CHAPTER 14
ISABEL
The outdoor aviary was silent, just as it had been for the last ten years. The absence of birdsong still made my heart twinge with loss. Even after the birds had all died, I’d come here to seek solace in the lush greenery that filled the massive, cast-iron structure that was nearly as big as our ballroom. Sometimes, I’d imagined that I could hide here forever, and no one would ever find me. Especially not Daniel, my own personal demon.
But my brother was dead now too. I had a new monster to hide from: my husband. The man who set my body on fire, even when he handled me harshly. My bottom still burned where his belt had lashed me, my enflamed skin smarting against the rough material of my jeans. I’d almost changed into a flowing skirt to ease the discomfort, but I didn’t want him to see me dressed differently. I didn’t want him to know that he’d rattled me.
It used to give Daniel extra pleasure to see me hurting in the days after he’d inflicted injuries. I wouldn’t give Sebastián similar satisfaction.
Idly, I traced the delicate metal links that created the cage around me. From inside, they were barely noticeable, painted a lush shade of green that was a close match for the foliage that filled the aviary. The groundskeeper maintained the structure and plants, even though it was no longer serving its original function. My father had been proud of the unique feature on his property, a near-copy of an outdoor aviary he’d seen while on a trip to Europe. The curving lines of the masterfully crafted iron were reminiscent of the styles at Versailles, an impression that was enhanced by the gold accents on the exterior paint.
The aviary was located at the very back of our extensive gardens, tucked away despite its imposing size. Although I missed the birdsong even after all these years, I relished the quiet solitude I found here. I was safest when I was alone, forgotten by everyone who might notice me.
Daniel’s torment had been the worst, but my father hadn’t hesitated to deliver a slap when I disappointed him. I was supposed to be my mother’s responsibility, so those occasions were mercifully rare. Her standards had been exacting, even if she had been cold and distant.
I sat on one of the discrete wooden benches and leaned back with a sigh, wishing I’d brought a book with me. I’d been too upset to think straight after that awful encounter with Sebastián, and I’d practically fled out here as soon as I composed myself enough to walk straight.
Studying the waxy, lush green leaves that surrounded me, I tried my best to pretend I couldn’t feel my guard’s eyes on me. He wouldn’t be able to see me very well through the greenery, but I knew he was out there. At least it was one of the guards I knew from our estate rather than Rafael, the brute who’d dragged me home and ratted me out to my husband. I hadn’t even done anything wrong, and he’d still punished me, wringing the truth from my soul.
My bottom ached against the unyielding wooden slats beneath me, and I shifted in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. No matter how I sat, I applied pressure to my tender flesh where he’d belted me, an awful, constant reminder of my utter humiliation.
Shame roiled in my stomach, accompanied by hatred so intense that it set my teeth on edge.
I was so absorbed in my tumultuous emotions that I didn’t hear the telltale crunching of the stone path until he was far too close. I started to turn and give the guard an order to back off—what exactly did he expect me to do in the aviary that could damage the cartel?
My heart skipped a beat when Sebastián stepped through the wrought iron gate, joining me inside the massive cage. I shrank back in my seat, cringing away from him even as my hands curled to fists.
His footfalls quieted when he stepped off the stone path and onto the soft soil of the aviary. He said nothing as he approached me, and tension wound in my muscles, drawing my spine straight and stiff. My teeth clenched, making my jaw ache as I held in acerbic words that I wanted to fling at him like daggers.
I didn’t want him to belt me again. My pride felt like it was taking a beating from his fists as I forced myself to silent stillness, when all I wanted to do was rail at him for what he’d done to me. For what he made me feel: loathing, rage, and that treacherous arousal.
He didn’t stop until he was in my personal space. I refused to look at him, so he crouched down before me and touched two fingers beneath my chin, forcing my eyes to clash with his. Fine lines crinkled in his brow and around his eyes, and his mouth was drawn thin with strain.