Page 18 of Captive Vows
“No. He dragged his raggedy ass home to find Gabriella alone.”
I raised my brows. “Someone intervened in the building when you took her away?” I guessed.
“No.” Alexsei rolled his eyes. “She didn’t go easily. She wrestled to get away.”
“Hmm.” That was to be expected. No woman wanted to be taken. It would only be a matter of time before she’d learn her new reality, the one that dictated she was my possession now, all thanks to her spineless, lying father. “Was Miguel bothered by any of it?” I imagined a teary, pathetic goodbye. Maybe an apology that he’d dragged her into this mess.
“No,” Alexsei said. “No, he wasn’t. It happened quickly, but as far as I could tell, Miguel didn’t react at all.”
“You let him live?” Allen asked.
I tipped my chin at the door, indicating we could all leave now. With news that Gabriella was in a holding room at my fortress, the large mansion I owned as a residence and subsidiary office, I wanted to see what the fuss was about.
They both walked with me, exiting the office. Nothing was keeping me there anyway, at least, nothing I couldn’t resume handling later.
“Yes. That was the order. We didn’t kill Miguel,” Alexsei said. “Emil didn’t exactly leave him in any state to live for long, though.”
I didn’t mind if Emil left a farewell of a beating on the rat. He deserved it.
“Is there a chance Lopez can sell any other information?” Allen asked.
“No,” I replied. “And if he tries to cause me any more trouble, itwillbe his life that he’ll owe me.” It wasn’t my nature to leave threads loose like this, but Miguel had been tortured and questioned so extensively that it didn’t seem like he had anything else to sell to the Cartel or Italians.
“At any rate,” Alexsei quipped dryly, “you’ll need some good luck on your side if you plan to sell Gabriella.”
“Why?” The only assumption I could reach was that she was hideous. Unattractive. Such a lost cause that she wouldn’t be desirable to anyone. “She’s not a virgin?” I didn’t often concentrate on selling women as a business, but it was common knowledge that virgins would always fetch a higher price. I hadn’t looked at any of the photos of her up close. She could be a freak no one would want. Or she could be too used, damaged goods already.
“Oh, no. It sounds like she’s a virgin,” my nephew said. “It’s just that she’s a handful.”
I gestured for him to get into my car as we reached it in the parking garage. Allen handed over the ice pack someone had brought for him, and with a wave, he excused himself.
“A handful?” I huffed a laugh. Alexsei knew how to manage a handful of anything. Danger. Angry men. A stubborn young son. And uncooperative women. “Just because she fought toget free?” That wasn’t uncommon. Some people actually had a survival instinct.
“She fought to get free,” he replied as we were driven toward my home. He pressed the ice on his face, proving that he was still the tough man I needed him to be but also soft in not wanting to look too rough for his son. “She also faked being drugged. With how difficult she was to grab, I couldn’t be sure I got the needle in her arm properly. When she went lax, I carried her down to the car while Emil gave Miguel his personal goodbye. Emil carried her out of the car, and that’s when we realized she was only faking it. She wasn’t drugged or unconscious. She lashed out and got him really good. A few of us had to grab her before she escaped.” He stared at me, likely wondering if I’d order anything further in regard to Gabriella’s treatment.
I had nothing to say—yet. But I was intrigued. Thiswasdifferent. Most women deferred to tears and begged to get away. Questions would be wailed as they wondered why this was happening to them. Sobs would go along with their pleas for mercy. Most gave up. Once they realized they were outnumbered by strong men, their survival instincts would peter out.
Submission was imminent.
Defeat was implied.
But Gabriella was a fighter. And just like that, I was very curious to see what kind of a woman she was.
Alexsei answered a call about something else as we rode. He lifted a finger to indicate for me to wait a second. I acknowledged him with a wave, dismissing him and leaving him to his responsibilities. Instead of talking about this woman any further, I looked out the window and wished we could hurry this drive. Nothing had given me this urgency lately. Nothing had excited me, but I cautioned myself against admitting that this was exciting. That this was going to be something different to embrace.
We arrived, and I strode straight to the security room where all the footage from the basement rooms was monitored. This was my personal home, but security like this was still a must. These few rooms where hostages could be held were all equipped with cameras. Guests seldom stayed here, but Gabriella was an exception for now.
In the biggest room that was more furnished than the others, Gabriella lay slumped on a bed. She was out now, clearly drugged despite the hassle of her faking it the first time. As she began to stir and sit up, she gave me the first view of her face. It was a shame it was through this camera.
She was young, but not so much so that I wouldn’t be turned off. Gabriella was a woman, elegant with high cheekbones, sharp eyes, and a heart-shaped face. Even though the image was grainy, there was no mistaking her beauty. Her athleticism. Her curves. In the scowl she gave the room, sitting there and surveying the place, she showed her defiance.
With her looking around, as if scoping for a threat, she demonstrated that she had a fighting spirit.
For how long? Hmm? How long will you stay tough and delude yourself into this idea of control and power?
I hadn’t counted on her being gorgeous, not like this. Not in a way that robbed me of breath. Not so strongly that I was mesmerized, watching her as she stood and investigated how she could get out of the room.
She couldn’t. But when Ivan appeared to bring her water—likely to check on the captive’s vitals, too—she reacted in a snap. Instead of curious and nervous, prying at the windows and doors for a chance to run, she positioned herself to attack.
