Page 68 of Hearts Of Darkness

Manuel blushes beneath his bruises. “I was out of line, señorita. Any man would have done the same thing. Can you not see? You are his queen.”

“I’m not his queen, I’m his prisoner! I’m nothing but a possession for him to paw at and manipulate for his own gains. He’s evil, dishonest…” I trail off as the breath catches in my throat again. “You’re worth a thousand of him, Manuel.”

He shoots me a grin of disbelief. “You are hurting, but it will pass. You will soon see Señor Santiago for the great man that he is.”

Not likely. Not now. Not ever.

“What am I missing here? How does he command such devotion from his men?”

Manuel shrugs. “Like I said—”

“He’s a ‘great man’,” I scoff, finishing his sentence for him. “He asked you to lie to me, didn’t he? He asked you not to call him by his surname anymore.”

“Yes, señorita.”

“What did he say to you on the beach that day we first met?”

“That I was to guard you with my life. That your value to him is incomparable.”

Damn my heart for leaping at this.

They’re just words. Dante’s good with those. It won’t change anything. My mind is already made up. As soon as I get out of here, I’ll be unmasking him as the immoral bastard that he is. My composite for the authorities will be meticulous because every contour of his face has been committed to my memory; his eyes haunt my soul. I won’t rest until he’s dominating theirMost Wantedlists.

“There is no place on earth you can hide from me. Our souls are bound forever.”

More lies.

His declaration in the car was just him tightening his grip on me. I see that now. He knew he couldn’t hide the truth forever, so he chose to step up his manipulation to another level.

My mind is filled with the blood-soaked images from years of research into the Santiagos. Photographs depicting mutilated corpses strewn across empty warehouses. Then there are the more personal, like watching my brother die an agonizing death in a cold, hospital bed. Dante has left a shattering trail of destruction in his wake, and he needs to be held accountable. It’s retribution day, and I hope he burns in hell along with his fortress.

“Youarespecial to him, señorita,” I hear Manuel say. He’s studying my face again, but for what? Compassion? Forgiveness? There is none, and there never will be, but damnmy heart for stuttering at his words once more.

“Dante Santiago isn’t capable of such sentiments, Manuel. He may say them out loud, but he’ll never truly mean them.”

“No man can live without love.”

“He’s not a man, he’s a monster! One day you’ll realize it, too.”

“Here, señorita, you’re shivering. Take this.” Sofía reappears next to me clutching a man’s shirt. She drapes it across my shoulders, but I drag it from my body as soon as a darkly familiar scent hits my senses.

“Where did you find this?” I demand.

“Next door. In his closet.”

“I’m sorry, Sofía, but I’d rather freeze to death than wear anything ofhis.” I sit down next to Manuel and rub my arms for warmth. “If you can’t get us back online, will the fire raise the alarm?”

He shakes his head. “The authorities know to leave this place alone.” His gaze flits back to the laptop screen. At the same time, the underground bunker is rocked by a violent shudder.

Sofía whimpers in fright. “Why would Señor Emilio do this?”

Because he’s a master criminal with no damn morals like your own boss.

“Because he has a death wish,” Manuel mutters. “There is no one more deadly than Señor Dante. He will return and avenge what has happened here. This man, thistraitor,will be nothing but blood and bone by the morning.”

“What if he doesn’t,” I interject quietly. “What if he captures one of our men and tortures our whereabouts out ofhim?”

“They would ratherdiethan give up this place, and you. It is a matter of honor… Of pride!”

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