27. Elias
27
Elias
M amá's hand gripped my arm as we walked the hall down to her room.
"You are so much like your papa. Have I told you that before?"
"Yes, Mamá."
"He was such a compassionate man and loved me very much."
I opened her bedroom door and helped her inside. "Yes, he did."
"Do you love her?"
"Who?"
She shook her head. "Oh, Elias. Mi hijo ." Her hand caressed my cheek. "The question was obvious, and the answer simple."
I clenched my jaw and sat her on her bed, falling into her wordy trap. "I don't know, Mamá." Pulling her nightgown off the back of her closet, I sighed.
"Then, as much as I love the girl, she needs to leave."
"Nadia? You want Nadia to leave?"
Turning, I laid the nightgown beside her bed and pulled out her slippers.
"No, mi hijo , Grace."
A sickness breezed through me.
"She's a distraction to you and everything you've set out to accomplish."
"Not yet." A hard lump settled in my chest. "I can't."
"I saw her leave your room, dressed in your robe." Her lips pursed closed. "I know what that means."
"She's helping me."
She nodded her head. "Does Nadia not satisfy you?"
I tipped my head back and ran my hand down my face. "I'm not having this discussion with you, Mamá."
She patted the bed beside her, and I closed my eyes for a fraction while inhaling, my shoulders slumping before sitting.
Dios mio.
Thirty-six or five, it didn't matter—if she wanted to lecture me, then I'd better listen.
"Do you want to marry Nadia?"
"Do you want me to marry her?"
Wasn't it her idea for me to marry someone and have kids?
"I want you to be happy."
I smirked. "I will be. Once Andrés is dead."
She sighed, her shoulders sagging as she patted my hand. " Mi hijo , don't let yourself be blinded by revenge."
Andrés deserved to die the most brutal death I could imagine.
He killed Pa.
But he wasn't the only person I thought of. Grace's face was the image burned in my mind. Day in and day out.
Her soft flesh, her quiet whimpers beneath me. I longed for her lips so much that I'd refused to kiss Nadia.
And her smile—when she did smile—could brighten the death of a man about to die.
I placed my other hand on Mama's hand. "I'll get Alba to help you."
"Get rid of her, and you'll understand what I mean."
If I were to rid myself of Grace, it'd only darken my path, and I'd never focus on anything else but her.
What's happening to me?
"Buenas noches."
I walked out of her room and down the hall, stopping Alba on my way back to the dining room, her hands filled with dishes. "She's waiting for you now."
She nodded and brushed past me as Nadia's laughter bubbled out of the opened double doors, leading me to the patio.
Why couldn't she have gone home?
The warm country air wrapped around me as I stepped outside, and the familiar buzzing of nighttime critters settled in the background.
Nadia crossed her lean legs, her foot bouncing with restless energy. A glass of amber liquor rested in her hands, the ice tinkling against the walls as she leaned forward, engrossed in a story that only she laughed at. Her perfume lingered in the air, a subtle fragrance amidst the chlorine.
Javier sat across from her, his face etched with a scowl, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. The tension taut with a biting undercurrent.
I scanned the pool and bar, finding no trace of a green-eyed brunette. "Where's Grace?"
Javier's glare met mine as he dropped his hand from his face and nodded toward the house. "She went to bed."
"Did she say why?"
"Just a small stomachache." Nadia bounced in front of me. "She's fine. Come and sit with me. I miss you."
I flashed Javier a raised brow and a slight nod to the house.
"Alright, fine. I'll go check on her." Javier crawled out of his chair and into the house as Nadia led me towards the couch.
We sat, and she slipped into my lap, my spine stiffening as though she'd never clung to me before. Warm lips pressed against my throat and traveled to my ear, her teeth nipping at my lobe.
"I've missed you, Elias."
"You saw me yesterday."
She drew up and glanced at me, her eyes flicking to the cut on my brow. "What happened?"
I flicked her hand away as she reached for it, dodging her touch, the wound on my side aching.
"Business."
She sighed, her teeth clenching together. "It's always business with you, Elias."
Her hand touched my cheek, and the excitement I used to feel never sparked.
"This is what successful men do."
She snorted. "Is that why you're using the poor girl?" She shook her head with narrowed eyes. "What is your fascination with her anyway?"
Footsteps sounded behind us, and I glanced back. Javier stepped back out onto the patio.
"Well, Romeo ? How is the princess feeling?" Nadia laughed, her hand brushing over the taped cut on my waist.
Javier sunk into his seat and picked up his drink. "She's fine."
"What's going on with you and Grace? I saw you two flirting at the table."
I snickered as he sipped his drink and shook his head. "She's not my type."
"You're right. I bet she's too poor for your taste. Maybe a high-end girl would do the trick?"
"You know…" He rocked his finger in the air and tipped his head back against the seat. "I imagine there would need to be something dangling between her legs before I find an ounce of interest."
Nadia's face slackened, and I chuckled.
Liar .
"Well…" She sat upright. "I know Pierre. He's French. I bet he'd be right up your alley."
"Doubt it." Javier settled into his chair, his arms straight on the armrests, his eyes closing. "I'm actually thinking about joining the priesthood; maybe becoming celibate."
"Best not to play matchmaker with Javier."
She wrapped her arms around my neck, and heat prickled up my hairline like an incessant itch I needed to rid myself of.
"Or maybe we could set you up with Grace.”
“She doesn’t listen very well, does she?” Javier exhaled.
“Well, she's sticking around for some reason." She turned to me. "Why do you think that is?"
"Because I want her to."
Her brows pulled taut. "Are you fucking her?"
Javier coughed, his knee flying into the air as he convulsed.
I pushed her off my lap, her light frame weighing me down like a ten-ton rock. "What makes you think that?"
"Why else is she here?"
She stood, her tall frame hovering, my legs wide and absorbing the space around me. "This is my home, Nadia. I'll keep whomever I please here."
"And when we're married?"
I drew in a deep breath. "Whatever I want."
"That's not acceptable."
I raised a brow. "Is that right?"
"If I'm going to be your wife, I refuse to have another woman living in our home. Especially one I don't know."
"If you're my wife?" I stood and placed my hands on her shoulders, my brows pinched tight together. "That sounds like an ultimatum."
"Maybe it is." She glanced at Javier, swaying her hips as she planted her hands on them. "I won't be disrespected and have your harlot under the same roof as me."
Javier's laughter choked out, and a simmering heat pinched my chest.
I tucked my hand in my pocket, hiding my clenched fist, and offered her a tight-lipped smile. "Nadia. I think it's best we end this conversation. You won't like what comes next."
"What is that supposed to mean?" She shook her head, and Javier stood behind her, his serious nature morphing into his features.
"It means keep your mouth shut." I stepped toward her, forcing her backward. "I won't tolerate anyone in my life handing me an ultimatum."
Her hand clutched around her throat, and tears pebbled on her lower lashes. "Y-you don't mean that."
I raised a brow. "Have I ever not followed through?"
A tear dribbled down her cheek.
I cocked my head to the side, unfazed. "Test me, see how fast I cancel it all."
"If you loved me, you wouldn't say these things."
"Love?" I scratched the scruff on my chin. "Who said anything about love?"
"What?" Her mouth dropped as she gasped in a ragged breath, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide. "Have I not given you everything you've asked for?"
"This is getting awkward." Javier walked away toward the bar, catching Nadia's wrathful glare.
"It's because of her. Isn't it?" She tossed her hands into the air. "Everything was fine until she came along." She stalked around me and through the double doors, her clicking heels bounding down the hall.
"Where are you going?" I yanked her back.
Her hand flew into the air towards my face.
I caught her wrist as her fingertips brushed my cheek. "You know better than to raise a hand to me, Nadia." I released her with a slight shove, and she stumbled back.
"I've been so good to you." Her voice carried through the halls and the hollow space leading upstairs towards Grace. "Then she comes around and destroys everything."
"She's not the reason for any of this." My teeth ground together. "And keep your voice down."
"Or what? We'll wake your precious mama?"
I tipped my chin, charged forward, and snagged her arm. "Rafael." Her heels slipped across the floor as I dragged her towards the front door.
Rafael opened the door. "Yes, Jefe. "
"Drive her back to her apartment and make sure she never returns."
"Elias. Please. Wait, baby. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm-I'm just angry."
I walked her to the vehicle I provided and set her inside. "Goodbye, Nadia." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared up at me.
"Elias—"
I slammed the car door in her face, her screams muffled by the bulletproof glass.
"If she tries to return, let me know."
Rafael nodded, tossed the keys to Pablo, Nadia's driver, and climbed into the passenger seat.
I stood in the driveway until the car disappeared through the gates, and they closed.
Javier's boots clomped behind me. "That seemed a bit harsh."
"It was time."
"Yeah, well, she won't give up."
"I couldn't care less how long she holds on to a dream. We're done."
Spinning on my heel, I walked back inside.
"Admit it, though. Grace was the deciding factor."
Was it?
Nadia hit the final nerve, and it happened to be when Grace was around.
"No one talks about Mamá like that."
We paused in the foyer, a tingling sensation coursing through my skin. I glanced up.
Grace stood at the banister, peering down at us. Time shuttered to a complete stop as her perfect green eyes found mine, her hands clenching around the metal handrail.
She chewed on her bottom lip, and I glanced behind her as Felipe stepped in.
"What is it?" Javier tipped his head up as I turned away. "That makes total sense now."
Blood rushed to the surface, heating my flesh as I stalked toward my office and slammed the door shut.
I picked up a glass and poured a double shot of tequila, drank it, and then switched to the amber-colored whiskey as the door opened behind me.
“What’s going on? I didn’t think you’d be so upset about Nadia being gone.”
“I’m not.” I downed the drink, the liquor warming my chest as it slid down my throat.
“Could have fooled me.”
I glanced at him. “I’m not upset that Nadia is gone. I’m pissed I have to start over.”
“Because of Rosa? ”
I ran my fingers through my hair, scratching the base of my skull as I paused and exhaled. “No.”
“I’m not good at guessing games.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Because not even I know.
Taking my glass, I slunk down on the couch I had Grace pinned to that morning, her scent strong on the pillows where a single strand of hair wove its way through the fabrics.
Two piles of military faces sat on the table, the left larger than the right.
She finished.
“Get Rodrigo on this.” I pointed to the smaller pile. “I want these men destroyed, their reputations ruined, and their families gone.”
“Their families?” Javier plopped in the chair beside me. “We’re messing with the family now?”
“Since when don’t we?” I sipped on the whiskey. “We plastered Emanuel’s family name across the city when he investigated Charity's mess and tried pinning it on me.”
“That’s different. It’s a threat.”
I sat back and crossed my ankle over my knee. “So is this.”
“You want to use the Generals to get Andrés’ location?”
I nodded.
“Why not use Grace? Killing her with kindness isn’t working. She’s getting comfortable. And so are you.”
“When he finds the Generals, I want to see them personally.”
“Do you disagree?” Javier cocked his head to the side. “She’s not given you a damn thing, and you’re just going to let her stay as though she's family.”
“Now’s not the time, cabróne .”
Javier clicked his teeth as he sucked on his cheek, his tattooed hands covering his face as he stretched backward and groaned in frustration. “When is the time to address this?”
I stood and held my glass by the rim with three fingers as I placed it on the table and stared at the men in the photos. “Have Mariana get in touch with Juana. I want the wedding plans canceled. And double security, we’re going out.”
“We?”
“Grace. If she won’t give me the information I need, I’ll draw Andrés out. I want him to know I have her.”
“This feels like a long con.”
“Grace is willing to die for the people he has captive. Torturing her to death will get me nowhere. She’d welcome it.”
“But not before I got the answers out of her.”
I shook my head. “You don’t know her like I do. You won’t get it from her unless she wants to tell it.”
"You give her too much credit. She'll talk like all the others."
I shrugged. "That may be." Stalking out of the room, I walked to my room, pausing in the foyer, and glanced up.
Darkness flowed above the banister, the liquor in my veins urging me to take the steps two at a time and crawl into her bed.
Is she sleeping?
Does it matter if she is?
My foot hit the first step and then the second until I stood at the top of the steps.
Manuel and Felipe stood at attention, their black uniforms tailored and crisp, a display of professionalism in every stitch.
“Leave.” I tossed a thumb over my shoulder towards the stairs.
“Yes, Jefe .”
The men left her door and descended the stairs, my gaze trailing them until they vanished through the labyrinthine halls.
My heart pounded in the shadows, a surge of adrenaline clawing at my insides as I loitered outside her door in the oppressive night.
Blood rushed to my cock as I pictured her chestnut hair cascading over the pillow. Her deep and rhythmic breaths created a fleeting peace in the darkness.
I shoved the door open and stepped inside the bright room, closing it behind me.
Grace bolted upright in bed in her sheer chemise. “Elias?” Her knuckles dug into her eyes as she winced into the light.
“Why do you sleep with the lights on?” I took slow, calculated steps toward her bed.
“My nightmares are worse in the dark.”
“What do you dream of?”
Her head turned as she followed my footsteps around the bed. “Many things.”
I twisted the switch beneath the lampshade near the door. “Like?” Darkness filled the corner as I moved to the closet.
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed and brought her arm over her chest. “My parents’ death. ”
My hand hovered over the closet light.
Interesting.
“Not about the men?”
“Are you okay? I heard what happened downstairs.” She drew her knees up to her chest.
“Do. You. Dream. About. The. Men?”
The closet light flicked off, casting the next corner in reaching charcoal shadows.
“Sometimes.” She wrapped her arms around her knees as I walked towards the light on the other side of her closet.
“And what are they doing to you?”
A staggered breath brushed through her lips. “Elias?” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, tossed the sheet away, and rushed toward the closet light, flicking it on before I turned off the one beside her bed.
Light shot through the space I’d plunged into darkness as she rushed for the one beside the dresser. I darted for her and caught her hand as it tucked under the lampshade.
“You’re scaring me.”
“Good.” I pushed my hand through her hair at the base of her neck and tipped her head back, forcing her to look at me. “I want to erase your nightmares until the only thing you see in them is me.”
My lips crashed down on hers, devouring the fear lacing her staccato breaths.