Salvador Silver Mendoza.
“Catali, did you not hear me?” I grind my cigarette into the silver tray.
I stare at her and before she answers, I think about that one question that’s been plaguing me: how can innocence and siren exist on the same face? And might I add that her voice is the most haunting thing I have ever heard… she sounds so soft, it is devastating for a man as hard as me.
Yesterday was a lot, but her beauty remained consistent regardless of the fact that she was in tears. How do I put this? She has the face of a doe, but her lips set her apart. Her aquiline nose is patterned to be a man’s fall, and the sight I got of her breasts after I mistakenly ripped her cloth was…
How do I say I’ve never seen skin like that? Like butter, whipped to white and fluffy. Even now, it has a contrast of shine to it—one that can be only attributed by a living sun, though there’s none here. I can only wonder what her nipples look like; would they be the shade of her lips?
Today, she is not in her woeful wedding gown. Instead, she wears a dress that represents a small prestige of our family. It is supposed to look cordial, but because of the person in it, it is far from it. It exposes the tiny size of her waist. Therefore, a man can only imagine what it would feel like in the asunder of my hands…like I could enclose it if I wanted.
Lucas, her so-called fiancé, arrived as early as the sun broke the sky—whether out of fear or because he spent the night wondering what I was doing to his bride. I may be ill-tempered, but not enough to overpower a woman. Not enough to hurt her more than I already have. I arrested her on her wedding day, dragged her here, and now I’m keeping her. I feel so bad for the poor dove.
Her eyes are hard on the gun on the table and I see wheels turn in her head. I tap my glass, reminding her to fill it. Like a good girl, she walks towards me until the fabric of her dress brushes against my chair, and she begins to fill my cup. I watch. That’s what I want to do this morning—watch the emotional bridge between her and Lucas.
For them to have reached the wedding aisle, it means they love each other to the chest. So, let me destroy that.
“Now, sit.” I say, and she faces me. Her eyes are a pallor of paleness, and she looks at Lucas first before looking back at me.
“I didn’t say you should look at my dog. I said you should sit on your husband’s lap.” I hiss.
Whether she likes it or not, my named is signed on that marriage certificate. I’m doing this because I hope Lucas will talk—hoping he’ll say, Stop. Don’t touch my woman. But he’s a coward. He just bobs his head like a fool.
Catali hesitates, but she knows she has to comply because her lover won’t fight for her.
She leaves the jug behind, doesn’t meet my eyes, and carefully perches on my legs—careful not to get too close to anything sensitive.
Yet my legs are sensitive enough to tell me plenty—that she has a soft ass, it is corpulent and bigger than average—a thing I shouldn’t know. It is the kind that would pulse if a pat came on it. On the nape of her neck is a scent called cashmere, warm vanilla, hidden by the black tendrils of her hair that drape over the swerve of her waist. She is a flawless weight on my lap.
“Lift your head, Lucas.” I say, and he does it. He looks straight at her, then at me. Bruno walks into the dining area. He knows what I’m doing, so he’s chuckling. We call it disengagement—the part where we show our enemies, and those who’ve wronged us, the control we have.
“Don’t we look perfect?” I ask and he nods.
“Use your mouth, dog,” Bruno incites.
“Yes, Salvador! You both look perfect.” He speaks in defeat and I hear the poor dove on my thigh gasp.
He cannot even fight for her?
“So, where is my diamond?” I reach for my cigarette again, and to reach at such length, my chest brushes against her back.
“I swear… we didn’t steal a diamond!” Lucas and his brothers collapse to their knees to plead. One of them is weeping so furiously you’d think I’d pointed a gun at his head.
“Do you believe them?” I ask. But I’m not talking to Lucas—I’m talking to Catali.
“Catali…”
She gasps again when she realizes I’m addressing her. And now that she knows, why is she hesitating to answer? Maybe it’s because if Lucas really did steal a ring and used it to propose. Therefore, she doesn’t even know what to believe anymore.
"Your ex-bride doesn’t even believe you." I say with a cold laugh before nodding to Bruno. He knows what to do—he knows to take the dogs out. They’ll work off their debt by packing shipments at my warehouse. Usually, I pay my boys for tasks like this. Today, these bastards will pay for the bills that keeps my grandmother alive.
It’s taking all my restraint not to put a bullet in their heads. My palms are itching to do it. But the diamond—its significance—needs to be uncovered first. As Bruno drags them away, Catali rises to her feet, watching. Then she turns back to me.
“What are you going to do to them?”
“What does it matter? You can’t stop it.” I lie, pretending I have worse intentions than I do. This young girl actually buys it—she clutching her chest as if the answer I need is hidden there.
Does she know how beautiful she looks in every reaction? There’s nothing she could do to ruin that face. What a curse. What a gift.
“You can’t—”
“I can’t?” I blow smoke from my mouth before she can finish.
She swallows her former sentence. “Can you not find it in your heart—”
“I don’t have a heart, Catali. But I do have a cock, so perhaps I’ll find it there.” I say and my words scorch her face. Red as a tomato. Has she never heard such crude talk before?
“Such language!” she snaps.
Ah, now it gets interesting. I smile.
“Oh, you prefer men who aren’t foul? Yet you were about to marry a thief—and an attempted murderer.”
I stand slowly and the tears I see in her eyes feels like some kind of reward.
She chokes out a rough sob. “You don’t even know me. Or what I stand for…”
“And yet here we are. I don’t care who you are, Catali but being with a man like Lucas must mean you’re not so different. You cloak yourself in this illusion of grace, but I see through it. You’re a bloody siren, and I’m going to rip your cover away."
“That’s enough!” she dares to yell.
“Yell at me one more time, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!” I seethe.
My voice isn’t loud when I say this, but it thrums on a rarely used rasp, found in my vocals. Therefore, they are venomous. She jumps in fight and dares to lie.
“I’m not afraid of you…” she whispers.
“Then take your revenge.” I gesture to the gun on the table. “Pick it up. Shoot me. You’ll gain your freedom. But if you fail, you’ll stay here until I decide you can leave.” I whisper back, so close that I see when her neck turns red. After a good five minutes, her gaze shifts to the gun, and her fingers begin to reach for it—she is unsteady, slow, unsure, and I wait and wait.
When the gun finally rests in her shaking grip, she takes forever to point it—therefore my patience is done and dusted. I snap it from her fingers, unbeknownst of the force of my arm against a small statured dove. She is thrown off balance but my instincts are not.
Unfortunately, she is falling so fast in her fear. So, the last thing I can do before she hits the ground is cradle the back of her head with my hand. We fall together and it leaves me hovering above her.
At once, she wants me away from her, and the first thing she does is raise her knee—but guess what she ends up raising? My fuckin’ cock!
Catalina Maria.I am pale.What is that heavy feeling on my knee? By the tense clench of his jaw, I know it’s exactly what I fear—it’s not his leg, it is not something thick in his pocket. But the way it shifts, soft at first, then hard against my knee, tells me the truth.It’s his manhood.I squeal in embarrassment and fear. I try to get away, but my movement yanks at my scalp. My breath stutters when I realize my hair is tangled around his necklace."Stay. Fucking. Put." he growls.There is pure terror in my spine so I cannot listen, not when he’s so close—too close—his mouth is just inches from my skin, his body is a wall of scary, tattooed muscle before me. I have to move. I don’t care if my hair ends up being chopped in half. I have a head full of hair, it will grow again.Forbiddingly, in an attempt to find space, my knee just had to center around him again! Salvador grunts, so startled by it that he ends up falling in between my legs. I gasp against his lips.My mouth is still
Salvador Silver Mendoza.Catalina.Her name is silk and innocence. I swear, she’s like a veil between good and good. She has a face so pure, so soft, so lithe, and drenched in grace that a man like me cannot help but be curious. When I think of her, it circles back to a dove—every bit of her. That voice she uses to speak, so soft… but imagine it in a moan?I heard her moan. And it struck me like lightning.There’s a ruckus outside, but I pretend it doesn’t concern me.I have work, like every other day—cash books, ledgers, cash flows of each of my businesses. I know no man would dare steal from me, but I still make sure my eyes stay hooked. A pen rests between my teeth, but my groin knows something else entirely.How long has it been since I’ve manned a woman?I can’t even remember. A year? Two? What the hell—I didn’t think it had been that long. I’ve been too caught up in my business. My mining empire, the Silver Dimes, pulls in thousands of diamonds, resold across the globe. It’s not
Catalina Maria.I step back as multiple plates are thrown into the sink. Foamy, soapy water splashes against my face as they dump them in carelessly. The whole basin is full, and someone shoves a pair of gloves into my hands. In the blurry view of my tear-filled eyes, I see numerous housekeepers in the space—like a hive of bees, they are all whispering about me.Louder footsteps storm into the vast kitchen and a strong hand yanks me around to face Madam Louise, the insane head of housekeeping.“You see,” she says. “I told you—you’re a wench, and a wench belongs in the kitchen.”I quickly wipe my cheeks.“All of you, pay attention!”Louise yells and the whispering stops.“I know many of you have been spreading rumors—saying Sir finally married a woman. But let this be a lesson to you all. She is not Mrs. Mendoza. She is collateral. And now, she is part of the housekeeping staff. She will wash dishes as the rest of you do. She will scrub floors until they shine. If only you had been a
Salvador Silver Mendoza.I fill my glass with whiskey as my brothers file in, one by one, like they’re lining up for confession. Anytime they walk in like this, it is two things—they want something and second, they want something.Diego drops into a chair. Nathan stands. Patrick is missing, but not for long. A few seconds go and he walks in, pulling off his cap like he’s about to deliver a eulogy.“You’re married!?”Ah. So he finally heard.“Again, you’re married?!” He throws his arms out.“And have you seen her? She’s beautiful too…” Diego chimes in.I roll my eyes and swirl the whiskey in my glass.“Salvador, you don’t do rational things…” Nathan starts. “You set out to beat that fucking bastard, and you came back with his bride. Now Mom’s turned her into a damn housekeeper—”“She broke an expensive vase. You know how Mother gets about those flimsy things.” I reach for a cigarette, then a lighter—where the hell is my fucking lighter?Nathan tosses one to me. I catch it midair, flick
Catalina Maria.As soon as he leaves, I look around the room. From left to right, the bed is as wide as an ocean, enough for at least six people. When Salvador was on me, it felt like the weight of a thousand men, but it was not suffocating. It was scary…until he kissed me. Not until I felt that though he is a man of cold exteriors, his lips were nothing but soft. His tongue was hot and it felt like pillows in my mouth.This isn’t the first time I’ve been kissed. So, why did I go numb? Or should I be asking, why did Salvador kiss me? To teach me a lesson? For someone so rough and wicked, he kissed me like a husband would kiss his wife.And that is the problem.He is not my husband. I am not his wife. He has made it clear that I am his collateral. Therefore, he is not supposed to kiss me like that.I touch my lips because I can still feel him. How do I explain it? He tastes of rain, of mint, of siege, all at once. Even now, my lips are still trembling. And worse, when he threatened to
Salvador Silver Mendoza.I’m on my second tequila, and the night hasn’t even bled open yet.Tonight was supposed to be about work. I had plans. Things to handle. But with the wreckage life insists on throwing at me, I’ve got no choice but to sit through my mother’s tea party, put on a show, and silence the vultures.My shirt is the color of midnight—black enough to swallow the light, dark enough to keep my sins hidden. Mother walks beside me into one of our infamous receiving room and complaint rolls off her tongue.“The guests are already asking about Catalina—left and right, it’s like they think she’s some celebrity or something.”The receiving room is filled with Diego’s usual company—men with too much liquor in their veins and too little sense in their heads. They are men I tolerate at best. Diego, sprawled in an armchair with a girl on his lap, hand wandering up her thigh, notices our mother and immediately shoves her off. Too late. Mama Doza’s eyes have already seen it.“Is this
Catalina Maria. I swallow for my throat has become dry. Words fail me as I stare at the obvious bulge in his pants. It is a large pointed bulge that strains against the fabric of his pants. I must be seeing things. It is obviously heavy and pronounced in a way that makes my pulse stutter and my body lock up. A stroke of need so visible it’s almost unbearable to look at before he hastily drops his shirt over it.Is that why he turned away from me?When he pulled me against him earlier, I felt something pressing into my stomach, but I had assumed it was his belt. Yet now, with my own eyes, there’s no mistaking it.“Just leave!” he rasps.I glance at the door, torn between obeying and staying. I should go. I should pretend I saw nothing, walk out of this room, and let him deal with… whatever this is.But he’s suffering.As a student studying clinical pharmacy, my mind immediately jumps to conclusions. Either he took something—like an aphrodisiac—or I don’t know. Either he took an aphrod
Salvador Silver Mendoza. She left me to suffer.Why wouldn’t she? No young woman in her right mind would have stayed, especially after coming face to face with the stroke of my rigidity. Now, in the dim morning light, she sleeps—curled up on the couch in my pristine space, completely oblivious to the way I stand over her. She doesn’t know that I see the slow rise and fall of her breath, the way her body curls inward, as if she’s subconsciously protecting herself even in sleep.Last night was a torment. I was soaked in veins. Yet, because I am a man of discipline. I did not seek release on my own. I never have. A man should find it in a woman, not in his own hands. It may seem ironic, given the violence I am capable of, but there are lines I refuse to cross, boundaries I will never break. This is one of them. My body is sheen with water for I just left the bathroom. A towel is in my hand and as if she senses that someone is looking over her, Catali parts her eyes open. The first thin
Catalina Maria.I still can’t believe it.When Salvador mentioned liking the kiss, I almost thought I misheard him. That means the first time he kissed me on this bed, it wasn’t out of intimidation. It wasn’t to punish me. He wanted to. Is he attracted to me? I could be delusional, but I had to test it.Going to him, standing on my toes—is something I would never do. Not in any situation. I never make the first move, not even when I was dating Lucas. But in that moment, I knew this was my only way out. It was my only chance at testing if this monster of a man bears an attraction to me.It took everything in me to gather the confidence to walk up to him to his sharp, arrogant face. And when I barely brushed his lips for a second, he took charge. That’s when I got scared. That’s why I pulled away. The first time. The second. Even the third. But I can’t forget the way his hand rested on my lower back, the way his fingers pressed into my waist before trailing lower to my bum.I feel like
Salvador Mendoza.How do I tell her I want to kiss those pouty lips? That’s not even the question she asked. She wants my trust. My trust. After she tried to run or take some little college test—whichever story is the truth.I have no reason to give her anything but yet here she is, standing in my space with that beautiful face and my favorite food. Something about that combination has me sitting here, actually having a conversation with her, without threats or reminders of who holds the power. Me.She burns under my gaze when I don’t reply. I see it in the way her fingers twitch, like she needs something to hold onto, some kind of leverage against the weight of my silence.“Um—”“You want my trust.” I push off the table, folding my arms as I break the silence. She nods.“Then come here.”I know she’s afraid—of me, of my tattoos, of everything I’ve done. I’ve seen her eyes trace the ink on my skin too many times. Slowly, she steps forward. One. Two. She stops. I flick my fingers, beck
Catalina Maria.I didn’t wait for him to wake up this morning. The moment I could, I slipped out of his room like a shadow. After last night, there’s no denying it anymore—Salvador is every bit the monster people say he is, and maybe worse. I’ve made myself a silent promise: I won’t defy him again if I can help it.But at least... at least I got to write my test. Small victories, I guess.Still, guilt weighs heavy on me. Diego is the only one who’s treated me like a person in this house. Not a prisoner or a servant. I should’ve told him where I was going. I owe him an apology. I know he must be upset with me, maybe even disappointed.So here I am, scrubbing dishes, folding laundry until my arms are sore, cleaning the vases one by one, letting the hum of work drown out the memory of Salvador’s threat. The image of my family home burning… I can’t shake it. Anything, I’d do anything to not think about it.“There you are…” Rosa startles g me as I tend to flowers. “I’m sure everyone’s bee
Salvador Silver Mendoza.From the color in her eyes, I know exactly what I am—the nightmare she can’t afford to provoke, yet here she is, doing just that.I scan the room and take my time. The grey-bearded man must be her father. The sour-faced woman clinging to him must be his wife. Then there’s Lucas and his pathetic brother, hovering like flies over rotten fruit. Did they gather here to plot an escape? Perhaps with my diamond in tow?No one speaks. No one dares. Not when their throats has clenched shut against better will.“Salvador, I—” Catalina tries, but I turn my gaze on her, and the words wither on her tongue.“Go outside.” I say.“My daughter is not going with you! I’m calling the cops.” Her father steps up like a dog with no teeth.Bruno chuckles behind me, amused at the man’s bravery—or stupidity.“Your daughter is my wife…” I say, as if explaining the obvious to a child. His mind must be rusted over if he can’t remember.As I study him—and the trembling woman by his side—I
Catalina Maria. “Goodness, I have a physical test in twenty minutes!” I turn around to face Diego. “I’m going to miss it. It’s a biochemistry test, and I’m going to fail.”I drop the computer mouse from my hand in despair and before I know it, tears are stinging the corners of my eyes.“No, you’re not. Come on.”I look at Diego in confusion as he rummages through his desk.“What are you—”“I’m taking you to the university. University of Malcolm City, right?”My lips part in shock. “Yes… Are you sure? Your brother—won’t he—”“I don’t know what Salvador will do if he realizes I took you but we don’t have time to wonder. So, come on. Unless you’re ready to miss the test and say goodbye to it forever.”He is already moving toward the door, and for a second, I hesitate. But then, the weight of the test—of everything I’ve worked for sets in so I am pushed into motion.I jump up from my chair and rip off my apron. I chase after him through the Mendoza estate’s massive halls. The farther we
Salvador Silver Mendoza. “Why the hell can’t I find Diego in this whole damn house!?” is the question I raise when Sabrina walks in, carrying a few ledgers—the job I pay her to do. Sabrina is…I’ve never quite known what box to put her in. She isn’t a friend, not quite an employee in the traditional sense, and the fact that we had sex once complicates things further. I was drunk. That’s the only excuse I have. I don’t even remember the details, just waking up to her naked beside me with red hair spread over my pillow like flames. And the first word out of my mouth was fuck. That was three years ago. Sabrina’s been working for me for six. Her father was my father’s accountant, so we’ve known each other since we were teenagers. My old man had strict rules—no personal relationships with anyone working for us. Not that it mattered for I was never interested. But Sabrina? She had a crush on me and it was obvious to everyone. I’ve never gone for women below my age. I’ve always preferred
Catalina Maria."I didn’t mean to break it—""It’s like you don’t mean to do anything, yet you somehow do everything!" he yells.His voice is serpent, but I barely hear it over the sting in my finger. It’s only then that I realize that he's still holding my hand.I try to pull away, but before I can, he tugs me out of the hallway. Salvador’s legs are much longer than mine as I am forced to follow. We reach the kitchen in seconds. He doesn’t say anything, just turns on the tap and pushes my hand under the cool stream of water.I squirm when the water stings my finger. I end up leaning back—straight into him. His body is a wall of heat behind me and with his big arm, he reaches forward and turns off the tap.I retrieve my hand from his calloused ones and cradle it against my chest. When he moves away, I can finally exhale. My heart is still racing from the suddenness of it all. I have broken another thing in his home and I am sure that costs a fortune too.“Bring your finger.” he orders
Salvador Silver Mendoza. She left me to suffer.Why wouldn’t she? No young woman in her right mind would have stayed, especially after coming face to face with the stroke of my rigidity. Now, in the dim morning light, she sleeps—curled up on the couch in my pristine space, completely oblivious to the way I stand over her. She doesn’t know that I see the slow rise and fall of her breath, the way her body curls inward, as if she’s subconsciously protecting herself even in sleep.Last night was a torment. I was soaked in veins. Yet, because I am a man of discipline. I did not seek release on my own. I never have. A man should find it in a woman, not in his own hands. It may seem ironic, given the violence I am capable of, but there are lines I refuse to cross, boundaries I will never break. This is one of them. My body is sheen with water for I just left the bathroom. A towel is in my hand and as if she senses that someone is looking over her, Catali parts her eyes open. The first thin
Catalina Maria. I swallow for my throat has become dry. Words fail me as I stare at the obvious bulge in his pants. It is a large pointed bulge that strains against the fabric of his pants. I must be seeing things. It is obviously heavy and pronounced in a way that makes my pulse stutter and my body lock up. A stroke of need so visible it’s almost unbearable to look at before he hastily drops his shirt over it.Is that why he turned away from me?When he pulled me against him earlier, I felt something pressing into my stomach, but I had assumed it was his belt. Yet now, with my own eyes, there’s no mistaking it.“Just leave!” he rasps.I glance at the door, torn between obeying and staying. I should go. I should pretend I saw nothing, walk out of this room, and let him deal with… whatever this is.But he’s suffering.As a student studying clinical pharmacy, my mind immediately jumps to conclusions. Either he took something—like an aphrodisiac—or I don’t know. Either he took an aphrod