Page 34 of Queen's Move

Vee had been a surprise. He hadn’t expected the Miami madam to take hold of him, sweep him up in her storm and grip him in a way nothing else had. He’d loved before. And he’d lost. That woman was perfection in every way. Light-hearted, carefree, beautiful. She had been the light to his darkness. When she married someone else he had chosen to love from afar. He could have taken her, could have forced her into his life, as he was doing with Vee. But he hadn’t, had thought at the time that he preferred to give the woman he loved anything she wanted, even if what she wanted was another man.

Now he understood that his attachment to Sandra, Casey Reyes’ mother, hadn’t been as deep as he thought. His feelings for Sandra had been genuine affection and appreciation, heartbreak when she was killed. What he felt for Vee was soul deep. It gripped his heart, the very fibre of his being, and latched on. He didn’t know if it was love. It felt like more than love. It was possessive. Intense. Consuming and obsessive. She occupied all of his thoughts, his decisions now based on her best interests, her comfort, hopefully her future happiness. He used to believe that men obsessed with their wives became weak, but Vee made him strong. She made him wary and protective. He would never let her go.

He watched her step out of the vehicle, Mateo on one side of her and Raina on the other. Three more bodyguards surrounded the group. She was magnificent. Her beautiful, radiant exterior the perfect wrapping for a deep, dark woman. A woman that called to him. She owned him. And he was about to make it legal.

He couldn’t wait to bind her to him. He believed if she’d still been married when he met her he would’ve killed her husband and taken her anyway, quite the same way Reyes had acquired his wife. His sharp eyes followed her as she walked up the steps to meet him at the top. She was breathtakingly elegant in her strapless golden wedding dress. The dress draped in a straight line, hugging her petite curves from top to bottom, the colour setting off her radiant glow. It fit her perfectly.

He held a hand out to her as she approached, her intelligent sapphire gaze steady on his face. He wondered if she would take it or if she would ignore it. If she would balk, refuse to touch him and make a show of her reluctance to marry. Though he enjoyed their dance, he found her unpredictable. Never knew if she would attack or treat him with cold indifference. He lived for the moments she finally warmed, unable to help herself from melting as he stole a kiss.

Vee stepped up to him, so close that the bottom of her dress flared a little around her sandaled feet and brushed his pant leg. Without taking her eyes from his she took his hand, sliding her fingers across his palm and locking them together. She might be a reluctant bride, might still be angry, but she was declaring an alliance. Satisfaction flooded through him as he closed his fingers around her slim hand, trapping her in his hold. Together they turned and entered the church.

Sotza had the church built on his land decades ago, a place for his employees and their families to worship. He didn’t go often. Didn’t feel he had any right to such a place of goodness. But on his wedding day, he felt the need to attach his bride to his side in the humble building, a place that was stamped by him, a place within his control. He wouldn’t allow a single security issue to mess up his wedding day.

Their walk to the alter was short. The pews were already occupied by many of his people. He was a little surprised at how many showed up. The wedding wasn’t a mandatory event. Yet the place was filled, some even left standing. He nodded toward Armand, head of his internal security. Sotza didn’t think he’d ever seen the man in anything less than his full combat gear. He lived, ate and breathed security. Yet, here he was, at a wedding, wearing a suit, a young woman at his side.

What drew them to the church? Was it curiosity, boredom or true loyalty to their leader? Glancing down at Vee, he remembered the loyalty she’d inspired in her people. The way they flocked to her, tried to protect her, would lay down their lives for her. She was vicious in her own right, but she was also passionate, warm and kind, when the occasion warranted. She was exactly the woman he wanted at his side, inspiring these same feelings in his people. Perhaps they were drawn to the church to see the woman that had finally captured Sotza’s attention.

Though a catholic ceremony, Sotza had ensured that the ceremony wouldn’t be a long one. He was done waiting for this woman, done watching her every move, his imagination wild with the things he wanted to do with and to her. It was like he’d waited years for Elvira and a moment more was too much. He ran his thumb over her hand, feeling the delicate bone structure beneath. Now his to take care of until one of them left the Earth.

He repeated his vows solemnly, only stopping to throw Vee a small smile when their full names were spoken. She blushed when, instead of a simple ‘I do’ he repeated the vow, “I, Isaac Rafael Sotza, take Elvira Vivian Montana to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

When it was her turn, she lifted her chin and repeated the same vow. Almost. “I, Vee Montana, take Isaac Rafael Sotza to be my lawfully wedded husband.”

He wanted to laugh but held it in. She was giving him a gift. By repeating their names the way she had, she’d declared in front of God, his people, everyone, that she was now his partner. His equal. The queen that would stand by his side and rule his kingdom with him.

It was perfect.

She was perfect.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

When the wedding ceremony ended they went up to the main house to enjoy an extravagant and delicious brunch, overseen by Raina. For the first time Vee was able to observe her daughter and Sotza together. It was clear that Sotza indulged the girl, had perhaps even grown fond of her, though it was hard to tell. He kept his emotions carefully contained, his face rarely showing his thoughts, though she detected a modicum of warmth in his gaze as he tracked the girl across the room, watched silently while she bossed his staff.

Vee was surprised when Sotza leaned down to tell her that their car was ready. She looked up at him, frowning in question. “Our honeymoon,” he explained.

She hadn’t thought there would be any kind of honeymoon. She expected him to treat the marriage as more of a business transaction now that the deed was done. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised though, given the fiery nature of their relationship and Sotza’s tendency toward the old-fashioned.

After saying their good-byes, they were driven to the airstrip where a plane was waiting for them. It wasn’t the same plane she had arrived in. This one was smaller, built to carry fewer people. Sotza opened the passenger side and lifted her easily up into the craft. He took the pilot seat, leaning across her to belt her in. After making sure she was comfortable he checked the instruments and had a brief conversation with Mateo, who he was leaving in charge while they were away.

It was clear that Sotza was an expert at flying. Vee’s eyes followed the movements of his strong, veined hands. She watched the way he scanned the horizon and made adjustments to the instruments. It was sexy. There was something about the ease and careful control he showed while flying that got to her. Tony had been controlling, but he hadn’t been able to maintain control. He was addicted to his own product, he was violent, but not in the same way as Sotza. Tony had been an angry man. If something didn’t go his way then he would become infuriated, blame everyone except himself. Somehow Vee suspected Sotza was far different. He was definitely violent, but every move he made was calculated, controlled to produce a result.

“Where are we going?” she finally asked. She was eager to know, but hesitant to find out.

Sotza looked over at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I have an island off the coast. We’ll spend a few days there. I know you won’t want to be away from Raina for long.”

He was right. It had been a wrench to leave her daughter behind, even for a few days. Just before they left the mansion Raina had hugged her. It was the first time. Vee had teared up but turned her face away so no one would see her emotion. She’d held her daughter close, pressing her tight, for just a few seconds, before releasing her.

“Will we land right on the island?” Vee asked.

“No, we’ll land outside of Caracas, drive to the coast and take a boat out to the island.”

Caracas. The capital city of Venezuela. Vee had trouble wrapping her brain around the idea that she was in this place. That she’d travelled so far from her home. As sophisticated as she tried to present herself, she was still just a big fish in a small pond when it came to Miami. Travelling internationally had always been a distant dream, something she’d aspired to as she worked on educating herself through the years, but not something she thought would actually happen.

She pressed her hand against the window, watching eagerly as the city unfolded below them. The sun was just beginning to set, lighting up the valley in an array of colours. “It’s so beautiful!” she exclaimed, as she tried to search out individual assets of a city steeped in history.

Sotza spoke to her, raising his voice so she could hear him above the engine. He pointed out cathedrals, downtown Caracas, the industrial district. His knowledge of the capital was vast and his pride in his country came through loud and clear. He stopped talking to her as he prepared to land. She admired the easy way he maneuvered the craft, setting them down lightly on the tarmac. There were so many things to appreciate about the man. It seemed strange that they’d started out as bitter enemies. Well… she’d just been business to him, but she’d hated the very idea of him. The Venezuelan Butcher, in her city, sent to take her down.

Now they were married. Thrown together through circumstance but merged through his dogged determination. It was a difficult thing to resist, his unwavering drive to possess her. In her life time Vee had been coveted, she’d been passed around, she’d been a possession. But no one had wanted her the way Sotza did, saw the things in her that he did.

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