I lowered my weapon, scanning the room before dropping to my knees in front of her.

  “Is he dead?” she asked.

  “Trust me. He’s dead.” I brushed hair from her face and lifted her chin gently. “Are you hurt?”

  “No. Why?” She was obviously dazed.

  “Because you’re covered in blood.” I pulled the knife away, wiping the blade on my trousers. How the fuck has this happened?

  “No. Not my blood. I, um… I think I got one. I’m not sure.”

  She was going into shock. I pulled Genevieve to her feet and she stumbled forward. That’s when I scooped her into my arms, carrying her toward the couch.

  “Bella. Where’s Bella? No. No!” She gripped my shirt, hissing at me. “If you hurt Bella…”

  “This wasn’t me, sweetheart. I got your message. I came as fast as I could. Who has Bella?” As a measure of solidarity, I handed her the knife. She stared at it for a few seconds, blinking as if trying to drive away the fog. I noticed the light returning to her eyes and her breathing slowed. When she took the weapon from my hand, I wasn’t certain she didn’t have intentions of using it on me.

  She held it to the light, easily debating whether she could trust me.

  “I don’t know. One of my men. I’m not sure. I think.” Her voice was still shaky, but more determined than before.

  “You need to calm down. We’ll figure all this out.”

  Kruz and one of her men waltzed into the room seconds later. “It’s done,” Kruz stated, but his expression was grim.

  “Make certain Ms. Morales’ sister is safe. Now,” I directed, still scanning the room. She’d put up a damn good fight. “What about Marco?” I lowered my voice, trying to calm her.

  Genevieve snapped to her feet. “He’s out there somewhere. With a friend.” Her hand was shaking as she grabbed her phone, frantically dialing a number. Her long fingers were covered in blood.

  I rose to my feet, moving toward the body on the floor and crouching down. While she tried to reach her brother, I searched for any markings or identification. When I noticed an Arabic symbol on the man’s neck, I sucked in my breath.

  The Moroccans had sent a detail of hitmen to handle her kidnapping or assassination.

  “What is it?” Kruz asked quietly when he flanked my side.

  “Moroccans. Is the perimeter secure?”

  “For now.”

  “How many?”

  Kruz sighed. “Navarro is checking. They came in from all angles using the storm as a cover.”

  “It couldn’t have been planned any better. Fuck.”

  “I can’t reach him,” Genevieve said as she took tentative steps in our direction.

  “We’ll find him.”

  A shout was heard from the hallway. Kruz immediately rushed toward the doorway while I grabbed Genevieve, yanking her behind me.

  “Let me go, you bastards. Where is my sister?” The man’s voice was fraught with rage.

  Just like I felt.

  Marco rushed into the room, surveying the scene in a few seconds before rushing toward me. Without hesitation, he used both the momentum and his full body weight, slamming his hands into me. When he’d driven me away from Genevieve, he issued one hard punch.

  “No. Stop!” Genevieve shouted. “He saved us.”

  Her brother had already tried to throw another punch, but I managed to snap my hand around his fist, cocking my head. We stared at each other as Genevieve walked closer, placing her hand on her brother’s arm.

  “It’s okay, Marco. We’re okay. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

  The huge man who’d been at her side lumbered into the room. He snarled when he saw me, but softened the moment he knew Genevieve was alright.

  She lifted her head, nodding to him.

  Marco exhaled and slowly turned his head toward his sister, his eyes opening wide. I allowed him to jerk away, throwing his arms around her.

  “I thought you were dead,” she murmured and crushed her arms around him.

  “It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

  Marco’s repetitive words were just another statement that this was definitely not okay.

  “Emiliano, where’s Antonio?” she asked her soldier.

  “He’s finishing a situation,” he told her, still eyeing me warily. “She called you?” He turned his attention to me.

  “She did.”

  He nodded. I could tell he wasn’t thrilled, but accepted she’d had every right to make that decision. “They managed to knock out the cameras long enough to breach the exterior. We never saw them coming.”

  “Typical,” I told him. This had been planned.

  “Sissy!” a girl’s voice called from the hallway.

  Genevieve jerked her head up then toward me.

  “Go to her. I’ll find out what we’re dealing with,” I told her.

  She nodded, silently issuing a thank you before walking both herself and her brother from the room.

  I waited for a few seconds before heading into the hallway. Navarro came in from outside, his shirt covered in blood.

  “From what I can tell, four of her men are down, one of ours, and eight enemy soldiers. But I think a few got away.”

  His statement only boosted my anger. “They’ll return. Now that they have a taste for blood, they’ll hunger for more.” For a moment, I was taken back to the first time my father had forced me to watch as he’d interrogated a traitor. It had been the single time he’d done so inside our home.

  The young man’s scream had remained with me for weeks. Only I’d been angry I hadn’t been the one who’d caused the asshole’s anguish.

  “What do we do?”

  “We get the Morales family to safety. We’ll take them to the other estate.”

  The other estate was one I’d inherited from my grandfather and had been in the family for generations. It was a glorified castle built several hundred years before. What I hated was the oppressive feeling of being there, although it had been completely renovated. The reason I kept it was that it wasn’t registered on any documents that could be found and was perched in a location on a knoll that allowed for additional security.

  For now, it would be our location of operation until I had a better handle on how the fuck to deal with this.

  And where Genevieve’s loyalties remained.

  I moved through the house, finding the soldier she’d likely killed. The fight had been brutal, the kitchen nearly destroyed. I stood in the center surveying the room and felt more than just a twinge of admiration. The woman could fight. I’d give her that.

  Another strange feeling washed over me. I’d been worried about her and not just about the business or the opportunity. Her. The woman who grated my last nerve.

  “A fucking mess,” Kruz said as he walked into the room.

  “This was planned.”

  “Obviously.”

  “I think the Turks were sent to the warehouse to drive us away.” That meant either expectations that we could form an alliance had taken hold or our tenuous alliance had been leaked.

  “What do you want done with the bodies?” Navarro asked. He was leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed.

  “Start a bonfire. Afterwards, have the house cleaned.”

  He nodded, his expression grim. He was the master at cleansing any property, which often unnerved me. With no conscience and no sense of remorse, he made the perfect soldier.

  “At least she held her own.” Kruz seemed reflective, which wasn’t like him. I had a feeling it was based on his surprise that Genevieve had managed to remain alive.

  “Yes, she did.” I eyed the man heading into the room. He wasn’t happy to see me, immediately storming toward me with venom in his eyes.

  “You shouldn’t have come,” he said.

  “Who are you?”

  “Antonio Perez.”

  “Antonio. We’re taking her to my compound.”

  “The glass menagerie? We’ll be sitting ducks,” he snorted.

  I curtailed my aggravation with the man. “Not there. I own several pieces of property. I assure you the location will be more than acceptable.”

  “Only if she agrees. It’s her call. Not yours.”

  I nodded while assessing him. The man could be an issue, but at this point, creating an internal war wasn’t on my agenda. “I’m glad she can count on you. She will see things my way.”

  “You don’t know her very well. I’ll have a conversation with her, but I can’t promise anything.”

  I walked closer and the man didn’t flinch. Good for him. “Let me put it to you this way. If you think these are the only enemy soldiers determined to bring down your drug lord, you’re wrong. They will stop at nothing until she and every man in her employ are eradicated. I’m the only person you can trust.”

  His eyes became hooded. “Trust is earned, Mr. Torres, and Madame Morales has no time or patience for either stupidity or insufferable idiots. As I said, I will talk to her.”

  Trust.

  The soldier should know better than anyone that trust was a luxury afforded by pompous assholes who believed their shit didn’t stink. Contrary to the barbs Genevieve had tossed in my direction, I was neither arrogant nor suffering from lack of awareness. While achieving Genevieve’s trust would help negotiate a more peaceful marriage, I couldn’t count on her acceptance of my offer.

  I’d seen the myriad expressions on her face, the shift from hatred and disgust to the same longing we’d both felt. I’d almost heard her soft voice whispering that she wanted nothing to do with a monster, fearful I might break her. Well, she was right about that.

  Her soldier walked off and while a tremendous part of me wanted to cut the man to ribbons, it highlighted how powerful she’d become in a short timeframe.

  It would seem I’d seriously underestimated her abilities.

  At least I knew it was time to make good use of them.

  As of now, Genevieve Morales had become my property.

  CHAPTER 19

  Genevieve

  I’d killed someone.

  I hadn’t given it a single thought before driving the knife into the man’s neck. Or had it been his eye? Or his heart? I wasn’t entirely certain. I’d reacted. I’d been terrified. I’d screamed and kicked, fearful Bella would be hurt.

  The horrible man had tackled me to the floor, wrapping his hand around my throat. With every labored breath I’d taken, I’d seen images of my family and my friends, graduations and birthday parties. I’d almost given up, but something inside refused to allow me to die without fighting with everything I had.

  So I’d pulled out the knife and I’d killed him.

  Was I remorseful?

  Maybe the answer was worse than the act.

  No.

  At least I was still horrified.

  “The bastard wants to take you to his house,” Antonio said the moment he’d appeared in the room.

  I lifted my head, suffocating from the fear that had yet to fade. Marco immediately turned his head toward me. He stood by the window, staring out at the body-strewn lawn. I’d seen them. I’d stood and stared out the window exactly as he was doing now, trying to make sense of what had occurred. Everything about the past week had seemed surreal, as if living in a strangled nightmare.

  Every muscle in my body ached, the brutal punch to my face I’d taken hurting like a son of a bitch. Bella sat at the end of her bed, staring down at the floor. She wasn’t talking, wasn’t sharing her feelings or her fear. I prayed the catatonic state was because of shock that would eventually wear off.

  “Not enough security,” I managed.

  “He assures me he has other real estate.”

  Exhaling, I raked my hand through my hair and the moment I did, I caught sight of the dried blood on my fingers. While I’d felt the horrors of a direct attack before, it had been years and never inside my childhood home. Everything felt different now, as if I’d been playing a game of cops and robbers. The reality was a dangerous and very bitter pill.

  “I’ll tell him you refuse,” Antonio said and started to walk away.

  “No. Wait.”

  “What are you doing? We can’t leave here,” Marco said. He remained highly agitated. Not that I blamed him. I’d seen a glimpse of the boy I’d remembered, but now sensed he’d hardened himself again, ignoring the emotions that had been a welcome change.

  “We’re not secure in our house any longer, Marco.”

  “We have soldiers.”

  “Yes, but I’m not sure there’s enough to also maintain a watch on our warehouses.” I felt numb inside, wishing I could have my father’s advice.

  “You can’t trust Torres, Genie. He’s a pig.” He hadn’t called me Genie in years. As a child, he hadn’t been able to pronounce my entire name, so we’d shortened it.

  I squeezed Bella’s arm before standing and facing my brother. “Yes, he is, but he did provide help after I called him. You need to trust me. We need a safe place until we can figure out what to do.” I expected kickback from Marco, but he slumped as his guard fell.

  “I do trust you.”

  “We will be alright. You’ll see.” I tipped my head toward Antonio. “Let Jago know we’ll be down in a few minutes and we’ll go with him. Prepare a detail of men who will be coming with us whether Mr. Torres likes it or not. I want the house cleaned up and secured. Place extra men on the warehouses.” Emiliano had appeared in the doorway after hearing everything that was said. I didn’t need to stare at their faces to know they were concerned. Hell, I was shaking like a leaf, but now wasn’t the time for me to allow anyone to exploit my fear.

  The two men looked at each other.

  “Just do it,” I added, hating the exasperation in my voice. With nothing seeming real any longer, I was forced to shove every emotion away for now. Lamenting over the past week or the violence, the loss or the hatred and anger wasn’t going to do me or my family any good.

  “Yes, Madame Morales.”

  We were left alone again and the cold chill I’d experienced before felt even more oppressive. At least the storm had started to die down, only light rain tapping against the windows.

  “What now?” Marco asked. I didn’t need to look at him to know he was still angry with me.

  “Now, we pack.”

  “Then what?”

  The truth was I knew the answer, but I’d yet to gravitate around it in my mind. “Then we’ll see. Bella. Are you going to be able to pack a bag or would you like me to do it?”

  When she looked at me, there was such a tremendous depth of sadness in her eyes that I was pulled momentarily into her soul. She was so young, so vulnerable, but in a week she had aged.

  Just like I had as a child.

  I’d hoped for better for her and for Marco.

  But in this life, children weren’t allowed to enjoy growing up. The celebrations were there, Christmases and birthdays, Easter and the Feast of St. James, but they were all controlled, protected.

  Armed guards everywhere.

  School was different. Friendships were different. Sports. Dances.

  Nothing could be anywhere close to what normal kids experienced. That’s why I’d never thought about having a child. Not once. I’d deemed the thought let alone the action of bringing a child into this blood world cruel.

  Now I was parenting two teenagers while still wishing I was a kid again myself.

  Whatever my final decision was with Jago, I made a promise to myself that I would never concede to parenting a child with him.

  Hell would freeze over first.

  “Is this a castle?” Bella asked as soon as the driver rounded a hill and the headlights presented a massive structure in front of us.

  I leaned forward in the seat, cognizant Jago was watching my reaction. As usual, he wore a smirk. Did he think taking me to a dilapidated castle was going to impress me? He was a fool if he did.

  “I don’t know, sweet sissy. Maybe it’s just a pile of stones and guillotines.” I was being far too snarky since he’d come to my rescue and was providing a safe place to live, but I couldn’t make right the threat or his offer in my mind.

  “It’s an eighteenth-century castle held in my family’s name. I had it renovated several years ago, Bella,” he told her. “I think you’ll find it acceptable.”

  She barely looked at him. “I think it’s creepy.”

  I bit back a laugh, but Jago didn’t.

  “She’s very much like you,” he told me.

  “Both my siblings are, although Marco is much more like my father. I would watch out for him if I were you. There’s nothing quite like the wrath of an angry young man.” Marco had chosen to ride with Antonio in one of our vehicles. I couldn’t blame him. The air in the SUV Bella and I had been forced into was stale.

  Although from the moment I’d eased onto the seat, I’d gathered a distinct scent of Jago, the fragrance that had enticed me the first time. While I was tingling, I doubted it had anything to do with desire. I was still running high on adrenaline. At least I’d been able to take a quick shower, scrubbing the bloodstains off my skin.

  The driver pulled to a stop and I gripped the edge of the seat next to me. This felt wrong, but there was little I could do.

  We were led inside and I immediately concentrated on the sound our shoes made on the tile floor. Everything was scaled larger, the ceiling in the foyer at least sixteen feet high. While I’d expected furnishings that originated from the era the castle was built, I was at least pleasantly surprised only the entrance felt cold and oppressive.

  When we walked into the massive living room, I was struck by the wide-open appearance and the choice of furniture.

  Yet this wasn’t my home and certainly wasn’t somewhere I could feel comfortable.

  “Benito. Take Marco and Bella to their rooms. I’m certain they’d like to get some sleep. Kruz, you can go. Make certain the security is in place and begin a patrol around the property.”

  Jago’s voice held an authoritative tone and his soldier immediately reacted, motioning my brother and sister from the room.

  Kruz eyed me warily. I could tell the man didn’t like me very much. What a shame. I didn’t like him at all.