Insulting her family would do me no good in trying to earn her trust and her love. If she thought I would be an issue with her family, Isa would turn her back on me before I could blink. For now, they were her world. My judgements would have to wait until her perspective on life changed.
Until all that mattered to her was me.
* * *
Isa swung her sandals in her free hand as we walked back from the tapas bar on the beach, staring up at the starry sky above us. Her face was more relaxed than I'd ever seen it. Thoughtful in a peaceful way, rather than the concentration I'd grown used to seeing take over her expression.
When she turned those shining eyes my way, I reached over to capture her face with my free hand and lean down to kiss her. The way she smiled into my mouth filled me with hope that my plans for her hadn't been a waste of time and energy. I'd do it all over again, if it meant she could look at me with stars in her eyes and love on her face.
And I knew without a doubt that it was the blooming of love that danced behind her expression when she dropped her guard in these moments. It could be nothing else, even if it was rooted in lies.
Better to do what was necessary and then ask for forgiveness, than to ask permission and never have this time with her.
She glanced back at the tapas bar behind us wistfully, her face twisting into a secret smile as her cheeks flushed. "What is it,mi princesa?"
She turned back to me with a shy glance, focusing her attention back on the beach and putting one foot in front of the other. "I just wanted to remember how it looked. That's all." I grinned down at her, promising internally to make the effort to take her back as frequently as possible.
El Infiernowasn't far from Ibiza.
The city lights illuminated Ibiza Town to our right as we walked back toward the hotel. Out in the distance over the water, the figure ofEs Vedraloomed. "I'll take you to watch the sunset tomorrow night. Nothing compares to watching it withEs Vedrain the background."
She hummed softly, making me want a reminder of what the vibrations felt like with her pretty mouth wrapped around my cock. I resolved to find out, given that she'd proven to be a very willing student the first time. Approaching the steps that would take us to the hotel, I turned to tell her about the island being magnetic when I noticed a figure looming at the top of the steps.
Feeling the sudden tension in my body as the smile slipped off my face, Isa turned to face me and looked up to the man in question with confusion on her face. "Do you know him?" she whispered. Pavel's dark eyes shifted to her at my side, his face impassive as he studied her and giving nothing away. His gaze dropped from her face, gliding over her body and tilting his head to the side to scrutinize her scar.
The Kuznetsovs always did like their toys scarred and broken.
Just the knowledge that he'd laid eyes on my woman threatened my patience. Knowing the things he did to women drove me over the edge. I pulled the key card from my pocket, pressing it into Isa's hand while she looked between us and tried to fit the pieces together. Nothing in Isa's life had prepared her for the world I had thrust her into. She could never even begin to guess at the origins of the man watching her, as his face tilted in sudden interest when I tended to her rather than dealing with him first.
He would need to be handled. Quickly.
"Go up to the room. Now," I ordered, keeping my voice quiet. "I mean it, Isa."
"But—"
"Now,"I stressed quietly. She swallowed, nodding her head and curling her fingers around the key card. I couldn't afford to kiss her or show her any affection to soothe the discomfort tearing her apart. Not when Pavel had already seen too much.
Having Isa out in public would always come with inherent risks. People knowing she existed was dangerous for her at best.
Deadly at its worst.
She turned on her heel, taking that first step slowly and then hurrying her pace as she gave Pavel a wide distance and made her way toward the entry to the main hotel. I moved up the steps carefully, watching until Isa faded from view within the main lobby. One of my men disguised as staff turned toward me from the pool area, raising a hand to show he'd seen her and would make sure she made her way upstairs as he followed her inside.
I gave it a few seconds to ensure she was tucked away safely, and then I turned my attention to Pavel. Whatever he saw in my regard must have finally resonated the danger of his situation as he backed away a step. "Rafael," he said with a chuckle. "You're a tricky man to get in touch with."
The attempt at humor fell flat, as my body slowly followed the angle of my head and I spun to give him the full effect of my presence. Although I stood without the formality of my suit to encase me in black, Pavel would never be able to stand on his own against me. Even if I did look less intimidating than him; he in his full suit and me in a t-shirt and shorts.
I reached across the space between us. Taking his throat in my hand until his Adam's apple bobbed against my grip and he gagged, I bent him backward until he had no choice but to lean on the railing by the stairs for support. "Rafael," he gasped, the sound ragged and forced as I restricted his breathing.
"You've got some fucking nerve coming here," I said quietly, glancing at the suddenly empty pool area as my remaining men cleared it of hotel patrons.
"You didn't give me a choice."
Another gag came at the increased grip of my fingers on the side of his neck. "When I tell you to fucking wait, you goddamn wait until I'm ready for a meeting. I do not give the first fuck what it is you need, because I don't operate on your schedule. Take your fucking ass back to Siberia where it belongs."
He shrugged off my hand finally as I relaxed my grip, standing to his full height as he glared at me with contempt. "You didn't give me a choice but to come myself. Sending my man back with a missing finger was harsh, even for the infamousEl Diablo."
"Nothing you have to say to me cannot wait a week, Pavel," I growled.