Vanessa "Camila! Danny!" I scream, my voice barely audible over the chaos. Danny's the first to reach me, pulling me to my feet. His face was pale, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. "Are you okay?" he demands, his hands gripping my shoulders. "My head hurts, but I'm okay I think," I reply, trembling from the shock. We both turn to see Camila stumbling to her feet, looking dazed but otherwise unharmed. Danny rushes to her side, helping her up and checking her for injuries. "Are you okay, Camila?" he asks, his tone urgent. "Yeah, what the fuck just happened?" she shouts, her voice shaking with fear. "We need to get you both back to the SUV, now," Danny commands, his tone brooking no argument. As we step towards the vehicle, gunfire erupts, and Danny grunts, clutching his bleeding shoulder. "Fuck, come on," he hisses through gritted teeth. He grabs both of us by our arms and guides us behind another jet. Grabbing his gun from the holster, he orders us to st
VanessaDressed in all black, Diego and I stand side by side, silently watching the expensive coffin lower into the freshly dug grave. The sight is somber, but the weight of the occasion presses harder on my chest than the physical cold of the day. Diego had assured me that I wasn't required to attend this funeral, just like the four others. It's only been a week since Danny's entire team was murdered, and I feel compelled to pay my respects to each of them. These men sacrificed their lives to protect me. The least I can do is say goodbye to them.I've never spoken to Julio personally, but the sight of his wife and two little children crying over his grave breaks my heart. The raw grief on their faces is a reminder that I'm still alive while a husband and father is gone forever. He's another name added to the long list of those I feel responsible for letting down. After offering my condolences to Julio's family, Diego and I make our way to the hospital. In the town car, Diego sits b
Vanessa"Your mamá called looking for you. What do you want me to tell her?" Diego interrupts, pulling me into his lap in the chair beside Camila's sleeping form. His mom? I've never heard Danny mention her before. I wasn't even aware he had family, since they haven't visited him. Danny's response catches me off guard. "Don't tell her shit. She'll have a heart attack.""Wait, you're not going to tell your mom you technically died and you're in the hospital?" I ask incredulously. "Nah, she actually might come try to kill Jefe, and I doubt she wants to mess with you. I realize you're kinda loco, Nessa.""Me?" I point to myself. "Yes, or did you forget that you took down what had to be like ten men by yourself?""Oh, I guess that's true," I muse. "But that was only out of desperation. I don't think I could do something like that if our lives didn't depend on it.""I believe you could," Diego purrs in my ear. I shudder at the compliment, making him laugh. "Why would she come after hi
Diego "Are you sure about this, Mama?" I ask, zipping up the back of her leather jumpsuit, my fingers lingering longer than necessary. She looks so fucking sexy in this. The smooth, black material hugs her curves, and knowing she's about to kill my stepmother makes it nearly impossible to fight a hard-on. Her grey eyes gaze back at me through the mirror. "You already said I could," she points out, her voice steady and unwavering. "I know, just wanted to make sure." When she turns around, I study her face for any flicker of uncertainty. Instead, I find only determination. I should feel fucking ecstatic that she's going to kill my biggest traitor and the bitch that made my childhood hell, but worry gnaws at me. I fear this might bring Vanessa more nightmares, or worse, trap her in her own head again. But I also have so much faith in her. Danny couldn't protect her while he was dying. I got the report from my men: twelve men were taken out, most of them by her alone. My feisty mama.
Diego Vanessa turns to me, hurt and betrayal clouding her eyes. "Diego, you knew about this?" Shit."Yes," I reply without hesitation. I've known since Alicia was first abducted, but I didn't want her to harbor ill feelings toward her sister. Not while she's still mourning her. "See? As the collar around your neck implies, you are nothing but a pet to him. A piece of ass like your mother."Vanessa's head snaps back to her, and in an instant, she holds the blade to Celeste's throat. "I'd shut your fucking mouth if I were you," she hisses. I can tell it's exactly what Celeste wants. If Vanessa gets angry enough to just slit her throat, she won't have to endure torture anymore. Vanessa must see through it too. She lowers the knife, shaking her head. "I won't let you go out the easy way. It isn't fair to everyone you've hurt," she says quietly. "Vete a la mierda (fuck you)," Celeste spits.As soon as the words are out of her mouth, Vanessa drives the knife into her bound hand. Celes
Vanessa After washing the remnants of Celeste's blood from my skin, Diego lifts me into his arms and carries me to bed. He gently lays down beside me, his warmth seeping into my body as I rest against his bare chest. "We don't have to talk about what happened tonight," Diego's voice is a low murmur as his fingers trace soothing patterns along my spine. "But how are you feeling?" I take a moment, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath me. "Good. How are you feeling?" I tilt my head to meet his gaze, seeking reassurance. The gravity of what I've just done hangs between us—killing his stepmother and revealing that I thought I was pregnant with his brother's baby. I didn't mean for it to come out like that, but Celeste needed to know just how much she had lost before I took her life. It felt so fucking good. Better than I anticipated, to end her life with my own hands, to see the light leave her eyes as I stole it away. The power and retribution was exhilaratin
Vanessa This was a mistake. I thought I could do this, but how could I have been so wrong? "Eyes on me, mama," Diego growls, his voice low and commanding, yet laced with tenderness. "You're here with me. No one else. It's just us. Focus on the way I feel inside of you." I want to believe him, but my voice trembles as I whisper "I-I can't-" My eyes clamp shut, as if doing so could block out fear crashing over me in relentless waves, threatening to pull me under. What was I thinking? Of course, I can't do this. I shouldn't have even tried. Now, I'm disappointing both my husband and myself. Diego's voice slices through my thoughts like a knife. "You can do anything you put your mind to, mi amor. Focus on me. Ride me and take your pleasure. I know you can do it." His words are an anchor, pulling me from the abyss. I take a deep breath, my hands bracing against his chest as I start to move again, each roll of my hips a defiance against the darkness trying to reclaim me.
DiegoBANG! BANG! BANG!Bullets fly from my gun, ricocheting through the chest of the bastard who betrayed me. "What a fucking waste," I sigh, watching blood pool onto the floor. I shove the gun back into my waistband holster, inhaling the addictive scent of gun powder and revenge.Turning to my second-in-command, Leonardo stands near the door, gazing down at the body with a stoic expression. "Leo, get somebody to clean this up!" I bark.With a curt nod, he's on the phone with the "cleaning" crew. They'll have this piece of shit in a body bag within the hour, ensuring there's no trace of him left behind.I storm back into the club, where loud music fills the building, drowning out the sounds of sex. I head straight to the bar and order a shot of tequila. Axel places it in front of me, worry etched on his countenance. "Is it done, Jefe (Boss)?" he asks, his voice tight with emotion.This has deeply affected each of my men, whether they admit it or not. We're supposed to be a familia,