Page 20 of Snatched Up By the Cartel

"Anything," he said. "I want it all with you."

I kissed him softly, my lips lingering on his, and then I smiled. "And you shall have it," I promised. "We'll make it happen, no matter what."

And that, of course, was a promise.

Chapter 7

Rylan

The sun had set, casting a warm glow over the city skyline as Mateo and I enjoyed a quiet dinner on the penthouse balcony. The moment was peaceful and cozy. Almost every day was always like this.

The soft glow of candlelight illuminated our faces, the meal a simple yet intimate affair. He glanced at me and winked. He knew exactly what I was thinking, as I knew what he was.

It had been months since our release from prison, and the memory of those dark days had begun to fade, replaced by the warmth and comfort of our newly acquired freedom and the bond we shared.

Welcome every time I thought about it, pain flared in me. It came at a cost. I didn't want it to be like that, but it still happened that way.

Mateo reached across the table, his hand covering mine, his thumb brushing my skin gently. He was so caring to me. I was the most precious person in the world to him.

"You're quiet tonight," he said, his deep voice laced with concern. "Something on your mind, little omega?"

I offered him a soft smile, my heart warming at his tenderness. Truth be told, I didn't want to think about what I was, much less talk about it.

"Just thinking about how far we've come," I said softly, my eyes reflecting the dancing flames of the candles. I hated I was lying, but it was for the best. "It feels like a lifetime ago that we were in that wretched prison."

Mateo's eyes darkened, a shadow passing over his features as he, too, remembered those harsh days. As much as he was better built for that kind of environment, he would rather not be there ever again. Understandable.

"It feels like a lifetime," he agreed, his voice rough. "And yet, here we are, free and together. As long as we are careful, something like that will never happen again."

I nodded, my thumb tracing patterns on the back of his hand. I could do this all day.

"I'm grateful every day," I whispered, my eyes locking with his. "For you, for our love, and for the life we're building."

He squeezed my hand, his gaze intense. "Our love will withstand any storm, little omega," he said. "Nothing can tear us apart now."

I knew he was telling me exactly what he thought and I was aware he was probably right, but I still wished I could fully believe in his words.

Later, as we finished our dinner and retired to the living room, a sense of unease settled in my chest, a weight that I couldn't quite shake. I hated it.

As if summoned by my troubled thoughts, a figure stepped out of the shadows, his presence filling the room with an air of danger and intrigue. I froze on the spot. Who was that person?

Mateo tensed beside me, his body going still, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the man. It was clear he was someone he knew. The question was: who was he exactly?

"Javier," Mateo said, his voice low and dangerous. "What are you doing here?"

And even though he didn't say it exactly, I was beginning to think I already knew who he was. He was someone we shouldn't mess up with.

Javier, a former associate of Mateo's from his cartel days, smirked, his eyes flicking between us. Whatever he was thinking, it was obvious he wasn't afraid of us.

"Solstice," he growled. "I see you've found yourself a pretty little omega."

This was probably the first time he was seeing me. I said 'probably' while imagining he might have been spying on me for a long time.

Mateo's grip on my hand tightened, his body coiling, ready to face any threat this man might pose. His first instinct was to protect me, just like when we were in prison.

"What do you want, Javier?" He growled, his eyes flashing with warning. He wasn't kidding when he said he would do anything to protect me. "You know I want nothing more to do with the cartel."

And yet, he also knew it was never going to be easy. Once you were in the cartel, you either died or you killed all of them. There was no solution between those two options.

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