Stealing Beauty (Stolen 1)

“I love you,” he said with the weight of an oath. “My Valentina.”Chapter 15Adrián“What do we do now?” Valentina asked, tracing little circular patterns over my bare chest. I’d moved us to my bedroom after our explosive sex in the guest room, where I’d intended to keep her at a distance.

No. Not my bedroom. Our bedroom. This was where she would stay from now on. With me. In my bed.

I grasped her hand and directed it to my stiffening cock. “I have a few ideas,” I told her with a lazy grin. I’d never felt so relaxed, sated and peaceful deep in my bones.

She giggled. “I’m interested to hear them.” She sighed and tugged her hand away. “But I mean, what are we going to do? About your father and Hugo?”

I stiffened at the sound of the bastard’s name on her lips, and my arms tightened around her in a possessive grip. The harshness of my hold and the way she softened against me helped calm my rage.

“They won’t be able to touch you here,” I swore. “Never again. You’re with me now. You’re mine.”

She rested her head against my shoulder. “Yes, I’m yours. And I want to be with you. I don’t want to go back to Colombia.”

My hands firmed at her back as I recalled her words before she’d declared her love for me.

But what if I want to leave?

I took a breath and eased my bruising touch, stroking the length of her spine. She shivered and snuggled closer.

She didn’t want to leave. Not anymore.

“You’re not my prisoner,” I promised. “You’re free to make your own choices. As long as you’re with me, you’ll be protected. Loved. But you’re not my captive.”

“Good,” she said, rubbing her cheek against my chest like a content kitten. “I choose you, Adrián. I don’t know if I ever really had a choice when it came to you, but I want to stay.”

Warmth expanded in my chest, and I kissed the top of her head. “You’ll be safe here with me. Vicente won’t dare come into my territory. He knows I’ll kill him if he does.”

“He’s your father,” she said softly.

My hands firmed on her again. “He hurt you,” I ground out.

I took another breath. “As long as he stays in Colombia, I’ll let him live. We’ll continue our business as usual. He’ll have to accept that, or he’ll have to deal with a coup.”

She propped up on her elbow, staring down at me with alarm. “I don’t want you to challenge him. You might get hurt. I can’t lose you again.”

I smoothed my hand over her hair. “You’re not going to lose me. I won’t risk anything happening to you, so I’ll stay here to protect you.”

She turned her face into my hand, pressing a kiss against my palm. “There is one thing I’d like to do,” she said, hesitant.

“Anything,” I swore. I’d give her the sun and stars if she asked for them.

“I want to see my brother.”

My lips twisted in a scowl. Cristian Moreno had been the one to sell Valentina to my father in the first place. He’d thrust her into my life, but he’d also cast her into hell.

“Not Cristian,” she said quickly. “Andrés. I haven’t seen him since I was fourteen. I miss him.”

My scowl eased to a slight frown, and I resumed stroking her hair. “I’m sorry, conejita, but I don’t know where he is. The Moreno brothers went missing a few months ago. They just vanished, and the feds took down their entire operation in Chicago. I’m actually working on moving into their old territory.”

Her face fell. “Oh. Do you think…” Her voice hitched, and she swallowed. “Do you think he’s dead?”

I’d heard rumors that Cristian’s body had been found, but if the feds had arrested or killed Andrés, they’d kept it quiet.

“If he’s alive, we’ll find him,” I hedged.

She rested her palm over my heart, as though to reassure herself with its steady beat. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, conejita,” I swore.

She flushed with pleasure. “I can’t believe I’m here with you. I can’t believe you don’t hate me. When you first took me, I thought—”

I shushed her. “That’s in the past. I’ll never hate you. I never did. Not really. I’m not capable of it.” I’d just loved her so much that it had torn my soul apart to think she was happy with another man. That pain had resulted in callousness and cruelty, but I would never doubt her again.

“I don’t hate you, either. I’m glad you took me.” Her half-smile took on a sad twist, and I could see the years of anguish and abuse peeking through her eyes.

“I’m going to kill Hugo,” I swore. “I’ll spare my father, but not him.”

The fine lines around her eyes drew deeper with concern. “But you could get hurt.”