Diego "No!" Vanessa stands abruptly, gripping my arm. I turn to face her, noticing the intensity in her grey eyes. "You have to save her. She can't die because of me," she pleads, her voice laced with desperation for her snake of a sister. I almost scoff, but I hold the sound in. If she dies, it would only be due to her own stupidity. Shit isn't adding up. Viktor didn't want her due to her age, so why would he kidnap her now? I've been dealing with his bullshit for ten years. He wouldn't start a war like this. That means someone else took her and one of my men. And I have an idea who it is. "Load up the car. We have work to do," I command. The soldiers follow Leroy out of the room. Sal finishes the liquor in his glass, sets it down on the end table, then rises from his seat slowly. "I'll join you. Wouldn't want you doing anything foolish," he remarks with a chuckle. "Leo's right, she has you wrapped around her little pinky." With that, he follows Leroy out the front door.
Vanessa After Diego leaves, leaving me to be babysat by Danny and two other men, I storm off to my room. I'm pissed the fuck off. Not exactly at him, but at the entire situation. My sister could be getting tortured right now, and though I didn't know Luis well, I knew he spent the most time with my sister. Maybe he actually cared for her, and now they're on the verge of dying together. I can't lose my sister. She's the only family I have. Diego rescued us from that house together, and it's only fair we both live happy, fulfilled lives. If Viktor kidnapped her because he couldn't have me, how can I possibly sit here and wait for Diego to return? I have to do something. But what? I gnaw on my bottom lip, pacing back and forth as my mind races with possibilities. Hours seem to pass before the door swings open and Danny leans against the doorframe. "Are you going to eat?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "Diego said you haven't eaten since yesterday morning." I fight back a smile.
Vanessa "No. Danny promised Diego he wouldn't leave my side until he returns. Do you want to get him killed?" I retort, glaring at them. They glance at each other before the one trying to order me around grudgingly relents, "fine. Don't try any funny shit and stay where we can see you." Okay, asshole. But I nod obediently. "Of course. I just want to make sure Danny is okay," I reply with feigned sadness. As they carry Danny to the car, I trail behind, managing to keep the fake tears flowing. Once we're away from the estate, heading to where I assume the hospital is, I begin to wonder how I'm going to get to the location the man texted me. I still have forty minutes left, but I have no idea about the distance between the hospital and where I need to go. I can't drive, and with no phone service, I can't call an Uber or anything. There's only one other option I can think of. I just hope it works. Once we arrive at the hospital, one of the men take Danny inside, who stirs in
Diego "I'll ask once more...where the fuck is Celeste Reyes?" I snarl, my voice dripping with menace. After hours of torture, the poor bastard still hasn't cracked, but I won't stop until I get the information I need out of him. And then I'll still slit his throat for wasting my time when I could be home with my wife right now. "Para! Para! (Stop! Stop!)" He screams, tears streaming down his wrinkled face. We're in the middle of my stepmother's living room. I expected to find her when I arrived, but instead, I found him scrubbing blood from the floor. He claims he doesn't know where it came from, he was just ordered to clean it, but I know the fucker is lying. Celeste must be paying him a lot because we could've been done with this a while ago. But oh well. Despite Leo and Sal's assistance, we're not getting anywhere. At this rate, Luis and Alicia will be killed before we can find out where Nathan is keeping them. And Celeste knows where he's hiding. Finding her means
Diego I wipe my face clean, and order one of my men to drag his body outside and toss it in the desert somewhere where the animals can have a nice meal. Amongst this, I come to the stark realization that whether or not Vanessa betrayed me, she's fucking mine. And I won't let her get away so easily. She can run and she can hide, but I'll find her, even if I have to drag her back kicking and screaming. It's not like it's the first time. She has my ring on her finger, my collar around her neck...she'll always belong to me. Growing impatient with Nico taking too fucking long to call back, I decide to take matters into my own hands. "Leo, get Brian on the phone, now!" "This is her last known location. the phone is still there," Brian says, pointing to the computer where a dot flickers continuously on the screen. I should've put a tracking device in her. Why the fuck didn't I? I lean in closer. "This building looks abandoned. What was it before?" Sal glances over our sho
Vanessa I grit my teeth as Celeste presses another lit cigar against my skin. Despite blacking out from the pain in our earlier torture session, she merely splashed water on my face and resumed her merciless work. I'm starving and naked except for my collar, only because Celeste and Nathan couldn't get it off. I'm grateful for that, it's as if Diego is with me right now. My body is beaten, with cuts and burns everywhere. Let's just say my will to live has dramatically decreased in the last twenty-four hours. But I made a promise to Diego—that I wouldn't give up, that I'd do whatever it takes to get back to him. That's if they don't end up killing us both. Celeste casually places the cigar back between her lips, igniting it with a flick of her lighter. Clad in a cozy sweater and cardigan that somehow doesn't have a single drop of blood on them, she looks like a gentle, old woman, but she is anything but. Diego tried to warn me about her cruelty, but I had no idea she was this
Vanessa "She's so gorgeous, I didn't know you had a thing for chocolate. And those eyes," Nathan groans, making me gag. "Fuck. I can't wait to paint her skin with my cum." Diego, please don't watch this! I silently plead. With Diego on my mind, I manage to rip my face out of Nathan's grip. "Why don't you go fuck your mother and leave me alone, you sick fuck!" I spit out. He simply chuckles. "She's mouthy, I like her even more now. Diego, after you're dead, I might just keep this one for myself. The other one cries too much for my liking." Alicia. Emotion wells up in my throat. Have they been torturing her too? They haven't let me see her in person, but Nathan showed me a five second video of her sobbing in a room similar to this one. She looked unharmed, but who knows how long ago that was taken and what condition she's in now. Nathan rubs the head of his cock against my cheek, and I nearly vomit. "With this collar on your neck, I see he treated you like a little pampere
Diego I glare at Denis with disdain as I slowly stir my coffee with his detached finger. Sanitized, of course. With Brian's advanced technology, we were able to locate the van using the street cameras. We suspect it was either two or three men who abducted Vanessa but were only able to obtain clear footage of the driver's face. It took longer than I wanted it to, but we tracked the motherfucker down, and now at 2am, we're in his bedroom. He's securely tied to a chair while his two children are occupied in another room with Leo. I only brought Leo, Danny, and Leroy for this. The fewer men, the better since the house is located in the suburbs with other houses surrounding it. When I demanded his wife to bring me a cup of coffee, she begged me to spare her husband, but he didn't show my wife any mercy. Why the fuck should I? After, I sawed his fingers off right in front of her, her hysterical sobbing escalated into screams. Danny taped her mouth closed, so I wouldn't kill her
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.
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
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
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.
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
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 "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
Vanessa "I want you home now," my husband's voice crackles through the speaker, filled with anger and concern. "I told you, I'm safe. Besides, it's pouring buckets outside. I don't feel safe flying home in this storm," I insist, trying to keep my voice calm despite the nerves knotting in my stomach. It feels like we spoke the bad storm into existence last night. After leaving the doctor's house, we barely made it back to the hotel before the downpour, lightning, and thunder hit. Even Camila's fashion show was canceled and postponed to next weekend. Diego's frustration seeps through the phone. "I refuse to lose you again, Mama. The second this storm lets up, Danny will have you on a jet back here." "You know what, I'm going to come get you and my sister right now," he grits out, his voice lowering to a dangerous growl. "Diego, stop. You know Danny wouldn't allow anything to happen to us. You trust him, right?" I try to reassure him, though I know he won't calm down unt
Vanessa "Where's Diego?" I grit out, rage boiling in my veins. "I want to speak with him." "Busy at the moment, but he said he'll call once we're back on the jet." Which means he's likely torturing her. "Well, like Camila said, it's nearly midnight. We can leave tomorrow," I argue, defiance lacing in my tone. Danny fixes me with a pointed look. "Do you really want to argue with him about that?" I have to. Time is slipping away. I'm more afraid of continuing this pregnancy than I am of Celeste and whatever sinister plans she's concocted. I tap my right arm where the microchip is embedded. "I have a tracking device in my arm and more security than the goddamn president. I'll be fine. Just tell him we'll leave tomorrow, and you'll be sure to keep us extra safe." He scowls, clearly torn. "I'm not promising him that." "I know you heard what I said, that I have something important to take care of here tomorrow. Can you please come up with an excuse to buy me more time?"