But his hand wasn’t grasping between my legs. It delved into my pocket, grabbing the cash that was my only lifeline.
Panic knifed through me, and my struggles resumed, far more frantic than before. Losing that money was as good as a death sentence. Or worse. The funds were my only protection, and without that leverage, anyone could pluck me up and use me for their own ends. If this man didn’t kill me, I could end up being the commodity, sold and imprisoned. And my next captor wouldn’t treat me as well as Raúl.
A familiar, feral snarl echoed through the dirty alley. I closed my eyes, certain I was disassociating and entering a fantasy where Raúl saved me again.
The crushing weight at my back lifted suddenly, and the grubby hand was wrenched from my face. I sucked in a gasping breath, my oxygen-starved lungs burning. My head swam from the sudden rush, but I managed to spin around. I’d intended to dash back out onto the street, but the ground tilted, and I had to lean against the wall for support.
I blinked hard, willing the wavering world to solidify around me. Because there was no way the scene before me was real. I was still swimming in my delusion, seeing Raúl’s powerful body swelling to fill the cramped alley. His massive fist slammed into my attacker’s face, and blood sprayed before the man dropped to the rank pavement. He twitched once, then went utterly still.
My savior rounded on me, his luminous green eyes fixing on me. His jaw was tight, the scar on his upper lip drawn deep on a scowl.
Despite my madness, a sob ripped from my chest as relief wracked my body in a brutal spasm. Everything was too much. Too much terror, too much guilt, too much pain.
My exhaustion rushed back in, and my knees buckled.
Suddenly, Raúl’s arms were around me, his harshly beautiful face filling my vision. His dark brows were drawn together, but his eyes seemed to glow with concern rather than fury. His mouth had softened, and I watched the thin, pale indentation of his scar as his lips moved.
A high ringing in my ears blocked out all other sound, and the world turned soft and surreal. I watched with detached interest as Raúl lifted his hand to my cheek, caressing me with tender care. My eyes stung, and something warm and wet spilled down my cheeks.
His lips twisted in a small frown, and his hand dropped from my face. Grief flooded my chest at the loss of his heat, but a strong arm remained braced around my waist, holding me upright against his muscular frame. I leaned into his strength and breathed him in.
His earthy scent suffused my senses, tugging at my mind. This was too real. His body was too solid against me.
His arm tightened around my waist, restraining rather than supporting. His free hand lifted something to his mouth: a syringe.
My stomach dropped as he uncapped it with his teeth. I’d barely begun to shake my head in horrified denial when he slipped the needle into my neck.
“Raúl…” I whispered his name, pleading for release. For my freedom.
Insidious warmth seeped through my veins, and my muscles grew heavy as I melted into him. He lifted me in his arms as though I weighed nothing. I stared up at him, trying to find his luminous eyes as my head lolled back. He didn’t so much as glance down at me, and his jaw was clenched again. But his careful hold shifted around my body, ensuring my head was cradled in a more comfortable position.
His calming scent followed me down into darkness, tempting me with a sense of safety. Just before I slipped into nothingness, I completely forgot that I wasn’t safe in this monster’s arms, no matter how gently they were holding me.
Chapter 7
Marisol
My head was full of cotton wool, and my mouth was uncomfortably dry. I swallowed and rolled to a more comfortable position on my side, curling up under the covers in my usual sleeping position. When my weight shifted, a dull ache pushed into my skull. I groaned and settled on my other side.
“You need to drink water,” a deep, familiar voice rumbled.
My stomach dropped, and a chill settled over my skin.
Raúl.
My fierce captor had found me. He’d drugged me and carried me away from my chance at freedom.
“I know you’re awake.” He was far too close. His earthy scent surrounded me, and I drew in his essence with each rapid, panicked breath. It filled my lungs, threatening to drown me.
My eyes popped open, and I immediately scrambled away before I could so much as get my bearings. The air rushed from my lungs on a shriek when I fell, but my ass hit the floor after dropping only a few feet.
Raúl’s massive body coalesced above me, looming larger than ever. I stumbled back, somehow getting my legs under me. But the room swirled with each jerky movement, and I swayed with an alarming lack of coordination.
Raúl’s full lips tugged down into a frown, and his big hand extended toward me. I reached back, wildly seeking something I could cling on to until the world stopped spinning. I hit the wall and leaned against it, gasping for breath.
The room settled into place around me, but as soon as I took in my surroundings, my heartrate spiked impossibly higher; a fluttering bird beating its wings against the confines of my ribcage.
I was in a bedroom. Alone with Raúl. It wasn’t hard to understand what that meant.
A heavy weight bore down on my chest, crushing my lungs.
No. The denial was weak even in my own head, because I knew there was no point pretending that he wasn’t capable of this. My fierce protector was just like every other cruel, sadistic man. I’d betrayed him, and he would punish me in the worst way. I was no longer precious to him, no longer worthy of his tender care.
I could see it in the way his deep green eyes glinted like polished jade, utterly devoid of the warm light that had entranced me when he held me in place for our kiss. Whatever tenderness he’d felt for me was gone now, obliterated by my sin.
Even though I understood, seeing him like this shredded me. Knowing what he planned to do—realizing that he actually was the kind of man who could rape me—killed the tiny spark of hope that’d endured in my soul.
“Please,” I begged, even though I knew it was useless. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I thought I was helping Carmen. I didn’t know what Daniel planned. You have to believe—”
“Don’t lie!” The harsh boom of his rebuke shoved me tighter against the wall. “You knew exactly what you were doing. Arturo told me everything before I killed him. You helped Daniel willingly.” His deafening shout dropped to a seething hiss. “I won’t believe any more of your lies. You let me think he was assaulting you when I found you together in that hallway. But you wanted it. You wanted to be in on the coup, because you thought I’d be killed. You thought you’d be rid of me, your cruel captor.” He spat the words from his mouth like they were poison. “You were manipulating him, just like you manipulated me. Tell me, Marisol. Did you soften and sigh for him like you did for me?”
“No!” My protest hitched in my throat.
“Liar,” he bit out. “It was exactly the same. You were exactly the same with Daniel as you were with me.”
He took a predatory step toward me, caging me in with his hands braced against the wall at either side of my head. As he leaned in close, the heat that I’d found so comforting oozed over my skin like a toxic taint.