Chapter 12
Rafael
I grinned at Anan's words, clearly amused by his teasing and playful challenge even as I felt my own resolve beginning to weaken in the face of such blatant temptation.
"Very well," I conceded, rolling off of him onto my back beside him so we were both sprawled lazily on the bed. "You've made your point clear—Valentine's Day deserves at least some token gestures of affection and celebration."
Anan brightened at my admission, sitting up with a cheeky smile playing about his lips as he gazed down at me.
"So, you'll get me something?" He asked, his eyes sparkling with naughtiness even as they traced over my body. "Not that I need it, of course. You've already given me the greatest gift imaginable with your body."
I chuckled at his bravado, propping myself up on one elbow to smirk back at him roguishly. "Your ego is truly as insatiable as your libido," I teased. "But yes, I suppose a few trinkets are in order to commemorate the occasion properly. I'll be back shortly."
With that declaration, I slid out of bed and began gathering my clothes from where they lay scattered on the floor, dressing quickly while keeping one eye on Anan to ensure he didn't try anything foolish in my absence.
Within minutes, I had pulled on fresh trousers and a shirt before heading out into the hallway towards the guest suite where I kept my personal stash of valuables. I needed to get chocolate, flowers, and a card for my omega. It was Valentine's Day after all. I would do anything for him, no matter how ridiculous it was.
The safe opened with a smooth hiss as I keyed in the combination, revealing a small chamber lined with velvet and housing a variety of precious items accumulated over the years. I sifted through the contents quickly, selecting a box of high-end chocolate truffles and a bouquet of rare, midnight-blue roses that I knew Anan would appreciate for their beauty and uniqueness.
With those secured under my arm, I moved swiftly to the desk where a stack of pre-written valentines sat waiting to be gifted. I had these items from my previous adventures with other omegas. They never made me feel what Anan was, though.
Selecting a card with a particularly saccharine message and overly frilly design, I sealed it with a flourish and slipped it into my pocket before striding out once more towards the parlor.
The butler greeted me with a deferential bow as I entered, immediately setting about preparing a silver salver upon which to arrange the flowers and chocolate for presentation.
"See that these make it to my room within the hour," I instructed, nodding at the offerings. "And do send word when the masseur has finished setting up the oils."
The man bowed again and hastened to comply with my orders, scurrying off to fulfill them posthaste.
Satisfied that everything was in motion, I turned my steps towards the kitchens, knowing that the cooks would have prepared a special Valentine's dinner by now that I could share with my new husband. They were pretty good at doing things for me, even when I didn't explicitly say what they were.
As I made my way through the mansion's winding corridors, I reflected on the whirlwind of emotions and sensations that had overtaken me since our hasty wedding ceremony mere hours ago. To think that I would find myself in such a position—wedded and bound to an omega who challenged me at every turn, yet inspired me like none other ever had before.
It was a dizzying prospect, one that filled me with equal parts trepidation and exhilaration for the future ahead of us.
But for the time being, I had chocolate, flowers, and a card to present to my darling Anan as a token of my affection on this most romantic of nights.
However, there was something else that needed to be done before going back. It couldn't be delayed.
The moment I stepped foot into my study, my phone immediately began buzzing with incoming messages and missed calls. I groaned. Shouldn't have brought my phone with me, I thought immediately. I didn't want to be bothered by cartel shit.
It was Diego, though, my second-in-command. It was probably important, so I couldn't ignore it.
I answered, putting the device to my ear as I slumped down into my leather chair behind the massive oak desk that dominated the room. "What is it?"
Diego's voice on the other end of the line was tight with tension. "Boss, we have another problem with the missing fentanyl shipment."
My jaw clenched at his words, a surge of anger flooding through me. I knew I'd have to deal with another issue regarding the missing shipment, but I didn't think it would be now.
"What have you found out?" I demanded, my hand already curling into a fist atop the desk as I waited for Diego's response.
"We traced the shipment to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city," he explained. "And we have more reason to believe that one of the other cartels may be involved somehow." Of course they were. This was war between us and them. We were always at each other's throats.
I stood abruptly from my chair, striding to the window as I gazed out at the darkened city skyline. "Assemble a team and meet me there in thirty minutes," I barked into the phone without hesitation. Anan was going to have to wait, I thought with a feeling of disappointment in myself. "It's time we send a clear message that this kind of betrayal will not be tolerated."
Diego acknowledged the order before ending the call, leaving me alone with my thoughts as I stared out at the glittering lights below.
Turning from the window, I strode to another safe and input the code to open it. Inside was my arsenal—a variety of weapons ranging from handguns to submachine guns. I selected an automatic rifle along with several spare magazines before closing it again and securing it under my arm. I was ready.
Checking my watch, I saw that I had just enough time to meet with Diego and take care of this threat before returning to Anan and our Valentine's celebration. The thought of my omega waiting for me in our bedroom made my heart clench. I couldn't believe that my cartel life was getting in the way of my happiness.
Minutes later, I was roaring down the highway towards the designated warehouse, Diego and the assembled strike team following behind in separate vehicles. As we pulled up outside the derelict structure, I could see that it had been abandoned for years, its windows boarded up and graffiti spray-painted across its brick exterior. Nothing surprising there.
Emerging from our vehicles with weapons at the ready, we advanced as a unit towards the main entrance, breaching the rusted metal doors with explosive charges to gain entry. As we poured inside, I immediately saw the scene of chaos that awaited us—the remnants of the stolen shipment strewn across the concrete floor along with broken crates and packaging material.
And there, in the center of it all, was the man himself—a member of the rival cartel who had orchestrated this whole scheme from the beginning. He was on his knees, hands bound behind him, a gag shoved roughly between his teeth. A clear message from Diego that he was to be interrogated first before anything else. He'd read my mind.
As I approached with my gun trained on him, I saw the hatred and defiance shining in the man's eyes even as fear coiled in the depths. Good. He would not go easily, which made this all the more entertaining for me.
"How much did they pay you for this?" I snarled as I jabbed the barrel of my gun against his forehead hard enough to draw blood. "To betray your own kind and sell us out? You must have been pretty desperate."
After removing his gag so he could answer me, the man spat at my feet, an impotent gesture that made me want to put a bullet through him right then and there. But not yet.
I signaled to my men, who quickly hauled the traitor up off the ground and shoved him against the nearest wall, pinning his arms above his head as I stepped forward.
"Now you listen here," I growled, jabbing two fingers under his chin to force his gaze to meet mine. "You're going to tell me everything you know about this operation and who your contacts were in my organization. And if I don't like the answers you give me..."
I trailed off, letting the unspoken threat hang heavy in the air between us. The man blanched at the implied violence in my words. Finally, he was showing me the reaction I wanted to see.
"You don't understand," he gasped out. "They made me do it! They threatened my family!"
I snorted, unconvinced by his excuses. He thought I cared about his family? "Poor you," I sneered. "Didn't you realize you were just a pawn to them? They never had any intention of keeping their end of the bargain."
As I interrogated him further, demanding names and locations and every scrap of information he possessed about my enemy, I found myself glancing at my watch more and more often, counting down the minutes until I could return to Anan.
By the time we had wrung all the useful intelligence out of the man and left him bloody and broken in our wake, over an hour had passed since I had left our bedroom. No doubt my omega was starting to worry about my delay, especially given the intimate celebration that awaited us upon my return.
Pushing the prisoner's fate from my mind for now, I hurried out of the warehouse and back to my car, barking orders to my team as I went about securing the site and neutralizing any potential evidence.
"I'll meet you back at HQ in two hours," I instructed Diego briskly as he moved to secure the captured man. "You know what to do."
Then I was behind the wheel of my car, peeling out of the warehouse lot with tires squealing against the asphalt as I raced back toward the mansion and the promise of Anan waiting for me there.
As I drove, I reflected on how swiftly the night had gone from a passionate reunion to an ugly reminder of the ongoing cartel war. It was a stark juxtaposition that left me feeling restless and on edge even as anticipation built in my gut at the thought of returning to my omega's side.
And when I strode back into our bedroom mere minutes later, a fierce grin splitting my face as I took in the sight of him sprawled across our bed amidst a sea of chocolate wrappers, crushed flower petals, and scattered cards, I knew he felt the same.
"I thought you might have forgotten about me," Anan teased as he beckoned me closer with an outstretched hand. "But then someone came with these delightful surprises for me." He held up a handful of the truffles and roses before popping one into his mouth with a wicked wink.
I couldn't help but laugh at his antics, marveling once more at how easily he could charm me even when I was on edge from dealing with cartel business. It was a refreshing change that I never thought I'd want as badly as I did now.
"I may have underestimated just how much of a sweet tooth you possess," I mused as I settled myself on the edge of the bed beside him, plucking a rose from the bunch and twirling it between my fingers. "But don't let it go to your head or you'll be finding out firsthand exactly what this alpha does with an overindulgent omega."
Anan's eyes widened at the threat, a flash of excitement sparking in their depths before he caught himself and tossed me a playful smile instead.
"Promises, promises," he singsonged back at me before reaching out to loop his arms around my neck. "Now are you going to ravish me with your mouth or just keep teasing?"
I growled low in my throat, a purely animalistic sound of approval as I surged forward, capturing Anan's lips with mine in a brutal kiss that stole the very air from his lungs. He tasted divine and I couldn't get enough.