Chapter 17
Omar
Ishould have closed the damn blinds. There was a slice of light right across my eyes, and it dragged me, unwilling, up from sleep. I nearly rolled over when I realized that one, I wasn’t alone, and two, I wasn’t in my bed.
I glanced down at Lyse, who was sleeping tucked against my side.
She’d never more resembled a bunny than she did in that moment, curled up in a ball with her hair in disarray.
She had the sheet pulled up around her, but her bare shoulder peeked through, and that little patch of skin made me salivate.
I could wake her up, I thought, already picturing taking her again. I couldn’t get enough of the way she clung to me and begged me so softly and sweetly to make her feel good. When was the last time anyone asked that of me?
Before I could put action to my thoughts, however, I saw the time.
I needed to call Lili and check in; if I waited too long, she would get anxious, and the last thing I wanted to do was heap more stress onto my sister.
Slowly so that I wouldn’t wake Lyse, I eased myself out of bed and left her there, in a puddle of sunshine.
I headed downstairs. “Jefe?” Helena called as I passed by the kitchen.
“Not now,” I threw back over my shoulder.
“Should I start breakfast for you and—”
I stopped in my tracks and turned around; I came just inside the kitchen and crossed my arms over my chest. “And?”
Helena didn’t look impressed in the slightest. “And Lyse,” she said. “Did you want me to start breakfast for you both?”
“Why would you ask me about her?”
Her eyes dipped down at my chest, and I followed her gaze and sighed.
Lyse had left a fairly large, very noticeable hickey on my pec.
When the hell did that happen? My little bunny had fangs, apparently.
“Breakfast would be good,” I said, feeling like a teenager who had just gotten caught sneaking into the house after being out all night.
Helena nodded. “Don’t hurt her, jefe.”
I stood there, silent, for a moment. “I’m going to try not to. I can’t make any promises,” I said finally. “Con permiso. I have a phone call to make.”
Going to the office, I closed the door behind me. I was down to my last few burners: I either needed to send Esteban for more, or Angel had to wake up.
I dialed Lili's number. “Idiota!”
I was really getting tired of that…but she didn't sound nearly as devastated as she had been. “What's the news?”
“Angel is awake.” She sounded so happy that she could have been floating. “He's not totally out of the woods, but he's breathing on his own, and he’s able to follow the doctor’s directions, so it’s looking good that he doesn’t have any lasting brain damage.”
It felt like my lungs could fully inflate for the first time in far too long. “Alabanzas,” I breathed out, and Lili echoed me in a tearful but joyous voice.
“I didn’t even tell you the best part yet!”
What could possibly be better than Angel waking up? “What’s the best part?” I asked, choosing to humor her.
“The police came back to the compound and apologized to me personally for all the trouble. They’re backing off. I don’t know what you did, but it worked. You can come home!”
Felix got it done, I thought, finally. “Why didn’t you lead with that!?”
Lili laughed, and it was her evil little sister laugh again. The weight had almost entirely come off her shoulders. “I figured our brother being alive was a tad more important.”
She was right, of course, but I wouldn’t give her the pleasure of admitting it. “I’ll be home soon,” I promised. “Are you and Emma okay for a few more hours?”
She snorted. “Like Emma would even notice either of us right now.”
“She’s made a full recovery, has she?”
“Near enough,” Lili said. “The doctors are going to continue to monitor her because of her blood pressure, but her main stressor has largely resolved itself, so they’re pretty sure that will correct itself too.”
“I’d say get her back to the compound for some real sleep, but I doubt she’ll leave Angel’s side.”
“Correct, and Angel pretty much death-glared me when I suggested it anyway. He wants her where he can see her.”
I snorted. “Sounds like he’s going to be just fine, then.
” It took Emma almost dying for my brother and his darling wife to admit that they were head over heels for each other.
It had been both amusing and extremely frustrating to watch, but now that he had a firm grasp on her, he wasn’t going to let her go.
Not even a near-death experience or two was going to pull them apart.
Especially now that she was pregnant with their first child.
Thinking about them made me think of the woman upstairs. Shit. I had to figure out what to do with Lyse. If Felix really did come through on his end of the bargain…I had to give her back, right? If I didn’t, it would cause even more problems.
But the idea of returning her to those Rojas scum made my blood boil…and besides, I still wanted them to suffer for what they did to Angel. My desire to end Luis Rojas hadn’t ended just because I bedded his daughter. If anything, it had increased tenfold after hearing what he’d done to her.
“I’ll make arrangements and be home soon,” I promised again before we hung up.
The light was finally visible at the end of the tunnel, but there was a lot to do before I could actually head home.
After a moment to think about it, I dialed Felix’s number: I had to get this over with.
“Senor Suarez,” I greeted him when he picked up the call.
“You delivered. My sister said the police personally apologized for all the trouble they’d given her. I have you to thank for that.”
“I don’t want your thanks. I want Lyse.”
The way he said her name set me on fire: he didn’t think of Lyse as his fiancée, let alone as a woman, but as a possession.
Like he had any right to her at all. Lyse belongs to me, I thought savagely.
It wasn’t a particularly…progressive thought, but I didn’t care.
The image of Lyse lost in her own pleasure was seared into my retinas, and I would be damned if I had to share it with anyone.
“We’ll discuss Lyse tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“That won’t be a problem, will it? If I’m cleared, I should be able to come to Miami for an in-person discussion with you and Luis Rojas without worrying about the police breathing down my neck.”
Felix scoffed. “You want to bring Luis into this? Really?”
A snarl twisted my face. I could feel it. “He and I have much to discuss.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone; for a moment, I thought that the man had simply hung up. “There will be no violence,” he said. “If I arrange a meeting, it will be in a neutral location.”
I didn’t want to concede…but the man had a point. “No violence on either side,” I said. “If it’s a trap, you won’t have to worry about Lyse anymore.”
Not that I’m giving her back to begin with.
“Agreed,” Felix said.
“Send me the location to this number when you have it. We’ll meet wherever you choose at eight o’clock.”
I ended the call and pocketed the phone. I trusted Lili enough that I figured the FBI wouldn’t be swarming the island in order to arrest me.
There was a lot to arrange before I could leave, but when I stepped out of the office, I could smell the bacon that Helena was frying, and an idea came to mind. “Is breakfast nearly ready?” I asked as I came into the kitchen.
Helena was in the process of turning off the burners. “It’s done now,” she said. “Shall I—”
“I’ll dish it up,” I cut her off.
She raised her eyebrow. “Oh? Taking it upstairs, are you?”
A reprimand was on the tip of my tongue — I’d really let her get away with far too much — but I was in too good a mood. “Lyse hasn’t gotten up yet,” I said instead. “She might like hers in her room.”
Helena barked out a laugh, but she didn’t say anything else. Instead, she turned to start cleaning up the mess and allowed me to make two plates in peace. Before I could ask for a tray, she produced one and put it on the counter beside me.
I loaded up the plates and carried the tray upstairs.
Lyse was where I left her, sleeping in a pool of sunshine.
I set the tray on the dresser and climbed into the bed beside her.
“Conejita, it’s time to wake up.” Lyse shifted in her sleep, but she didn’t open her eyes.
I kissed her bare shoulder, like I had been so tempted to do when I woke up. “Lyse.”
She stirred again, and this time, her eyes fluttered open.
I watched as the fog lifted from her eyes, and for a split-second, I wondered if I would see her regret what happened.
Instead, Lyse focused on me, and a soft pink flush erupted across her cheeks.
No one has the right to be this adorable when they first wake up, I thought. “Buenos días,” she said.
I kissed her shoulder again. “I brought breakfast.”
Lyse pushed herself up. “Did you…cook?”
I laughed. “Absolutely not. Helena made it for us; my contribution was putting it on the tray.” She looked the tiniest bit relieved, and I scoffed. “You think I can’t cook, conejita?”
She studied me for a moment. “I don’t think you’ve ever had to cook for yourself.” She cocked her head to the side. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
She wasn’t wrong in the slightest, but the fact that she was challenging me made my blood run hot.
Pin her down, I told myself. Remind her how strong you are.
But the intrusive thoughts didn’t get to win today.
There was too much to do before I went to Miami.
“You’re not wrong,” I said finally, leaning forward to peck her lips, quickly before either of us got too distracted. “But I don’t have to like it.”
Lyse chuckled. “Noted.”
I backed off the bed and went for the tray. “Let’s eat,” I said. “I’ve got a full day ahead of me.”
Her smile faded a little. “What do you need to do?”
“Eat,” I told her again and glared until she took her first bite of bacon. “I have to head back to Miami tonight. Angel woke up.”
She perked up. “Is he going to be okay?”
I nodded. “Seemingly so. I’m going to see for myself.”
“But what about—?”
I swallowed the food in my mouth. It was delicious, but the moment it hit my stomach, it curdled. “Felix came through. The police have been called off. In theory, I should be safe in Miami without worrying about being arrested, or worse.”
She looked surprised…and just a little disappointed. The sickening twist in my stomach eased. “Am I coming with you?”
“No.” The word was out of my mouth before I truly thought about it. I had been thinking of bringing Lyse with me. Felix had paid her ransom price. By all rights, he should get to see her, even if I had no plans to actually turn her over. “Not yet.”
“But…why? You’re not leaving me, are you?”
I gave her a hard look. Is that what she’s so upset about?
That I’ll abandon her? By rights, Lyse should want to go home to her family; she should demand to be in the boat with me this afternoon.
Instead, she looked more upset at the prospect of being left alone.
“I get to decide if and when you go back to your family.” I took her chin between my thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look at me.
She jolted out of my grasp. “Are you going to tell my father that? Felix?”
The thought of Felix’s hands on her made the bacon in my stomach curdle. “You belong to me now, remember?”
“Then let me help you.”
My fierce girl, I thought. She was so ready to throw away everything that she’d ever known.
How badly had they treated her? As much as Angel came to hate our father toward the end of his life, I hadn’t.
Not until he almost took Angel away. No one was going to take Lyse away from me: I’d burn the world to ashes first. “No,” I said.
“Absolutely not. Paint something for me. I’ll be home before sunrise. ”
Lyse let out an ugly sound that might have been a laugh. “You won’t make it out of a meeting with my father alive.”
I watched the hardened look on her face soften in concern. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll do whatever I have to do to come back to you.”