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“Yes, you’re right. This is in your power. Only you can stop this.”
“How?”
“I want you to fight one of my bulls. If you survive, the hostages will be released.”
“My death will make you happy?” She tried to fathom the depth of his evil.
“Very. Your father tampered with the order of things, the way of our people, my personal goals. His actions had to be curtailed and so must yours, La Diosa. You will fight Desperado. I am having him brought here from the states. Until then, you will contact no one.”
Esteban instructed Don Luis to take Isabella to a windowless room in the basement and secure the door. As he was guiding her to the makeshift prison, she couldn’t resist asking more questions. “Where are Magdalena and Renata? The others?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“What if I survive? What then?”
Don Luis scoffed. “You will not survive, he will ensure that – one way or the other.”
Seeing her uncle seemed to be in a confessing mood, she took advantage. “Did my father really die without a will?”
“Of course not. I stole it. After my brother and his twit of a wife were out of the way, I couldn’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass me by.”
“What did it cost to keep Esteban at bay all of this time?”
“I am paying him, you fool. He was content with that, but you ruined it when you threatened to cut me off. And when he found out who you are? He couldn’t resist.”
Isabella wondered how he found out about her, then she remembered the night at Hardbodies and him living so close, she realized there were many ways.
When he opened the door of the room and shoved her in, Isabella couldn’t resist one final question. “Did you know I was La Diosa?”
“Of course, I kept hoping you’d be killed. Unfortunately, you seem to have nine lives like an alley cat. After you whored yourself to the Texan, I was afraid you’d marry him. When Esteban confronted me with your identity, I decided to help him. He’ll end up with the ranch either way, but if I cooperate, he will let me live here until I die.”
Isabella shook her head. “If you trust him, you’re a fool.”
Once he left her alone, Isabella slid to the floor and cried.
Today, she’d lost everything.
She needed a hero, but the only one she knew, wouldn’t be coming to her rescue.
If Bull were flexible, he would’ve kicked himself in the ass to Austin and back. He’d done what he thought was best, but breaking Isabella’s heart was unforgiveable. If he closed his eyes, he could still see the sadness on her face as she’d gazed at him that one last time.
His day hadn’t gone from bad to worse, he’d already hit rock bottom when he pushed Isabella out of his life.
As far as how the rest of it went, he spent the time canceling events and making apologies. By the time this fiasco was over, the reputation of Redford Stock Contractors would be mud. It might not have been his horse that started the problem, but he’d helped spread the virus and that was all anyone would remember.
After hanging up the phone, Bull rested his head in his hands and wished for a quart of Jack Daniels to drown his sorrows in.
“Boss?”
“I can’t handle any more bad news, Dax.”
“I think you’d better listen to this. Armando says…”
“I don’t really care what Armando says.”
Bull hoped Dax would just go away, if he didn’t acknowledge him further.
He was wrong.
