward the closed French doors leading to Lucius’ study.
“Here?”
I nodded.
Franco seized my shoulder. “Run, puta. I will find you soon enough.”
The men shoved me to the side and took the last step to the doors. Franco brought his knee up and kicked through them. The other man followed close behind as they rushed forward, blades drawn.
I darted away. My ruse had worked. Lucius and Javier worked the evening hours away in the library, not the study. I ran down the corridor, my feet slapping against the tile floor. Footsteps echoed behind me, Franco and the other man hot on my heels.
“Lucius!” I screamed and flew into the library. He and Javier rose as I threw the doors shut and turned the lock.
“What the fuck, Stella?” Lucius eyed my body.
“Men,” I gasped, “here to kill you.” I pointed to the door and scrambled back.
Javier yanked his pistol from his belt holster, and Lucius pulled out a handgun from his desk. The door handles began to rattle.
“Stella, hide!” Lucius barked and pointed to the space beneath his desk.
I was naked and weaponless. There was no other choice but to do what he said. I ran to him as the door began to give way. He shoved me under the desk.
“Don’t come out until I say.” His sky blue eyes were full of turmoil before he rose and disappeared.
There was an even harder thud and then the whine of wood against wood as the door splintered. Gunshots rang out so loud that I covered my ears. Shouts and curses, English and Spanish – all of it mixed as the booming noises died out and nothing was left but silence.
Lucius and Javier exchanged some words in Spanish that I couldn’t follow.
“Stella, how many?” Lucius called.
“Two.”
“You sure?”
“I don’t know. I only saw two.” Raul’s frightened face flashed through my mind. “And Raul saw them with me, but he just… He did nothing.”
“I’ll check the grounds.” Javier’s voice.
“Be careful. I don’t trust anyone. The staff, no one. Not now.”
“Understood, Jefe.”
Footsteps, then Lucius knelt down and held his hand out to me. “Come on. They won’t be bothering us anymore.”