Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 74620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“I told you before, Victor,” he says, laying a hand on my shoulder. “I am here through anything you need. I will never betray you. Loyalty is in my blood.”
“As it is in mine.”
He nods. “Then I’ll get the meeting set up.” Silence hangs between us for a long moment. “I’m happy for you Victor,” he says. “You need to find love again after Gaia.” At the mention of her name, I feel the tension twisting in my gut. I don’t believe that Sofía would do what she did, but the fear is there.
I don’t want to have to hurt Sofía in any way, not long term anyway, but if I ever found her with another man, I’ll not only cut his dick from his body and watch him bleed out, I’ll do the same to her, slicing her open until she begs for a merciful killing.
“Go now, I need to talk to her,” I tell Javi, who offers me a knowing wink. He turns on his heel and leaves me to my queen. Although, she doesn’t wear my ring yet, it’s only a matter of time before she does, and when that happens, the tides will turn in the Cordero household.
“Sorry about that,” I tell her when I turn around.
“I heard you mention Rodrigo.”
I nod. No need to lie to her, nothing I say will send her running, at least I fucking hope so. “I’m meeting with him. He’s on the island, and I need to sort some things out with him. For starters, I need to know why he wants you.”
“What? Me? He said that?” Her panic is palpable. She looks like a deer caught in headlights at the thought of seeing him again, which only confirms my suspicions. Something is wrong, very fucking wrong.
“What are you not telling me, juguete?”
Her eyes—that hold so many secrets—meet mine. I can tell she’s hiding the truth, and that’s only going to make matters worse for her. If she can’t trust me by now, then I’m not sure she’ll ever trust me.
“Sofía, if I don’t know the whole story, I’m never going to be able to help you,” I tell her, hoping she’ll see the honesty in my gaze. Never have I met a more stubborn woman. Yet, I’ve never met a woman I want more.
29
Sofía
The truth sits on my tongue, threatening to steal my life like a poison if I hold onto it. But if I told him what I had done, he would never forgive me. Perhaps he would kill me right here on the beach. He’d enjoy watching my blood spill.
But also, there’s another way this could go—I would tell him, and he’d take me and show Rodrigo just how powerful he truly is. I’m not sure which I want more; if he kills me, at least I’ll be free. The thought of never having to worry for another day fills my stomach with warmth, but the idea of never looking at Victor again chills my heart.
“Sofía,” he says my name in warning. All those fantasies of living happily ever after with Victor fly out the window, and I know honesty is the only way I can get through this.
“When I first came to your house,” I start, the confession burns me from the inside out, and I know there’s no longer a choice to keep it to myself. He will learn when he goes to Rodrigo. “I didn’t know what I was doing. My naivety kept me silent in admitting the truth to you. I was being blackmailed by him, and I had no choice, but—”
“Shut up,” he grinds through clenched teeth. Anger morphs to fury, then to rage, as I watch his gaze darken before my very eyes. It’s as if someone is flicking through an animation as it twists and turns page by page.
“Victor, he told me if I got him intel on your security, he would be able to free my father from your dungeon. I believed it because I was afraid. Until I learned who you really are, and then, I knew he was the liar and not you.”
“You broke my trust?” he finally speaks, the words spat with venom as he leans into my face. The sneer that curls his lip has disgust written in his expression. My body shakes as he grips my hair, his hand fisting in the strands, as he drags me across the sand until we reach a boulder that hides us from view.
“No! Victor, listen to me!”
“Shut. The. Fuck. Up!” His voice booms around me.
If he killed me right here, nobody would miss me. No one would know. He shoves me into the sand, my body falling to the coolness beneath me. I deserve this, I did break his trust. Even though I was a payment he took, he didn’t hurt me more than I deserved.