The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(17)

The bed dipped behind me, and he rested his hand on my hip. “You need to eat.”

“For some unfathomable reason, I lost my appetite.” I kicked the tray, but it only budged an inch or two.

“Nobody wants to see you hurt. As long as the U.S. government releases my brother, I’m happy to let you go. In fact, I’ll fly you first-class back to the U.S.”

I rolled onto my back and stroked the tender skin of my neck. It’d be black and blue soon if it weren’t already. “You could’ve fooled me.”

His lips pressed into a firm line, and he sighed in exasperation. “Just behave yourself and this whole thing will be infinitely easier for you. Don’t make waves.”

Did he think I was stupid? I couldn’t believe any word that tumbled from his beautifully cruel lips. “Just let me go and I’ll talk to my dad. I’ll convince him to grant a pardon for your brother or whatever the hell else you want. I have to go home.” My heart pounded against the walls of my chest. “I have to be in school in a couple days. I can’t miss. I’m a teaching assistant. I have a few more months until graduation. I have an internship lined up this summer.”

He slanted forward so his mouth was less than an inch from my ear. “Sorry, Hattie,” he murmured in a soft, soothing voice. “But I can’t have you complicating my plans. When Rever’s released, you’ll be released. Tit for tat. And even if I wanted to let you go, I couldn’t.”

“Sorry?” I shook my head from side to side, strands of hair whipping across my face. “Sorry for what? Abducting me? Imprisoning me? Drugging me? Fucking me in a dirty alley?”

A faint chuckled escaped his lips. “If I said all of the above, would you be happy? Or maybe I should apologize for everything but f*cking you.” He cocked his head to the side, and a lock of midnight colored hair veiled his expressive eyebrows. “My memory is hazy, but I think you enjoyed it.”

I gasped. Satisfaction curled his lips into a wicked smile, and my stomach rolled in giant waves. “Shut up. Just shut up. You’re an *.”

His lips twitched, and he folded his arms across his chest. “So I’ve been told.”

“I hate you.”

He brushed a kiss across my forehead. An unwelcome heat spiraled through my body and my heart squeezed. My reaction didn’t make sense, so I mentally chalked it up to the trauma of the last few weeks—starting with catching Evan cheating, and ending with my abduction.

“No, you don’t,” he drawled as he rose from the bed.

“I don’t want to see you again. Can’t someone else take care of me?”

He raised one eyebrow, a quick up and down motion that made me uneasy. “Who? Caesar?”

“Caesar? Who’s he?”

“The man who tried to squeeze the life out of your neck a few seconds ago. Or maybe you’d prefer my father. I have a hunch you wouldn’t like him very much either…he has a notoriously bad temper. Do want some tea or broth?”

What the hell? I blinked. “What?”

“Your throat is probably sore from Caesar’s attentions. Tea or broth might be better than solid food.”

“I’ll have tea with some whiskey.”

He shook his head. “Sorry. It’s not on the menu. Alcohol could make you more volatile, and it’s not good for you anyway.”

“Lots of things aren’t good for me…like being locked in a cell, the lack of sunlight, being molested, but you don’t seem to care about any of those things.”

He scoffed. “You haven’t been molested. Far from it.”

Heat poured into my face as memories of the night in the bar with him flashed through my mind, taunting me with my stupidity. I turned to the side hoping he wouldn’t notice.

“Are you blushing?”

“Hardly.” I rolled my eyes. “Thanks to your buddy, Caesar, I don’t feel well.”

“If you say so,” he replied. “Have a good night.” He opened the door.

“What about the tea or the broth?” I reminded him, my voice panicked. Even though I didn’t like him, I didn’t want to be alone. I’d go crazy staring at the walls for hours without anything to do.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

He slammed the door behind him without glancing back.

“Dammit,” I screamed, and the vibration raked like fire over my sore throat. I threw my pillow at the door. Tears flooded my eyes, clouding my vision. I was sick of crying and being sad. Fate had screwed with my life, and I didn’t know if anything would feel right or safe again.





Chapter Ten




Life rolled on and without a window or a clock, I didn’t even know how many days had passed. A week was my best guess, but then again, I stopped counting after three days of confinement.

A man who never talked or made eye contact brought me three meals and escorted me on three bathroom breaks every day. When I asked him questions, he stared right through me. I even tried communicating in my rusty Spanish. My attempt didn’t make a difference. Apparently, someone—most likely Ryker—told him not to talk to me. He delivered some books a couple days ago. They weren’t something I’d normally read, but it was better than staring at the walls.