Page 80 of Burning Beauty

Ronson eased her off his shoulder and set her on the bed, even going so far as to slide a broad hand under her head to make sure it went down onto the pillow gently. She was starting to wonder if he really was going to act like a loved one and check on her while she slept. She imagined him becoming part of the DeLuca family and guarding the estate with Ruiz. Then he spoke, ruining her fantasy.

"What're we gonna do with her, boss?" he asked Franco.

"She's useless to me like this," Franco snapped. "Call the Mexicans, we'll sell her before she has a chance to die on us."

"On it, boss," Ronson replied.

Maria's last though before she passed out was that she hoped Nic did terrible, terrible things to these two men when he got his hands on them. Because if she went into Mexico where there was a price on her head, it was unlikely she'd come back out alive.

Chapter Forty-Five

Maria woke up disoriented. Her head hurt, but not as bad as it had when she'd fallen asleep. She reached up to push her hands through her hair, searching for any bumps or cuts. She touched the tender spot on the side of her head and her eyes flew open at the shot of adrenaline inducing pain. Two things hit her at once, she wasn't in Franco's penthouse anymore, and a man was sitting in a chair by a door.

Maria tried to blink the sleep fog from her eyes and focus on the man. She pushed herself slowly and warily up until she was sitting.

"Hello Maria." His voice was deep and familiar. It took her a moment to get it, but once she did her heart sank in fear.

"Hector," she said quietly, addressing Marc's brother.

"How's the head feeling?" he asked, his voice both friendly and concerned.

She tried to remember back to the trial, what he'd been like. She was pretty sure he hadn't been on her side. She didn't exactly remember him wanting to crucify her the way his mama and papa had, but he hadn't been sympathetic either.

"Do you care?" she asked boldly.

Maria was never one to cringe away from reality. If they were going to torture and kill her then she wanted to know up front so she could plan for the inevitable. Hector seemed to read her mind. He sighed heavily, stood up and came over to the bed. Maria cringed back, fearing an attack, even though he wasn't being threatening. She'd been on the run from these people for over five years and she'd had a hell of a bad past twenty-four or so hours, she wasn't in the trusting mood.

"I won't hurt you," he tried to reassure her. "Can I sit down?"

Maria nodded slightly and instantly regretted the action, since it made her head hurt. But then she realized, the world wasn't swirling anymore. The sleep must’ve helped. She moved her legs so Hector could sit next to her.

"I'm sorry you were injured," he said. "We wanted to speak to you, but we never intended you to get hurt."

"Never?" Maria asked, calling him on the lie.

He sighed again and shifted so he was facing her. He looked older, more drawn, as if the years had matured him. He would be in his early thirties, no longer the carefree party guy he'd been when Maria knew him. When she'd killed his best friend and brother. Hector was a handsome man, but he held no appeal for Maria. Their history was too messy for her to have any feelings toward him other than wariness.

"I suppose there was a time when I would've been pleased by any harm that fell to you," he admitted. "But that was a long time ago, I've learned to let things go. See them in perspective. I didn't want you to get hurt when you were picked up in America."

So she was definitely back in Mexico.

She shrugged and admitted, "I think the concussion might've saved me from being raped." He looked alarmed and she continued, "The casino guy that sold me to you, he had this sort of sick fascination. But I guess he didn't want to rape a woman who was throwing up and passing out."

He chuckled at her grim humour, then sobered. "I would've killed him if you'd been touched. I should kill him anyway, he was told to bring you here unharmed."

"In exchange for what?" Maria asked, curious how much a human life was worth to these men.

"We gave him $200,000 and promised him our support if he wished to make a move on the neighbouring territory. He wants to move into the drug trade."

Maria wasn't surprised that Marc's family might be involved in cartel business. It confirmed her suspicions that Marc had been getting in over his head with illegal business, and had been attempting to drink the stress away.

Hector must've guessed her thoughts by the look on her face. His own grew harder and the glint in his eye was oddly like the one Nic would get when he was talking business, cold, steely, dangerous. "We do what we have to do to stay alive and comfortable."

Maria wanted to say that her family had been happy and comfortable, and her mama hadn't touched the drug trade. But there was no point. Many locals got involved in trafficking, and she wasn't one to cast stones. She was in love with one of the deadliest mobsters on two continents. From what she'd seen and heard, Nic's organization could come in and wipe out the cartels in this area without so much as breaking a sweat.

"Why am I here?" she asked, changing the subject. If they didn't intend to kill her then she wanted to get this, whatever it was, over with so she could call Nic and get him to come pick her up. Then she was going to learn how to use a gun and go after Franco Delgado herself. She was done having that man shadowing her steps. She wondered if Cassandra might want in on the action. The two women would look badass good in holsters and new shooting outfits.

"My parents want to speak to you."

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