36. Rafe

36

RAFE

"I can't figure you out."

"What's to figure out?" I asked, glad I was still mysterious to Zavala. I had no problem fooling those around me. Zavala was different. I hadn't been myself since I came to this island. Where I could normally hide my intentions, this was the closest I had ever come to getting Isabelle back, and I was finding it difficult to come up with an exit strategy. It was throwing me off. I wasn't used to feeling this way.

"I can't figure out why you would want to get so close to me. You say it's because you want to work with me, but who spends that much time taking out obstacles in his way all to work with one man?"

"A strategist." I'd sat through another fucking dinner with him, avoiding all the landmines he was throwing down. He desperately wanted to throw me off my game, and he was doing a great fucking job of keeping me on my toes, but I hadn't folded yet.

"But a man like you could have easily taken over other businesses. You could be rich in your own right by now. Yet, you gave all that up to work with me."

"I didn't give up anything. Putting those men out of business has made me a lot of money."

"Still, you could have an empire. And I still haven't decided if you should live or die. It seems a high price to pay to work with me. In fact, I might even call it the highest form of stupidity. And I can't tolerate stupidity."

"Clearly, you aren't seeing the full picture." His jaw tightened at the offense, but I pushed on. "With the other competitors out of the way, we take over the entire operation—each of us at opposite ends of the spectrum. We stand to not only make more, but become untouchable."

His lips quirked up at the corners and I knew I was fucked. "I already am untouchable."

I was grabbed from behind and dragged toward the door. The one thing I didn't want to do was no longer an option to be left out. I had to shoot my mouth off and let my secret out or all my chances would be gone forever.

"Your wife is my sister," I said before they could drag me from the room.

Zavala held up his hand, his face lethal as he marched over to me. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

I smirked at him, loving how I caught him off guard. Too bad this pleasure wouldn't last. "My dear father is the very man who fathered your wife. That makes us relatives."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You're a spy."

"Hardly. I'm a man who does whatever the fuck he wants. I don't give a shit about my father or his intentions. He works on the other side of the law—something I've found to…get in the way of business. And when I found out he had another family and that his daughter just happened to be related to you, I saw an opportunity and I took it. Which is why the thought of sleeping with your wife is absolutely disgusting to me."

He was quiet for a minute as he considered this. "And you decided the best way to get my attention was to steal from me."

"It worked. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Not for long. I don't appreciate the subterfuge."

"How else was I supposed to get your attention? You are notorious for not taking meetings with anyone who you haven't vetted yourself. The moment you found out about my connection to Isabelle, you would have either killed me or refused to take a meeting."

He stared at me for a moment, then turned to his guard. "Go get Isabelle."

I stood in silence with him, knowing there was a test coming. If Zavala's reputation said anything, I was going to have to prove myself to him, and I knew it would put me in a tenuous position. But I would do whatever had to be done.

When she walked through the door minutes later and took in the tension in the room, I could see the color visibly drain from her face.

"Yes?"

"Isabelle, were you aware that you had a brother?"

"A brother?" Her voice held steady as she looked at him innocently. "I'm an only child."

"Are you sure about that?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "Unless my mother had a child after I married you?—"

"I'm talking about Rafe," he cut her off.

She slowly turned to me. The fear in her eyes was evident, but she said nothing. If she blew this, we would both be dead. I saw her throat bob as she swallowed hard, shaking her head slightly. "No, he's not?—"

"He just told me he was your brother, and if anyone would know that, it would be you, correct?"

"Ebarardo—" she started, but he cut her off.

"Are you telling me this man is lying to me?"

"I don't—how would I know?"

"My dear, is that fear I hear in your voice?" He stalked closer to her and she stiffened, ready for whatever was coming. "You know you never have anything to fear from me."

His hand shot out and he wrapped his fingers around her throat, squeezing as he stared into her eyes. She struggled to breathe, clawing at his hand, but he wouldn't relent.

"Why are you lying to me?"

She shook her head. "I'm…not."

"She doesn't know about me," I said casually.

Zavala turned to me, his hand still wrapped around Isabelle's throat. "How do I know you aren't coming at me to get to her?"

"Because I don't give a fuck about her. I came to make a business connection." I kept my words slow and even, not at all betraying that I was hoping to get him to stop choking her. "She was nothing but an opportunity to connect with you. But that was only if I needed her. A good businessman doesn't rely on family connections—if he can avoid it."

He released her suddenly and turned to me. "Prove it."

"Prove what?"

"That she means nothing to you."

I shrugged. "How?"

"If you really don't care what happens to her, you won't mind demonstrating some of your skills."

I heard the sudden intake of breath from Isabelle. The room turned chilly as he stared at me, waiting for me to make a decision.

"You want me to hurt your wife?" I asked in a monotone voice.

"She can take it."

I set my glass down and grinned at him. "Just tell me when to stop."

My stomach swirled with nausea as I faced Isabelle. I knew she was hoping Zavala would stop me. I was hoping for that too. But if I didn't do as he asked, there would be no convincing him that I wasn't here for her. Things were spiraling out of control at an alarming rate, and if I didn't end this soon, I would end up regretting ever coming here.

"Do you prefer the face or the body?" I asked, never taking my eyes off Isabelle.

"Whatever you choose."

That sounded like a test. As much as I wanted to go easy on her, I knew I couldn't pull my punches. I couldn't hurt her where it would hurt least either. This was going to be brutal, and only that would convince Zavala.

I looked at her like any other job, and when I landed the first punch, I stared at her like the enemy, not my sister. My fist slammed into her cheek and I heard the sickening crack as her cheekbone shattered. I half expected Zavala to yell at me or hold me back when she collapsed to the ground.

She cupped her hand to her cheek as she cried on the floor. I ignored the sounds of her sobs. I knew it fucking hurt like hell, but it was only going to get worse. I couldn't show her any remorse. She didn't move from the ground, making it hard to hit her with my fist the way I wanted. I slammed my boot into her side, cringing internally when I felt my boot connect with bone.

She gasped and choked, fighting for air. How could this sick fuck allow me to hurt his wife? Didn't he care at all about her? I used that anger to fuel me, forcing the guilt and bile to the back of my mind. I could feel all the guilt I wanted when this was over.

I hauled her up by her dress, ignoring the way the fabric ripped, and tossed her across the room. She slammed into a cabinet and the glass shattered around her. Any man would be begging for mercy right now, but she only cried. It gutted me that she was used to beatings. My sister—the woman I had only met when I stepped foot on this island—was supposed to be someone I protected, but instead, I was hurting.

I was hurting her.

This was my chance to get her off the island. I had to do it just right, but if I did, an air ambulance would have to be called. It was the only way—my last chance. I looked at Isabelle one last time. I ignored the pleading look in her eyes, and I struck.

She curled in on herself from the savage hit to her abdomen. Her face paled and the trauma was so real I nearly went to her, but I forced myself to stay calm. We'd see soon enough if I had done the damage needed to get her airlifted from the island.

Did I regret it?

Not for a minute. This would work. It had to.

But when I still didn't get the signal to stop from Zavala, I had no choice but to continue. I stalked toward her, ready for my next hit when he finally spoke.

"Enough!"

I slowly lowered my fist, unclenching as I turned to him. "Already?"

He chuckled as he looked at his wife on the ground. "Did you have fun?"

"Not nearly enough. But I could be persuaded to stop for the right price."

"And that would be an alliance between us."

"Something like that," I said.

Zavala nodded to his guard. "Get her cleaned up and call for the doctor."

The guard hauled her up off the ground none too gently and walked out of the room. I watched them leave, then turned to Zavala, picking up my glass from the table, downing it in one swallow. "Any chance you have anyone else you want me to take some anger out on?"

He tossed his head back, laughing at my joke. It wasn't really a joke. If he told me he needed me to kill one of his guards, I would do it in an instant.

"To the future," he toasted.

I lifted my empty glass. "To the future."