23. Jetmir
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
JETMIR
The sedative had stolen the strength from Anya’s body as she stumbled out of the car, Dozer at her heels.
I came up behind her and crouched to where she was kneeled, lifting her small body into my arms. She felt impossibly light, and I did my best to shield her from the wind sweeping over the cliffs.
The familiar scent of jasmine clung stubbornly to her hair beneath the sharp tang of salt.
She trembled, though it wasn’t from the breeze, but from fury.
“Come, Dozer,” I said to the puppy. “Let’s take your mama to bed so she can rest.”
He wagged his tail, barked once, and followed next to me as I walked into the home I’d inherited from Santiago Tijuana—a vicious, twisted bastard who happened to be related to me and whose blood still stained the history of this island.
The old villa had once been little more than a crumbling fortress perched atop black cliffs, abandoned to storms and time.
I’d spent the last three years rebuilding every stone.
New windows overlooked the endless sea. Marble floors replaced warped timber.
The gardens bloomed again beneath careful hands, fragrant with roses, lavender, and citrus.
Solar lights lined the winding paths through the olive trees, while security systems lay hidden like teeth beneath a smile.
I’d rebuilt it for us.
A sanctuary.
A prison.
However she chose to view it.
The island sat far enough from the mainland that the coastline looked like a faded watercolor on the horizon. Boats were rarely seen. Aircrafts rarer still. Anyone approaching would be visible long before they reached the shore.
Almost no one knew this place existed anymore.
And the handful who did had every reason to believe it had remained abandoned.
She stirred in my arms, letting out a shaky breath before weak fists struck my chest.
“You don’t know what you’ve done,” she hissed weakly. “They’ll come for you.” Another blow against my chest, though I barely felt the impact. “They’ll come for me.” Another. “This will start a war.”
I shrugged. “Let them come. Let cities burn. Let the families fall. As long as you’re mine.”
I couldn’t believe my wife was finally back in my arms. I’d never stopped loving her. Never stopped thinking about her. Never gave up on our marriage.
She stiffened and a bitter laugh escaped me. “What’s the matter, my angel?”
“You’re crazy.”
A dark smile tugged on my lips. “I’ve been patient enough, but no more. We exchanged vows in front of every god and priest. It’s time we honor them.”
“The marriage was annulled,” she rasped, her eyes wide like she was seeing the devil in me for the first time. It was always here, lurking in the shadows, but now it had been unleashed.
“You didn't think I’d give you up, did you now?” I retorted wryly, unwilling to admit that her lawyer never got the chance to file the final paperwork because he was locked up in my house. “If your family wanted to keep you safe, they should have chained you up and thrown away the keys.”
She had fucking left me, moved on without a second goddamn thought. Meanwhile, all I did was think about getting her back.
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “You’ve caused enough damage. I want nothing to do with you.”
“Jesus,” Elira muttered behind me. I didn’t even realize she’d been following. “This will end even worse than last time.”
Taking two marble steps at a time, I went into the bedroom that was connected to my own suite, fully stocked with clothes and personal-care items, and was designated to be Anya’s until she found her way back to my bed.
It had a large balcony that wrapped around the corner of the house and views of the ocean and dense forest. There would be no way to escape this devil’s lair.
I placed her on the bed, her slim body slumping against the soft mattress while Dozer waited patiently to be picked up and deposited at her feet.
“Welcome home, wife,” I said, rougher than I intended as I lifted the Frenchie and issued a command. “Lie down.”
He did as instructed, slotting in next to her.
“Stop bossing around my dog,” she snapped.
“Our dog, my darling wife. What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine.”
“Like hell it is.”
“Go to sleep. Tomorrow I’ll show you around our house and the island.”
“This isn’t my home,” she argued. “You can’t do this, Jetmir. Take me back right now before anyone notices I’m gone,” she demanded, though her voice was too breathless. Too throaty.
I traced a finger down her slim throat. God, how she tempted me. “From now on, I’m your home. Just like you’re mine,” I drawled. “I won’t repeat your family’s mistake, and if you try to run, I’ll tie you up with rosaries.”
Fuck, my cock strained against my pants, eager to finally taste her after all this time. I couldn’t fucking stand another woman’s touch, and three goddamn years was a long fucking time to remain abstinent. My fist only went so far.
“You’re not my home,” she hissed. “You’re the enemy.”
My hand curled, pressing into the sides of her neck. She didn’t push me away, though something dark flashed in her eyes. Fuck, it turned me on even more.
“You look pretty with my hand around your throat,” I purred, wrapping my fingers tighter.
The glare she gave me would have frozen a man with a heart. Luckily for me, she ripped my heart out when she left me.
Before I did something regretful and unforgivable, I released her and headed for the door.
“Go to sleep, my angel, and dream of me,” I said darkly. “Don’t say another word, or I’ll consider crawling into your bed and making you scream my name all night long.”
I closed the door behind me right as I heard her soft gasp.