Bound by Betrayal

1

Dallas, Texas

Theheel of my boot hit the tarmac with a soft click as I stepped out of the car. Four more black SUVs lined the private runway, two on either side of mine. Their occupants were instructed to remain inside unless assistance was needed. My girls could be intimidating, and while I thoroughly enjoyed watching men squirm in their presence, it was imperative for this man to know I didn’t need an entourage. That I was the woman in charge. He’d learn to fall in line and understand that our contract was merely a business transaction and nothing more.

Kai Cain.

Not my first choice. But the next best thing to his brother, nonetheless.

Marriage. The word alone was enough to make me want to spit. I didn’t particularly despise the idea, but when it was forced upon me by some archaic tradition, I couldn’t help feeling especially murderous.

Kai was the first to breach the exit of the private plane I’d sent, and my eyes caught the hard lines of muscle between an open collar and the tattoos branching against tanned skin. Where Derek was always polished and well-dressed, Kai had a more relaxed style, and I had to admit, it suited him.

The devil himself emerged next, a sleeping infant girl in his arms. I’d heard he’d married and had a child with the detective, yet the sight of the once ruthless assassin as a doting father and husband was still as unbelievable as the rumors. We briefly made eye contact across the distance, but he twisted around and extended a hand to his wife. The smile on his face was one I assumed he reserved only for her, though even through the softened expression, there still lived a darkness in his features. One I recognized well.

“The infamous Cain brothers,” I said, with a grin and a hand on my hip as they approached. Both men barely nodded a greeting, and I couldn’t have cared less. I supposed they had every reason to feel resentment toward the woman who was collecting on a debt that meant the forfeiture of freedom and choice. It was a luxury not afforded to me either, so they could fuck all the way off.

My gaze rolled to Eva, the once naked princess whose ass I’d saved. Literally. She returned my cynical smile, an arch in her brow. And I decided right then I liked her. “How was the flight?”

Wind whipped my hair, and a strand caught on red gloss between the seam of my lips. Not missing an opportunity to test the waters, I removed the errant tendril as my tongue slowly rolled across. Satisfaction warmed my chest when I noticed the slight tension in Kai’s jaw as his eyes fixed on my mouth.

“It was smooth,” the taller brother replied, unabashedly giving me a once-over.

The smoke behind his eyes let me know he liked what he saw. Kai and I had met in passing at the compound of that Russian bastard, Belov. At the time, there was far too much chaos, bloodshed, and adrenaline for a formal introduction, and I barely remembered what he looked like. But I’m questioning how I ever forgot in the first place.

Soft whimpers of the baby pulled my attention away from my soon-to-be husband… Even in my thoughts, those words were bitter, carrying with them the weight of resentment and impotence.

“She’s beautiful,” I said, my voice surprisingly tender as big brown eyes found mine from the safety of her father’s arms. Valentina. She was a unique mix of Evangelina and Derek.

“Thank you,” Eva said with pride.

Not surprised in the least, Derek hadn’t bothered with a response.

“We should get going,” I said, tilting my head toward an angry gray sky and motioning toward my waiting car. “The clouds are about to break open, and I just got my hair done.”

Derek took Evangelina’s hand and led them forward. Kai hung back, as if waiting for me to move as well.

“This doesn’t have to be weird,” I said, glancing over my shoulder as I started for the car. “It’s simply a business. I get what I need, and you…”

“What do I get?” he bit back as he fell into step with me.

I stopped and turned toward him, leveling him with a cautionary glare. “You clear your brother’s debt. Is that not the goal?”

Kai had a perfectly angular jaw, and I didn’t miss the tension on his face behind the trimmed beard. “Most people pay their debts with currency, not in exchange for marriage.”

“No one is forcing your hand, Kai Cain. As far as I know, you’re here of your own will. Am I right?” I didn’t take a step, not even as the heat of him neared my back or when he whispered close to my ear.

“Well, seeing as my brother is a little indisposed at the moment, what choice did I have?”

Denying the spark of electricity that sizzled across my skin at his proximity was pointless. So I allowed my eyes to close for several moments before twisting to face him, our bodies brushing, yet neither of us seemed bothered by the lack of distance.

“There’s always a choice, Cain. Whether the outcome is a favorable one is irrelevant.”

His gaze lifted beyond me, a subtle shake to his head. I didn’t have to venture a guess as to who was on the receiving end of his silent communication. Derek would be stupid to try anything. He’d be dropped on the spot. My only regret would be the collateral damage of his wife and child caught in the crossfire. I was a bitch. True enough. But I didn’t murder the innocent, let alone children.

“Well? I guess this is the point where you make that choice.”

Blue eyes lowered to meet mine, the corners narrowing into suspicious slits. “That decision was made the moment you and your people came calling.”

There was something alluring in those eyes and the way his mouth twitched. Even just a few minutes into our first genuine meeting, I could tell he was the more level-headed of the Cain duo, making it easy to forget that Kai’s hands were just as thick with blood as his brother’s. But behind his statement lived an implicit warning.

And I liked it.

“You and your brother are loyal men.” I began my stride toward the car. “Or stupid.”

He scoffed behind me but said nothing.

“Se?orita Amalia.” Felipe held the door as I approached. “I’ve gotten word that a produce truck has overturned about three miles from our exit, blocking the freeway. I’ve got a detour and informed the others if that’s okay.”

“Of course.” He nodded, though his eyes were fixed behind me. “Felipe, this is Mr. Cain.”

“Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

Kai brushed my shoulder as he held out a hand to Felipe, and I couldn’t decide if the gesture was intentional. But it made me pause all the same. I wasn’t used to others invading my space or acts of disrespect…at least not by those who wished to keep all their limbs intact. Kai’s eyes found mine when he addressed my driver, as if feeling my gaze.

“Pleasure is mine.”

Maybe he hadn’t meant for the words to roll off his tongue the way they had, but I found myself swallowing hard at the sound. I snapped my head forward and inhaled a long breath. Feeling flustered. Not even five minutes, and this man already had me slightly…confused.

I slid into the car without another word, just as fat raindrops pelted the vehicle’s roof. Kai slipped in behind me, and I avoided him.

“Thank you for the car seat,” Evangelina said, caressing her daughter’s cheek. The baby had fallen asleep again.

“Of course.” My cousin’s daughter was just a few months older—which reminded me. “Derek, my cousin Sofía sends her regards.”

He remained still as a statue, unfazed, though I was sure he remembered how he’d choked her out on the rooftop of that hotel in Manhattan when he’d come groveling for my help just over four years ago. Or perhaps he didn’t. The man seemed to only have eyes for one woman, and I supposed that was commendable. Apart from my father, I didn’t personally know of any man who remained faithful. While my mother was cherished, even then, I wouldn’t vouch for him.

“Sofia?” Eva questioned, turning to her husband. He leaned in and whispered into her ear. She nodded, seemingly complacent with whatever he’d explained.

“You always travel this heavy?”

Kai looked out the car window as the other vehicles pulled out in front of and behind us.

“Do my girls make you uncomfortable, Cain? Emasculated?” The taunt fled my lips before I could stop it.

“Not in the slightest,” he replied with a scoff, taking my retort in stride. The difference between the Cain brothers was glaring. Derek was a man of few words for those to whom he had no emotional ties. And Kai…

Well, I found myself taking in the sight of the man beside me again, his knee now grazing my thigh as he relaxed and did that spreading thing most men do. His long legs stretched, nearly reaching across the way. He was easily 6’4” or 6’ 5”.

Maybe I’d been distracted or lost in thought because his eyes were on me when I came back, saying something I couldn’t process fast enough. “I’m sorry, what?”

“The cars ahead of us are stopping.”

I peered through the windshield, and in that instant, the thunderous boom of an explosion stole my response and then rattled us with its aftershock. Reality seemed to slow. Derek and Kai lunged protectively toward Evangelina and the baby, and I gripped the seat, my heart staggering in my chest as another explosion shook us, only this time shattering the windows and catapulting us across the median. That was when I realized it wasn’t just an explosion. Something had rammed us, sending the car into a series of rolls.

Glass and debris pierced my skin as the world seemed to collapse around us. Maybe I blacked out for a second, because the next thing I remembered was opening my eyes to a smoky cabin and the shrill ringing in my ears drowning out the chaos I knew was unfolding.

“Eva! Are you okay?” Derek’s voice was the first to register, followed by the sharp cries of his daughter.

“I’m fine. Get Vali!”

I pulled a blade from my pocket and cut myself free of the seatbelt, hitting the roof of the upturned cabin with a painful thud. Shards of glass dug into my hands and knees as I crawled forward toward a broken window.

“Shit!” I cried out when I sliced my forearm with a piece of shrapnel.

“Amalia, you’re bleeding. Are you okay?”

Kai pulled my hands into his, examining the wounds there. “What happened?”

He leaned in close, trying to speak over the infant’s cries, surprising me when he pushed back my hair. “I think it’s an ambush. Do you have more weapons? Ammo?”

I snatched my hands back and nodded, eyes lifting to the seats above our heads. “They’re compartments.” No sooner had the words left my lips when gunfire erupted from outside.

And everything descended into madness.

Kai and I reached for the stash beneath the seats, tossing guns and magazines to Derek and Eva.

“Take the baby and keep cover behind the cars.” Derek pushed a Glock into his wife’s hand and pulled her in for a brief kiss.

“Derek, please…please be careful. Don’t you fucking die on me. You hear me.”

He held her close by the back of her neck. “I can’t make any promises, angel. I’ll do whatever it takes, as long as you two are safe.”

I looked away, feeling almost as if I was intruding on an intimate moment.

That’s when I caught sight of an embankment just outside the driver’s side window where Felipe’s unconscious body lay just feet away. I didn’t know if he was alive or dead or if he’d been shot or died in the crash. I couldn’t afford to mourn his death, not if I wanted to get out of this car alive. At the very least, save that little girl.

“This way,” I said, then finally exited the overturned vehicle. Kai followed, extending his hand to Eva and the baby.

Now, with a clear view of the freeway, I was horrified to see the extent of the carnage. Flames engulfed two SUVs, and twisted metal scattered across the pavement. Pieces of what used to be one of my girls, along with them. I looked away for a brief second, squeezing my eyes closed and sucking in a long breath before cocking my gun. Ready to spill blood.

Men in dark coveralls I didn’t recognize were blasting their way toward us and dodging bullets from the remaining cars.

Charging forward, I sent relentless rounds into the group, with Kai and Derek on either side of me. Several of the men hit the ground while others dove out of our line of fire. Disregarding his safety, Derek broke away, sprinting toward two wounded men. I didn’t care to see the fate that awaited those bastards. Their pained howls were enough.

“Amalia! You need to take cover.” Kai snatched my wrist and tugged me behind the front end of a mangled car.

“What are you doing? Your brother is out there risking his ass, and you’re hiding?”

“I’m not hiding. And Derek can take care of himself.”

Ripping my arm from his grasp, I dropped my mag and reloaded, never once breaking eye contact. “So can I.”

I motioned to get to my feet, and again, he reached for me, only this time, I was ready. The barrel of my Glock pushed against his forehead, yet he didn’t flinch.

“You want to be a hero, Cain?” I asked, motioning toward the embankment where Eva and the baby were hiding. “Go find your fucking damsel because I’m not the one.”

As if the world around us wasn’t crumbling, we found ourselves in a stare-down, and I could have sworn I saw the whisper of a grin.

High-pitched screams pulled my gaze behind him, where Cassandra, one of my best, dragged herself along the pavement, her left arm visibly broken and bent into an unnatural position. I bolted toward her, stopping dead, when two bullets pierced the side of her skull.

A man in a black ski mask stood over her and unloaded two more rounds before I could stop him. By the time he noticed me, it was too late. He collapsed face first, and like Derek, I didn’t think, didn’t rationalize the possibility of becoming a target. All I saw was red, all-consuming rage and spilled blood on concrete. Cassandra’s. Felipe’s.

I stood over the man’s twitching figure, making sure to put a round through the back of his head at close range.

“Fuck! Cassie!” Falling to my knees, I placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed back her blood-soaked hair. Tears blurred the vision of her lifeless body until I caught a movement in my peripheral. Kai had his gun on me. At that moment, I thought about how easy it would be for him to kill me. Blame my death on whoever had orchestrated this ambush and be rid of his brother’s debt. I couldn’t blame him. Maybe I would have done the same had I been in his position.

Gripping the handle of my Glock, I figured I’d get a shot in before I was dead.

But he was faster. The bullet exploded out of the chamber, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact…

But it never came.

The heavy thud of a body behind me had me twisting around where a bald man lay bleeding from a wound to his neck. I snapped back toward Kai, and he nodded before dashing out to join his brother.

More gunfire broke out around me, serving to fuel my fury and join my soon-to-be husband in kicking some ass.

Between the three of us and my girls, the echoes of gunfire died down quickly.

“Where is Eva?” Derek asked as I approached, panic in his voice even as he sank a blade into some poor bastard’s throat.

“Exactly where you instructed her to be.”

“Go to her.”

“I’m not your wife’s personal bodyguard. I already saved her once.”

It was the second time I had a gun in my face. Only this one was aimed at me with intent. Derek Cain would drag his dick through broken glass for Evangelina. It was disturbing and maybe a little sad, but a part of me also felt envious of such an unconditional devotion. Perhaps because I knew it was something that I would never experience. But I couldn’t miss something I’d never had.

So fuck him and his wife.

Kai stepped between us when I raised my gun, shielding me from his brother.

“Cut the shit, Derek. Eva is fine. No one else dies here today.”

Derek lowered his weapon when his brother was in his line of fire. He watched me, even as he wrenched his knife from the dead man’s body, taking one last glance before standing and heading toward his wife.

“I thought I told you I didn’t need a hero.”

Kai started after Derek. “Sometimes what we think we need is different from reality. And you were two seconds from joining your friend back there.”

He was several steps away when I said, “It would have been easier for you that way.”

“Maybe. But I already told you, I don’t run. I don’t hide.” He’d stopped walking but didn’t turn to face me.

There was something different about this man. I couldn’t pinpoint it. It was just a feeling—an intuition. But I decided right then and there that I didn’t like how it made me feel.

Uncomfortable.

Unsure.

Sudden rapid-fire shots rang out. Derek yelled for Evangelina when the cries of his little girl followed. I took off after him and Kai, both in a full sprint toward where Eva was emptying her magazine into the body of one of the assailants.

I ran past her, spotting the baby on her hands and knees in the brush several feet away. Tucking my gun inside the back waistband of my pants, I bent down and picked up the one-year-old, and gave her a quick once-over. Apart from some superficial scratches, she seemed okay.

“No llores,” (Don’t cry.) I whispered, holding her to my chest. But the baby was too agitated and didn’t know who the hell I was. She shoved me away, attempting to claw out of my grasp. Kai reached for his niece from behind me, assessed her briefly, and then kissed her forehead before tucking her securely in his arms. Valentina settled almost immediately and fisted his shirt as she sniffled.

Our eyes connected. “Thank you.”