Page 50 of Burning Beauty

Maria blinked, trying to get rid of the sleep that still suppressed her normal brain functioning. "Show me?" Did he bring back a present from his trip? She thought that was a little unlikely considering how pissed off he'd been at her. Maybe he bought it for her before he found out about her lie.

"Si, downstairs," he nodded, and gently pulled her up from the bed. He looked down at her critically and reached for her bathrobe. It was long and silky and clung to her with loving softness. "Put this on."

She was grateful for the extra cover since her sleep shorts and tank top weren't going to keep her warm enough in the main part of the house. She was finding Florida in the winter to be colder than she'd anticipated, though it wasn't bad. She was just used to the hot dry weather of her hometown in Mexico.

He escorted her out into the hallway, one hand holding hers and the other at her back guiding her. It was this stance, the way he was holding her, that began to set off alarm bells. She tested him by trying to pull away, walk ahead of him. He held her fast at his side, showing his strength by tightening his grip.

Maria swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. "Where are we going, Nic?"

"Downstairs," he said shortly.

"You're scaring me," she whispered, and when he didn't answer, her heart began to pound like crazy. She wanted to twist around and run away from what he wanted to show her, but there was nowhere for her to run. Nic owned the house and grounds, he controlled everything around him including her. She was scared and knew deep in her heart that wherever he was taking her would be terrible.

"Outside," he growled in her ear.

Maria began to actively resist, trying to pull away from his bruising hold, but he continued to hold her tight and march her forward. Was he going to kill her? Had he had enough of her resistance and rule breaking?

He pulled the door open and escorted her out into the cool evening air. It hit her in a rush sending shivers through her body. She had to blink against the wind and shove the hair blowing in her face before she could see what was going on, and when she finally did, she let out a scream and tried to rush forward.

Nic held her tight, forcing her to stand next to him as he slowly descended the steps of the mansion to the driveway where they stopped just outside the semi-circle of men in the driveway. In total there were four men; Luke, two of the house guards and Antonio. Antonio was on his knees on the asphalt, his shoulders slumped and blood pouring from his nose and a head wound.

"No!" Maria cried out and turned to look at Nic. "Please! What are you going to do? Please don't hurt him again, it was all my fault. I'm so sorry!"

Nic nodded to Luke who stepped forward. "Take her." Nic allowed Luke to take Maria's arm. "Make sure she's watching."

Maria sobbed hysterically as Nic approached the man on his knees in the driveway. He completely ignored her and stood over his victim. He reached into his pocket and removed something metallic. He pushed it over the fingers of his right hand and fitted it over his knuckles. Maria caught a glimpse of his tattoo before he turned his back on her and faced his victim. "You took my woman into the city without permission."

Antonio looked up, using his sleeve to staunch the blood dripping from his nose. "Yes, but she said - "

Nic punched him so hard in the side of the face, hitting him squarely with the brass knuckles, that everyone could hear an audible crunch. Maria screamed and doubled over. Luke caught her before she could collapse and leaned her against his chest, maybe attempting to give her the strength she would need for this confrontation. She didn't know but she was grateful for the human contact as her boyfriend turned into a man she didn't recognize, a monster.

"It does not matter what she told you." Nic's voice was eerily calm and completely devoid of emotion, as though his soul had taken a break while his inner demon went to work. Maria knew better though, his accent was stronger, giving away a sliver of his rage. "You are in my employ and you listen to your boss."

"I understand, I understand, it won't happen again." Antonio gripped the side of his head, his voice slurred as he tried to reassure Nic.

"It will not happen again." Nic dropped to one knee and punched Antonio under the chin in a vicious uppercut. The other man flew back, his head slamming into the ground. He rolled onto his side, howling his pain as blood filled his mouth.

Nic stood and watched dispassionately as Antonio tried to regain his faculties. Then Nic nodded at the two other men, who reached down and hauled Antonio back onto his knees. He swayed between them, still begging and grovelling through a broken jaw and a mouth full of broken teeth.

"You put my woman in danger." Nic worked on Antonio, breaking bones with his punishing knuckles as he aimed for maximum pain.

It didn't take Maria long to realize that he was doing irreparable damage to the other man. It occurred to her that he meant to actually kill Antonio, not work him over.

"Please!" she screamed, clinging to Luke's arm where he held her still. "Please stop! This is my fault. I lied, I tricked him. Don't do this, Nic!"

Nic turned his gaze toward Maria, and she shivered, pressing herself back into Luke. Blood dripped from Nic's knuckles and splattered across his forearms and the white material of his shirt. There was no mercy in his eyes. There was nothing. In that one look Maria felt her desperate love for him take a hit. He didn't care enough to stop, to come back to her, to reassure her.

"He put you in danger, Maria," he said as his men scraped a broken Antonio off the driveway and lifted him to his knees for the last time.

"I was never in danger," she protested desperately. Maria gasped for air, dizzy from screaming and panicking. She tried to reason with Nic, tried to make him see things from her point of view. "I just needed to get away from the mansion for a few hours, I'm not used to being cooped up for so long. You would've said no, so I played a game. It was a stupid game and I'm so fucking sorry."

He nodded grimly. "I believe that you are."

Maria felt a split second of relief, then Nic pulled a gun from the holster inside his jacket. "There has to be consequences," he said, and reached for Maria.

She screamed and flinched back, but Luke handed her over to the boss and stepped away. Nic wrapped his arm around Maria's waist and held her against his chest. She tried to push him away, but her efforts were useless. Tears began to make their way through her shock, trickling steadily down her face in wet paths.

"Don't do this," she begged him. "Please don't do this."

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