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  Pretty Hostage

  Julia Sykes

  Copyright © 2019 by Julia Sykes

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For my readers,

  and for the wonderful women in the Romance industry.

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  I owe you everything.

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  Thank you for your love and support.

  Contents

  1. Mateo

  2. Sofia

  3. Mateo

  4. Sofia

  5. Mateo

  6. Sofia

  7. Mateo

  8. Sofia

  9. Mateo

  10. Sofia

  11. Mateo

  12. Sofia

  13. Mateo

  14. Sofia

  15. Mateo

  16. Sofia

  17. Sofia

  18. Mateo

  19. Sofia

  20. Sofia

  21. Mateo

  22. Mateo

  23. Sofia

  24. Mateo

  25. Mateo

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  Chapter 1

  Mateo

  “Tie her up,” Adrián ordered, his voice clipped with impatience. My boss hovered on the brink of madness, but I would protect Sofia from him at any cost. If he tried to harm her, I’d attack him, no matter if he was my best friend.

  Maneuvering her willowy body with care, I set her down on one of his straight-backed, wooden dining chairs. A length of rope lay on the table, waiting to bind her.

  I gritted my teeth and reminded myself that Valentina’s life was on the line. I’d help Adrián put on a little show in order to save the woman he loved.

  A show. That’s all this is.

  He won’t hurt Sofia.

  My friend was ruthless, sadistic. And his obsessive love for Valentina had only exacerbated those qualities rather than soothing them. As long as his love was in danger, Adrián would be volatile. His capacity for brutality eclipsed even my own.

  He passed me the rope, pressing it insistently into my hands. Steeling my resolve, I quickly bound Sofia’s wrists behind her back, tying her in place with expert speed. Rope came in handy in my line of work.

  And in my darker sexual predilections.

  Innocent, sweet Sofia didn’t deserve any of this. I’d shielded her from my crueler impulses for years. I would shield her from Adrián’s cruelty, too.

  A low groan left her chest as she stirred back to consciousness. Instantly, I was on my knees before her. She sagged forward, her glossy, mahogany curls falling over her delicate features. I cupped her cheek in my hand, supporting the lolling weight of her head. Her skin was softer than I’d imagined in my fantasies. My fingers stroked her cheekbone before exploring the gently sloping line of her jaw.

  “Do it properly,” Adrián snapped.

  I shot a glower at him over my shoulder, not breaking contact with Sofia. Now that I was finally touching her after long years of denial, I couldn’t pull away.

  My friend’s pale green eyes glowed with fevered desperation that bordered on insanity.

  “You do it, or I will,” he threatened softly.

  No fucking way. He wouldn’t touch Sofia. Not when I could be the one to bind her.

  Fuck.

  How many times had I come in my hand thinking about having her at my mercy? I’d sworn I wouldn’t defile her with my deviant desires, but now that I had her trapped and vulnerable…

  My perversions were too deeply ingrained to deny. I liked how helpless she was.

  My blood heated with a fiery cocktail of desire and anger. I was furious with Adrián for forcing me into this dark scenario that I’d always craved but had firmly suppressed for Sofia’s sake. She was all lightness and purity, and as much as I coveted her, I’d never wanted to despoil that sweet innocence with my depraved urges.

  I have to do this, I reasoned. Valentina’s life depended on it.

  Sofia’s father, Caesar Hernández, had kidnapped Valentina in a power play to usurp Adrián. For a decade, Caesar had been a reluctant associate, helping my boss expand his cocaine empire throughout the west coast. Now, he’d chosen to ally himself with Adrián’s enemy, Hugo Sánchez, and orchestrate a coup. Caesar planned to ingratiate himself with Hugo by offering Valentina to him as a gift.

  Adrián wouldn’t let Hugo have the woman he loved, not even over his dead body. War was brewing in our organization, and we had to end it before it began.

  Sofia was the key to our victory. Caesar might be a dirty, oily son of a bitch, but he doted on Sofia, his only child. Once he understood that we had her, I was certain he’d do anything to get her back, including throwing Hugo to the wolves and surrendering Valentina to Adrián.

  Caesar was well aware of my brutal nature, as well as my perverted tendencies. The threat of sexual violence against his precious daughter would bring him back in line.

  I retrieved a second coil of rope from where it lay on the dining table. When I drew it around her chest, my fingers skimmed beneath her breasts. I could feel her body heat through her thin purple dress, and I wondered if her skin hidden by the cotton garment was as soft as her cheek.

  I fell into a methodical headspace, losing myself in the familiar tie as I drew the rope back over her breasts. Her faint, rosy scent permeated my senses, intoxicating me. All my focus honed on her: the unique, feminine way she smelled; her gentle warmth; the smooth bronze skin that peeked above the neckline of her dress.

  My touch lingered there, trailing over the tempting swells of her breasts.

  Sofia was bound. Completely vulnerable. At my mercy.

  And my dick was getting hard.

  When I drew the rope taut, her lashes fluttered, and she let out a husky moan that sounded almost like desire.

  I swallowed a grunt, struggling to get my own desire under control. I tied the rope off behind her back, binding her breasts in a lewd display. A hungry growl rumbled from my chest, and I caressed her cheek again, utterly entranced.

  I was dimly aware that Adrián was placing the video call to Caesar, his phone ringing loudly through the speaker.

  The conflict between the two drug lords receded to the back of my mind. I couldn’t stop touching Sofia. My fingers sank into her hair, testing the weight of her voluminous, perfect curls for the first time. They spilled over my fingers, their silky texture enthralling.

  “Princesa,” Caesar rasped, the endearment heavy with horror. “Get away from my daughter!” His shout echoed through the dining room, but it barely penetrated my awareness; my full focus was on Sofia.

  She blinked slowly, the sparkling emerald of her lovely eyes peeking through her thick, dark lashes. “Daddy?” she slurred.

  Possessive anger washed through me in a red wave. I was touching her. She shouldn’t be thinking of anyone else, not even her panic-stricken father.

  My fingers tightened in her hair, commanding her attention. Her eyes lifted to mine, focusing on my face. A little shocked yelp left her pouty lips, and she tried to shrink away from me.

  I wouldn’t allow that. I couldn’t.

  My hand fisted in the curls at her nape, ruthlessly tugging her head back, so she was trapped under my stare. She trembled, her breaths coming faster as her pupils dilated. The rapid rise and fall of her chest made her breasts strain against my ropes. Savage hunger knifed through my gut, my arousal almost painful.

  “What are you doing?” she asked breathily. She tried to twist away, her eyes widening when she realized I’d tied her up. H
er struggles further incited my lust, and when she gasped my name, I almost lost control.

  “Mateo.”

  Fuck, that little fearful hitch in her voice made my blood run hot in my veins. This was everything I’d ever wanted from her, and the fulfillment of my darkest fantasies awoke desire so keen, it set my teeth on edge.

  A low, animal sound clawed from my chest, the primal need to conquer and claim overtaking my mind. My hand left her cheek to trail down her throat. I pressed my palm against her neck, my fingers coming to rest on her artery. It pulsed beneath my touch, so susceptible to the lightest pressure.

  Her lips parted on a sharp intake of breath, and her gorgeous eyes remained trapped under my gaze. There was nowhere for her to run, no way to escape me. She was completely powerless under my hands and in my ropes.

  Despite my raging desire, a strange sense of calm settled over me. After years of self-imposed, tormented denial, I finally had her thoroughly under my control. Half a decade of pent-up frustration melted away, and I indulged in the first physical contact with Sofia I’d ever permitted myself.

  “As you can see, we have your daughter.” Adrián’s cold voice floated over my shoulder.

  He was speaking to Caesar. Their conversation was none of my concern, and I hardly bothered to listen to the exchange. All that mattered was the woman bound before me, her breath coming in sharp little panting gasps and her lithe body trembling for me.

  “Let her go,” Caesar demanded.

  Not fucking happening. My fist tightened in her hair, and her head dropped back farther. Her lips were offered up to me. I’d always wondered how lush and plump they’d feel.

  I didn’t hesitate to continue exploring her, rubbing my thumb across her pretty mouth, tracing the soft O of her parted lips. The thought of sliding my cock over her tongue tormented me, but I would content myself with learning her body with my hands first. I wanted to take my time with her, to savor her. To worship her, even as I craved to see her kneeling at my feet and worshipping me.

  “Don’t hurt Sofia,” Caesar begged. “She’s innocent.”

  Innocent. The word threaded through my mind, penetrating the lustful haze.

  Yes, Sofia was innocent. I’d wanted to keep her that way. I’d coveted her, but I’d always kept my distance.

  My touch faltered on her face.

  “So is Valentina,” Adrián shot back at Caesar. “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.”

  Oh, there were so many ways I wanted to make her suffer, and none of them involved my usual, bloody forms of torture. Forcing her to orgasm again and again until she wept for mercy would be a good start.

  “Whatever you want,” Caesar agreed desperately. “Just give her back to me. Don’t hurt my little girl.”

  “I’ll be at your house in twenty minutes,” Adrián 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.”

  Animal. I certainly felt more like a beast than a man. My base desires for Sofia were savage, primal.

  “I’m on my way.” Adrián ended the call. “Stay with her,” he ordered me.

  I kept stroking her trembling body. “What am I supposed to do with her?” I asked absently. I had plenty of ideas, but ingrained loyalty to my boss pulled the question from my lips.

  “Keep her,” he replied, his footsteps retreating as he rushed off to rescue Valentina. “She’s yours now.”

  Mine.

  “Mateo,” Sofia whimpered. “What’s happening?”

  I realized I’d fisted both hands in her hair, yanking her head back to expose her throat. I eased my hold, massaging her scalp in little circular motions. Her long lashes fluttered, her eyes sliding out of focus as her fear faded, and the tension eased from her neck and shoulders.

  Seeing her bound and trembling was my most fevered fantasy come to life. But having her relax into my hands was something I’d never dared to imagine. My dark thoughts about possessing her had always been strictly sexual in nature.

  Now, she melted under my touch. Even though I knew she was sleepy from the drugs, it felt like trust.

  Something strange and warm pulsed in my chest, completely foreign and immediately addicting. Sofia was far more precious than I’d ever realized. I craved more of this softness from her, a deeper surrender.

  For years, I’d held myself back in the interest of preserving the innocence I found so appealing about her. I’d seen very few pure, sweet things during the course of my brutal life. Usually, I took what I wanted on greedy impulse if it was within my grasp; a toxic trait I’d internalized growing up in poverty.

  Sparing Sofia had been the one selfless thing I’d ever done. She’d been within my reach—I’d even caught her regarding me with interest in the past—but I’d resisted corrupting her.

  Now that I felt her softening and sighing under my touch, a new possibility opened before me. Maybe I could have everything I wanted: Sofia’s sweet nature preserved and caged just for me. I could make her mine, ensure she submitted to even my most depraved demands. And she would do it all eagerly, serving me out of utter devotion.

  This would require more finesse than forced seduction, but I found the outcome far more appealing. I could slowly condition Sofia to welcome my touch, to associate my hands on her body with pleasure and security.

  By the time I was finished with her, she would beg to be mine.

  My ruthless hands—so accustomed to bloody brutality—stroked her with tenderness that would have shocked me if I weren’t so entranced by her.

  “Don’t be afraid,” I murmured. “Go back to sleep. I won’t let anything bad happen to you, florecita.”

  Sofia was as soft as a flower’s petals, and as delicate. I could feel her fragile bone structure and the slender lines of her body beneath my gentle exploration. I was aware that she was musically inclined in her studies, and while she appeared physically fit, she obviously didn’t occupy her time toning her muscles.

  With my massive frame, I could easily overpower her without breaking a sweat. My sexual tastes had always been rough and demanding, but I’d have to handle this little flower with care if I didn’t want to damage her. I could crush her with the slightest flex of my fingers, but I would be gentle for her.

  Sofia was my hostage now, and although it was within my power to use her however I wanted, I still had enough humanity in me that the idea of rape disgusted me. Her father didn’t know that, but his ignorance of my true nature worked in our favor.

  Caesar Hernández knew me only as Adrián’s brutal enforcer. He’d seen other men suffer and die at my hands, and I hadn’t batted an eye as I carried out my violent tasks. Maiming and killing didn’t bother me in the slightest, as long as the men I was dispatching deserved it. And in our criminal world, all of them did. Anyone who provoked Adrián was fair game. He might be my boss, but I loved him like a brother.

  No one was permitted to hurt the people I loved. If they tried, they’d signed their own death warrant as far as I was concerned.

  I had no other ambitions in life, no desire to gain power or influence; I was more than happy to take a supporting role and protect Adrián. I’d do anything asked of me.

  Including holding Sofia hostage. That wouldn’t be a hardship.

  I hadn’t stopped caressing and petting her, allowing myself to indulge in the heady pleasure of her softness beneath my hands while I had her bound and helpless.

  Her lovely eyes closed, and she let out a long sigh as she slipped back into unconsciousness. Her fear had roused her for a time, but now that she felt safe, she succumbed to the drugs I’d administered.

  Sofia didn’t fear me. After I’d
abducted her this afternoon, she had every reason to be terrified of me. She was either incredibly naïve, or she understood my protective instincts when it came to her. Probably the former, considering her father had shielded her from most of the ugly truths about our criminal activities.

  But I preferred to think that she trusted me implicitly. I’d find out soon enough when she woke up in my home.

  I freed her from the ropes that bound her to the chair, unable to stop myself from tracing the pretty indentations the braided pattern had left in her skin. I wished I could see the marks on other parts of her body: around her breasts, between her legs.

  I took a breath and struggled to suppress my lust. I wouldn’t be binding Sofia again. Not for a while, at least. Not until she submitted to it willingly. This had been purely for show to intimidate her father into cooperating.

  Maybe keeping Sofia would be more of a hardship than I’d like to think. Having her in my home, watching her at all times without handling her as I wished, was going to be torture. I wasn’t certain if I’d be able to survive the constant arousal that she incited within me, especially now that our relationship had taken a darker turn.

  Keep her. She’s yours now. Adrián’s words played through my mind. He’d issued an order, but he’d also given me a gift.

  Mine.

  I’d tried to save her from myself, unwilling to taint her purity with my bloody hands. With a few words, Adrián had given me permission to take what I’d longed for.

  I wrapped my arms around her, scooping her up and holding her against my chest. I was cautious not to grip her too hard, cradling my precious possession with aching care.