Stealing Beauty (Stolen 1)

A taxi turned the corner ahead of us, and I didn’t hesitate to hail it. We couldn’t risk walking to a hotel, not in this neighborhood. We needed to get lost amongst the tourists who would be packed into the streets of Zona Rosa in search of the best nightclubs.

The taxi stopped for us, and Mateo didn’t bother to hide his weapon as we got into the car. I barked out our destination, and the man didn’t so much as glance in his rearview mirror as he drove us deeper into town. It was best for him that he didn’t try to memorize our faces or look at Valentina.

Her hand was still trapped in mine, her fingers too cool and clammy. Without thinking, I ran my thumb over her knuckles to warm them.

She sucked in a sharp breath, and I stopped immediately, holding her with almost crushing force once again. She stiffened beside me, but she didn’t make another small sound of pain. I almost wished she would. I hadn’t felt this alive in years. When I’d held my prize over my shoulder and she’d whimpered at my touch, something more than animal lust had surged through my system. My desire for her was brutal, and if I wasn’t careful with her, that brutality might bleed out and cause me to harm her.

As much as I hated her, I didn’t want to damage her.

I might want her to scream for me, to cry and beg for mercy, but I’d never mutilate her.

The idea of her blood on my hands made my stomach sour. That wouldn’t satisfy me the way Hugo’s blood did. It was caked on my fingers, drying and flaking off. I wanted more of his blood on my hands, but taking Valentina from him was a harsher blow to his ego than any painful physical punishment I could devise.

When we were deep in Zona Rosa, I ordered the driver to stop. I had enough cash on me that I was able to pay the fare, but that would run out quickly, especially once we paid for a night at a hotel.

We only had to walk a few blocks before we came across a hotel that would serve our needs. I kept Valentina close as we waited on the street, allowing Mateo to check in for us. I didn’t want anyone who worked at the hotel to have extra time to study her face. With any luck, we’d get through the lobby and up to a room before anyone took close notice of her. She probably wasn’t well-known in this part of town, but I didn’t want to take any risks that the wife of Hugo Sánchez would be recognized.

Mateo appeared at the lobby door, waving us in. I tugged Valentina’s hand sharply.

“Walk,” I ordered. “And stay close to me. Don’t even think about shouting for help.”

She swallowed hard and nodded, not meeting my eye.

Satisfied with her compliance, I led her into the hotel. It only took a few minutes for us to ride the elevator up to the third floor and unlock the room Mateo had booked for us.

As soon as the door closed behind us, I turned to the situation at hand. “We need to make a plan for getting her back to California,” I told Mateo. “We can’t fly. It’s too risky. The police are in Vicente’s pocket, and they’ll detain us as soon as we go to any airport.”

“I am not going anywhere with you,” Valentina finally spoke up. All signs of earlier meekness disappeared, her thick lashes narrowed as she glared up at me. “Not Medellín, and definitely not California.”

I released her hand so I could loosen my tie. I’d have to tame that pretty mouth.Chapter 3ValentinaI took a wary step back. Now that Adrián had released my hand, instinct told me to flee. Especially when his burning green eyes seared into my soul, singeing my chest as he removed his tie and knotted it in the middle.

“Hold her,” he commanded Mateo, but his gaze didn’t waver from my face.

Strong hands closed around my upper arms, wrenching them behind my back. I tried to twist out of Mateo’s grip, but his long fingers might as well have been iron bands.

Adrián’s eyes finally left mine, flicking down to my chest. I realized that my restrained position caused my breasts to thrust out, and they bounced lewdly as I wriggled.

I stilled instantly, but my breathing was ragged, as though I’d just run several miles on my treadmill.

Adrián’s gaze returned to my face, focusing on my mouth. He closed the distance between us in two sure strides. He stared down at me for a few thundering heartbeats. My lips parted as I drew in a desperate breath through my constricted throat.

He took advantage of my open mouth, pressing his tie between my teeth and drawing it tight around the back of my head. I began to thrash again, desperate to get free. My frantic movements only made the knot press deeper into my mouth, trapping my tongue. I shrieked, but the sound was lost behind the gag he’d created. He tied it off, tight enough that the knot pressed down on the back of my tongue. I breathed through my nose, sucking down oxygen as best I could.