34. thirty-four

According to Rafael, not long after Papi passed, Hector moved from our home into his. It has a well-enforced perimeter and plenty of men to guard it. Being the head of the cartel now, he likely felt that it would be safer for him than the small estate that Papi had given us as a wedding gift.

Papihad promised me to Hector the night of my quinceanera. Being only five years my senior, we all knew that it would be years before we were to actually be married. But that didn't stop him from being controlling and deciding who I could and couldn't spend time with once it was confirmed that I would be his someday.

Because of him, I spent my teenage years learning how to get on and off the compound without being seen. The irony. My need to sneak around to spend time with friends who he didn't approve of has literally prepared me for tonight.

It"s just shy of three in the morning. Guards are at a minimum at this hour, and not a single light is on inside.

Wiggling the bar of the wrought iron fence, I pop it out of place making enough room to press between the bars. It's a significantly tighter squeeze for Raf, who is nearly twice my size, and he grumbles something about driving a car through the front gate instead.

Raf follows me as we quickly make our way along the fence until we are across the courtyard from my former bedroom. Situated just above a statement wall is a protruding brick fa?ade—practically making a ladder up to the window.

"Lucia!" Raf angrily whisper-shouts after me when I dart across the yard. Even with his long strides, he doesn't catch the years of muscle-memory building experience. I'm pushing open the bedroom window when Rafael begins to quickly scale the wall behind me.

"Fucking wait," he quietly yells while glaring at me as I climb into the window.

Feeling accomplished at making my way into the house, I turn around to find a gun pointed at my face. And when I look down the length of the barrel, I see him.

Hector.

Sitting on the edge of my childhood bed, merely waiting for us to come for him.

"Did you really think I didn't know about you sneaking around?" Hector snarks. "Sneaking out when you were supposed to be saving yourself for me."

Gripping my hair, he pulls me toward him and snarls, "I should've taken what was rightfully mine the night it was promised to me. I should've taken it before you had the opportunity to show me that you were nothing more than a dirty whore. I only gave you exactly what you showed me you wanted."

"Raf!" I try to warn him as he presses himself through the window.

Tossing me to the floor, Hector lunges forward and cracks Raf repeatedly on the head with the butt of a gun. Blood trickles from his hairline as he stumbles slightly and leans against the wall in an attempt to gather his balance.

I cry out in pain when Hector fists my hair and roughly lifts me from the floor. Hearing my screams, Raf pushes himself from the wall and reaches for the gun tucked into his waistband.

Hector fires his gun, squeezing off two shots. They are deafening in the small confines of the bedroom, and Raf falls to the floor as I scream for him.

"Come, my wife." Hector drags me toward the hallway. "I have some friends downstairs that have missed you. And some that are just dying to finally make your acquaintance."

"Raf!" I scream for him, clawing at the door frame as Hector wraps an arm around my waist and forcibly pulls me from the room.

"He can't save you this time, Lucia." Hector continues to manhandle me as he pushes me through the house. He shoves me through a doorway and throws me against the wall. I hit it with a thud so hard it knocks the wind from my lungs.

His hands wrap around my throat, and he uses the grip to hold me in place as he addresses the other men in the room.

Three of them.

All of their eyes are on me as Hector speaks. "I'd like you all to meet my adoring wife. She is responsible for all of your changes in status today. Without her, I wouldn't have needed to replace Guillermo and Jorge."

Pulling me from the wall with his grip around my neck, he pulls my back against his chest. His hips grind against my ass as he presses his free hand between my thighs, putting on a show for his friends. "I think it's only fair we let her celebrate with us, so you can all show her just how fucking thankful you are for her."

Dark laughter fills the room, all of them more than fucking eager to take from me—again or for the first time.

Hector shoves me into the arms of one of them, and his meaty paws are immediately on my ass as holds me against him. Firmly slapping my ass, he shoves me into the arms of the man beside him.

The three of them continue to shove me between them, taking turns groping me over my clothes and sharing with each other the things they plan to do to me. Each of them grows more feral with each touch.

"Take turns. All of you take her at once. I don't fucking care." Hector shrugs while getting himself a drink at the bar, "Just make sure she knows how happy we all are to have her back home."

"Hector," I plead with tears welling in my eyes.