AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A flicker of something like humanity crosses his features but quickly evaporates. He laughs and shakes his head. “I grew up, Renata.”
I stare at the lifeless body of the man on the floor, killed for not hitting me harder. I stare at my brother’s cruel face, twisted in hatred and anger. I swallow hard.
“I’ll do what you ask,” I tell him. “But if you touch one hair on his head, I will kill you myself.”
Carlos nods as if satisfied with my response. “There it is. The hint of Carerra blood you’ve kept buried under all those lies and deception.” He shakes his head. “We’ll meet again, Renata. Remember, I have eyes on you. Not a word to anyone about me. I’m dead to all the world. You know what will happen if you betray me again.”
I wish he were dead. God, I wish he weredead.
I’ll do what he tells me, but not for him. I’ll play his game, because if I don’t, Ollie will pay the price. But I swear to fucking God, when the time comes, it will be Carlos who bleeds.
He jerks his chin at me. “Take her. No more bruises, not today.” I release a shaky breath. “Leave her on the street, crying for mercy. The American is here. He’ll find her. Let him.” His face twists in a cruel sneer. “Then leave the rest for me.”
The American is here.
He’s here.
And he thinks I betrayed them. For the first time in my entire life, I’m tempted to end it all. The crushing weight feels like too much.
“Remember, Renata. If you ever tell them, if I catch even the slightest hint that you’ve betrayed me, he’ll die first. Then you.”
No. I will never give up this one life I have to live for anyone.
I’ll get away. I’ll escape. I’ll leave who I am behind and start all over, where no one will ever find me.
Carlos stands, and his men snap to attention. He jerks his chin at the one in front, who comes to stand in front of me.
“On second thought,” Carlos says. “A little more blood might do well.” He lifts his hand to strike me. I wince and brace for the blow I can’t deflect, but it doesn’t come. I’m gasping for breath and confused when I hear a loudthump.I look to find Carlos standing in front of me, the masked man’s hand blocking Carlos from striking me. I notice a small scar on the inside of the man’s wrist.
He speaks in rapid Spanish with confidence. He just watched a man die for not hitting me hard enough and had the audacity to block Carlos? “I’m sorry, sir. You should leave her, sir. It will make your story more credible. If she’s beaten too badly, they might suspect a setup.”
I hold my breath.
With a snarl, he shoves the guard, who topples into me.
“Fine. Get the bitch out of here. We don’t have time for any more bullshit.” I blink in surprise. One of his men defended me, and he… allowed it? Is there a shred of humanity left in him? Did my plea change him, or is he just wildly inconsistent?
I’ll remember the guard with the mark on his wrist.
“Lover boy’s not far off. When we get outside, hit her head and knock her out.”
Something in me snaps. I’m not a rag doll to be beaten and abused. “No!” Panic sweeps through me. I struggle against the restraints and scream. I kick at the guard and try to get away, but there are too many of them and only one of me. I can’t get away, no matter what I do.
They drag me out, blindfolded. I’m crying freely.
A blow strikes the back of my head and the world tilts. The last thing I see is the cold, bleak sky as I slip into darkness.
CHAPTER THREE
Ollie
My men have beenon the prowl now for two days, searching high and low for Renata Carerra. There are two things I know for sure: she’s not far, and she’s betrayed my family.
I’ve looked in every nook and cranny in Colombia to no avail, but Isabella says she hasn’t left Colombia yet, so I keep hunting.
I pace in the living room of my brother Lev and his wife Isabella’s Colombian home. They reside in both New York and Colombia, as they shoulder leadership roles as the bridge between the Morales family cartel and the Romanov family’s Bratva.
“I can’t find her,” I tell Isabella, running a hand through my hair. “Maybe she’s fled the country.”
