16. Chapter Sixteen

Bautista stormed through the brightly lit halls of his home, anger coursing through his veins. The corridors were scattered with men, his soldiers on guard, still alert after the last of Los Manos Rojos had been taken down or chased out. No one would sleep well tonight. Tomorrow he would praise his men for their dedication and skill. But tonight, he was too consumed by thoughts of betrayal to address them.

Carmelita, his sweet little girl, was now safe, but his relief at that fact was not enough to overcome his fury.

His steps brought him to his own chambers. Two men were on guard. "Leave," he said coldly. They obeyed at once, but he saw the glance they shared as they did so. He wondered what alarmed them. Was it to leave him alone on a night when the sanctity of his home had been violated? Or was there something in his face that gave them pause?

No matter. Bautista flung the door open, rage propelling him through it and slamming it behind him with a crash. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?" he spat, his voice like thunder.

Rylan stared back at him, his wide lavender eyes filled with fear and vulnerability. He quickly stood up from the sofa, his hands coming up placatingly. "Find out?"

He sounded hoarse. He was no longer filthy, had bathed and changed. Bautista had had locked Rylan in his room before leaving to ensure Carmelita's safety. Clearly, he'd taken the time to clean up. Bautista's teeth ground together in frustrated anger.

"That you tried to escape while the compound was under attack? That you were working with my enemies?"

"No," Rylan protested, his soft voice rising with panic. "I…Giraldo tricked me. I didn't know what he was planning."

"Silence!" Bautista roared, not giving Rylan a chance to explain any further. He was too blinded by rage to even consider these pathetic excuses. That his rage was born of hurt that Rylan had betrayed him so easily, well, he did not think of that.

He closed the distance between them, grabbing Rylan's delicate wrist, feeling the rapid pulse beneath his rough fingers.

"Is this how you repay me?" Bautista growled, his dark eyes burning into Rylan's frightened gaze. He could see the tears welling up in those blue-violet depths, fear making Rylan shudder beneath his touch.

"Please, Bautista," Rylan whispered, his voice breaking. "I didn't want Carmelita to be hurt."

"Your lying words won't save you now," Bautista hissed, tugging Rylan closer, their bodies nearly touching.

The proximity burned in him, even in his anger. He let go of Rylan's wrist, but only to grab him by the chin, forcing those tearful eyes to meet his own.

"You've betrayed me, and for that there will be consequences," he warned, his voice low and dangerous.

Rylan's breath hitched, his fear palpable as he stared up, pleading with every muscle in his body. "Please, Bautista...believe me."

Bautista tightened his grip on Rylan's chin, but then released it abruptly and unbuckled his belt. The sound of the buckle echoed ominously in the dimly lit room.

"Strip," Bautista commanded as he pulled his belt free of its loops.

Rylan's breaths came in shallow gasps, tears streaming down his cheeks as he obeyed, peeling away his clothes until he was naked. There were bruises on his arms. Someone had manhandled him. Bautista felt a fresh flare of anger. The only bruises on Rylan should belong to him.

He grimaced, winding the belt around his hand. "Turn around."

Rylan complied, his hands shaking as he set them on the wall, bracing himself for what he clearly knew was coming.

The first crack of the belt against Rylan's pale skin made him cry out, a guttural sound of pure agony. Bautista didn't hesitate, striking Rylan again and again, each blow leaving behind angry red welts that would soon darken into bruises. As much as Rylan tried to stifle his sobs, they broke free, filling the room with their sorrowful melody.

"Please...Bautista, please stop," Rylan pleaded between ragged breaths. "I'm sorry..."

"Quiet!" Bautista snapped, his own breathing coming rough and hard now. Each time the belt connected with Rylan's body, Bautista felt it like a jolt in his own flesh. It should have felt cathartic, but it didn't. All it did was make him angrier.

Rylan's cries grew more desperate. He was weeping openly now, his back bowed, shoulders quaking as he cried. Bautista hesitated, his anger curdling in his gut. These were not the tears he wanted from Rylan. He had thought he did, but no.

"Enough," he muttered, dropping the belt to the floor.

Rylan crumpled against the wall, his body wracked with sobs. The realization hit Bautista like a physical blow—he did not enjoy hurting Rylan like this. But why?

He looked at the cowering figure in front of him and was overcome with a surge of protectiveness that he could not quite understand.

He reached out, his fingers tracing the raised welts on Rylan's body. "Cari?o," he murmured, softening his voice for the first time since the ordeal began. The pet name slipped out too easily. Fortunate, really, that Rylan didn't know what it meant and could not read anything into it that wasn't there.

Rylan flinched from his touch at first, but then he seemed to give way to it. Bautista saw the bob of his throat as he swallowed his sobs, trying to pull himself under control, and felt Rylan move under his hand, pressing into it as if seeking comfort.

The small motion felt significant. Bautista stroked Rylan again, watching him quiver.

"Please," Rylan whispered, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "I'm s-so sorry...I should n-never have trusted Giraldo. But I didn't kn-now."

"Tell me everything," Bautista said neutrally.

Rylan flinched, the words spilling out of him like water from a broken dam. "I did try to escape. Giraldo said he was working for my f-father, and I believed him." He shook his head angrily, then looked up at Bautista pleadingly. "I didn't know he was working with the others. And when I saw they had Carmelita, I lit the fire to get someone's attention. I only wanted to save her."

"To save my daughter?" Bautista said, suspicious. "Why would you do that?"

"She's a child," Rylan said, looking bewildered. He sniffed and scrubbed at his wet cheeks with his fingers. "She hasn't done anything to deserve…whatever was going to happen to her. Is she all right?"

Bautista nodded slowly. "Frightened but unharmed. She is sleeping in Teresa's bed tonight." With more guards on the door than usual. "So you set that fire for Carmelita."

Rylan flinched. "Yes. But. Also for me. So you'd come save me."

The confession hung heavy in the air between them, and for a moment, Bautista said nothing, simply studying Rylan's tear-streaked face. Then, slowly, he pulled Rylan into an embrace, wrapping his arms around his body and holding him tight.

"Cari?o," he breathed into Rylan's ear. This time the word felt right, like it belonged in his mouth. He didn't think too deeply about that.

Rylan clung to him like a child, sobbing into his shoulder. "I'm s-sorry," he whimpered. "Please…please don't be angry."

Bautista's lips pressed against the tender skin of Rylan's neck. Something had shifted between them. Bautista felt it, and he didn't know what to do with it. He regretted punishing Rylan now, felt responsible for comforting him, "Shh," he said, rubbing a hand down Rylan's spine.

But Rylan flinched. "Please," he whispered. "Please, Sir, please."

"Hush, little prince," Bautista murmured. A little guilt overcame him, so he scooped Rylan into his arms. Rylan whimpered, clinging to him as he was carried through to the bedroom. He laid Rylan gently on the mattress, hovering over his bruised body, feeling an unfamiliar tenderness blossom within him. This body belonged to him, and tonight he would take care of it.

"Are you in pain?" he asked.

Rylan shook his head, his eyes wide. Bautista frowned. "Don't lie to me. I know you are."

"It's all right," Rylan said shakily. "I'm all right."

"As you say." He bent his head to press a kiss to Rylan's collarbone. Rylan moaned softly, his breath hitching. Bautista kissed him again, soft and lingering, then moving down his chest. Rylan whimpered beneath him, his hands clutching at the sheets, unable to control the tremors that coursed through him.

"Ah!" Rylan gasped, his voice desperate, as though he were drowning, and Bautista was his lifeline. "Oh God, Sir, please…"

Bautista continued downward, pressing kisses to Rylan's stomach, then trailing down to his hips, avoiding the most intimate areas and torturing him with slow attention.

"Say it," he murmured, pausing to look up at Rylan. "Tell me what you want."

"Your cock," Rylan pleaded, tears filling his lavender eyes. "I want your cock. Please."

Bautista hummed in agreement, opening Rylan's thighs and shoving up between them. He pressed a gentle kiss to Rylan's temple and reached over him to the bedside drawer for lube and a condom. He pressed more kisses to Rylan's face as he slicked his cock and rubbed the latex-clad head of it against Rylan's hole. Rylan moaned, needy as always, and Bautista pushed into him slowly, tenderly. It was different this time. As he buried himself deep, Bautista felt something that went beyond mere physical pleasure.

"Ah! Yes," Rylan moaned, his body arching into Bautista's touch, seeking the comfort and security that only his dominant could provide. "I need this. I need you."

"Then take it," Bautista whispered, his lips ghosting over Rylan's neck and shoulders as he thrust into him. Rylan's body accepted him like a glove made only for him. He touched the trembling young man with reverence, fingertips tracing patterns on his sweat-slicked skin.

"God," Rylan panted, his voice breaking. He clung to Bautista as if he were the last solid thing in the universe. "Oh God."

Bautista pressed slow, languid kisses against Rylan's neck and shoulders, moving inside him with long, deep thrusts as he claimed Rylan's body over again.

"Please," Rylan whimpered, his body vibrating with tension. "Uh, I'm going to—"

"Let go," Bautista murmured into Rylan's ear, his own control slipping as their bodies moved together in perfect harmony. "Give yourself to me."

Rylan let out a strangled cry, clutching Bautista's shoulders, shaking as he spilled over between them.

Feeling the spatter of Rylan's climax against his belly, Bautista allowed himself to follow, pressing one last, lingering kiss to Rylan's jaw as he emptied himself deep within the younger man's body, rocking into him with each heavy throb.

It felt like eternity.

***

Bautista lay curled around Rylan, their bodies tangled together. Usually, Bautista preferred to sleep alone, sent the women he bedded away when he was done with them. But he wanted Rylan close, where he could keep an eye on him. Also, sending Rylan back and forth across the house at night would invite speculation. Bautista told himself that was the real reason for keeping Rylan in his bed.

The soft glow of lamplight spilled over Rylan's face and the exposed skin of his shoulder. He was pale and delicate, feminine in his way, but this was a man in Bautista's bed, unmistakably. He looked like a man, smelled like a man, felt like a man in Bautista's arms.

Bautista wanted to despise him. And yet.

He watched as Rylan's fingers traced over his chest, following the lines of his tattoos. "Why roses?" Rylan asked, eyes flickering up to meet his. There was, for once, no fear in them.

"Roses have thorns," he said. "They defend themselves."

Rylan's fingers lingered on the heart inked over Bautista's own. "They're beautiful. You like beautiful things."

Rylan was himself a beautiful thing. "Beautiful things are dangerous," Bautista said solemnly. "The tattoos are a reminder."

"Wrapped around your heart," Rylan said softly. His voice was always soft, almost lisping, and Bautista should hate it, but he didn't. "You've protected it with thorns, but it's still caged."

Bautista did not answer. Instead he caught Rylan's hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing Rylan's fingertips. He saw Rylan's tongue flicker out to wet his lip, and knew what Rylan was thinking.

Or he thought he knew. "Is it because of your wife?"

Something cold knotted in Bautista's belly. "Who told you about her?"

"Oh…no one important." Rylan looked guilty. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pried. It's private."

The cold thing in Bautista's belly twisted, like a shard from a knife blade, lodged in him long ago. "Ask your questions," he said gruffly. "What do you think you know?"

After a long moment of indecision, Rylan said, "I heard you killed her."

"Is that all you heard?"

Rylan shook his head, his curls tumbling against the pillow. His eyes were wide, his pupils huge and black in the dim lamplight. "Are there really crocodiles at the back of the compound?"

Bautista hesitated, taking a deep breath before speaking. "There are."

"Then…it's true?" Rylan asked. Bautista felt him tense beneath the bedcovers. For some reason, he realized he did not want that.

"It isn't the whole truth."

"Then, what is?" Rylan asked gently, his blue eyes searching Bautista's face for answers.

"Many years ago, I caught Carmel in bed with my best friend. Vergaza," Bautista said, his chest heavy with regret. "He had been my friend since boyhood. We took over together Los Lagos and made something to be reckoned with. He and me and Carlos. And Carmel." He swallowed, gritting his teeth. "Their betrayal was…deep." The feelings that had once consumed him were now distant, faded like an old photograph left in the sun. He could not be hurt by them anymore.

Rylan's hand stilled on Bautista's chest but he said nothing, simply listening, his eyes wide. That strange, lavender blue. Bautista touched Rylan's cheek, marveling at the softness of it.

"I loved them both," he said quietly. "And because I loved them, I gave Carmel a choice. She could stay with me and our daughter, never seeing Vergaza again, or she could leave with him and never see Carmelita again." He paused, feeling the weight of years hanging from him. "She chose Vergaza."

"Then what happened?" Rylan asked gently.

"I banished them both and let it be said that I had killed them with my own hands," Bautista confessed, staring down at the tangled sheets between them as if they held the answers to all his sins. "I think Carlos started the rumor about the crocodiles. It was easier for people to believe that I was a monster than to know the truth. That I loved them both too much to truly hurt them."

Rylan sat up abruptly, his silky ash-blond curls falling over his eyes as he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Bautista's cheek. "They hurt you," he whispered, his voice thick with sympathy. "You've been carrying this pain around for so long."

Bautista looked into Rylan's lavender-blue eyes, filled with such emotion that it made something ache deep within his chest. He couldn't bear the tenderness, the compassion; it touched wounds that had festered for far too long. With a growl, he pulled Rylan against him, rolling them over until Rylan was pinned beneath him.

Rylan gasped. His mouth looked soft, his lips red and inviting. And his thighs opened, letting Bautista in at once.

The sudden heat between them drove all thoughts of the past from Bautista's head. He wanted to bury himself in Rylan, forget every reason he shouldn't. And then Rylan arched against him, pressing their bodies together in a hot slide that killed every reluctant thought Bautista's conscience could muster.

He groaned as he shoved Rylan's legs apart, his cock dragging over Rylan's skin. He was already hard, brought to life by the pressure of Rylan's body, by the intoxicating pull of this man in his bed. He couldn't get enough of him. He wanted more.

His cock slid between Rylan's cheeks, where he was still slick with lube. Bautista hesitated, on the verge of reaching for a condom. But he didn't need one. It wasn't like he could knock Rylan up. And he belongs to me, he thought giddily. Mine, to have as I will.

Rylan was watching him, wide-eyed. Bautista held his gaze as he pressed his cock to Rylan's hole, watching the shock in Rylan's face as he slid back into the young man's body with a slow, deliberate motion. Rylan gasped, his arms instinctively wrapping around Bautista's neck, pulling them closer together.

"Ah, Bautista...yes," Rylan moaned, his voice a breathy whimper that made Bautista's heart clench. It was a sound laced with pleasure and surrender, one that Bautista found intoxicating. He thrust deep inside Rylan, reveling in the tight, raw heat that enveloped him. The sensation was overwhelming, sending tremors of pleasure coursing through his veins.

"Please," Rylan whispered, his eyes glassy and pleading as he wet his lips with his tongue. The motion reached into Bautista's chest, tugging him in. He leaned down, covering Rylan's mouth with his. Rylan moaned into him, opening at once, and Bautista sank into him. It felt forbidden, a mortal sin. Bautista dove into it, claiming Rylan in every way he could.

He growled against Rylan's lips, quickening his pace, driving deeper into the younger man's body. With each stroke, each ratcheting up of pleasure, he felt as if he were rushing toward a precipice, teetering on the edge of it. The danger only spurred him on.

Rylan moaned, his lips moving hungrily. He seemed energized, surging up against Bautista, his hips rocking into the thrusts as Bautista fucked him relentlessly. It drove Bautista wild, that familiar urgency building within him as he began to lose himself in Rylan.

And then Rylan moaned and arched, his body fluttering around Bautista's cock. Bautista felt the come pulse out of him between their bodies. Unable to resist any longer, Bautista let go, surrendering to the pleasure as his climax tore through him. With one final thrust, he buried himself deep inside Rylan, filling him with his release.

Rylan whimpered, craning his neck, and Bautista met him, licking into his mouth to claim that too. Mine, he thought wildly. He's mine. No one can take him from me.

Breathless, he turned his face into Rylan's neck, refusing to consider the consequences of what they were doing. He focused only on this moment, when this was all mattered.