Page 44 of Tainted Obsession 1
My mouth goes dry. “How do you know my name?”
She purses her lips, but her distaste doesn’t seem to be directed at me. “I make it my business to familiarize myself with my enemies and the people close to them. You’re George Crawford’s fiancée, aren’t you?”
I swallow hard. Maybe I’ve made a terrible mistake in thinking that Carmen might be on my side.
“I didn’t know anything about his involvement withLos Zetas,” I say quickly.
Even now, admitting to the fact that George is corrupt sends pain knifing through my heart.
“I believe you,” she replies, placating. “My concern now isn’t with Crawford; it’s with Massimo.” She glances pointedly at the bite mark. “Is he mistreating you?” Her eyes stare at something I can’t see, and all the warmth drains out of them. “I will not stand by and do nothing if there’s an abusive man in my home.”
Her home?She lives here—with Stefano. She’s definitely associated with the cartel, even if she’s currently concerned for my wellbeing.
When I don’t answer right away, her eyes narrow, her gaze spearing Massimo like daggers flung across the room.
“I don’t care if it’s an insult to the Camorra. I will kill him for violating you.”
The Camorra.So, Massimo is with the mafia. I’d already known, but the confirmation makes my blood run cold.
“I’m going to tell my husband to take our charming Italian guest to the basement. Stefano will make sure he regrets touching you before he finally allows him to die.”
“What?” I gasp, horror chasing away my conflict over Massimo’s criminal lifestyle.
If Stefano is Carmen’s husband, it’s no wonder she wields so much power here. She wants to order Massimo’s execution, and the drug lord will carry out the sentence.
“No! Massimo didn’t rape me. I…” The admission that I’d enjoyed every deviant moment of his erotic game sticks in my throat, too humiliating to utter.
“He saved me,” I say instead. “He’s been protecting me.”
Carmen’s gaze snaps back to mine, considering me.
“I see,” she says after a moment. “I understand that desire can be…complicated. If you’re with him consensually, I won’t say another word about it.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’mwith him,” I counter. “I mean, he saved me from George andLos Zetas.And he hasn’t forced himself on me.” My cheeks warm, but I continue on, “But I don’t want to be here. I told him I want to leave, and he won’t let me go.”
Hope buds in my chest. Carmen cares about my wellbeing. She cares about my consent.
“Will you help me?”
She cocks her head at me, long, wavy hair swaying around her lovely face. “What is it that you want? To be away from Massimo? You just said he’s protecting you. And you’ve been with him willingly.”
She eyes the bite mark again, a pointed reminder of the fact that I eagerly kissed my captor and welcomed him to ravage me.
I breathe through my embarrassment and plead my case. “I just want to get back to Albuquerque. I can’t stay here.”
“Why?” she asks, a soft challenge.
I consider my next words carefully. She’s Stefano Duarte’s wife. I can’t risk pissing her off.
“I don’t have anything to do with the cartels, and I don’t want to. If you help me get out of here, I will leave Mexico City and go back home to America, where I belong.”
Her jaw firms. “You became associated with the cartels because of your fiancé’s poor choices. I understand that’s not your fault, but that doesn’t change the facts. You’ve been in my home. You’ve seen my face. You know who I am and what I do. I can’t risk sending you back to the American authorities.”
“I won’t say a word to anyone, I swear.” I try to reason with her. “I would be dead if it weren’t for Massimo. That’s not a debt I can repay. I would never betray him, and there’s no way I couldtell the DEA about you without involving him. You have nothing to fear from me.”
She laughs softly, genuinely amused. “I know I don’t. I don’t think you could hurt a fly. But I didn’t get this far by taking stupid risks. I have an empire to run, and I don’t intend to lose it. I’ve worked too hard to get to where I am, to be happy. I brought you over here to speak to you privately, so that I could find out if Massimo is abusing you. He’s not. In your own words, he’s protecting you from Crawford andLos Zetas.There’s no need for me to be worried about you staying with him.”
“I’m notstaying with him,” I say bluntly. “I’m his captive.”
