Love and war, p.110
Love and War, page 110
He pinches my clit and I yelp. “Say it.”
“I don’t play games unless I know I can win.”
His black eyebrow quirks up in amusement. “It’s a good thing we’re about to be on the same team then, huh? Because I always win.”
I should feel threatened by this man but I’m not. Instead, I’m calculating a future. A future where I continue with my father’s legacy and nobody fucks with me ever again. With Diego, I can make this happen. He’s a necessary move on the game board.
And if he tries to fuck with me?
I’ll end him.
I don’t know how, but I will end him.
“Say yes,” he implores. His mouth finds mine and he kisses me, like a lover would. When he’s touching and kissing me, it’s easy to forget who we are and simply give in to the sensations. I could almost close my eyes and pretend we’re something we aren’t. That this is more than a business transaction. “Say it.” He sucks on my bottom lip before popping off and staring at me with those beautiful pale brown eyes of his.
“Yes.” I grit out the word and attempt to glare at him. My anger melts away when his mouth presses back against mine. The woman inside of me who is desperate for love and touch and intimacy falls victim to this expert-level game he’s playing. She’s down to spread her legs and hopes for the best.
The wounded soul within, though, is weary and suspicious.
“Vienna,” he utters and gives me a serious stare. “I can kill a man without breaking a sweat. But women…”
I bite on my lip waiting for him to continue. His gaze falls to my mouth and he gives a slight shake to his head.
“That,” he says as he runs his thumb along my lip and tugs it loose. “That is what has me making stupid decisions. You make me weak. You think I’m going to pull some bullshit to trick you, but you have no idea how vulnerable you make me.”
My suspicion fades some and I give him a genuine smile. “I guess we’re even then. Villains are my weakness.”
* * *
Marriage.
A business arrangement.
A new last name and the key to a fortune.
My future.
“Dinner is ready. Diego is waiting,” Tatiana says from my doorway.
“I’ll be right down,” I assure her with a smile. She gives me a lingering, sad look before leaving.
I smooth out my long red locks with a shaky hand. Ever since he left me needy and wanting earlier today, I’ve had a hard time getting a handle on my emotions. At some points, I feel confident in my choice to marry a cartel king. It was always my plan for as long as I can remember. Just with a different cartel king.
Thoughts of Oscar fill my head. My heart still aches. Over and over throughout my life, he broke my heart. But most times, it was unintentional. Other times…. This last time, he did it on purpose.
I want to cry. My heart is tight in my chest, and I have to swallow down my emotion. But I don’t cry. I’ve cried more times than I can count over Oscar since I was five. That day when I met him, he told me to chase him. I’ve been chasing him ever since.
This is the last chase.
The one where I make him pay for what he did to me. He’s a monster—not the man I always thought he was.
And Esteban?
My core clenches but it’s purely a physical response. For so many months, he made me rely on him for everything. He conditioned me to grow addicted to him. But now that I’ve been weaned off, I know he’s a monster too.
This marriage will help me eradicate those monsters. I’m not the adoring and loving little girl who follows around assholes like a lost little puppy anymore. I am worthy and capable. I am powerful. I am Vienna soon-to-be Gomez. Queen of the Cartel.
“That’s an evil-villain smile if I ever saw one. Sure you aren’t a villain yourself, mi diablita?” The deep voice from the doorway steals my attention.
“I’m certainly no angel,” I bite back.
He smirks and holds a hand out to me. “Come. We have important things to take care of.”
I swallow and make my way over to him on shaky legs. My nerves are going crazy. When I’m near, he takes my hand and tugs me close. He’s recently showered, and I inhale his masculine scent.
“You shaved,” I observe, ignoring the way my heart beats wildly whenever he touches me. His goatee has been trimmed neatly. With his black hair styled messily and him looking dapper as hell in his three-piece black suit, I can’t help but have a swell of pride. I know it’s silly and girly and completely misplaced. But I allow the sensation to flood through me.
He’ll soon be my husband.
I hope he doesn’t kill me.
“You,” he says, his voice low and gravelly. “You are a goddamned vision.”
I laugh and shake my head. “No wonder you had so many wives. You’re really good at this wooing stuff.”
He smirks as he strokes my hair. I like that he pets me like I’m a kitten he’s always wanted but nobody ever gave him, until now. The way he touches me makes me feel wanted and revered.
Please don’t fuck with me, Diego.
“When you’re my wife, I will cut out the eyes of all those who even look at you,” he hisses as his mouth drops to mine. His hot breath tickles me. “And I will cut off the fingers of anyone who dares put his hands on you.”
I shiver. My psycho villain siren should be wailing, but instead it is silent. The only sound is my heart thumping loudly in my chest. His violent words turn me on. I rub my thighs together and dart my gaze to his hooded one. “You’re so romantic,” I tease, my voice breathless.
His fingers slide into my silky hair, and he grips it. He tilts my head back so he can stare down at me. Light brown eyes flicker all over my face as he inspects me. Then, he leans forward and kisses my forehead.
“Let’s go eat, Vienna.”
My God, this man is a tease. I swear he gets off on bringing me to the brink of insanity just to back off and leave me hanging.
“Come,” he growls when I don’t immediately follow him.
“I’d like to, but someone is too busy playing the gentleman,” I grumble back.
He smirks at me as his palm finds the small of my back so he can guide me out of my room. His hand slides to my ass where he grips it to the point of pain. “A gentleman doesn’t grope his future wife on the way to their wedding.”
I cut my eyes to his and grin at him. “I’m swooning, mi motherfucker.”
He snorts and swats my ass. “I forgot you’re a smartass.”
“That’s something you can’t ever forget around me,” I chide.
When we enter the dining room, I gasp. A feast has been laid out on the long rectangular table. Fancy silver and china decorate the space and several candles light up the room.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe.
I’m not sure how this marriage thing will go, but it’s already surpassed my expectations. Diego pulls out a chair beside the head of the table and gestures for me to sit. I take my place, folding my hands in my lap. He disappears and then reappears with Tatiana and Jorge. Once they’re seated, he takes his place at the head of the table. A young male server comes out to fill our glasses with red wine and then he exits without a word.
“Tonight, we celebrate the union of two families,” Diego says as he lifts his glass, his light brown eyes flickering with something that I hope is excitement. He certainly doesn’t seem as apprehensive as I do. “Vienna and I will wed this evening under the eyes of God. If my mother, God rest her soul, were here, I know she would approve of my decision.” His handsome smile warms me. The devil was an angel once. “Not only will this marriage be binding in the eyes of God, but it will be binding by our country’s laws as well. And mostly,” he says, his voice dropping to a low growl, “it will be binding to me.”
I dart my gaze over to Jorge and Tatiana. Neither one of them speaks, but Tatiana flashes me a supportive smile.
“I keep my promises, Vienna,” Diego murmurs. “I hope you keep yours as well.”
I swallow and nod. The fierceness he’s displaying would indicate that he believes what he says to be true.
I just wish I could believe it as easily as he seems to.
“So a toast to my future wife, a partnership that will strengthen my newly acquired empire, and for a play that will deliver ultimate revenge to our mutual enemies.” He winks at me and holds his glass to mine. I clink it before quickly chugging down the bitter red wine.
“To Mr. and Mrs. Gomez,” I agree, my voice shaking. “A power couple.”
He reaches over and takes my clammy hand. “Mi reina.”
* * *
“You may kiss your bride.”
I imagined this moment a thousand times, especially in my early teen years, but with a certain dark-eyed boy. A fancy beach wedding in California with my father walking me down the aisle. A big, frilly dress. A giant fancy cake. The whole nine yards. With Oscar. And for awhile there, while high off my ass in Esteban’s bed, he’d taken place as the groom in my fantasies.
But reality is oh-so different.
Diego Renaldo Gomez and Vienna Martina Berkley are the star of this show.
I’m still so dazed and in shock over what just happened that my husband’s kiss takes me completely by surprise. His kisses are always soft but demanding. This kiss, though, feels like a promise. I don’t get to enjoy his tongue that still tastes of wine because he ends our kiss as quickly as it began.
“Come now, mujer.”
He guides me out of the old church toward where his fancy black car awaits. I am still trying to make sense of what’s happening and staring at the gold band that sits on my ring finger when I hear what sounds like a pop.
“JORGE!” Diego roars a moment before he shoves me face first into the dirt.
A shriek escapes me. My palms sting, and I’m sure my knees are now scraped all to shit. I start to rise but then I’m tackled.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
“Stay down,” Diego hisses against my ear. His body heat is no longer enveloping me as he starts shooting at someone on the other side of the car. Everything is so loud. Even though it’s night time, the moonlight is bright. Diego crouches at the back of the car near the trunk. I dart my eyes under the vehicle to see where the shots are coming from. When someone starts charging for us, I yell, “Two ‘o clock!”
Pop! Pop!
The figure crumples into the dirt before they reach the vehicle. Shooting ensues from someplace else. I army crawl under the car until I’m close enough to take the gun from the dead man’s grip. The shooting stops but my ears are still ringing. Two men are grunting, and I recognize one of them as Diego. Another figure emerges from the tree line on the other side of the road and starts charging for us. I squint my eyes to focus before squeezing the trigger.
Pop!
The bullet tears through his knee and he crashes to the dirt. When he looks up, he makes eye contact with me under the car. His weapon aims for me but then his head explodes. I’m gaping in horror when someone grabs my ankle.
“Diego!” I scream at the top of my lungs.
My attacker yanks me roughly out from under the car. As soon as I’m out, I aim the gun at his head.
“Whoa,” Jorge says. “Whoa, niña.”
He reaches for me, but I scramble to my feet without his help.
“Get in the car,” he hisses. “Tatiana!”
She runs from the church and throws her arms around me. Her words are shaking and in Spanish. I yank the car door open before urging the frantic woman inside.
“Where’s Diego?” I demand.
Two strong arms envelop me from behind, causing me to scream. Out of instinct, I drive the barrel of my gun behind me into what I hope is at my attacker’s face. Before thinking twice, I squeeze the trigger.
Click.
“Fuck,” Diego hisses into my ear. “Fuck, mi diablita.”
Once I realize it isn’t one of the bad guys, I collapse in his arms. He all but drags me to the car and shoves me inside. Tatiana sobs loudly as the men climb into the front seat. I pull her to me so I can stroke her hair.
“Shhhh,” I coo. “We made it. We’re safe.”
She clutches my dirty dress, her tears soaking through my front. I hold her in a state of shock as Jorge hauls ass through the streets. He and Diego snarl in hissed tones the entire way home.
Her head tilts up and she palms my cheek. “I am so sorry, Vee. I worried this would happen. A marriage to a cartel leader is a lifetime of death and destruction.”
I glance up to find Diego watching me, his jaw clenched. He’s brutal and handsome and fierce in this moment. My words answer her question but I want him to hear.
“I know exactly what I signed up for and I am not afraid.”
CHAPTER TEN
Diego
“I’m fine, Tatiana,” I snap and swat her hand away. Her brown eyes are filled with tears. We’ve barely been safely home for five minutes and she’s mothering the fuck out of me. “It’s a scratch. Tend to Vienna.”
Vienna’s brilliant green eyes dart to mine and she shakes her head. “I’m fine too.”
I glower at her. She’s far from fine. Blood drips down her shins from her knees. Her once pretty white dress is dirty as fuck. The red mane she’d worked so hard to smooth out is messy and tangled. Compared to Tatiana, who is shaking like a leaf, Vienna stands there like a horror from a nightmare. Hate-filled eyes. Calm demeanor. Full, pouty lips pressed into a firm, pissed off line.
“Get cleaned up and rest,” I tell my doctor and close friend. “You’re shaken up. I’ll take care of Vienna.”
Tatiana nods before hugging us both. Then, she disappears from my office leaving me alone with my wife. Jorge is already rounding up my men and heavily securing the compound. Those motherfuckers attacked me on my wedding day. I’d hoped it was some other cartel wanting to take me out. But deep down I knew. These were Camilo’s men. Esteban and Oscar have already begun their war.
They don’t care about Vienna.
Those assholes shot at her.
She’s a tool to get to me, nothing more.
Rage bubbles up inside of me at the thought of losing her. Our business union is of utmost importance, of course, but I married her, goddammit. She’s mine to protect. They almost took her from me.
“Were they with the Rojas’s?” she questions, her voice level and even. Christ, she scares me with how calm she is.
I give her a clipped nod before snagging my cutter from the drawer. I prep the cigar from the ashtray and then light it. When we got back, I gave Jorge explicit instructions of what I needed him to do. Now, it’s a waiting game. We’ll be protected here, but I want those motherfuckers hunted down and brought to me.
“Now we wait,” I tell her as I exhale a plume of smoke.
She walks over to me and plucks the cigar from my fingers. This wife is unlike my other pretend ones. Despite their constant bitching and nagging, they still feared me. Vienna takes this partnership seriously, apparently, because now we share everything. Even my fucking cigars and coffee. Her swollen lips wrap around the fat cigar and she inhales the smoke, her wild green eyes on mine. Fire and vengeance storm within them. My sweet girl wants to make them pay. I yank the cigar from her fingers and snub it out in the ashtray.
With a growl, I grip her jaw and tilt her dirty face up so I can regard her. This woman would have shot me in the goddamned face today had she had any bullets left. She’s not a princess at all. Hell, she even warned me.
Vienna is the motherfucking queen.
I kiss her pouty lips hard, my fingers never leaving her jaw. Her mouth opens to kiss me back. Sweet. So fucking sweet. She grabs the front of my jacket to hold on as she jumps into my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist. I hold her perfect ass as we kiss. With her pressed against my eager cock, I’m dying to officially make her mine.
“We still have business, mi diablita,” I growl between kisses.
She bites my lip and hisses. “Later, mi motherfucker.”
We kiss hard with her grinding against my cock, but I can’t proceed without knowing she’s mine in every sense of the word. Her fingers start plucking at the buttons under my tie. Our kiss is messy and dirty.
“The contract,” I snarl against her lips.
“Not now,” she bites back.
I storm over to my desk and jerk her away from me to deposit her on the surface. The little minx tears her soiled dress from her body before tossing it at me. She’s a goddamned dream sitting on my desk, looking hot as fuck in nothing but a simple matching nude-colored bra and panty set.
She’s distracting me. For the future of our relationship, both personal and business, the contract needs to be carried out.
With my heated gaze on hers, I slip out of my jacket and pull off my tie. The vest hits the floor next and then I finish unbuttoning my shirt. Once I’m naked from the waist up, I grab one of my sharpest blades from my desk drawer. I flick it open, my eyes on hers to gauge her reaction. The little devil licks her dirty lips. My cock jolts, and I almost declare we fuck instead.
Almost.
“I want this gone,” I tell her, pointing the tip of my blade at her bra.
“So do I,” she says with a wicked smile.
I hook my finger under the bottom of her bra between her ample tits and pull it from her body. She remains still as I saw through the fabric with my knife. The material gives and frees her gorgeous tits. She tosses it away before leaning back on her elbows and putting her feet on my desk. Her knees fall apart as she offers her barely covered cunt to me. My dick is about to rip through my slacks to get to her.
“Danger makes your pussy wet. You really are a villain,” I muse as I run my finger along the wet spot on her panties. “Such a naughty girl.”
She bites her fat bottom lip and nods. I hook my finger into the side of her panties just below her clit to pull the material toward me. This too, I saw through eagerly. Once she’s fully naked, I take a moment to appreciate her body. Young. Tight. Supple. She’d probably still be a virgin if Esteban hadn’t have taken that away from her. Despite her past with him, she’s still inexperienced. I love that she trusts me to take her to new places sexually. Whatever he did with her won’t compare to what I’m going to do. I’m going to awaken her beast. I’m going to feed it and fuck it. There won’t be any taming her beast. If anything, I’m about to free it.
