Total pages in book: 767
Estimated words: 732023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3660(@200wpm)___ 2928(@250wpm)___ 2440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 732023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3660(@200wpm)___ 2928(@250wpm)___ 2440(@300wpm)
I remained silent, willing my brain to start figuring a way out of this.
“How about we make a deal?” Cristian continued before I could gather my thoughts. “I can’t let you kill Andrés. He’s the only family I have left, and he’s very good at running my business. But I’ll let you cut him up a little. I was about to do the same, myself. He really shouldn’t have let you go back to the feds. That puts my entire organization at risk.”
My stomach turned. I couldn’t hurt Andrés. But if Cristian was offering to hand me a knife…
No. That would be suicidal. There were still two armed guards in the room with us. If I tried to stab their boss, they’d shoot me.
“Take off the cuffs,” he ordered his men, but he didn’t take his eyes off me. “I’m going to need to make this look right to keep Andrés in line. I’m sure you understand.”
The handcuffs fell from my wrists, but I didn’t have a chance to think about defending myself. Cristian’s fist slammed into my jaw. Pain cracked through my skull, and I tasted blood in my mouth as my cheek cut against my teeth. The basement flickered out of existence.
When I started to come back around, I became aware of the familiar feel of leather cuffs around my wrists. My arms were being pulled above my head, and my weight started to fall on my wrists. I scrambled to get my feet under me, but the tension on my arms increased, forcing me up onto my toes.
I blinked hard, fear helping clear away the throbbing pain in my skull. It receded to a dull ache as adrenaline kicked in.
Cristian came into focus, his handsome face filling my vision. He touched his long fingers to my injured jaw, and I hissed as pain spiked.
“This will do,” he said, studying me as though I were an object instead of a person. Worse than that: a tool he was going to use to hurt Andrés. “I had this set up for my little brother,” he explained, gesturing at the restraints that stretched my body taut. “He screamed so much the last time I did this to him. I didn’t think he’d ever want to repeat the experience, but then he let you go. Imagine how upset he’ll be when he sees you here instead, after he tried to save you from me.” He grinned. “He’ll be absolutely destroyed once you start to work on him. Don’t worry. I’ll let you down so you can get your revenge, once I have him where I want him. Then, the offer to work for me still stands.” He gabbed my jaw hard, making me cry out. “If you refuse, I’ll find another use for you. Did you enjoy your time in my brothel?”
“I’ll work for you,” I forced out, struggling to speak when pain lanced through my jaw. I’d say anything to buy some time.
I’ll get us out of this, I promised myself. I will.
“Good.” He released my jaw, and I sagged forward, my weight falling onto my wrists before I caught myself on my tiptoes. “My brother might be obsessed with you, but you’re too skinny to earn me much as a whore. No matter how pretty your skin is. I knew Andrés would enjoy marking it up.”
He reached around me, and his fingertips trailed over my bare thigh, tracing the line of one of the faint bruises Andrés’ crop had left when he was punishing me for trying to escape. I gasped and tried to move away from his hand, but there was nowhere for me to go. His touch on my exposed skin made me look down to assess my body. I’d been stripped again. But in this horrible place, it didn’t feel normal to be completely bare. Cold air teased across my skin, making me very aware of how vulnerable I was.
“Mí hermanito is on his way down,” he told me. “Should we put on a little show for him?”
He reached for his belt, where he kept the wicked hunting knife close to his side.
“Don’t,” I begged, remembering the grating agony of the blade scraping across my collarbone.
“I need to make a point,” he told me, waving off my plea as though it was nothing to be concerned about.
He stepped behind me and touched the knife to my throat, the cold steel barely kissing my skin. My breath stuttered. I knew how easily it could part my skin, carving me up the way he’d tortured Andrés.
The soft thump of the elevator arriving sounded just before the doors slid open. I had a moment to register Andrés’ face fixed in a carefully blank mask before his features twisted with rage.
“Samantha,” he snarled out my name and launched himself out of the elevator.