Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38835 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38835 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Chapter 9
Evelyn
My stomach churned so violently that I thought I might be sick. I swallowed against the burn at the back of my throat and blinked rapidly to hold the tears at bay.
The man who’d just dismissed me after that horrific auction was a stranger to me. Massimo had barely even looked at me when he handed me off to his drug lord friend, Stefano. If I hadn’t seen the awful events with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Massimo had just bid on the right to take an unwilling woman’s virginity. He’d bought her body right in front of me.
The diamond necklace became an iron weight around my neck, a shackle. He’d told me I was his, and I’d foolishly thought he was mine. I’d debased myself for him. I’d eagerly welcomed him into my body, and I’d been an idiot to think I had some sort of hold over him.
The cold, hard facts were that he’d stalked me. And even though I’d willingly fled from cartel violence when I’d gotten on that motorcycle with him, he’d abducted me against my will. So many times, I’d said that I didn’t want to be part of his criminal world. I’d told him that I just wanted to go home to America.
But he’d kept me, regardless of my wishes. I’d thought it was because he cared about me as deeply as I cared for him, but if that were true, he wouldn’t have been capable of betraying me.
Pain knifed through my chest, increasing my nausea as I stumbled deeper into the empty mansion. Stefano had left me as soon as I locked the door behind me. He’d promised that no one would dare to cross the threshold, and he’d excused himself so he could go back to the club.
Maybe they planned to share the girl. The other two drug lords hadn’t stopped the disgusting auction.
My heart ached for her. She’d clearly been unwilling and terrified out of her mind.
Massimo would probably be gentle with her. He would coax her into his bed, just like he’d fooled me.
How could I be so stupid? I’d spent years engaged to George, when all he’d done was take me for granted and ultimately put my life at risk for his own gain. And I’d run straight into the arms of a different monster. Massimo had never hidden his mafia ties from me, and that had engendered some sort of twisted trust between us.
But just because he didn’t hide his crimes didn’t absolve him. He’d shown me who he really was tonight.
The diamonds chafed against my skin, as though the precious metal that encased them had been dipped in acid. I clawed at the clasp, desperate to get the sign of his ownership off my neck.
The clasp opened, and I dropped the necklace to the polished hardwood floor as though it’d burned me. I placed my hand on my bare throat, reassuring myself that the awful weight was gone.
I drew in several deep breaths, struggling to tame my tangled thoughts.
Berating myself for my foolishness wouldn’t save me.
For the first time, Massimo had left me alone. He obviously believed that I was thoroughly under his control, and he could amuse himself elsewhere while I obediently waited for his return.
Stefano had promised that no one would dare to cross the threshold to get to me—this was Adrián’s mansion, and I fully believed that no one would challenge the sadistic cartel kingpin.
But he hadn’t locked me in from the outside. There was nothing to stop me from leaving this place.
From the little I’d seen of the town and its jungle surroundings, I knew that we were somewhere very remote. But I’d also seen men in military uniforms patrolling the streets. There was a chance they were loyal to Adrián, but that didn’t mean they were loyal to Massimo.
I was an American citizen who had been kidnapped by a mafia boss. Massimo hadn’t seemed to care about the threat that US law enforcement posed to his organization, but I bet the local officials would. If I could get to one of the soldiers and tell them about my plight, they would contact the American authorities. I could go home.
George would still be in Mexico City, looking for me. But I’d be safely back in Albuquerque, under federal protection, by the time he found out that I’d been rescued. I could tell the DEA the truth about George’s corruption. He’d be arrested, and he wouldn’t be able to kill me to keep his terrible secret.
I didn’t know how long Massimo would be distracted by the poor girl he’d purchased like an object rather than a human being.
Maybe I could convince the authorities to save her too.
Before I could lose my nerve, I gathered my composure and slipped out into the night. Humid air drew a sheen of sweat to the surface of my skin within seconds, but I ignored the discomfort. My dress was lightweight enough that I wouldn’t overheat—Massimo had made sure to dress me up like his little doll, a pretty toy he liked to adorn with silk and gems.