35. thirty-five

Three Hours Ago

Both of us finishing hard and breathless, I stay buried inside of her as I lay over her body and place random kisses across her skin.

Kissing up her neck, I grip her chin between my fingers and meet her lusty gaze, "Do you trust me?"

"With my life," she replies through her still heavy breaths.

"How far are you willing to go? What are you willing to do to get to Hector?"

"Anything." Her voice is firm.

"Are you sure?"

Without breaking eye contact with me, she nods.

"Say it."

"I'll do whatever it takes to ensure he's dead."

"I need you to be certain," I continue to push, knowing that what I am going to ask of her is going to push her harder and farther than she may truly be willing to go.

Two Hours Ago

Showing it to her once more, I clasp the buckle of her belt. My hands linger on her hips, and I can't help but pull her into me.

"You can change your mind." I firmly kiss her lips before letting her go.

"I'm not." She shakes her head.

"They will separate us."

"I know." Her voice is delicate, yet resolute.

"They will put their hands on you."

"I can handle it," she assures me.

"If…" I hesitate at the thought. "If I don't get to you in time, you know?—"

"No." She cuts me off. "That won't happen. We both know that you'd die before you ever let that happen to me again."

She's not wrong, and that's my fear.

If I don't get to her in time, it's because I'm not coming.

Because they've ensured that I can't.

Buttoning my shirt, I continue to stare at her.

This is a horrible fucking plan.

She doesn't need to do this. I can get to him and rid the world of his existence.

"Raf!" Lucia screams my name as Hector pulls her from the room.

Laying on the hardwood floor, I fight against the searing pain in my side as I try to catch my breath.

Lucia's screams grow more distant, and my heart begins to race. Pounding hard and throbbing through the pain radiating in my chest.

Ensuring I am alone, I push myself from the floor with a grunt. Tearing open the buttons of my shirt, I pull at the Velcro of the vest beneath it. Releasing the pressure a little, I suck in air as I drop the bulletproof vest on the bed.

My fingers roam over my chest. It's sore as fucking hell, but I'm not bleeding. Both bullets stopped by the vest laying before me.

Thank God, Hector is a shit shot.

And that he didn't aim for my head.

Pulling the gun from my waistband and the knife from the sheath on my hip, I begin to make my way through the house in the direction of Lucia's screams.

Having spent two days ridding Hector of his warehouses and men, this house is mostly devoid of members of his cartel.

There aren't that many left to save him.

My back pressed to the wall in the hallway, I listen to the men heckling Lucia.

"Take turns. All of you take her at once. I don't fucking care." Hector's tone is flat and devoid of any emotion for Lucia. "Just make sure she knows how happy we all are to have her back home."

"Hector." Lucia's voice cracks as she cries his name. "Please. I'll do anything."

"Yes, you will," he responds smugly.

Carefully peering through the doorway, my blood boils as I watch him grip her throat to tip her face toward his. "You'll fuck every man I put before you. Willingly. Eagerly. Fucking enthusiastically—like the needy fucking slut you are. Convincing each of them to help me rebuild the empire you and that fucking nobody decided to destroy."

"Okay," she trembles. "Yes."

"That's my good little whore." He lightly slaps her cheek. "You can start with three of them."