“And if I surrender, you’ll let him go?”
He laughs—dark and gravelly—and the sound rumbles through the speaker. It’s stupid of me to even ask. But I had to try.
“You have guts, Sofía,” he tells me. “But I don’t make deals with little girls.”
At that, he hangs up, and I know I’m no longer safe here. If he can contact me on a goddamn burner phone, then he can certainly find the building where my father bought an apartment under another name. Victor knows everything, which means I’m a sitting duck. I need to get out of here before he captures me, but then I think of papá and what’s he’s going through. Can I leave him in the hands of a monster?
Fear trickles down my spine like poison, slow and meticulous, just like the man hunting me, but I shake it off. Mr. Cordero will never find me. I may be young, but I’m clever. My father made sure to give me all I needed, he educated me on how to disappear. And that’s what I’ll do. I’m strong, I can endure anything he throws my way.
7
Victor
Sofia’s feistiness makes me hard. As soon as I hang up, I smile because I have a feeling this girl is going to be so much fun to break apart. Once I have her here under my roof, I’ll make sure she obeys me. The thought of her working for me, paying off her father’s debt is an idea that easily pops into my mind. Yes, she can bring my meals, clean my room, and when my body craves a woman, she can ride my dick. I wonder if she’ll refuse. Fight me when I command her to take my cock deep in her tight cunt.
Just one taste. I promise myself as I focus on the work before me. Two men are bringing in a shipment of coke that I’m certain will bring in triple what I’m paying them. A profit is always welcome, so when I hit reply on the email to my client, I tell him to meet me tomorrow night, so we can make the exchange.
That’s one thing I never do, work from home. All my transactions take place at the warehouses I have around the city. My home is my sanctuary, and I don’t bring business into it. If a deal goes badly, it doesn’t reach the safety of my compound.
A knock at the door catches my attention, and Javier saunters inside. He settles opposite my desk, unbuttoning his suit jacket. His one ankle rests on the opposite knee as he regards me with a smirk.
“And?” I question.
“He’s on it. Told me to give him forty-eight hours and she’ll be in hand.” His grin makes him look far younger than his thirty-one years.
“Good work. And you told him she’s not to be harmed?”
“Yes, Boss, he understands,” Javier nods. “Have you managed to get hold of her on that burner phone Lorenzo blurted about?”
“I did. She’s feisty, I want to break her and make her kneel for me.” I lean back, picking up my cigar, I light it and take a long puff, inhaling the thick smoke. “She’ll be a challenge.”
“I’ve never known you to back down from a challenge, Boss.” I nod at his assumption. “I wonder what she looks like,” he ponders.
“She’s far too young for your ass,” I tell him, chuckling.
“You do realize you’re older than me, Boss?” He grins, the asshole fucking grins. If he was anyone else, I’d grab him by the hair, shove him down on his knees then slit his throat until he’s bleeding all over my carpet.
But Javier is my only friend. That may sound sad to most people, but to me, it’s what I live for. I always strive for perfection, and he’s the only person in my life who I trust to give me that.
And that is the reason why I don’t have a woman beside me. Most of the whores who walk into my compound are here for drugs, money, or protection. Granted, I would give those things to them, but most are far too easy. They offer their filthy cunts to me with little effort on my part. I enjoy the fight, the back and forth. I love fire. The only time I want a woman to beg is when she’s pleading for my thick cock.
“Respect your elders, Javier,” I tell him on a chuckle. I suck in another lungful of air before dropping my head back to enjoy the smoke filling my chest. The calming flavor of the cigar is what I love about smoking. Just knowing that the sweetness on my tongue can take away the ever-present stench of blood when I’m working is the reason I carry one whenever I’m out. But when I’m in my office, it allows me to relax. With a job like mine, there have to be things that offer solace.