Page 28 of Seductive Desires

“How did he find you, do you know?” Liam queried.

“The magazine…” Jo whispered. I nodded.

“I think so.”

She continued when I didn’t. “There was an article about the gala in the Chicago Elite magazine this month. It came out a few days ago. It had a picture of Mariana and Mateo in it.”

I still felt like an idiot about that. There were photographers and paparazzi everywhere when I arrived. Why wouldn’t they be inside the gala too? I’m sure it would have been fine if I hadn’t danced… I bit my lip. I regretted what it led to but I couldn’t regret that dance. It was the most fun and free I felt since my mom died.

“What does he want?” Dmitriy’s accent was thick. He was more than a little scary. His nose slightly crooked like he had broken it at least once and when he frowned it darkened his whole face.

“What the hell do you think he wants?” Jo growled. I worried about his reaction but he only frowned at her, not moving from his spot leaning against the wall.

“It is important to ask, Jo,” he remarked before looking back at me expectantly. I dropped my head, avoiding his gaze. Mateo wrapped further around me, his warmth my anchor as I fought off panic.

“Me.”

Mateo cursed, his hold almost too tight as he tried to reign himself back in. I flattened my hand against his chest, feeling his heart race underneath my palm. He released one hand, wrapping it around mine. It gave me the courage to continue.

“He says we are meant to be. He’s made me uncomfortable since I hit puberty, always too affectionate, too clingy. I used to sleep with my bedroom door barricaded because he would try to get in. He told me once that my mom died so we could be together.” I shuddered. I finally looked up, locking eyes with Mateo. “He thinks I’m playing hard to get. He kept saying it, like he thinks I’m just teasing him.”

“Oh, Mariana…” Jo finally left Liam’s arms, dropping to her knees next to me, her hand on my shoulder. She was a lot like Carlos, kind and selfless. He took me in without a second thought. Even when he was working a job he couldn’t stand, he would work extra hours just to make sure I had enough to eat. He helped me get back on my feet after my last run in with Stephen. I’m glad he’s in another country or I’d be worried Stephen would go after him.

“I just need a few days… I need to figure out how to get out of here without him finding out where I’m going…” Not that I knew where to run to. Obviously big cities weren’t enough to hide me. Maybe I should leave the country…

“Why?” Dmitriy frowned at me.

“Why what?”

“Why are you leaving? Will he not follow you?”

My eyebrows furrowed. “What else am I going to do?”

“Kill him.”

My head jerked back, stunned. He said it so matter-of-factly, like it was obvious. “Um, I don’t know where you’re from, but where I’m from, that’s not legal.”

He shrugged. That’s it. Just shrugged, like he didn’t care. Who even was this guy?

Jo was frowning as she spoke. “He’s got a point, Mariana. You have to stop running eventually or you’ll always be looking over your shoulder. You’ll never get to really live.”

“I tried standing up to him once. I got a restraining order and everything, even stayed with a cop friend of mine…”

“What happened?”

I sucked in a breath. The last time Stephen caught up to me was the most terrifying and I still get nightmares about it. I glanced at Mateo. “Stephen killed him. He told me it was my fault that he died, that I should have just done as I was told and he wouldn’t have had to do it.”

“You were there?” Jo whispered. I nodded, not bothering to fight off the tears this time. That was the day I regretted the most. I couldn’t stand up to Stephen. I couldn’t ask other people to help me. They’d just get hurt and it would be my fault.

“How did you get away?”

“Sheer dumb luck. They were driving me somewhere and they stopped for gas, leaving me in the trunk. I found the emergency latch, jumped out, and took off. It was dark, they couldn’t see me and there were trees everywhere. I was in the forest for a few days before I found the closest town and caught a ride to the airport.”

I was lucky that my mom thought ahead and put all the money she had left in a private bank account for me. Not even Stephen knows about that account. Anything that is not used for bills is put into that account until the next time I need it and I keep it offline. All deposits are done in cash by hand so it’s not linked to anything. I used the last of my mother’s money getting to Chicago. I was living on the streets, terrified of every noise, when Carlos found me. He took me in, helped me recover, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. It broke my heart to think about leaving him, but I wouldn’t risk his life to stay.

“You have been on the defense. You should go on the offense instead.”

“I’m not killing him!”

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