She sagged forward on a low groan, her dark curls falling over her pale face. Whatever Mateo had done to subdue her, it hadn’t rendered her fully unconscious.
“Do it properly,” I commanded when he knelt before her, cupping her cheek to support her. I didn’t need this display of tender concern.
He shot a glare at me over his shoulder, his nostrils flaring with suppressed anger and something darker that I recognized all too well.
“You do it, or I will,” I warned softly.
He gnashed his teeth, but he turned his attention back to Sofia. His hands lingered as he drew the rope around her body, his fingers trailing beneath her breasts. When he drew the rope behind her and brought it back over her tits, he touched her bare skin above the low neckline of her dress. She shivered and moaned, her lashes fluttering as she started to wake up.
Mateo swallowed a hungry sound, the low grunt catching in his throat. He pulled the rope tight, trapping her breasts between the bindings so they stood out on lewd display. The sight didn’t affect me in the slightest, but Mateo growled and caressed her cheek again. The possessive way he touched her would suit my needs.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and connected the call to Caesar, turning on the camera so he could witness the scene I’d set up for him. By the time he answered, Mateo’s fingers sank into Sofia’s curls, testing their silky weight for the first time.
“Princesa,” Caesar rasped, the endearment heavy with horror. “Get away from my daughter!” he shouted at Mateo, no doubt feeling a similar sense of helpless fury that had gripped me while I watched Hugo touch Valentina.
“Daddy?” she mumbled, blinking hard to clear the fog from her mind.
Mateo’s fingers tightened in her hair, commanding her attention. Her emerald eyes finally focused on his hungry features, and she shrank away on a shocked yelp. He held her fast, tugging her head back, so she had no choice but to stare up at him. She trembled in the ropes that bound her, her breaths coming faster. The rise and fall of her chest made her breasts strain against her bindings.
“What are you doing?” she asked Mateo breathily. She twisted against the ropes, making her appear even more wanton. “Mateo,” she gasped his name.
A low, rumbling sound left his chest, and his hand left her cheek to trail down her throat. His palm pressed against her neck, his fingers testing her pulse. Her pupils dilated as she gazed up at him, her lips parting.
I wasn’t sure if Mateo even remembered that I was standing there, putting on a show for Caesar. He seemed caught up in her, touching her with obsessive reverence as he explored her bound body.
“As you can see, we have your daughter,” I told Caesar.
“Let her go,” he begged. “Don’t hurt Sofia. She’s innocent.”
“So is Valentina,” I snarled. “If you want your daughter to live, you’ll welcome me into your home and allow me to kill Hugo. You’ve made a mistake, but it’s one I’m willing to forgive. You’re loyal to me from now on, or Sofia will suffer.”
“Whatever you want,” he agreed desperately. “Just give her back to me. Don’t hurt my little girl.”
“I’ll be at your house in twenty minutes,” I told him. “Open your gate for me. And if you try to betray me again, Mateo will deal with Sofia. Don’t tell Hugo what’s happening. I won’t risk him running back to Bogotá. He dies today.”
“Yes,” Caesar agreed quickly. “Just don’t let that animal touch Sofia.”
“I’m on my way.” I ended the call without making any promises about Mateo. Honestly, I wasn’t certain what he’d do with the girl, now that he finally had his hands on her.
I didn’t really care. All I could think about was getting to Valentina.
“Stay with her,” I ordered Mateo as I turned to leave.
“What am I supposed to do with her?” he asked, not looking in my direction. His full attention was focused on Sofia’s trembling body.
“Keep her,” I replied, already rushing toward the door. “She’s yours now.”
He could do whatever he wanted to the girl. She wasn’t going back to her daddy. Mateo would hold on to her as insurance. Caesar wouldn’t betray me again as long as Sofia’s life was on the line.Chapter 20Valentina“Wake up, cariña,” Hugo purred.
My stomach turned, but I didn’t cringe away from my husband’s touch. His fingers stroked my cheeks, trailing down my neck to fondle my breasts.
I laid there and let it happen, like I always did. I was nothing more than Hugo’s sex doll, a pretty toy that existed to please my husband.
“Wake up,” he said more harshly. Stinging pain bloomed on my cheek as his hand cracked across my face.
I jolted to awareness, my eyes snapping open. Fear registered in my gut as Hugo’s doughy face filled my vision, but I still didn’t flinch or try to evade him. I’d learned a long time ago that there was nothing I could do to stop him from taking what he wanted from me.