Bride by Sara Fields

Chapter 10

Everything fucking hurt.

A hard jostle tossed me to the side, and I groaned, knocking my forehead against something hard. I blinked several times, groaning as the ringing in my ears reached a fever pitch. My head was pounding, and it took a while for me to realize that I was still hooded. It felt like I’d swallowed a mass of cotton balls. My shoulders were stiff and sore, and the back of my head hurt more than anything.

Fuck. Me. Where the fuck was I?

I tried to move my wrists, but the scratching of rope against my skin kept me from doing much of anything. I felt the same thing on my ankles. I wasn’t flexible enough to slide my bound wrists under my butt, so I just worked on gradually sliding them back and forth behind me. After a fair amount of effort, they felt a bit looser.

I focused on that rather than the panic brewing deep inside me. Now was not the time to fully lose my shit.

An angry clang and the roaring sound of a motor surrounded me. As I jostled back and forth again, I hesitantly guessed I was in the trunk of some kind of sedan. The engine sputtered and a hard bump made me fly upward, knocking my head on the metal part of the trunk. I yelped as a fiery jolt of pain throbbed across my skull. Desperately, I fiddled with my wrist bonds a bit more. Whoever tied me hadn’t done a particularly good job, because in a few more minutes I was able to get one of my wrists to slide out without it hurting too much. It pinched and I was sure I’d given myself a rope burn but getting my hands free was more than worth it. I stretched my fingers as a wave of numbness poured down my wrists, but then I quickly ripped the mask off my head and the cloth gag out of my mouth. Once my face was uncovered and I could draw in a full breath, my pounding heart started to calm just the slightest bit. I looked around me, trying to figure out my next move.

I’d been right. I was in someone’s trunk. I couldn’t figure out much about the model from the inside though. There was a bit of light that bled through the rear taillights, and I could see enough to tell it was some older sedan, but that was about it. I pushed against one of them with my hand, but I couldn’t get enough leverage against it. I remember reading somewhere in some crazy internet news story that a kidnap victim stuck in a trunk could kick out a taillight and signal to people outside the car for rescue. It seemed like my best bet, but I was going to have to free my ankles to do it.

I went to work on the rope around my feet next. That knot was tighter, and I had to curl up and use both hands to try to untie it. Unable to really get a good look at it, I had to use a lot of guesswork to even begin to loosen it. After a while though, I found what felt like the right piece of rope and pulled it. I sighed in relief when the tie gave way. I fluttered my feet and kicked off the rough piece of rope.

If my shoulders weren’t sore and I wasn’t stuck in the trunk of some lunatic’s car, I would have patted myself on the back.

Without any further delay, I rearranged myself so that I could press the heel of my foot against the taillight. I used just a little bit of force against it at first, but it didn’t budge. I kicked it a little harder and grunted in disappointment when it still didn’t move.

Just when I was winding up to kick out the light with everything in me though, the car rolled to a stop and the motor cut off.

Fuck me sideways. This wasn’t good.

Quickly, I grabbed the rope and slid my hands behind my back. I worked it back over my wrists before the trunk opened and I was blinded by the bright blue of the sky overhead. I blinked several times and tried to get my eyes used to the sudden change as quickly as I could. Shapes started to form in front of me. Three of them.

I kept blinking, but by the time I realized that they were three large men they had already reached out to grab me and yank me out of the trunk. The man closest to me squeezed my arm tight enough that I knew it would bruise. When I struggled to take a step, they didn’t pause or even try to help steady me. They just let me stumble and fall, laughing as I jarred my shoulder pretty hard into the dirt. I cried out as the sharp edge of a rock dug into my shoulder. One of them finally pulled me up by my upper arm and led me down a dirt path.

It looked like they’d taken me somewhere deeper into the jungle. I had no idea how far away from port we were. I’d been knocked out for part of the journey, and I wasn’t sure how long that had been for. We could be more than a hundred miles from port for all I knew.

I turned my head and got a good look at the side profile of the big man dragging me through the brush. He was definitely Mexican, but there wasn’t a single thing about him that seemed friendly. There was a fierce-looking scar on the side of his face that cut through his thick sideburns, and a permanent scowl on his face. He was at least twice my size and the two men who followed were just as big.

When I stumbled over a tree root, the man’s scowl only deepened, and he jerked me hard. I flew forward and only just caught myself with a massive step, but it jolted my knee hard in the process.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Wasn’t she gagged?” the man growled, and the raspy current of his voice chilled me to the core.

“I don’t know. Maybe Jose did a shit job of tying it over her head,” one of the others answered.

“Her shoulder is bleeding,” the one to my back left observed.

“Fuck. The boss wanted her unharmed,” the big one jerking me along mumbled.

“She’s alive. Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Let me go. I’ll give you whatever you want,” I offered, trying the path of least resistance first.

“Ha! Nemesio would cut off my left nut if I took what I want,” Scar answered.

“Probably the right one too,” Righty added with a dangerous chuckle. Righty had a pretty trim goatee. I kind of wanted to punch it right off.

Nemesio…

The man my father had arranged for me to marry.

Fuck. This was bad.

I glanced down and saw a gun tucked in Scar’s belt. A cursory look back at the others confirmed they had their own too. These didn’t seem like a trio of nice guys. They were dressed in jeans and t-shirts: one gray, another red, and the last one black. They seemed strong and I knew I wouldn’t have much of a chance if I tried to fight them. If anything, I’d just end up dead.

Wherever we were, I was deep in cartel territory.

“Nemesio?” I asked.

“Yeah. He’s inside, sugar tits. Welcome home,” Lefty replied, and Scar’s scowl only deepened.

“You know, she’s prettier than I expected for a scientist type,” Righty observed, and I wanted to punch him straight between the eyes. I thought better of it though and simply glared at him instead.

“What does Nemesio want from me?” I pressed and my three gigantic escorts sealed their lips. They didn’t say a single word and just dragged me forward down a path until a big Spanish-style villa came into view. We’d entered the property through some nondescript side entrance, rather than through the driveway for some unknown reason.

I attempted to pull my arm from Scar’s grasp, but it only resulted in him gripping me even tighter.

The crisp white stucco was stark against the dark greenery of the surrounding jungle. The rust red roof tiles were bright against the blue sky. The mansion had multiple levels and great curved arches that only added to the extravagant decadence. It was a massive home and the detailed landscaping around it was simplistic, but perfectly done.

Righty, Lefty, and Scar led me to a side entrance and forced me inside. I had to keep my eyes on my feet so I didn’t trip. I really didn’t want to fall on the tile beneath me. It would hurt a hell of a lot more than the dirt outside.

The inside walls were covered in white plaster and lined with a number of paintings of the Virgin Mary and other seemingly religious scenes. There were several landscape images of both the jungle and the beach. Along the hallway were a few lush potted plants. Some of them were quite striking.

They jerked me along to the center foyer of the house where they stopped and finally released me. I slipped my hands from the ropes behind my back, and they said nothing. There was nowhere for me to go anyway, not when the three of them were armed with guns. They’d probably start shooting me for sport if they could.

A man cleared his throat above me, and my gaze was pulled upward. Righty, Lefty, and Scar took a step back.

“Your bride, as you requested, boss. She is unharmed,” Scar blurted, and I scowled back at him.

“Ahh. Miss Zoe Parker in the flesh,” Nemesio growled, and I turned my glower back toward him.

“Dr. Zoe Asher,” I corrected firmly and Nemesio’s grin widened precipitously. My lungs tightened with fear, and I found it difficult to pull in a full breath.

“You might assume that, yes, Zoe. But not anymore,” he replied.

“What did you do?” I spat and he shook his head, just staring at me. His eyes were such a dark brown that they bordered on black. His skin was a darkened tan. He’d clearly spent more of his fair share in the sun. His beard was thick but groomed to edge into thick sideburns. He was a bigger guy, but unlike Grayson who was big and hard, this man was pudgy. He was probably two hundred and fifty pounds, but he didn’t look like he worked out a day in his life.

Around his waist was a belt complete with a gun holster and a rather grisly-looking knife. I glared at him, and he simply grinned at my ire.

The danger that radiated from him was far more vicious and unyielding than anyone I’d ever seen before, even Grayson. Even when he’d torn my clothes off and pinned me over his desk, I’d never felt like he would really hurt me. Sure, he’d spanked my bottom bright red on multiple occasions, but he never gave off the impression that he’d shoot me between the eyes if I ever said the wrong thing. Nemesio looked like a man who wasn’t afraid to slap a woman around or murder her husband to get what he wanted.

I had the distinct feeling that Nemesio was exactly that kind of cold-blooded evil.

I needed to tread very carefully going forward.

“I took care of it,” he replied. Everything about him was evasive and dangerous. I forced myself to hold my tongue more than usual, knowing that anything I said could get me killed or worse, make whatever he did to Grayson that much more terrible.

“Did you kill him?”

He didn’t answer and nothing about his expression gave me any sort of clue whatsoever. I decided that changing the subject would be the next best course no matter how much my anxious heart squeezed in fear over Grayson’s fate. I didn’t want to make anything worse than it already was.

“Why am I here?”

“Ismael promised me a bride in exchange for peace between my family and his. He didn’t tell me he’d also made a side deal with Grayson Asher, and he didn’t go as far as to even bring me in on it, so as far as I am concerned there’s still a wedding that needs to take place,” Nemesio explained.

“I’m already married,” I blurted, and his grin widened impossibly further.

“Sure. In the United States. Do you think I much care about that here in Mexico? In my home? You are mine by contract. I paid for you in blood, sweat, and a shitload of money so I’m taking what I’m owed,” he said, a vicious undercurrent to his words.

“You can’t do that,” I answered, and he just laughed.

“Do you know who I am?” he chuckled. “I am Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes. When I tell someone to sit, they sit. I tell them to roll over and play dead, they roll over and play dead. They do what they’re told unless they really do want to wind up dead, along with every single member of their family beside them. I don’t tolerate anything less.”

“You’re insane,” I said, my voice rising in pitch.

“If I were someone else, the officials inside the registrar office would deny the legality of our marriage, but they answer to me. Later today, we will perform a civil ceremony in the back gardens and by the time night falls, you will be my wife by all legal definitions, at least here in Mexico. It won’t matter where else because you’re never going back,” he spat.

“I won’t marry you,” I yelled, my fury palpable. It didn’t seem to have any effect on Nemesio.

“You don’t have a choice, Zoe. Ismael and I signed a contract. I paid him a tidy sum for you. I agreed to stay out of his territory for years. I kept my end of the bargain. I don’t give a flying fuck if he tricked Grayson Asher into paying for you too. He sold you to me first,” he said. He was clearly beginning to show annoyance at my protests, and I didn’t know if that was a bad thing yet or not.

I decided to keep quiet, at least for now.

“You know, at first I was just going to let it go. Marry a nice girl, perhaps from another family, but then I learned about what you do,” he began.

I really didn’t like what he was insinuating.

“What do you mean?”

“I have friends all around the world in various industries, but only a few in medical tech. They told me about your company, about the potential in the compound you’re developing, and I decided that I was curious enough to look into it,” he continued.

I took a step back.

“I’ve never gotten involved in the legal world of pharmaceuticals. It’s typically much more lucrative that way, but from what I’ve heard, your compound is going to turn the drug world on its head. As my wife, your assets are mine and as such, it belongs to my family. The money you bring in for me is going to change everything. It might be enough to wipe Ismael’s sorry ass off the map. Mexico will be mine and I won’t stop there,” he chuckled dangerously.

“I will give you nothing,” I scoffed.

His gaze hardened and I wondered if I’d gone too far.

He grasped the gun on his belt and pulled it free from the holster. Slowly, he stroked up and down the barrel. With a hard pull, he cocked it and aimed it lazily at me. I stilled, staring down the length of the barrel knowing that all he had to do to end my life was pull that trigger. Everything would be over in less than a fraction of a second. He looked back at me with a dark expression that insinuated all that and more. I pressed my lips shut.

I wouldn’t say anything more. I wasn’t stupid.

“Go bring her to Esmerelda and get her cleaned up. I want to see what she looks like when she’s not covered in filth,” Nemesio demanded, and Scar grunted in understanding behind me.

I had my fists by my sides. I was still only wearing my bathing suit and the knitted coverup, but it had long since lost its clean hue. My legs were covered in dirt and my shoulder was throbbing from the fresh cut of that rock. My head was still pounding and to avoid any further complications, I turned and faced Scar with a sigh of acceptance.

“Lead the way,” I said quietly, and he pointed down the hall. I didn’t look up at Nemesio again. Seeing my compliance, Scar started walking. I followed, with Righty and Lefty close on my tail.

They escorted me into the right wing of the mansion, where there was a woman waiting in an oversized guest suite for me. It was in the center of the house on the ground floor. There were only two windows, but both of them had decorative bars on the outside. I had a sneaking suspicion that they were actually more of prison bars than anything else.

“We’ll be right outside,” Scar murmured, nodding politely to the woman. My three guards exited the room, closing the door behind them. There didn’t seem to be any way out and even if I could, I wouldn’t know where to go and what to do in the dense jungle all around the house. I had never had any sense of direction, and I didn’t even know if Grayson was still alive. At this point, I just had to survive and get out of here alive.

I didn’t want to assume the worst. Nemesio could have had him killed, or maybe he was just fucking with me to keep me compliant. For all I knew, Grayson could have just assumed I’d taken the first opportunity at escape and run off. He had more money than he knew what to do with.

To be honest, he could do better than me. He could have the prettiest girl in the world. With me gone like this, maybe it would be for the best.

I blinked back tears. I turned my gaze to the floor.

“My name is Esmerelda,” the woman offered gently. Her accent was thick. English probably wasn’t her native language.

“Zoe,” I whispered. I couldn’t stop the way my voice trembled, and I felt her reach out to me. Her hands were soft as she squeezed my shoulders.

“Nemesio likes his women silent and obedient at all times,” she said quietly, and a disgusted shiver raced down my spine.

That was something Grayson had known. He’d liked that about me. He hadn’t sought to change me or control my life in the way that I knew Nemesio would.

I choked back a sob.

This wasn’t how my life was supposed to go. Less than a week ago, my whole existence had been consumed by my work. Every minute of my day was dedicated to growing my company so that I could save those around the world. But that was before I’d walked into Grayson’s office that fateful morning.

Now the only thing I could think of was that I may never see him again. I may never feel his arms hold me. I may never listen to the constant steady cadence of his heart when I curled up against him or get to see the tiny dimples on his cheeks when I sassed him. I’d never get to feel his fingers on my skin or get to touch him in return.

He could already be dead.

I started to sob in earnest. Esmerelda pulled me into her chest, wrapping her arms around me to calm me but it only made me cry harder because I couldn’t stop thinking about how I wanted it to be him holding me rather than her.

“There, there. It’ll all be alright. Let’s get you cleaned up and you’ll feel better,” she murmured.

She was an older woman, maybe in her late fifties or early sixties. Her long brown hair was streaked with gray. The wrinkles around her kind eyes were soft, but they showed the passage of time all over her face.

“I don’t want to be here,” I blurted, and she reached into the pocket of her skirts, handing me what appeared to be a handstitched handkerchief.

“When I first came here, I didn’t want to be either,” she replied, her kindness emanating with every syllable.

“What?”

“My father sold me to this house. Our family was deep in debt to Nemesio, and the only thing that could keep them alive was me. My hand in marriage erased what my family owed,” she continued.

“And your husband?”

“He’s one of the men outside. I was his reward for his loyalty to Nemesio and the family,” she continued.

“Which one is he?”

“He’s got the scar on the side of his face. He earned that when he failed to obey Nemesio’s orders once. He hasn’t made that mistake since,” she explained.

“Do you love him?” I asked.

She sighed.

“In a way, I suppose. Santiago has his moments of kindness. A bit rough around the edges, but that’s life. It’s better knowing that my family is alive rather than dead lying in a ditch somewhere,” she mumbled softly.

Her story didn’t give me much hope.

“As Nemesio’s wife, you will be treated with respect from the family. It will afford you luxury in that way,” she added.

“Unless he decides I deserve a black eye instead,” I muttered. When she didn’t correct me, I wasn’t surprised. Nemesio looked like a man who was used to getting what he wanted no matter what he had to do to get it.

“Nemesio likes to hide those kinds of marks in places where others can’t see,” she finally replied, and I shuddered hard with both disgust and fear.

“Come. Let’s get you washed up,” she offered, and I took her hand, feeling numb inside. There was a tub full of water, scented with roses and jasmine. I didn’t fight her when she grasped my coverup and pulled it over my head. She quickly shimmied my bikini bottoms down my legs as I reached behind my back and untied the top. I threw it on the floor beside the rest of my clothes.

She gave me a hand as I climbed into the copper claw-foot tub. The water was hot at least and when I settled inside it, she started getting to work on cleaning me off. Her hands worked at my flesh purposefully, but without any feeling. She’d probably been told to prepare me for the wedding tonight and knowing the reputation of the cartel, she wasn’t given much choice in the matter unless she wanted to wind up dead.

I lost myself in my thoughts of the past several days, trying to imagine Grayson beside me so that I didn’t go into a full-blown panic. She washed the filth off my skin gently, but I didn’t really feel anything. When she was done, she had me soak in the water for a while before she rinsed me off. She conditioned my hair and left me once more, walking out in the room to leave me be.

I enjoyed the moments of privacy, knowing that they’d probably be the last I’d be afforded in a good long while. When it was finally time, she used a small cup to ensure that all the oils and conditioners in my hair were fully washed out before she helped me to climb out of the tub. She wrapped me in a fluffy white towel and led me back into the bedroom where there was a lacy white wedding dress waiting for me.

To be honest, it was really quite hideous. I could even smell the cigar smoke coming from it from several feet away.

It was a modest design, but the amount of lace was so overwhelming that it was off-putting. The skirt was massive and covered in more layers of grimy fabric than I could possibly count. Esmerelda must have seen my distaste because she smiled politely and placed a soothing hand on my arm.

“It’s traditional. Nemesio’s mother wore this on her wedding day and now you will too,” she tried to explain.

Fucking fantastic. Not only was he an abusive asshole, but he was a momma’s boy too.

“I see,” I replied flatly.

“Let’s wait to put it on. I’ll do your hair and makeup first. I think there’s a robe around here if you get cold,” she offered, and I nodded.

She sat me down in a chair and started to brush out my hair. She worked quickly and efficiently, as if she’d done something like this many times before. She styled my hair into a partial updo once she’d fully brushed and dried it before she started on my face. I closed my eyes when she told me to. I pursed my lips and opened them when she wanted. When she was through, she had me look in a mirror and I did what was expected and told her what a wonderful job she’d done.

When it was time to put on the wedding dress, I resigned myself to smelling like an ashtray for the foreseeable future. I tried not to gag as she pulled it off the hanger but failed when I stepped inside the massive lace skirt. She buttoned the back all the way up. The neckline went all the way up my throat and was a bit too tight.

The whole thing was rather ill-fitting. The sleeves were puffy at the shoulders and the hips were too loose around mine. My breasts were a bit too full for the dress and were flattened by the unbreathable material, but all that paled to how much stronger the cigar scent was now that the fabric was surrounding my body.

I hated everything about it. The lace was scratchy and uncomfortable. When I looked in the mirror, I loathed the way I looked because it wasn’t anything like the one I had worn for Grayson.

No. Now I supposed to walk for an infamous drug lord who would probably kill me as soon as I outlived my usefulness.

I felt like crying, but I didn’t want Esmerelda to have to fix my makeup after she’d done such a nice job.

“When Nemesio take you to his bed tonight, take your mind to another place. Don’t think about him. He won’t even make you look at him because he prefers taking a woman from behind, so that will make what I say next easier. Think about a lover, back to a time that you enjoyed yourself the most and lose yourself in that memory. He won’t last long. Probably less than five minutes, most likely less than three. It’ll be over before you know it,” she whispered shakily.

“Why do you know this?” I asked hesitantly.

“There was a stipulation in the agreement when I was brought here,” she began, and I stared back at her hazel eyes for a moment, seeing her pain radiate from within them. “Nemesio would fully forgive my family’s debts if he was able to enjoy my body whenever he wanted as well. He didn’t want me as a wife, which is why he gave me to Santiago.”

I licked my lips, horrified at her admission.

“I’m sorry,” I finally managed to say.

“It’s a life,” she replied.

I held my tongue from saying anything further. It wasn’t my place.

For a while longer, she fussed over me. She tried to pull in the dress in a few places to make it fit a little better, but there was so much fabric that it didn’t do much good. When there was a knock on the door, she sighed in frustration before she called out to whoever was there.

“One more moment!”

She pulled me close.

“Keep your head high, Zoe. I know you’re strong. You’ll make it through this,” she whispered hoarsely, and I smiled.

“Thank you for your kindness, Esmerelda. I won’t forget it,” I answered quickly before the door burst open.

It was her husband, Santiago.

“They are ready. I’m to escort the bride to where she needs to be,” he said curtly.

Esmerelda nodded silently. The way her body bowed toward him showed that she was subservient to him, or at least she’d accepted her life to be this way. She didn’t look at him with love or anything that remotely resembled it.

I didn’t know if I was capable of something like that, not after what I’d felt with Grayson.

I stared at the floor as I walked out of the room and followed Santiago. I didn’t really see the finely decorated interior of the villa. Everything passed by in a blur. The paintings morphed together in one long line, and I blinked quickly, knowing I was close to crying once again.

The heels Esmerelda had slipped on my feet clicked along the tiled floor with every step. My heart hammered in my chest, one numb beat after the next as each step brought me closer to the nightmare my life had become. Along the way, someone shoved a rose bouquet into my hands.

I wished I’d never woken up inside that trunk.

Santiago led me out the back door onto a cement path. We stopped so that another woman could unclip the train at the back of my dress. Another placed a tacky tiara atop my head.

It took everything in me to hold back my tears.

When we reached the gardens, I saw that there was a large group of people seated and waiting for us. Nemesio was wearing a fitted tuxedo and I swallowed hard as I was guided to the end of the aisle.

He stared at me, and I glared right back. His chubby face looked me up and down, leering at me as if he was undressing me with his eyes right then and there.

I gripped the bouquet in my hands, feeling the sweat on my palms grow clammy. My hands were shaking with my endless nerves. I jumped when music started playing behind me, the traditional beats of a wedding song far too loud and jarring for me.

I didn’t want this to be real. I didn’t want any of this. I lifted my eyes to the sky and tried to find some semblance of courage from within me. There wasn’t any to be found. This wasn’t like Grayson and me; there wasn’t even a modicum of tension between us, not a single sliver of curiosity. Nemesio was a monster, a ruthless criminal who ran one of the most dangerous cartels in the world. He’d spill my blood in a heartbeat if it would get him a bit more power or money or probably even for a prettier wife.

I took a shaky breath, resigning myself to the terrible fate lying before me. Nemesio could take my body. He could take my business and everything else that was mine, but he would never have my heart because that already belonged to another.

It belonged to Grayson.

I took that first step and lifted my head. I pretended that the man at the end of the aisle was him. I imagined the perfection of his dark eyes, of his proud smile as he watched me come to him. I fantasized about the hard expanse of his chest and the corded muscles of his arms waiting to catch me and wrap me up in their warmth.

For several moments, it worked, but eventually the vision faltered, and I was left with the ruthless gaze of the monster that had taken me. I blinked. Something was wrong. I furrowed my brow and stared at Nemesio’s dark evil gaze.

There was a tiny bright red dot at the center of his forehead, almost like a laser.

I stopped in my tracks and his grin of conquest morphed into an even more dangerous scowl. A quiet pop reverberated somewhere far behind me. Instinctually, I pitched myself forward. My palms caught my weight on the sculpted cement beneath me and at once, someone began to scream.

I looked up just in time to see that Nemesio had been hit. A small circular hole between his eyes started to fill up with blood. His gaze was stunned at first before it turned glassy, his body wavering back and forth. He fell to the ground with a sickening crunch, and I turned away, not wanting to see the pool of blood grow beneath him.

Someone else in the audience screamed and a chorus of shouts followed. Men jumped up, grasping at the guns on their belts with furious glances all about. I pushed myself up and lurched toward the altar. With each step, the amount of panic behind me only escalated, but my courage pushed forth anyway. Nemesio’s lifeless body was to the right of the altar, so I chose to rush around the other side before I ducked behind it in search of cover.

An all-out war exploded behind me. The sound of gunfire was deafening, and I closed my eyes and curled up into a ball as I shivered with fear and blatant adrenaline. After taking a deep breath, I peeked around the edge of the altar, trying to figure out what was happening and what my next move should be.

Men in black combat gear were storming into the gardens from the jungle. All of them carried assault rifles and seemed dead set on mowing down all the cartel members who had come to see me get married to their boss.

A stray shot ricocheted off the altar and I yelped as the wood exploded above me. I pressed my body down against the ground, but the rest of my cover was quickly blown to splinters and toothpicks in a matter of seconds.

I couldn’t stay here. I had to run and fast.

I pushed myself up off the ground and took off across the garden. I lifted my skirts the best I could and when someone caught the train under their boot, I took the opportunity to use their weight to tear it. The monstrously long train ripped as if it were old dried-out paper and I kept running. I jumped over a few bodies along the way, trying desperately to avoid stepping in any pools of blood. I couldn’t avoid it all though.

I rushed toward the house and practically dove back into the door that Santiago had led me out of just minutes ago. Once I was inside, I slammed the door behind me and locked it just as quickly.

The constant pop of gunfire wasn’t as loud anymore, but my ears still rang from being so close to it. I ran through the hall and happened upon a small servants’ kitchen. I raced inside and began to open the drawers. I found a pair of scissors and started tearing into the mountains of lace around my waist. I hid in the oversized pantry as I cut through the skirts, trying to be as quiet as possible in case anyone was prowling inside. It took forever to cut through all the lace, but when I finally freed my legs from it, I sighed in open relief. I tossed the remnants behind me, kicked off my heels, and curled up inside the pantry, waiting for the gunfire to quiet down outside the house.

I wasn’t about to run back into the fray. One stray bullet would be enough to do me in. I’d wait until it was over until before I decided what to do next. For a while, it was quiet around me, the silence punctuated by the occasional blast of gunfire outside until at long last, that quieted too. I didn’t rush out quite yet, deciding that it would be better to give it a bit longer. Eventually, my body grew stiff, and I stood up, stretching my legs and pressing my ear to the door.

I heard nothing.

I opened the door and crept slowly out into the kitchen. The tile was cool beneath my bare feet. I paused by the entryway, listening for evidence of anyone and hearing nothing. I looked up and down the hallway. After several long minutes, I decided it sounded safe enough and hurried back in the direction of where I’d first been led into the house. I paused by the suite where Esmerelda had attended to me and peered inside.

She was sitting there on the bed. Without thinking, I rushed into the room and grasped her hand. She jumped when I touched her, apparently too lost in her thoughts to have seen me enter.

“Come with me. Quickly,” I whispered, and she simply nodded. She looked like she was almost in a daze.

Together, we ran through the house and out the side door.

“Come on. As fast as you can,” I added and sprinted out the door. She darted beside me, and we both ran into the woods. I tried to ignore the ground beneath my feet, but a few sharp stones bit at my soles with ferocious intensity. I stumbled at first but pushed through. The two of us tore through the jungle and I breathed a sigh of relief once I saw the sedan still sitting there where it had been left this morning. In a rush, I lurched toward the driver’s side door and tried the handle.

It was open.

“Fancy meeting you here,” a male voice scoffed, and I stilled. It was vaguely familiar. When I looked up, I recognized him to be the man I’d been calling Righty. Lefty was by his side too.

I still had the scissors in my hand. Bravely, I stood up. I knew my hair was probably a mess and my dress was in shambles, but that didn’t matter. I wasn’t about to let these two men stop Esmerelda and me from getting away from the cartel forever.

Righty went to grab the gun at his waist as he took a step toward me, but I was ready. I used the power in my legs to push off the ground and jump at him with everything in me. He didn’t even have a chance to aim the gun in my direction before I’d latched onto his chest. I brought my arm up quickly and stabbed him in the throat with everything I had.

He didn’t have a chance. The scissors were sharp and slid through his flesh as though it were paper.

Behind me, I could hear Lefty growling with fury as Righty’s blood surged from his neck. I could feel the warm wet liquid spraying me and I quickly pushed off of him, jumping back onto the ground and landing on my feet.

The deafening roar of a gun exploded behind me, and I stilled.

For a moment, I felt nothing. I pressed my hands to my stomach, expecting pain and finding only blood. A numbness passed through my fingers as my ears rang, and I rocked side to side as I fought with the sudden urge to throw up.

I expected death to hurt.

Someone collapsed behind me. I heard the sickening crunch of a skull hitting rock.

“Kitten,” a voice purred.

“Grayson,” I cried, spinning around and praying it wasn’t too late.

I lifted my eyes to see him standing across from me. He looked perfect, his suit immaculate and his eyes glinting with concern.

Was this what it felt like to die? Was I dreaming? Was he even real or was this just a figment of my imagination?

I didn’t dare look away. My heart pounded dangerously loud in my chest, and I whined quietly. My head wouldn’t stop ringing and I couldn’t get a handle on the way air was whizzing in and out of my lungs. Maybe I was hyperventilating.

He took a step toward me and loosened my fingers. Only vaguely aware that I was still holding the bloody scissors in them, I let my weapon fall to the ground. I wanted to get closer to him. I wanted to touch him. I wanted to find out he was real.

Shouldn’t I be dead right now? Shouldn’t the bullet wound start to hurt?

I took a step toward him, but he was faster.

“My bride,” he said and at once, his arms surrounded me with their warmth.

“My…” I began, but I really didn’t have the capacity to form words.

“I’d thought I’d lost you,” he whispered. His voice shook with emotion. I pushed back against his chest. I whirled my head around and my head finally stitched together what happened. Lefty was lying there dead on the ground. I’d killed Righty. Lefty must have made a move to shoot me, but Grayson had slain him before he could get a shot off. A quiet keening noise escaped my throat.

This wasn’t a dream. His arms around me weren’t just my imagination.

“You’re real,” I cried.

“Of course I’m real,” he replied, and I threw my arms around his waist. He clutched me tight and warm relief cascaded over me like a tropical rainstorm. For a while, I just enjoyed the feeling of his body against mine before I remembered the danger surrounding us all again.

“We have to get out of here. It’s not safe,” I blurted out.

“It’s been handled. Nemesio and his goons have been taken care of,” he said firmly.

“But…” I began.

“Shh, kitten. I’ve got you. You’re safe now,” he chided, and I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead against his chest. He knelt down just enough to slip an arm around my waist. The other slid behind my legs and he lifted me off the ground as if I didn’t weigh anything at all.

“It’s time for us to go,” he whispered.

“Wait. Esmerelda too,” I exclaimed. I lifted my head to see her on the edge of the clearing. “She won’t hurt me.”

Grayson stopped and stared back at her.

“Make a choice. You can come with us, or you can stay here and wait for cartel reinforcements to arrive,” he offered.

Esmerelda didn’t wait for the second option. She jogged toward us and followed us as we walked down the road. The reverberations from a waiting helicopter vibrated through the air and as I looked back at her, she smiled knowingly.

I didn’t have to tell her that this was the man I would have fantasized about if Nemesio had been able to force me to his bed.