Page 6 of Burning Beauty

"Your accent gives you away," he replied drily. "When did you come up?"

"About three weeks ago."

Again, she saw a flash of surprise before it was quickly shielded.

"How did you get on Delgado's radar so quickly?"

She shrugged and set her purse on the table beside her before folding her hands delicately on her lap. Again, his eyes followed every graceful move she deliberately made.

"My brother, Ruiz, and I were set up, I think. Franco was supposed to be our contact here. Was supposed to set us up with jobs and a place to live, but almost right away he separated us. I only saw my brother twice after that, and it’s been weeks now. I think... I think Franco planned this as soon as he knew we were coming. He wanted us under his control."

Nic snorted his disbelief. "You came here, without money, not knowing who you were meeting. This sounds like bullshit to me."

"We’re illegals, leaving a bad situation in Mexico," Maria defended herself. "What were we supposed to do? Wait around for a better opportunity to present itself?”

"What happened after Franco scooped you up?"

Maria sighed and fidgeted in her chair. Why couldn't life be just a little easier? Wasn't she due for some good luck yet? "At first he was reassuring. He told me he was putting my brother to work and that he'd keep me safe at some motel while Ruiz worked. But I became suspicious when Ruiz didn't come back and questioned Franco. That's when he started to show his true colours, told me I had to do some work for him if I ever wanted to see my brother again."

"And what did you agree to do for him?" he drawled, no sympathy in his voice for her plight. He reached to the table next to him and pulled a slim cigar from a package. She wrinkled her nose a little as he lit up and wondered if he was above the hotel no-smoking rule. Maybe rich people didn't have to follow that rule.

"He wanted nothing more from me than to seduce you," she told him bluntly. There was no point in holding back now, the Italian already knew.

"And you didn't object?" he asked darkly.

"Yes, of course I did," she whispered. "He said if I didn't do what he wanted, he was going to have my brother killed and give me to his men to have fun with, work off my debt that way. And when I was all used up, he would ship me back home."

He watched her, his sharp eyes taking in her every reaction. "Tell me about Mexico."

She'd really hoped he wouldn't ask about Mexico. She squirmed for a minute debating what to tell him. She couldn't tell him the whole truth. If she did, he might use it against her like Franco was doing.

She decided to give him a version of her story that might ring true. "My mama died a few years back, and she was the main protection between me and the local boys, some of them cartel. As soon as she passed, they started pressing my brother to join and pushing me for...." Her voice trailed off. She looked up to see if he understood, but his expression was inscrutable. She continued, "I finally accepted one of the more legit guys, dating him and stuff."

"For protection," Nic said grimly.

"Yes," she said simply, though there had been so much more to her relationship with Marc than just protection. "It ended badly, and I had to leave home, get out of Mexico. My brother and his buddy got us across the border and gave us enough cash so we could find our way to Vegas where we were instructed to contact Franco." What she didn’t tell him was all that happened five years ago, that much had transpired since then. He didn’t need to know everything.

She desperately hoped he didn't press her for more information on Mexico. His sharp eyes cut into her and she suspected he knew there was more to the story. He didn't press the issue though.

He nodded, his grim face growing even grimmer. "Did Delgado fuck you?"

At first, she was shocked by the question. But then, maybe she shouldn't be. These high rolling mafia guys weren't much different from the cartel boys back home. Blunt, demanding bullies.

"No," she said icily. "He wanted to save me for someone else. He told me that when he fucked me, he would ruin me for anyone else." She had no choice but to roll her eyes at this point. It sounded even stupider now, saying it to this carefully controlled man, than it did at the time when Franco had said it. She knew the hotel owner wanted her but hadn't the balls to close the deal.

Nic smirked darkly, probably aware of Franco's flamboyant arrogance. "So, you agreed to seduce me. For what? Money, freedom, papers?"

"Yes," she whispered. "But mostly to save my brother."

"And what did Delgado think would happen when you met me?" He flicked his cigar ashes into an ashtray and took another draw. The scent wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. It had a rich, spicy aroma. Both exotic, but also familiar. It made her think of home.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and shrugged. "He just wanted me to seduce you, nothing more."

Nic's icy facade finally cracked as he let out a bark of laughter that held no warmth to it. "I am not seducible." He said the words with distaste.

"Then what are we doing here?" she asked, offended, then bit her tongue to stop herself from saying anything else. Why was she baiting such a dangerous man?

His dark eyes flicked over her, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. "While I may not be seducible, you are still very fuckable."

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