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
Diego "You see," I continue, the edge of my blade grazing her skin. "It takes a real piece of shit to be okay watching his wife get murdered right in front of his eyes. But it seems like you need more...motivation." I step away from her and motion to Leroy. "Bring the children in here," I bark. "Jefe?" His brows knit together in concern. Danny remains silent, but I can also see the worry in his expression. He won't speak on it because he's grateful I didn't kill him for what happened, but it wasn't his fault. I blame myself for not bringing her with me that day. Nathan was watching us, and pounced as soon as he knew she was alone. I know they all fear that I've lost my mind, and maybe I have, but they don't understand. Their families are safely at home, while my sister is in hiding for her protection, and my wife is being held hostage. "Now!" My harsh tone brooks no argument. Leroy exits the room briefly, returning with a small baby cradled in his arms, and Leo following
Vanessa I lay on the ground, numb and hollow, as Nathan takes from me for the third time today. Each assault leaves me too weak to resist. The first time he violated me, I bit his tongue as he forced it into my mouth, but the pain only fueled his aggression, making his next attacks even more brutal. The desire to end my life consumes me. I'm certain that a part of me has already died here, anyway. I feel so used; so contaminated. I keep thinking that just before we rushed back to save Alicia, Diego got rid of my birth control pills. What if Nathan ends up getting me pregnant? It's not like the disgusting creep has used condoms or even attempted to pull out. It's his sick way of marking me. You know, anything to make his mother happy. With his hot, harsh breath in my ear, he empties himself inside of me, his weight pressing down on me for what feels like an eternity until his breathing returns to normal. Please kill me already, I silently plead. All the hope I felt is gone,
VanessaNo. He's lying. Diego wouldn't do that! And then the realization strikes me like a bullet to the heart, stealing the breath from my lungs. That day on our honeymoon when he randomly asked about my mom...when he offered to put Mom's ashes in a bracelet...he must have known. He must have known all along. And he kept it from me. "W-Why would he do that?" I choke out. Nathan shrugs. "Perhaps he didn't want you to be angry that he's the one who prevented you from seeing your mother again. But if you ask me, he doesn't give a damn about you, Princesa." He passes me a photo from his pocket. I immediately recognize the back of Diego's head, and sitting across from him is a man in a suit with short, blonde hair. Glancing back up at Nathan, I furrow my brows in confusion. "Currently, your husband is meeting up with the Russian mafia for a business deal, knowing that his wife has been kidnapped. See, I guess with you out of the way, there's no longer bad blood between them."
Vanessa "What are you waiting for? Ride my big cock!" Nathan demands through clenched teeth. Grimacing, I gesture to the metal cuff around my ankle. "Sorry, it's kind of digging into my ankle. I know we both enjoy pain, but it's a little much," I say with feigned innocence. His eyes narrow, but he shoves me off him, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a key. After freeing my ankle, he orders me to get back on top of him. "You better ride it like you fucking mean it, or I'll take both your ass and pussy so hard, you'll need stitches after I'm done with you." Heeding his threat, I bury my rage beneath a mask of compliance as I bounce on his length, every movement rubbing my insides painfully raw. The lack of arousal is obvious as fuck, and I can feel Nathan's suspicion growing by the second. He's going to tell that I'm faking it. This plan is falling apart. And then I'll miss my opportunity and have to endure this nightmare all over again. Closing my eyes, I imagine Dieg
Diego "Diego, they kidnapped my sister-in-law. Of course I'm going with you," Camila protests. After finally telling her what happened, my sister appears on my doorstep dressed and ready in tactical gear. I don't know where the hell she thinks she's going though because if it's anywhere near Nathan and Celeste, she's got me fucked up. I fix her with a firm glare. "No. It's too dangerous." She glances behind me as my men scurry around the house, preparing to infiltrate Celeste and Nathan's hideout. A large, abandoned warehouse about an hour from here. Apart from Camila, my family are a bunch of slithering snakes, but I'm about to chop off their damn heads and leave them for dead in the dessert. "Good, looks like we're all set. I'll meet you in the car." She pivots on her heels to head to the driveway, but I grab her bicep, stopping her in her tracks. "You're. Not. Going." She returns my glare with equal intensity. "I wasn't asking for your permission," she snaps, tearing
DiegoSkillfully, four figures clad in tactical gear descend from the chopper's open door. Each one lands on the roof of the warehouse with practiced ease, their boots hitting the concrete with muted thuds. Damn. Obviously, Viktor is an ally worth having. Now that he isn't after my wife. Once Viktor is on the roof, a swarm of men emerge from the building with their guns drawn. I watch as Viktor draws his arm back, and hurls something towards them. The object hits the ground with a dull thud before erupting into a blinding explosion, engulfing the assailants in a searing wave of heat and light. Camila flinches into me, and as I hold her, I quickly check to make sure my damn eyebrows haven't been singed off. "Was that a damn grenade?" Danny asks in shock. "For fuck's safe, Viktor, no more grenades! I don't need my men blown up or risk the chance of Vanessa getting hurt!" I bark. Viktor snorts. "You begged for help, you don't get to dictate how I do it." Begged? He fuckin
Vanessa A sharp pang twists in my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs as I stand before my husband with Nathan's gun aimed at his head. He looks so worn out, so unlike the put-together man in a suit that I'm used to, like my absence has completely disrupted his life. But I won't be foolish enough to think that. Nathan showed me proof that Diego is perfectly fine without me. But why did he come? Did he regret his decision to let Nathan have me? I almost want to run into his arms and ask him to make it all better, but nothing will ever be the same between us. No matter what he says. I will never be the same. "Mama, it's me," Diego says softly, taking a cautious step forward. "Stay back!" My voice quivers, but I keep the gun steadily trained on him. He freezes instantly, scrutinizing me from head to toe. His gaze darkens as he observes every bruise and cut marring my skin. But what he doesn't see are the wounds on the inside, the ones that will never heal. After what I
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?"