Where am I? My eyelids are heavy, each feeling as if they weigh a ton.
The last thing I remember was leaving the doctor’s office. Oh my god. The van. The inked up arms.
Where the hell am I?
Looking around, I see that I’m in an all white room. No windows or doors. How did I get in here?
I need to get up. There had to be a way they got me inside. It wasn’t magic, and as much as I’d like to believe in the possibility of teleportation, I don’t think we’ve advanced that far in technology.
Getting up from the small cot I’m on, I realize I must have been sedated. Every movement I make is slow, as if I were moving through quicksand. God, I hope whatever it is doesn’t hurt the baby. The baby.
My hands go to my abdomen, the thought of this little peanut being hurt propelling a determination in me I didn’t know I had.
“Let me out!” I bang on the padded walls. Clearly they must have a way of hearing me, right? They couldn’t have just left me here to rot, could they? Shit. Jason’s words come back and haunt me.
You don’t know the sick fucks we’re up against.
Oh, yes. It sounds like they very well could leave me here to rot. But not without a fight.
Like a rabid animal, I claw at the walls, my words coming out more garbled than lucid. “Let. Me. Ouuuuuut!”
“Calm yourself, child.” One wall recedes before sliding to the side, the opening now revealing a massive wall of plexiglass and a darkness beyond.
But that voice. I’d know it anywhere.
“Father?”
“It’s John, to you.”
I’m blinking into the darkness, unable to understand what’s going on. “John? What’s going on? Why am I here?”
“And I thought you were the brightest of El Jefe’s bastard children. Seems like you’re just like the rest.”
My throat has gone dry and the ringing in my ears has clearly messed with my head. Did he just say El Jefe, the notorious cartel leader, is my father?
“Ah. I see it’s finally sinking in. About damn time.” There’s murmuring behind the glass, but I can’t make out the other person.
None of this makes sense, but if he wants to play this game, I’ll bite. Whatever to get answers from him. Maybe if I play him long enough, I’ll find a way out. “Okay, I get you aren’t my father. But what am I doing here? What do you want from me?”
There’s a deep sigh. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, but Raul, your uncle, went and offed El Jefe. It’s now more important than ever that we find his will.”
I’m trying to swallow through the sawdust in my mouth. “The will. Okay.”
“Yes. The will. That’s what we’ve been after this entire time. The whole reason Catherine seduced that manwhore Jason Crown.”
My mouth hangs open. I can’t help it. “Mother is in on this too?”
It’s barely a whisper, but he hears it too, my words making him chortle. “She isn’t your mother. She’s your half-sister. The very first bastard child.”
My mouth is hanging wide open. Just how many kids did this cartel leader have?
“Yes. My client was in line to take over his father’s empire. He was promised to a rival leader’s daughter, but of course, your father couldn’t keep it in his pants. So Catherine was born.”
My mouth is still hanging open. I could probably catch flies with this thing.
“By the time Austin rolled around, El Jefe’s wife had developed a system of keeping the bastard children out of her hair. She didn’t want any pesky children detracting from her own children’s inheritance. Problem was, she was barren. Could never produce an heir.”
“So if there’s no heir, then who is in the will? The one everyone’s trying to find.”
“Austin Crown.”
Holymotherfreakingshirtballs. “But why?”
“Despite his wife’s covert tactics, El Jefe kept track of each and every one of his children. For some reason, he had his favorite, and it was Austin. Who knows? Maybe he reminded him of himself. There is a striking resemblance, after all.”
“And mother—I mean Catherine. What did she want with the will?”
He chortles. “To alter it, of course. I was El Jefe’s lawyer. And when his crew got decimated last year by the Cardenas cartel, I lost my biggest and only client. Them and the Crown brothers basically ruined me. So when Catherine proposed we find the will and collect on it, I jumped on board.”
“Okay. All of that makes sense, but what does that have to do with Jason? Isn’t Austin the one you’re interested in?” My brows scrunch as my mind tries to piece together these facts like some sort of messed up jigsaw puzzle.
“Because Jason has the will. At least, that’s what Raul told us. He’d been monitoring the Crown family for some time—ever since he became their silent partner.”
My mouth has resumed its open fly trap position as I try to process everything I’ve just learned.
My mother isn’t pregnant. She isn’t really my mother. My father isn’t really my father. And I’m some sort of bastard cartel princess? Oh, and the man I’m in love with holds a will that basically gives all of a cartel leader’s possessions to the Crown brother with the neck tattoos.
“While that’s all fascinating, it still doesn’t explain why I’m here. I’m not on the will and I didn’t even know it existed, let alone have it.”
“Of course you don’t have it, stupid child.” He makes a noise of disgust before there’s a loud cracking sound. “But you’re the backup plan… More like our main plan now. It seems Jason has taken a liking to you. Far more than we’d anticipated. And since Catherine hasn’t been able to get into Jason’s private quarters to retrieve it, using you as bait will have to do.”
“Oh my god. You wouldn’t.”
“We would, and we have. Catherine asking you to visit, having you spend so much alone time with him, you think that was all accidental?” He snorts. “Please. As if we don’t know of every time you two were together. I’d have to say, that blow job at the beach house was pretty entertaining to watch. Never thought I’d be into Daddy kink, but I have you two to thank for that.”
I’m horrified, mortified, terrified… all the ied’s.
“And now, thanks to Catherine’s plan, we’ll soon be in possession of the will.”
“You two are monsters!” I’m lunging at the plexiglass, banging my fists against the wall even though it has little to no effect.
“We aren’t the monsters. Your father was. You should have seen some of the things he did.” John lets out a deep sigh, as if bored. “But anyway, we should be done soon. Catherine had been waiting until we had you secured, making sure that we weren’t followed.”
“And now, what? You exchange me for the will?”
“Ha! You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Oh, we’ll be getting the will, but neither of you are coming out of this alive. You and lover boy are both going down with the ship.”
“Ship? Are we on a boat?”
There’s some more murmuring and then a series of clicks. “Yes. One of your father’s mega yachts. This is where the drop will happen. Everything is in motion now.”
Before I can ask any more questions, the white panel is sliding back into place, making the plexiglass and darkness beyond it disappear with it.
I’m fucked. If everything John is saying is true, then I have no hope of surviving this.
Throwing my head back, I scream with all that I have, praying against all odds that I’m given an answer. Preferably one that’ll set me free.
Jason
“Sir, we have hit on a possible location. It’s somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains.” Armando is rushing into my office with what he deems as good news.
But it isn’t good. Not good enough.
“I don’t need approximations. I need the exact location.”
And just when I’m about to hurl my computer across the room, Catherine saunters into the room, a smug expression on her face.
“I can help with that.” She’s raising a brow, her long fingers smoothing down her hair.
“What? What could you possibly—. Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I’m glaring at her, begging against all odds that what I’m thinking isn’t the case, but as she opens her mouth, she confirms the darkness I’d felt all along. She’s evil. This woman is nothing but an abomination to this world.
“I know where and who she’s with. And for the right price, I can give you that information.”
Armando is lunging at her, but I stop him. She might deserve whatever he’s about to dish out, but we need her. Alive and breathing so she can tell us what we need to hear. Mila’s location.
“Name your price.” I’m glaring at her over Armando’s massive frame.
“The will. I need you to fork over El Jefe’s last will and testament.”
I’m blinking at her, my face contorting as I try to understand what she’s asking for.
“The will. What the fuck do you want with that?”
She rolls her eyes as if it should be obvious. “Only what’s rightfully mine. Austin doesn’t deserve any of that shit. I’m the firstborn. It should all be mine to do as I please with.”
My mouth falls open and I feel Armando’s body go lax, so I finally release him, needing to regain my composure as I stumble back onto a chair.
“El Jefe was your father too?” I’m rubbing a palm over my face, wondering how in the hell this is all real.
“Yes. He was a manwhore. Couldn’t keep it in his pants.” Catherine says matter-of-factly as she looks behind the various paintings I have in the room. “Austin and me, we’re just two of many bastard children he fathered. But I was the first, making me the rightful heir.”
Wow. Not only is Austin fathered by the notorious cartel leader, but now he’s also tied to my girl. I’m scrubbing a hand down my face, coming to terms with this new information. “So El Jefe was Mila’s grandfather.”
Catherine snorts. “No, silly. She’s his bastard child, too. I’m just the half sister that got stuck with her.” She moves on to my desk, opening drawers as if the document she’s looking for would be laying out in the open. “I was broke and in my twenties when my father’s attorney approached me, promising me a monthly allowance if I took her on as my own. Of course, I agreed. And now here we are.”
I sit down on the chair across from her, needing a moment to process everything she’s said. “Okay. Let’s say I give you the will? What then? It’s not like you could disappear, taking my child with you.”
Catherine outright cackles. “Oh my god. You don’t think I’d really get pregnant by you? At my age? Yeah, I’m not putting this glorious body through that. I’ve seen what it can do to women.” She makes a face of disgust as she waves her hands at me. “Have you seen the size of a baby’s head? No way in hell that’s coming out of me.”
Furious rage consumes me. So much so that I’m standing before I’ve had a chance to fully take in her words. In a matter of seconds, I have Catherine up against the wall, my fingers wrapping tightly against her throat.
She lied. This entire time, she’s been lying, her stories having kept a tightly driven wedge between Mila and me.
“You fucking bitch.” I’m hissing in her face when I feel a pair of hands on my shoulders.
“We need her alive, sir.” Armando is bringing me back down from the mountain of fury I’d been on. One I’d gladly live and die on if it meant this woman’s obliteration, making her incapable of hurting those I love.
Finally releasing my grip, I take a step back. “Where is she, Catherine? And I swear, if there’s so much as a missing hair on her body, I will rain hurt upon you like you’ve never experienced before. I don’t give a damn that you’re a woman, or apparently Mila’s sister.”
Catherine clears her throat, her hand going up to the column of her neck, rubbing it tenderly. “I’m not telling you until I have the will.”
“And I’m not giving you the will until you tell me and I confirm that she’s there and safe.”
Catherine raises a brow before pulling a cell from inside her bra. Just how small do they make those things?
“I figured you’d say as much.” She taps on the screen, making the small electronic come to life before producing a video. “Here. You can see her in this room, a newspaper held up to the plexiglass in front of her.”
My eyes narrow on the image, and sure enough, an enraged Mila is banging on the wall, a newspaper with today’s date being pressed up against it. “How do I know she’s still okay?”
Catherine rolls her eyes before pulling the phone away and tapping away at the screen. “Here. This is a live feed. She’s sitting on the floor, crying like the little baby she is.”
She’s shoving the image in my face, one I’d rather not see again for the rest of my life. I’m coming, baby. Daddy’s coming for you.
“Now. Where’s the will?” Catherine is shoving the phone back into her bra, her eyes narrowed on mine.
“Armando. Detain her.” My right-hand man does as I say, all while Catherine’s face goes pale white.
“But—but we had a deal? You can’t do this! She’ll die if I don’t call McComb back.”
My body runs cold. Mila’s father. No. Not Mila’s father. El Jefe’s attorney. That’s where I’d heard his name before. John McComb.
All this time, he’d been playing the role of Mila’s father.
Something Catherine said clicks into place.
‘I was broke and in my twenties when my father’s attorney approached me, promising me a monthly allowance if I took her on as my own.’
Oh, wow. This shit was orchestrated long ago, and all of it with no regard to the impact it had on my girl.
“Does he have her?”
“I’m not telling you anything more until you release me. Let me go! This instant!”
I let out a sardonic laugh. “Oh, fuck no, Catherine. I’m the one who’s calling the shots now. It was your mistake using a cell phone to show me the live feed.” I take a step closer, bringing my face as close as humanly possible without touching. “With my resources, I’ll be able to pinpoint their location without you having to say a damn word.”
“You asshole!” Catherine is wrestling against Armando’s hold, but it’s pointless. She isn’t going anywhere. Not until I want her to.
“I’ve been called worse.” Taking a step back, I round my desk and head to the door. “Now, Catherine. You’re going to listen to what I have to say, and you’re going to listen closely. Because one misstep by your part and I’ll have no problem gutting you like the lying sack of shit that you are.”
She nods, all while releasing an audible swallow into the otherwise silent room.
“Good. You’re going to call John, tell him you have the will and that we’re on our way. And remember… you say something more, hell, breathe a little funny, and you’re as good as dead—unable to enjoy what measly existence you have left.”
Catherine nods again, her already pale face going paler.
“Armando, please have her secured and facilitate the call. I don’t trust myself to be present. I’m liable to come through the line and strangle that bastard myself.”
Armando grunts. “Yes, sir. I’ll have the men of WRATH set up the call, allowing us to trace their exact coordinates.”
“I should have drugged you when I had the chance!” Catherine is screaming against Armando’s hold while he ties her to my chair.
“Should’a. Could’a. Would’a. It’s all too late. Frankly, I’m glad you hadn’t thought this through. It gave me the opening to do what I’m doing now.” I’m raising a brow and shaking my head. Knowing that she could have really fucked this up worse than she already had.
If she had drugged me and deliver the news while Armando was away and I was incapacitated, things probably would have turned out a little differently. Don’t get it twisted, I still would have gotten my girl in the end. It probably just would have taken a little longer.
“Call me when it’s over. I’ll be in my room, preparing for the trip.”
Armando nods, releasing another grunt in confirmation.
God. This day can’t be over soon enough. I need to hold Mila in my arms and know that she’s okay. Because lord help me, if she’s not, I’m painting the town red with the blood of those who hurt her.
