Two men in black suits.I wasn’t sure why I was surprised.Apparently, Carlos had increased his securityaswell.
My gaze cut back to him to find his face twisted into a mask ofdispleasure.
“I am the only one who gets to ask questions here.Like why you let another man put his handsonyou?”
He stepped toward me, and fear curled up myspine.
“Whore,” he spat.“I thought you were smarter than the rest of them.You couldn’t keep your legs closed for fiveminutes.”
My first instinct was to fire back with his transgressions, but I snapped my mouth shut before the words flew free.This Carlos wasn’t the guy I’d dated sometimes when our schedules connected.He was the son of a drug lordwho had my dad and brothercaptive.
“Wherearethey?”
He stepped forward again, this time to backhand me on the cheek.“I said no fucking questions!Do I need to fuck the sense into you right here?In front of an audience?Maybe you’d likethattoo.”
Tears stung my eyes as pain radiated from my cheekbone.He just hit me.No one had ever hit me.I jerked my arm, instinctively trying to cover the spot withmyhand.
“I should have kept you in line with the back of my hand this whole time.Then we wouldn’t have this situation.Now I’ll drag you home to Mexico like the disobedient bitch you are, and I’ll put you to use.My father has a pack of dogs that will break you if Ican’t.”
The visual rising in my head threatened to empty the contents of mystomach.
“Why?”I dared another question.“Why are youdoingthis?”
A cruel smile twisted his lips.“Because I can.Because no one offers me something and then tries to take it away.You were part of the deal, you and that brain of yours, and I don’trenegotiate.”
Part ofthedeal?
“I didn’t make a deal.I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but I’ll pay you to let me go.As much as you want, just let me walk out of here with my dad andHeath.”
Cruel, mocking laughter burst from Carlos’s lips.“I never understood how you could be so naive and so brilliant at the same time.I have more money than my children’s children could everspend.”
“Then what do you want?”Iyelled.
His expression turned forbidding, and he gripped me by the chin and squeezed before flinging my head to the side.“You will learnrespect!”
The tears burning my eyes tipped over.“Where are they?Just tell me.Please.They’re all Ihaveleft.”
“The fact that you risk my wrath for that piece-of-shit brother of yours tells me just how stupid you are.He doesn’t deserve your loyalty.”He nodded at the large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.The one Heath and I had gotten Dad for Christmas twoyearsago.
One of his goons turned on the power.As soon as Heath’s battered face filled the screen, I froze.He was tied to a chair.A chair Irecognized.
My gaze cut to the breakfast nook and my dad’s table.One chair wasmissing.
Heath spat blood at whoever held the camera, and it spilled over his lip and down his chin.“Fuckyou.”
“No, fuck you.”It was Carlos’s voice.“You thought you could show her that picture without paying the price?Didn’t I prove you wrong when they put your father in the hospital?Did you not get themessage?”
“I’m done.I’mfuckingdone!”
Bloody spittle coated Heath’s lips as he yelled, and a man stepped into the frame and swung a fist at Heath’s face.My brother’s head jerked sideways when it connected, and the crack of bone on bone had me crying out as hecursed.
This time, when the man stepped back, Heath coughed up teeth with his mouthful of blood.That’s when I realized it wasn’t bone on bone, but metal.Brass knuckles were secured on the man’sfingers.
“How do we get into thesaferoom?”
The question Carlos asked Heath caught me offguard.
“She’ll come.She’sgonnacome.”