Callahan"Here." He hands me a folder out of his briefcase. He's old-school. Leave no electronic trail. Ever. It's probably what's kept him out of prison.I open the folder and the first thing I see is a grainy photo of the man who orchestrated my family's massacre.The younger Fernando Mancini.I flip through the photos, look at the vast, empty land around him. I look at the men in their pickup trucks, the porch of the house he's stepping into. The bigger house I don't recognize.“He's in Mexico?"My uncle nods. “Making an alliance between the Esmeralda Cartel, which he considers himself the head of since he is engaged to Portia — ”"He can consider himself the fucking king of England for all I care. It makes no difference to me. Like I said, he's no longer engaged to Portia. She told me she'd rather kill herself than fuck him."“Well, that'll be news to him then.""Go on. I recognize the Esmeralda house. But what's this one? With whom is he forging this alliance?""Felix Pérez. Heat
PortiaI'm sitting in the kitchen flipping through an old Italian cookbook, my hand absently petting Cerberus when I hear the sound of the chopper. I look at the clock. It's a little after nine at night.Lenore, who has been sitting across from me making a shopping list, gets up and puts the espresso pot on the stove.“He'll want coffee," she says to me.Alec glances out the window. He's been my shadow today and if it wasn't for Lenore telling him I could walk out to the greenhouse to collect fresh vegetables, I'm pretty sure I'd have been locked up inside all day.At least I got to see Nathan. He told me that Alec had brought down the entirety of the cake last night.I wonder if I should go up to my room. Well, his room. Will he really make me kneel to apologize to him? And if so, would he make me do it in front of Lenore? I feel my face burn just thinking about it.But he does deserve an apology. I do know that. What I said, what I accused him of, it wasn't right especially knowing
Portia"I'm sorry," I blubber. “I'm so sorry that happened."“That didn't just happen," he spits. "Don't you get it? They did it. They made it happen. Your brothers. Your fiancé." He shakes his head then, abruptly releasing his hold on my hair and stepping backward so I fall forward onto my hands.He turns away, walking to the sink.I watch from my place on the floor as he turns on the tap and washes his face, mutters a curse into the towel he uses to dry himself.Cerberus whines from the corner."I'm sorry," I say again. “I'm sorry I said those things to you when I knew you hadn't touched me. I'm sorry that my brothers hurt your family like they did. I'm so sorry that it was my family who did that to yours. I'm sorry.." I trail off, sitting back on my heels, thinking, blubbering now because I am sorry.I'm sorry for all of it.I rub my face, look up to find him watching me.“I understand if you need to hurt me. Punish me for what happened. I do. And if you'll let my cousin go — ”"We
CallahanI let her go. Let her slip away. I don't know how I have the self-control to do it.That night, I don't even trust myself to sleep in my own bed. Not with her in the room across from mine.There's something about Portia. Something inexplicable.It's true what I said. There's an emptiness inside me. A hunger I need to fill. I want to fill it with her. In the morning I take a shower in the bathroom in my office. I jerk off but it doesn't take the edge off. I want her. I need her.Fuck.I sit behind my desk and am running my hand through my hair, trying to figure out what the fuck is wrong with me when Lenore knocks then opens the door to my office."Did you sleep at all?" she asks me, setting the tray down and arranging a pot of espresso, a cup and a plate of food I won't touch.She glances at the photos strewn across my desk, careful to set the things down around them. She doesn't comment on any of it.“I'll sleep tonight.""Antonio just got in. He's having a shower and will b
The mat is trampled now. It should be replaced. The porch, too, looks run down, the once bright yellow paint peeling off the wooden railing, weeds growing through the floorboards.But that's not why Callahan gave me these.I flip through, I see their faces. I don't recognize the younger ones but the older ones I know. Uncles and others who worked for my father. The ones who left when Vincent and Gregory took over."How did you get these?""Drone. You recognize them?""Some."“Keep going."I do, my heartbeat picking up because I'm sure things are about to get worse. And they do. Fast.It's when I see the small cabin high in the mountains that my heart sinks. It's where my father held his most important meetings. Complete privacy. I don't want to know what else he did up there, but I do know if you were in real trouble with him, that's where you went. Some never came back. The ones who did were in bad shape.But now I see it's one of my paternal cousins, well, the husband of a cousin. O
CallahanMoments after Antonio has taken Portia, my uncle and Heathcliff walk into the study. I stand, shoving my hands into my pockets.Cerberus's low growl comes from his place in the corner. I don't comment as Heathcliff glances over at the hound."I don't know why you keep that dog," my uncle says."I like him," I say. "Heathcliff." I nod in greeting."Good to see you, Callahan," Heathcliff says.My uncle takes a seat and crosses his ankle over the opposite knee. He chooses the Chesterfield at the far end, away from Cerberus who lays his head back down but keeps that low growl going, eyes on my uncle.I smile at Heathcliff. Well, it's an attempt at a smile. I don't like him. I don't trust him. Not even after he killed his own nephews to prove his loyalty to me. He switches sides too often. One of those mercenaries Portia mentioned."Sit," I tell him, gesturing to the chair beside the one Portia sat in, He does. “I see my niece walking freely in your house.”My uncle makes a sound
PortiaThe first thing I see when I get upstairs is the veil. It's folded and set on the foot of the single bed I slept on last night.Picking it up, I smell detergent and see how much whiter the lace looks. I didn't have a chance to wash it before the wedding day. The stains are gone too. No blood. Like it never ever happened.I'm glad.Keeping it on my lap, I sit on the edge of the bed and look around. This is Elizabeth Scarfoni's room. Callahan's little sister. She was five when she was killed. She'd have been fifteen now. Same age as Nathan. And her little friend, what was her name?Mara. She disappeared. Seems strange if they took someone that they'd take Mara and not the daughter of their enemy.And after all this time, I wonder if Callahan is still searching for her. It makes me a little sad to think of it.But then the door opens, and I leap to my feet. No knock, but I'm not surprised.Callahan stands in the doorway taking up the whole of it. He looks around the room and I wond
Portia“Nathan will work for me," Callahan says, interrupting that train of thought."What?""Nathan. He'll train to become a soldier." He looks back at me."He's fifteen. He hasn't even finished high school.""He'll live in my house. Be educated. Have time to prove himself trustworthy. I won't kill a kid, Portia. And from what I can tell of the boy, he could use a father figure.”I snort. "Like you're a good influence?""Better than your brothers or uncle.""That's not a very high bar. He's too young, I don't want that.""I'm not asking your permission. I've already spoken with him and he's very enthusiastic."“What? When?”"Early this morning."“You mean he knew when I came to visit him?" He didn't say a word.“I made him swear not to say anything.""Let me guess, a test of loyalty.” He slows the boat as we near the port and I stand, walking over to him. I guess he told me his plan out on the water so I wouldn't attack him. I don't quite my feet under me.Callahan nods, pockets the
PortiaWe're lying in bed, Callahan's big arms around me. I'm curled into him, our heads resting on the same pillow.He's playing with a strand of my hair. I touch his unshaved face, liking the stubble."I would be dead if it wasn't for you," he says.I study him, thinking about what I need to tell him.“I didn't want to live afterward. I wanted to die. Even though I knew it would kill Antonio, I just couldn't. But then there you were, and you made me remember things. Made me feel things. Made me care again. Maybe you make me less selfish, Portia."“You've never been selfish, Callahan.”He shrugs a shoulder."I need to tell you something," I start. I take a breath in and lay on my back to stare up at the ceiling. He puts a hand on my belly. Slides it up to cup a breast.“I like this," he says. “I like a little more meat on you.""Well, I'm glad you think so." I sit up, put my pillow on my lap."What is it?" he asks, all serious when he sees my expression. He sits up too and takes the
PortiaHe also told me about Antonio, about him possibly being a product of rape. He's already sent DNA to a lab for a paternity test. We're waiting on the results."Petrov has disappeared. Diamente thinks he'd arranged the explosives to detonate after he left." I'd assumed the explosions were from Callahan's men, a distraction, but this makes much more sense."Why would he have done that?"Callahan shrugs a shoulder."Maybe he knew Felix and his fondness for cameras? Maybe he just hated the assholes present? Who knows? Who cares?""Who is he?""Russian businessman. That's all I've been able to get so far. But I'll find him.""We will find him," says a low, raspy voice from the bed.I gasp, turn my head. Callahan is beside the bed in an instant."Brother!"A doctor and two nurses rush in. They must have been alerted by the machines to Antonio's waking."Well, it's good to see you're awake, Mr. Scarfoni," the doctor says, smiling."I'd have opened my eyes earlier but these two were dec
PortiaI carry two cups of coffee into Antonio's room. Callahan is sitting across from his bed watching him. Maybe willing him to open his eyes. To wake up.Callahan is alive. Battered and bruised, his hearing comes and goes but he's alive. The blast had knocked him out. For a minute, I thought he was gone, really gone this time, but he's back.He looks over at me, stands. I take in the bandages I can see on his arms, his neck, the side of his head and I'm sure he does the same with mine.But it could be worse.I glance at Antonio.“You need to let the doctor look at you again,” I tell him."After." Smears of blood and dirt still stain his clothes and skin. I know most of it isn't his at least.He takes one of the cups of coffee and leads me to a chair. He sits down beside me, and we watch Antonio together.It's been twenty-seven hours since the house blew up.Twenty hours since Antonio came out of surgery.I don't know how many hours or days since David kidnapped me.I look at Callah
PortiaCallahan stands and helps me up."Don't look at him. He doesn't deserve your gaze."Antonio reads something on his phone, and I see the Glock he's holding at his side."Our men are on the grounds, not in the house yet though."I hear gunfire outside the house then, and a moment later, a small explosion.Callahan goes to the window, one arm wrapped around me, as he looks out over the front yard. I see the men out there, the gunfight. I notice the fire at the far end of the house.“We need to move," he tells Antonio, then turns his attention to me. "Is Felix on site?"“I don't know," I say.He nods. "If he is, I'll find him. But I need to get you out first." He holds my hand, and we walk around the bed to where the dead man is lying face down in his own blood. He bends to tug his knife out of the man's side.I notice the new injury on his side then. The bandage over the new set of stitches long gone. I touch it tentatively.“You're hurt."He takes my wrist, shifting his grip to m
PortiaThe chains that bind my wrists to my ankles are removed and my arms are stretched overhead, bound to a metal rung on the headboard. I'm flipped onto my stomach, the cuffs clanging as I'm tugged downward. The link that hobbled me is also removed. My legs are pulled apart, stretched to either corner of the bed and linked to the rungs there.The two men responsible for preparing me, stand back and look down at me. One tugs the pillow out from under my head and shoves it beneath my belly. He nods, meets my eyes and cups his erection."I'll take your ass when it's my turn," he says in Spanish. "Save me a piece."I spit at him.He slaps my ass."Hey," the other soldier interrupts and points to the corner where I see one of those flashing red lights again. The camera is hidden but the soldiers know about it. They must be Felix's men."After."The man glances at the blinking light, nods then returns his attention to me. "If there's anything left."They walk out but don't close the door
Portia"You won't be walking out of here tonight."Did she mean that literally?Because if this is Felix's plan for me, then I'll be fucked by every man out there in turn.I hear the woot of the onlookers once the curtain is fully raised. I can't see much of them and I think that's on purpose. The spotlight follows me even when I turn my head.A man calls out a ridiculous number and makes a lewd comment. Several laugh out loud as the auctioneer chuckles into his microphone, tapping his gavel twice to get everyone's attention.“You haven't even seen it all yet,” he notes in a sing-song voice.Two sets of hands take hold of my arms and force me to turn.When they do, I catch a glimpse of the blinking red light coming from the top corner of the room.Felix is recording this. Is it for me? Well, I should say is it for him?To show those who won't pledge loyalty to him what happens if you are his enemy? Or is it to hold onto after these men leave. Material to blackmail them when it suits h
Callahan"I don't think..." the man starts then stops. "Shit!"I follow his gaze to where another vehicle drives erratically toward us from inside the gates. It's a large SUV and I can only make out the shadows of the two in the front seat. The driver honks his horn angrily."Petrov," the one with the clipboard says."Mother fucker," the other one curses.The driver lays on his horn opening his window and flipping us or the guards or the whole lot of us off as he barrels toward us and even over the music, I can hear him laughing."Fucking asshole," clipboard guy says as he jumps backward.I hit the gas and pull through the gates, only managing to miss the SUV by a hair. In the rearview mirror I see it swerve as if to run over the soldiers."Who the fuck is fucking Petrov?" Antonio asks."He's the asshole that got us in," I say once we're far enough away from the gates that I can't see the soldiers stationed there anymore."Two guards at the front door," Antonio says.I park the car wh
Callahan"Any chance we can get eyes on the estate? Gauge what we're walking into," I ask Diamente as we drive toward the location in Eindhoven. I watch the dark sky, the raindrops only a nuisance on the windshield now. Clouds are rolling angrily in the distance, illuminated by still-silent flashes of light.Dante is coordinating more manpower and Antonio is sitting beside me staring out the window, hands fisted."We can't get closer than the public road leading up to the house. They've got their own drones," Diamente says."Of course, they do."I have him on speaker phone but I'm not sure Antonio's listening."From what I've learned about past auctions, they issue, at most, two dozen invitations. In most cases, the buyer himself doesn't attend. They send someone in their place. None of these men want to be in the same room together if they can help it. None of them want to be seen.""Makes sense. How do they know what they're bidding on?""A brochure would have circulated prior to th
Portia“Which one started the crying fest here?" she asks, eyes on the girls.The guard who is responsible for the guilty one, pushes his charge forward.The woman steps toward her, cocks her head to look at her then touches her face, wiping away a tear. "Look what you've done to your face. Your makeup will have to be fixed, The others too."The girl swallows standing suddenly, very straight. I realize why when I see how the woman with the clipboard is holding her chin, nails digging into skin."But there's always one example to be made," the woman says and gestures to the other woman to step forward. “I'm going to give you a choice. Each of you sobbing will have the same choice to make if you're still crying like babies when I'm finished with this one."The one from the kitchen steps forward and raises her hand to show what she's holding. It's a large wooden paddle that I imagine can do real damage.“We'll need to make sure our customers understand there's a reason you're crying. Six