When Javi was fifteen, I recall his parents, who were loyal to my father, bringing him into our house, and pleading with my father to keep him safe. They’d gotten into trouble with the wrong people, and even though I knew my father didn’t give a shit about them, he knew my friendship with Javier meant a lot to me. And he agreed. Since then, we were more like brothers than friends.
My father taught me since I was a child, keep one man by your side while you rule. Every king needs a confidante who would take a bullet for him. And Javier is mine.
“I’ll talk to Díago,” he tells me, turning to leave my office. Once I’m alone, I settle back and light the cigar, inhaling a deep lungful of smoke. Reaching for the remote, I turn on the cameras in the bedroom where my prisoner is hidden away.
As soon as she appears on the small black and white screen, I’m ensnared. She’s showered, dressed in a pair of cotton shorts, and a tank top. On screen, they both look white, and I wonder what color she’s decided on. The lighter shades make her caramel skin a beautifully decadent hue, and I’m tempted to get a taste and see if she is as sweet as she looks.
She moves through the room, checking out every inch of her new cell, and then settles on the chair overlooking the garden. She’s chosen a book from the shelves, holding it in her hands while I take her in. She’s curled on the seat with her long dark hair pinned up on top of her head in a wet, messy bun.
Nothing has prepared me for her. Even just her presence in this house has changed the energy that fills the hallways and rooms. And I wonder then how long I’ll keep her here. I also wonder if she’s taken her medication. She’ll need her strength for tonight because once our dinner meeting is over, I’ll finally get the part of my payment I’ve been craving.
Tonight, I get to play with my new toy and slowly watch her fall into my darkness. Once I have her body, I’ll take her soul. I want to possess her completely. My chest tightens at the thought. I’d like to see her look at me without the hate and rage she does right now. I want more. I shake my head at the craziness clouding my mind. I can’t… I don’t…
Fuck. She’s doing something to me, getting under my skin. Even though I’ve built my walls high to keep women out, I have a feeling little Sofía is different, and perhaps I want to see what she can make of me.
I know that’s the one thing she doesn’t want me to steal, but my sweet juguete doesn’t know that I always get what I want.
I should go up there, but I’ve been watching her on screen most of the day. Even though I’ve been working, my gaze has cast toward her several times over the past few hours. It’s almost midday, and her lunch will soon arrive with Valentina, and I wonder if she’ll attempt an escape.
I turn my attention from the document to the security screen. When her bedroom door opens, I watch my maid stroll inside with a tray. I wasn’t sure what she’d enjoy, so there’s a choice of three small meals. Along with coffee, juice, and even water.
Valentina sets the tray on the small desk, which sits against one wall, then turns to the girl and offers her a smile. I can’t hear what’s being said, but Sofía speaks, and then she grins at the older woman. Her face lights up like nothing I’ve ever seen, and, once again, I’m enraptured by her. She’s the personification of beauty.
Once she’s alone, she drops her feet that have been curled under her to the carpet and goes to investigate what’s on the plates. She opts for the sandwich. Slowly, she bites into it. Picking up the plate and a mug, she settles back on her chair and eats her lunch as she gazes outside, and I wonder if she wants to go into the gardens.
Perhaps I’ll take her later on. What the fuck was that? Shaking my head, I focus on the laptop once more, and I type out an email to my distributor in Miami, informing him that if I don’t get the new shipment of weapons, I’ll be flying to America to slice him limb from limb.
My focus is on the email being sent, when I see a new one come in. The subject line makes me stop. It’s addressed to me, directly, none of the men call me by my first name and seeing it in my inbox makes me wary.
Clicking on the video file, I watch as the screen fills with Hector’s face. He’s talking to someone I can’t see. He hands the stranger a package, which I know is my fucking drugs, and anger ripples through me like never before.