9. Evelyn
My stomach churned so violently that I thought I might be sick. I swallowed against the burn at the back of my throat and blinked rapidly to hold the tears at bay.
The man who’d just dismissed me after that horrific auction was a stranger to me. Massimo had barely even looked at me when he handed me off to his drug lord friend, Stefano. If I hadn’t seen the awful events with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Massimo had just bid on the right to take an unwilling woman’s virginity. He’d bought her body right in front of me.
The diamond necklace became an iron weight around my neck, a shackle. He’d told me I was his, and I’d foolishly thought he was mine. I’d debased myself for him. I’d eagerly welcomed him into my body, and I’d been an idiot to think I had some sort of hold over him.
The cold, hard facts were that he’d stalked me. And even though I’d willingly fled from cartel violence when I’d gotten on that motorcycle with him, he’d abducted me against my will. So many times, I’d said that I didn’t want to be part of his criminal world. I’d told him that I just wanted to go home to America.
But he’d kept me, regardless of my wishes. I’d thought it was because he cared about me as deeply as I cared for him, but if that were true, he wouldn’t have been capable of betraying me.
Pain knifed through my chest, increasing my nausea as I stumbled deeper into the empty mansion. Stefano had left me as soon as I locked the door behind me. He’d promised that no one would dare to cross the threshold, and he’d excused himself so he could go back to the club.
Maybe they planned to share the girl. The other two drug lords hadn’t stopped the disgusting auction.
My heart ached for her. She’d clearly been unwilling and terrified out of her mind.
Massimo would probably be gentle with her. He would coax her into his bed, just like he’d fooled me.
How could I be so stupid? I’d spent years engaged to George, when all he’d done was take me for granted and ultimately put my life at risk for his own gain. And I’d run straight into the arms of a different monster. Massimo had never hidden his mafia ties from me, and that had engendered some sort of twisted trust between us.
But just because he didn’t hide his crimes didn’t absolve him. He’d shown me who he really was tonight.
The diamonds chafed against my skin, as though the precious metal that encased them had been dipped in acid. I clawed at the clasp, desperate to get the sign of his ownership off my neck.
The clasp opened, and I dropped the necklace to the polished hardwood floor as though it’d burned me. I placed my hand on my bare throat, reassuring myself that the awful weight was gone.
I drew in several deep breaths, struggling to tame my tangled thoughts.
Berating myself for my foolishness wouldn’t save me.
For the first time, Massimo had left me alone. He obviously believed that I was thoroughly under his control, and he could amuse himself elsewhere while I obediently waited for his return.
Stefano had promised that no one would dare to cross the threshold to get to me—this was Adrián’s mansion, and I fully believed that no one would challenge the sadistic cartel kingpin.
But he hadn’t locked me in from the outside. There was nothing to stop me from leaving this place.
From the little I’d seen of the town and its jungle surroundings, I knew that we were somewhere very remote. But I’d also seen men in military uniforms patrolling the streets. There was a chance they were loyal to Adrián, but that didn’t mean they were loyal to Massimo.
I was an American citizen who had been kidnapped by a mafia boss. Massimo hadn’t seemed to care about the threat that US law enforcement posed to his organization, but I bet the local officials would. If I could get to one of the soldiers and tell them about my plight, they would contact the American authorities. I could go home.
George would still be in Mexico City, looking for me. But I’d be safely back in Albuquerque, under federal protection, by the time he found out that I’d been rescued. I could tell the DEA the truth about George’s corruption. He’d be arrested, and he wouldn’t be able to kill me to keep his terrible secret.
I didn’t know how long Massimo would be distracted by the poor girl he’d purchased like an object rather than a human being.
Maybe I could convince the authorities to save her too.
Before I could lose my nerve, I gathered my composure and slipped out into the night. Humid air drew a sheen of sweat to the surface of my skin within seconds, but I ignored the discomfort. My dress was lightweight enough that I wouldn’t overheat—Massimo had made sure to dress me up like his little doll, a pretty toy he liked to adorn with silk and gems.
The black silk clung to my sticky skin as I hurried through the empty streets. At this late hour, no one seemed to frequent the wealthy, small neighborhood.
Maybe all of the residents were at that awful club.
I shuddered and shoved the awful memories from my mind before the agony of Massimo’s betrayal could overwhelm me again.
I rounded a corner, and my heart leapt into my throat. Two men in military fatigues strolled down the street, which clearly divided the wealthy neighborhood from the more impoverished part of town. The buildings opposite me were painted in fading pastels and built in crumbling stucco. Behind me, the mansions seemed more garish and incongruous than ever.
The men spotted me and quickened their pace, closing the distance between us in a few long strides. I squared my shoulders and met them halfway, refusing to show weakness or fear. I would get back home, and these men would help me. Calm competence would serve me better than desperate tears.
“I need your help,” I said in Spanish, speaking clearly and firmly. “I’m an American citizen, and I’ve been brought here against my will. I need to contact the authorities so that I can get back home. Can you please take me to your superior officer or someone who can help me do this?”
One of the men blinked, as though he was completely taken aback. I supposed the entire situation was a bit bizarre. I wore an expensive gown and designer heels, but I was wandering around the streets alone at night. And I spoke fluent Spanish despite the obvious American accent I couldn’t quite smooth away, despite all of my practice with the language.
They might’ve been more inclined to immediately assist me if I’d been in obvious distress, but I didn’t dare let my composure waver. Dissolving into hysterics would only dull my focus, and I needed my wits about me if I was going to get away from Massimo.
“Who brought you here?” the one who wasn’t utterly bewildered asked, his eyes roving over me in a way that set my teeth on edge.
“A man who kidnapped me when I was visiting Mexico City,” I replied as evenly as I could. The way he was looking at me made the back of my neck prickle with instinctive warning, but I couldn’t give up now. I’d exposed myself, and I had to see this through.
I didn’t want to tell them about Massimo. They might know about his friendship with Adrián, and there was a good chance that Adrián paid them to look the other way when he did business here.
I focused my attention on the dumbstruck one, sensing less danger from him. He would be more likely to assist me than the one who studied me with predatory interest. “Will you help me? I just want to go home.”
“Come with us,” the dangerous one commanded.
I hesitated, keeping my eyes on the quiet one. “Please?”
He glanced at the other man, then nodded at me. “I’ll take you to speak to our superior officer.”
I huffed out a small, relieved breath, but my senses remained on high alert. I walked between the two men, edging my body slightly closer to the quiet one. He kept his eyes trained ahead, assessing our surroundings like the trained soldier he was. The dangerous one’s gaze kept straying to me. I pretended not to notice. Once I was able to contact the American authorities, no one would dare to touch me.
My feet ached in the designer heels, a ridiculous choice for the hardpacked earth streets as we left the wealthy neighborhood behind. But Massimo hadn’t provided me with anything as mundane as sneakers, and I hadn’t taken the time to change before making my escape. I didn’t have the luxury of time. I’d seen my chance and taken it.
Blisters were beginning to form on my heels by the time we reached an official-looking building constructed of grey concrete blocks. It wasn’t remotely ornate, but it was in far better repair than most of the surrounding buildings. Someone allocated money to keep this place in order. Was it the Colombian military, or Adrián Rodríguez?
I suppressed a shiver and kept my composed mask carefully in place as I stepped inside, flanked by the two men as though they were my personal guards.
Or my jailors.
The urge to turn around and keep the dangerous one in my line of sight was almost overwhelming. I swallowed hard and lifted my chin, striding with purpose as though I knew where I wanted to go.
A broad-shouldered, middle-aged man with a military-short haircut sat behind a massive desk. When we entered the building, he didn’t immediately look up from his paperwork. That signaled to me that he was in charge. Or at the very least, he outranked the men who’d accompanied me here.
My high heels clicked on the floor as I stepped toward him, the sound capturing his attention. He glanced up from his papers and immediately froze when he saw me. His shocked expression would’ve been almost comical if I hadn’t needed his help so urgently.
“My name is Evelyn Day,” I said quickly, wanting to plead my case before anything else happened. I had to maintain control of this situation, or everything could go very wrong, very quickly. “I managed to escape from the man who kidnapped me and brought me here. Could you please help me contact the American authorities so that I can go home?”
He stared at me for several long, painful heartbeats. Then he threw back his head and roared out a laugh.
My blood ran cold.
Instinctively, I took a step back. Rough hands grabbed my upper arms, trapping me in place.
“She said she’s American,” the quiet one said, his tone uncertain.
“I am,” I managed to say. Words were my only weapon. These men were armed to the teeth, and even if they hadn’t been, I didn’t have a hope of fighting my way out of here.
“I’m an American citizen,” I asserted again, struggling for calm as the older man got up from his desk and prowled toward me. “If you just contact the embassy in Bogotá, they’ll help me get home.”
The older one stopped on the edge of my personal space. This close, I could see that his eyes were a dark, forest green, but despite the rich color, they held no warmth. His buzzed hair was more salt than pepper, and weathered lines from long days in the sun aged his face. They might’ve been laugh lines, but the cruel amusement that creased the wrinkles made my flight instinct kick in.
I tried to twist free from the man who held me captive, but his hands clamped down hard enough to bruise.
“Maybe we should contact the embassy,” the quiet one said, still sounding uneasy. “There might be a reward for her return.”
“If you don’t have the stomach for this, you can leave,” the oldest one sneered.
“Let me go,” I demanded breathlessly, twisting in my captor’s iron grip.
The leader laughed. “You’re not going anywhere. Not for a while, at least.” He reached out and picked up a lock of my blonde hair, testing the texture of the silky strands between grubby fingers. “We’ll get more for her than the Americans would offer us. They don’t even know she’s here. Do they?” he asked me.
My heart sank. No one knew where I was, not even Massimo. I’d wanted to escape from him, but the fate that my assailants planned for me was far worse than being trapped with my dark protector.
“Take me to Adrián Rodríguez.” I tried to issue a command, but it came out as a rough plea. “He’ll tell you who I am.”
The older man’s brows lifted, and he laughed again. “So, now you know Rodríguez? I don’t think so.”
“She might.” The quiet one wasn’t as quiet anymore. He might prove to be my salvation. “We found her near his mansion. I don’t want to cross him.”
The one who had me in his harsh grip said, “Even if she does know him, she was running away from that area. She doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“Massimo Imperiale,” I said his name like a prayer to a guardian angel. I’d only just learned his surname when Stefano had introduced us to Adrián, but I hoped it held weight with these men. “I belong to Massimo.”
The leader shrugged. “Never heard of him.”
“This is a mistake.” My only advocate spoke up for me again. “I don’t want to be involved in this. Either the Americans will punish us, or Rodríguez will. Think about?—”
Without so much as blinking, the leader drew his gun from the holster at his side, aimed, and fired.
I screamed at the close proximity of the gunshot. My ears rang, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the deafening noise or from the panic that crushed me. My advocate lay on the floor, blood pooling around his ruined skull.
“He was never cut out for this,” his murderer said dismissively. He set his gun on the desk behind him to free up both of his hands. His dirty fingers fisted in my silk dress, tearing the delicate material. “How much do you think we’ll get for her?” he asked my captor.
“Depends how much we fuck her up first,” he replied dispassionately. “Be careful with her face. She’s pretty.”
Another scream tore from deep inside my chest: a grating mix of impotent rage and primal fear. I lifted my knee and then brought my high heel down hard on the top of my assailant’s foot.
He barked a curse, and his grip on me loosened. I wrenched my arms free from his grasping hands and lurched toward the exit, desperate to get out of this nightmare.
Pain tore into my scalp when one of them grabbed my hair, hauling me back. I shrieked and struggled, swinging wildly to defend myself. My fist glanced off the older man’s jaw. He laughed like he was having the time of his life.
He backhanded me, a casual blow that sent me reeling. The world flickered around me, and when it came back into focus, I lay on the cold concrete floor. The dangerous one who I’d been wary of from the very beginning loomed over me. Before I could form a fist, he grabbed my wrists and pinned them over my head. His awful weight settled over me, and the scent of stale sweat and cigarettes turned the oxygen into poison as I heaved in a desperate breath.
“Get off of her,” the older man barked.
For one insane moment, I thought he might relent. He might change his mind and set me free. My captor shoved off of me, but he kept my wrists trapped above my head. The leader leered at me and reached for his belt.
“It’s my turn first.”
I screamed and thrashed, but all I earned were more bruises. Pain and terror engulfed me, making my lungs seize. I gasped in one desperate lungful of toxic air and cried out for my dark savior.
But he wasn’t coming. He didn’t know where I was. And he had a new, pretty distraction to occupy his attention.
I would never see Massimo again. I would never go home. I wouldn’t survive this.