Page 31 of Keeping My Captive

Mateo stops and turns to me. He studies me for a moment, his dark brows furrowing. “I have some business I need to take care of. You’ll wait for me upstairs with Pablo and Javier in the VIP lounge. Alright?”

I nod several times, unable to speak. He probably thinks I’m looking around for a way out of here. I mean, technically I am, but not just for the reason he thinks.

Grabbing my arm roughly, he leans in closer to tell me, “Behave yourself while I’m gone,cariño.” And then he vows, “I will punish you if I have to.”

He pulls back and stares at me for several seconds until I finally break eye contact and stare around the club, keeping my face stoic and feigning interest. And then he eventually walks away.

I search the area around me, wondering if anyone speaks English. But when I feel a firm hand at my elbow, I know my time is already up. Mateo’s goons are going to take me upstairs whether I want to or not.

“Let’s go,” Pablo says sternly. He’s the bigger of the two. While Javier is tall and skinny, Pablo is stout and muscular. I’ve seen them around the compound often, but I don’t know much about them other than their names and that they work for Mateo.

I’m led upstairs, and my entire body is trembling by the time we get to the top. Javier opens the door, and I slowly enter. Several men are in the room, playing Poker at a large, oval table, and they all turn at once to look at me with hungry eyes. But as soon as Javier says, “This is Mateo’s girl,” every single one of them turns their attention back to the card game.

Sighing, I realize tonight is not the night to plan an escape. Mateo has all of these men in his back pocket, and I’ll never be allowed to leave this room on my own. Sitting down on the couch, I try to calm myself down. “May I have some water?” I ask Pablo.

He mumbles something in Spanish under his breath, but then begrudgingly turns and grabs a bottle of water from a nearby mini fridge.

I take the water with a small note of appreciation. My hands are shaking, and it takes me several attempts to open the cap. The water feels cool and soothing on my throat, but it does nothing to take away from the loud music thumping downstairs and making my stomach turn with every drop of the bass.

I can feel a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead, and I fan myself to try to get rid of the nausea. Goosebumps form on my arms as I think about that fateful night.The club. The music. The gunshots.

I squeeze my eyes shut and press the cold bottle of water against my neck, trying to bring myself back to reality.

My eyes open, and suddenly the room I’m in feels too small and suffocating. I feel like I can’t get enough air into my lungs. I’ve never had a panic attack before, but I think that might be exactly what’s going on.

I stand quickly, teetering in my heels, and all the blood rushes to my head to the point where I’m lightheaded. Just the thought of passing out in a room full of these criminals makes my anxiety even worse.

“What the fuck is your problem?” someone asks.

And that’s when I hear it.

Pop, pop, pop, pop!

It’s loud and distinctive over the music. At first, I think I’m hearing things, stuck in a memory of that night, but then I see the men in the room all going on high alert all at once; all of them reaching for their own weapons.

The men who were all previously in the room before our arrival go storming out the door. Pablo looks to his partner and says, “Stay with her. I’m going to go check things out.”

Javier stands by the door with his gun in his hand, ready to shoot anyone who dares to cross the threshold.

“He’s coming for me,” I whisper, ice crystallizing in my veins as I shiver with fear. Even though it doesn’t make any sense, I truly believe that somehow Constantine found me. He’s shooting up the club just like he did the night he kidnapped me. He’s going to take me again. And even though I wanted to be rescued from Mateo, I now realize that there are crueler fates out there and more dangerous men than my own captor.

“He’s coming!” I yell in a panic, my voice tremulous and sounding high-pitched and strange even to my own ears.

Javier turns to look at me with an inquisitive look on his face. “Who? Who’s coming for you?” he demands.

My mouth opens, but the only sound that comes out is a horrified scream.

CHAPTER21

Mateo

ISTARE DOWN at the dead man with a bullet between his eyes. His lifeless body is lying on the floor in the back room of the club, along with two of his men, who tried playing hero in protecting their boss.

What was supposed to be a peaceful meeting between the two heads of the largest Mexican cartel families turned into what almost became an all-out war and a fucking bloodbath. But I solved the problem quickly by taking the head off the snake before things could escalate any further.

Hernando Cruz is no more, suffering the same fate as every other man I’ve killed before him. His empire is now mine. With him gone, I will liquidize his entire cartel, taking all his drugs, money, weapons and men. Everything will become part of my kingdom, only strengthening it and ultimately giving me more power.

Cruz thought he could cheat me out of a deal, cheat me out of millions. Well, I showed him what happened to people who double-cross me.

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