Kingpin's Property, page 16
My focus had shifted from Carmen to the twisted gold on my palm. I found it easier to face the weakness of the memory it elicited than to look into her fearful eyes.
“I kept this hidden for years, holding on to one piece of her while my father removed all evidence that she had ever existed from our house. One day, when I was sixteen, he tore through my bedroom in a drunken rage, searching for cash I’d earned dealing pot for a local gang.”
The insult of my criminal activities had been a very public spit in his face; I’d made no effort to conceal my crimes. I hadn’t been strong enough then to physically best him, but I could humiliate him. I could destroy the virtuous reputation that he had flaunted to cover up my mother’s murder.
“He found the ring and melted it with a propane torch. That was the day I decided to kill him.”
My gaze snapped back to Carmen’s face. Her gray eyes were still wide, but her features were slack with shock rather than drawn with fear. My blunt presentation of the dark facts about my formative years reached her in a way no flowery apology would ever manage.
“I went to your father, Carmen. I made a deal with Luis Ronaldo that accomplished two triumphs: my powerful position within the Ronaldo Cartel and my father’s death.”
She sucked in a small gasp, apparently naïve of my personal history with her family. Of course, she was well aware that I used to be a key player in their cartel, but she didn’t know how I’d attained my unique position of power at such a young age.
“You would have been about fifteen at the time, so I don’t know if you were aware of what was happening in Juárez.” I prompted her to interject, coaxing her out of her shocked silence.
“Father was at war with the Guzmán Cartel,” she said softly, finally engaging with me. Her tight hold on her knees eased, her protective posture relaxing. “They both wanted to control Juárez as an entry point for trafficking their product into the US. I know it was bloody for several years, but our cartel eventually came out on top.”
I nodded. “That’s because I betrayed my father to Luis Ronaldo. I wasn’t physically strong enough to best Alejandro at that point, but Raúl Guerrero was. He was a member of the gang I’d been dealing for, and your father had recruited that gang in his war with the Guzmán Cartel. I convinced Raúl that if he killed my father, he would be welcomed into the Ronaldo Cartel with me. Once Alejandro was dead, Luis was able to install a new chief of police in his place, a man who accepted Ronaldo bribes and turned the tide of war in his favor.”
Carmen stared at me, her parted lips conveying her surprise at these revelations. Her fearful demeanor had softened, and she listened intently to my every word.
“Didn’t you ever wonder how I managed to become so influential by the age of twenty-two?” I pressed. “How do you think I garnered enough favor to be invited to your family estate, where I had the opportunity to seduce you for information to use against your brother?”
Luis Ronaldo had been killed in a firefight with the federal police the following month, and I’d had everything I needed to stage my rebellion against Pedro.
“I fractured your cartel and took half for myself. I grasped for the power that I needed to secure my own domain.” I lifted my chin, unapologetic for how I’d destroyed her family’s organization to ensure my own survival. “I will never be controlled by a more powerful man ever again.”
I shifted my grip on my mother’s ruined ring, grasping it between my thumb and forefinger to ensure it captured Carmen’s focus.
“I keep this to remind myself of that. I’m sorry I lost my temper when I saw you holding it. No one other than me has touched it since the night my father tried to destroy it. I know I don’t experience emotions like other people, but I have a lot of dark, visceral feelings associated with that memory. I wasn’t prepared to be confronted with them, and I lost control.”
I took a step toward her, gauging her reaction. She swallowed hard, but she didn’t cringe or tremble.
I continued my progress, slowly closing the distance between us. I reached for her, and although she stiffened slightly, she didn’t flinch from my hand.
The silky glide of her hair against my calloused fingertips soothed the tension I held in my own muscles, and I breathed properly for the first time since I’d entered my penthouse to find her crouching behind the couch.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” I apologized again, speaking with the weight of an oath. “I will never hurt you, Carmen. I’m not like my father. I will never be like him.” The last vow was meant for myself every bit as much as it was meant for her.
Alejandro Duarte had been volatile, erratic. He’d lived by a strict moral code, but that hadn’t extended to treating his family with any form of mercy or human decency.
I was always firmly in control; the emotions that ruled weaker men didn’t influence my actions. And I didn’t bother hiding my misdeeds behind the pretense of morality.
I was the polar opposite of my father.
Carmen would come to see that. In time, she would accept that she didn’t have to be fearful around me.
I wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her and that included myself.
Chapter 17
Carmen
“You did scare me,” I murmured, admitting my own vulnerability.
Stefano already saw the weakness that I hid so carefully from everyone else; despite my icy demeanor, I was constantly afraid.
But for the first time, I felt compelled to share it with him by my own choosing.
He’d just admitted his own vulnerabilities, although I doubted he viewed them as weaknesses. I wasn’t certain if he’d been born with his sociopathic tendencies or if they had been wired into his brain as a child when he witnessed his father’s violence. No matter the origin of his psychological abnormality, he chose to live in that emotionless void because he felt safe there. The mental clarity it granted had enabled him to grasp for the power that he needed to survive.
I understood that all too well. I’d arranged for my own brother to be murdered so that I could attain enough power to survive.
Stefano continued to pet me, his touch never faltering despite his displeasure with my emotional state. The fine lines around his eyes drew deep, and his mouth twisted in a grimace. “I’m sorry, kitten. I never want you to be afraid of me. I want you to feel safe.”
He expressed himself as he always did: I want. Everything in his world was framed within the context of his own desires, and I didn’t suspect that would ever change. He wasn’t capable of empathy, but he did care about me deeply enough that my moods affected him.
Stefano was ruthless in attaining anything he wanted. If he wanted me to be safe, I was certain he would do everything in his power to protect me. Did it matter if the impetus for that desire was inherently selfish?
If my safety and contentment pleased him, the end result was the same: I would be safe and content.
“I know you want me to feel safe,” I reassured him. “I believe you.” I lifted my hand to his face, brushing my fingers over his clenched jaw.
The tension eased from his features, and he blew out a sigh. “That’s good, kitten.”
My lips tugged in a wry smile, but I chose not to point out that he was experiencing the feeling of relief. It was enough to know that he truly cared about my well-being, even if he didn’t seem to fully understand that.
When he’d first captured me, he’d claimed that he hadn’t been able to replicate the high of fucking me. He wanted to keep me because he attained an elusive level of pleasure with me that was more intense than simple sexual ecstasy.
I suspected now that he hadn’t shared an intimate connection like this with anyone else. When he’d seduced me all those years ago, he’d ruthlessly demolished my emotional barriers and forced me to submit. In the process, he’d inadvertently torn down some barriers within himself, as well.
I pushed up onto my elbow, shifting to sit upright so I could reassure him with a kiss.
His dark eyes flared, and he met me halfway. His mouth was gentle on mine, an apologetic promise that he would never harm me.
But he couldn’t seem to restrain the part of himself that needed to dominate me. He guided me back down, settling his weight over me to ensure that I couldn’t escape his tender kiss.
I arched into him, inviting him to claim me more deeply. I didn’t want to escape.
He took everything I offered and pushed for more, his big hands easing beneath the hem of my silk nightgown and tugging it up my body.
I met his aggression without hesitation; I didn’t fight down my desire to touch him. Since he’d captured me, I’d been lured into engaging with him in the heat of passion, but my actions hadn’t been of my own volition. Now, I was hungry for him, and I no longer cared to deny my instincts.
Stefano had stripped away my defiance in his merciless game last night, and I found that I didn’t feel compelled to rebuild the wall between us. I was tired of fighting not only him, but myself as well.
I wanted Stefano. My body had always ached for him, and my mind was starting to accept that I desired him for more than helpless physical pleasure. He’d promised that I didn’t have to be miserable with him, and he was right. I could choose to let go of my misery, my bitterness, and my fear.
My fingers worked at the buttons on his shirt, hungry to finally indulge myself in his powerful body. He pulled my nightgown over my head, and I compliantly lifted my arms just long enough for him to strip me before I resumed my exploration of his corded muscles. His abs rippled beneath my touch, and he growled into my mouth.
I fumbled at his belt, my hands shaking from the riptide of desire tearing through me. My core ached for him, my body primed by his ruthless conditioning.
He cupped my breasts and pinched my nipples, the pain sending hot lines of pleasure directly to my throbbing clit. I whimpered, and he caught the sound of my tormented ecstasy on his tongue, consuming me.
I continued to work at his belt, and my hand brushed his hard cock through his slacks.
He broke our kiss with a curse, lifting his weight off me so that he could retrieve a condom from the nightstand drawer. Standing by the edge of the bed, he grasped my thighs and pulled me toward him, arranging my body where he wanted it. He dragged my ass to the edge of the mattress and lifted my legs into the air, spreading me wide and resting my calves on his shoulders.
He paused there for a few seconds, his intense gaze pinning me in place as he drank in every naked inch of me. My skin flushed with warmth in response to his hungry attention, and my inner walls contracted, aching to be filled.
“Please,” I panted. “I want you, Stefano.”
A snarl slipped between his teeth, his expression sharpening to something savage. The flutter in my belly had nothing to do with fear. I craved his harsh intensity, his single-minded determination to possess me.
He freed his cock from his slacks and sheathed himself with the condom. Not bothering to finish removing his clothes, he grabbed me with impatient hands. His strong fingers dipped beneath my ass cheeks, biting into my tender flesh as he jerked my hips toward his, impaling me on his thick cock.
A sharp cry left my lips, the flare of pain at his sudden thrust shocking me. He stilled inside me, and his fingers began to toy with my clit. He rubbed me with expert attention, circling the needy bud and stoking my lust. My inner muscles danced around his shaft, and slick arousal eased his penetration.
“More,” I moaned, shifting my hips in an effort to make him move inside me.
His hand cracked across my breast, and I shrieked as stinging pain bloomed on my tender flesh. He showed no mercy, capturing my nipple and pinching hard while his other hand continued to toy with my clit.
I tried to shove his punitive fingers away from my breast, and he gave my nipple a cruel twist.
“Hands above your head,” he commanded sharply, prompting immediate obedience.
He released my nipple, soothing the abused bud with gentle strokes of his thumb.
“That was very naughty, little pet,” he chided. “You don’t make demands.” He punctuated the order with a harsh thrust, drawing a gasp from my chest. “You don’t push me away.” Another brutal thrust. “I own you.”
My lips parted, a protest on the tip of my tongue.
He pinched my clit, transforming my defiant words into a harsh shout.
“There’s no going back now, kitten,” he warned darkly. “You’re not in control. You accept pleasure on my terms.”
He released the pressure of his cruel fingers on my most vulnerable area, circling my clit in a demanding pattern that dragged me to the edge of orgasm. He eased back, his cockhead stimulating my g-spot.
A strangled sound of pure, primal need clawed from my throat, and he slammed inside me with enough force to rock my entire body.
“You’re mine, Carmen,” he swore. “All mine.”
He gripped my hips with both hands, holding me in place for his own pleasure. He settled into a merciless rhythm, his teeth bared on a feral growl. With each rough thrust, he drove me higher, the relentless heat of his hard cock marking me deep inside.
Delicious tension gathered at my core, all of my muscles drawing tight. My back arched, and my eyes closed on a desperate moan.
“Look at me.” He hissed the command, holding back his release until I complied.
He drove into me with cruel savagery, keeping me locked in his dark stare. His bottomless eyes swallowed me up, and I lost myself in him.
His wild roar signaled his completion, his shaft pumping inside me. His thumb ground against my clit, wringing my orgasm from my body.
I shattered beneath his ruthless hands, helplessly screaming his name as I came.
Chapter 18
Carmen
“Before you argue with me, I want you to remember that I promised to keep you safe.”
Dread stirred in my gut at Stefano’s preemptive warning. He’d been so gentle with me today, his soft caresses a shocking contrast to the deep ache between my legs. He’d fucked me mercilessly when he’d claimed me yesterday, and I was reminded of his possession with every step.
“No, kitten,” he admonished, nipping my neck at the first sign of tension.
“I didn’t say anything,” I protested breathily, leaning back into his chest without thinking.
Now that I wasn’t terrified of his strength, I found his solid frame reassuring. His arms closed around me from behind, his hands skimming over the silky material of the indecently low-cut, scarlet dress he’d selected for me.
“You were thinking about arguing already,” he rumbled in my ear, dropping a tender kiss on the spot he’d bitten.
I took a breath and turned to face him, lifting my chin as I met his gaze levelly. “What would I argue about?”
Whatever he had to say, I wasn’t going to like it. Just because I’d decided that being with him wasn’t all that terrible didn’t mean that I would eagerly obey his every command. If he wanted to call me kitten and pet, I could live with the endearments. Secretly, I kind of liked them.
But my sexual submission didn’t mean I was actually subservient to him. Between our explosive sex yesterday and his absence throughout today, we hadn’t gotten the opportunity to realistically discuss the parameters of a consensual relationship between the two of us.
He frowned at me and gripped my jaw in his big hand, forcibly lowering my chin to mitigate my defiant posture.
My anger surged, and I tried to shove him away. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them at the small of my back, applying pressure to trap me against his chest.
“You can’t behave this way tonight,” he said firmly. “Listen to me, and don’t argue. I am trying to keep you safe. Understood?”
I studied his forbidding features for a moment, distrustful.
“Okay,” I finally agreed to his terms. I could listen to what he had to say. Especially because the hard determination in his onyx eyes indicated that my compliance wasn’t optional. I could keep my pride and hear him out, or I could be put in a position where I was forced to listen to him.
I chose to maintain my dignity.
“We’re going out tonight,” he began grimly. “Just to my club downstairs. My associates want to see you. They’re getting impatient.”
My stomach turned. Going to Stefano’s club didn’t sound awful on the surface, but his demeanor and the mention of his associates set me on edge.
“Impatient for what?” I asked, trying to keep the ring of demand from my tone. “What do they expect from me?”
His features remained fixed in a hard mask, but his fingers were gentle as he tucked my hair behind my ear. His other hand kept my wrists secured behind my back.
“You know what they expect, kitten.”
I knew exactly what those sharks wanted: my submission, my degradation, my humiliation.
My heart sank, and my eyes burned. I shouldn’t be surprised by this turn of events, but Stefano’s betrayal cut deeper than a knife in my heart.
“Don’t look at me like that.” His command came out roughly, the sad tilt of his mouth communicating that he didn’t like my pained reaction. “This is necessary. Some of my associates are becoming uneasy with the fact that I’ve kept you hidden away. They need to see that there’s no reason to be concerned with my judgment. This is a dangerous time, Carmen. You know what happens when a cartel crumbles. I can’t afford for my allies to doubt my strength when everyone is looking for a way to turn this chaos to their advantage.”
“So, you’ll parade me around for them in order to maintain your power,” I said bitterly, a statement of fact rather than an accusation.
I understood completely, especially after all he’d revealed about his past yesterday. It would be ridiculous and sentimental of me to presume that Stefano would value my feelings over his survival.
