Chapter 18
YASMINE
The courtyard was one of the few places that didn’t feel like a cage. The sun cut across the stone, grass, and flowers in long, warm strips. The smell of the flowers and fresh cut grass tickled her nose.
Yasmine sat on a bench while the twins chased one another around the fountain, their laughter bright against the gloom of the compound. Her newest addition was sleeping happily in the baby sling. She touched the top of his matte black hair and smirked. He looked like a miniature Dean.
Isabella giggled in Ava’s lap, little fists reaching for the girl’s long braid and drawing Yasmine’s attention.
Ava smiled faintly as she let the baby grab her hair, her hazel eyes distant with a dark shadow that never seemed to leave.
Yasmine had learned to read the silences and nervousness.
Ava carried her trauma like invisible scars.
She was trapped here, and as much a prisoner as Yasmine.
Luckily, Dean was not his father, and Yasmine never tasted cruelty like the young woman had.
Yasmine wanted to do more to help her but didn’t know what.
“Thank you for helping me with the children,” Yasmine said softly.
Ava shrugged, eyes still on the baby. “They are all so wonderful, I’m happy to help. Besides, looking into Isabella’s eyes it is easy to forget.”
Yasmine didn’t press further. She already knew.
“Mommy, look what we found,” Aiden yelled as the boys ran over. He had a monarch butterfly sitting on his fingers, the wings slowly opening and closing.
“He’s beautiful, but be very careful, their wings are delicate, and you don’t want to hurt him.”
Yasmine marvelled at how their eyes lit up staring at the pretty insect. She could picture them working with animals when they grew up.
The heavy scrape of shoes on stone cut through the moment. The air shifted. The twins’ smiles dropped, their eyes darting to the archway.
Carlos Ramírez strode in, his presence dragging the warmth out of the courtyard. His dark suit was pristine, his expression thunderous with the storm brewing inside of him.
Yasmine’s stomach rolled. She told Dean about their last confrontation, and as Carlos’s eyes focused on her face, malice in every line, she knew that they were about to have another.
“There she is.” Carlos’s voice was smooth and venom-laced. “The dutiful wife of my prodigal son.” His eyes dragged over her, then slid to the children. “Dean’s pitiful little legacies,” he sneered, but it came off as childish jealousy.
He moved closer, and the servants in the periphery froze.
Yasmine stood, keeping a hand on Andrés back ready to protect her family. “Senor, welcome,” she greeted carefully, keeping her voice steady for the children’s sake. “It’s a lovely day.”
He laughed, sharp. “Do not play respectful with me. I see you, Yasmine. You—” He jabbed a finger toward her, face twisting. “You are the reason Mercurio is weak and a traitor. You and these brats.”
Carlos snarled like an animal, spit flew form his mouth with every word. Whatever had happened had him in a state. Yasmine could feel the rage coming off him like it was his cologne.
The twins whimpered and clung to her skirt. Carlos’s eyes narrowed.
“See even his offspring are weak. Do they whimper like that over everything?”
Yasmine opened her mouth, but before she could get a word out, Carlos snatched the little butterfly off Aiden’s finger and crushed it in his fist.
The boys immediately started to wail, large tears rolling down their cheeks as Carlos opened his hand and dropped the monarch on the ground. “Life is tough, this world is mean, and people and animals die all the time. Get used to it.”
“Leave them alone,” Yasmine ordered, her voice breaking despite her best effort to remain unfazed.
Carlos’s hand shot out, grabbing the wrist that Yasmine had held to Andrés’s back, and yanked her toward him. Carlos’s grip was iron, grinding bone against bone, as he yanked her toward him. “Maybe I should teach you respect first. Let you learn what happens when someone crosses me.”
Isabella screamed like she knew what was happening. The twins started crying in earnest, tugging at his pants, their little voices frantic.
“Stop! Let go of Mommy!”
“Get them off of me, or I will make them,” he growled and glared at Tate and Aiden.
Ava laid Isabella down and slipped between Yasmine and Carlos, trembling but unflinching, her small frame planted like a shield.
“Ya basta,” Ava snarled with more venom than Yasmine knew she had in her. She lifted her chin. “No la toques! No los toques!”
The courtyard went still. Servants stared, wide-eyed. Guards shifted uneasily as Ava told Carlos to leave them alone.
Carlos’s face twisted in shock, then fury. “You dare talk to me like that?”
His hand lashed out, backhanding Ava across the face.
The crack of the blow rang through the courtyard. Ava hit the stone pathway hard, a sharp cry tearing from her throat as blood bloomed on her lip.
The children screamed louder. Yasmine jerked her wrist out of Carlos’s grasp and dropped beside Ava, pushing the boys behind her. “Look out for you sister,” she ordered to get them away from Carlos.
She held Andrés, thankful he remained asleep, and comforted Ava. Yasmine’s heart thundered, rage and fear colliding. Yasmine was seconds from throwing herself at Carlos, from clawing at him, wanting to tear his heart from his chest.
“Don.”
The single, firm word from Matteo, sliced through the chaos.
Carlos moved to strike again, this time aiming for Yasmine. Matteo stepped forward, catching Carlos’s arm and stopping the strike. Matteo’s voice dropped, audible only to the few of them.
“There are too many witnesses,” Matteo whispered, then glanced at Yasmine, his eyes saying sorry.
Carlos froze.
Only then did he look around. The servants stared with horror. The guards shifted uncomfortably. There was blood on Ava’s face and the children sobbed against their mother. He had almost struck the wife of his son and heir to the family.
His jaw worked, a muscle ticking and Yasmine saw him warring with the fury and paranoia inside of him. Then, slowly he laughed.
It was a cold, mocking sound. “A lesson in loyalty and obedience,” he announced, straightening his jacket as though nothing had happened. “That is all.” He gestured toward Ava, bleeding on the ground. “Learn from her mistake.”
Carlos turned and strode out, Matteo gave Yasmine one last look before following. Silence weighed heavy in the courtyard until the echo of his shoes faded. Yasmine clutched the children to her, heart hammering, her arm curled protectively around Ava.
The girl trembled, but her voice shook with steel when she whispered, “he will not break me again.”
A servant that worked in the kitchens walked over as Yasmine rose, eyes darting to the shadows where Carlos had disappeared.
“Many of us saw, it will bring more hearts and loyalty toward Senor Mercurio,” the woman murmured. “Carlos is losing control and knows it. Be very careful, there is nothing more dangerous than a man like Carlos, who has nothing to lose.”
“Thank you, I will.”
Yasmine helped Ava to stand and then consoled the boys and Isabella, but kept glancing toward the empty archway. Did she dare tell Dean about this? She wanted out of here, but not at the cost of her children or husband. Not knowing what the right thing to do was…it was so difficult.
She felt like she was walking a tightrope with a pit of venomous snakes below her.