King Page 5

  Powerful arms closed around me just before I could bend to scoop it up. I screamed and thrashed, but my arms were pinned to my sides.

  “Charlotte. Calm down. Reyes, Ortiz. Get off Carter. This is my business.”

  Santiago. I recognized his scent just before I registered that he was the one speaking. It was his arms that held me so tightly, my back pressed to his front. I realized his hand splayed across my bare abdomen in a show of possession, and I shuddered. As though he could sense the cause of my distress, he shifted his hold and pulled the tattered edges of my shirt together so I was fully covered. I was too frightened of his strength to feel any gratitude.

  Mercifully, Ortiz and Reyes obeyed Santiago’s command and stood down. Derek pushed himself up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. It didn’t look like things had gotten too bad before Santiago intervened.

  Derek’s eyes blazed when he saw the King holding me. “Let go of my sister.”

  “No,” Santiago refused coldly. “Charlotte is mine. Ortiz and Reyes, that goes for you, too. She’s mine to punish. You will not touch her again.” His attention turned back to Derek. “You are going to leave now, and remember what happened here. Do as you’re told, and she won’t be harmed.”

  Derek looked as though he was in pain, but he gave a tight nod and backed down. It was killing him to take orders from the Kings, but he wouldn’t risk me. There was nothing he could do against all three men.

  “Come on, Carter,” Ortiz growled and shoved a shoulder into Derek’s back to push him toward the door. Reyes shot a resentful glare at Santiago, as though he was pissed at him. I didn’t know if he was mad his fun had been interrupted or if he didn’t like taking orders, either. I suspected it was a little of both, but the man didn’t argue with Santiago.

  He didn’t release me until the door closed on the three men, blocking my big brother from sight. Fear quivered in my belly at the prospect of being left alone with the violent man who had just scared off two of his gang members. I hadn’t been able to see his fierce expression, and I certainly didn’t want to face him now.

  I heaved out a breath when he released me from his hold.

  “Go get changed,” he commanded.

  I darted for the bedroom without a backward glance. I slammed the door behind me, as though that would be enough to keep him out. My hands shook violently as I rummaged through my bag for a fresh shirt. Peeling off my ruined blouse didn’t help erase the taint of violation that clung to my skin. Even when I covered myself by pulling on a camisole, I still felt dirty. I could smell Reyes’ rank scent, could feel the scratch of his blade across my skin.

  I hugged my arms to my chest, trying to push away the cold that seized my lungs.

  The door opened behind me, and I bit back a whimper. I knew what came next. He was going to hurt me now. And there was nothing I could do about it. He was too strong. Even if I did try to fight him, he would just hurt Derek as well. I wouldn’t cause my brother more pain.

  Squaring my shoulders, I rounded on my abuser. “Go ahead,” I flung at him. “Get it over with.”

  His brows drew together. “What are you talking about?”

  “You said you wanted to punish me. Just do it already. It won’t be the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. All I ask is that you don’t hit me anywhere I can’t cover up.” I certainly couldn’t show up to class with a black eye. What would the Tri Alphas think?

  The last of his lingering ferocity melted from his face, and the downward twist of his mouth was almost sad. He shook his head slowly. “I’m not going to punish you, Charlotte. I promised I won’t hurt you, and I mean it.”

  I didn’t understand. “But…” I stammered. “But you said…”

  “I had to say what I did. It was the only way to make them leave without hurting you or your brother.” Anger tightened his features. “They never should have threatened you, not when you belong to me. Tell me what happened. Why were they here?”

  I was silent for a long moment as my brain struggled to process what he had said. The scary gangster who had intimidated Ortiz and Reyes was gone, replaced by the gentle man who promised he wouldn’t harm me. I hardly dared to believe he was telling the truth about not punishing me. I decided not to risk it; I should answer his question. Hesitation to comply might push him to change his mind about sparing me pain.

  “Derek wanted to see me,” I said quickly. “I missed his texts while I was in class, and he thought something was wrong. Ortiz and Reyes brought him here when he insisted on seeing me. They told him there were consequences for him resisting their involvement in running drugs through his club. That’s when Reyes pulled his knife on me.”

  Santiago’s full lips hardened to a grim line, and his eyes flashed with fury. Did he really care that Reyes had hurt me? Or was he simply angry that his claim over me had been challenged? Yes, that had to be it. This was all about Santiago’s position within the Kings. He was more powerful than Ortiz and Reyes. He had proven that on the night he took me.

  He took a step toward me, closing the distance between us. His anger was written in every taut line of his muscles. I stopped breathing when he raised his hand to my face, but I knew better than to try to protect myself.

  My heart stuttered when he simply brushed his thumb across my cheek. I became aware of a dull, throbbing pain there, but his touch was feather-light and it didn’t hurt at all.

  “Which one of them did this to you?” He ground out.

  I blinked, taken aback. He really was angry on my behalf. I wasn’t just fooling myself.

  “Ortiz,” I answered. “That was before Reyes…” I swallowed hard against the sudden lump in my throat. The memory of how he had cut my shirt open made my stomach turn.

  Santiago cupped my cheeks in both hands. The gesture was so shockingly tender that I sucked in a small gasp.

  “You are okay now, muñequita.” His deep voice rolled over my skin like warm water washing away the taint of Reyes’ touch. Without thinking, I closed my eyes and leaned into him. I felt… comforted. No one ever touched me like this. No one ever cared for me. The affection-starved girl in me relished the feel of his calloused palms against my cheeks.

  Then he pulled me into a tight embrace. One large hand closed around the back of my head, tucking me against his strong chest. I stiffened in his hold, remembering his grip on me when he scared away the Kings, when he said I was his. His hold had been possessive. I had seen that possessiveness flash in his eyes again when I told him how Ortiz and Reyes had threatened me. It was as comforting as it was disgusting. I didn’t want to belong to him; I didn’t want to belong to anyone but myself.

  Or didn’t I? It certainly felt sweet being held as though I was someone to be cherished, to be protected rather than abused. I was shocked to realize I truly didn’t fear him. I relaxed against him with a childlike sob, turning my face into his chest. My tears wet his shirt, but he didn’t protest. Instead, he murmured to me in Spanish as he rubbed his hand up and down my back. I didn’t understand the words, but his low, soothing voice enveloped me in reassuring warmth.

  I might be naïve to believe he wouldn’t hurt me, but the cynical little part of me was blissfully silent. For the first time in my life, I reveled in the feel of a man’s arms around me rather than fearing it.

  Chapter 6

  Santiago watched me carefully as I shoveled scrambled eggs and bacon into my mouth. The intensity of his stare was decidedly disconcerting. I ate quickly so I could escape for class as soon as possible. Besides, it wasn’t hard to devour the food he offered me when it was so delicious. This time, he had mixed tomatoes, peppers, and avocados in with the eggs. The man knew how to cook. And I found it sweet that he brought me breakfast in bed. His tenderness was definitely messing with my head.

  When I finished my bacon, I couldn’t help sucking away the flavor that lingered on my fingertips. Santiago’s brown eyes darkened as they focused on my mouth. For some reason I didn’t entirely understand, I b
lushed and looked away.

  “Thanks for breakfast,” I murmured, keeping my eyes trained on the floor.

  “You’re welcome, muñequita.” His voice was a bit rougher than usual, and he cleared his throat.

  “I need to get ready for class.” I tried to brush away the strange moment, and I moved to swing my legs over the edge of the bed. He caught my upper arm, and I blinked up at him in surprise. His grip wasn’t frightening, but I knew I was powerless to resist his strength.

  “Wait.” He ordered, his voice now clear of huskiness. “We need to talk.”

  “Can we talk when I get back? I’m going to be late for Med History.” I tugged against his hold, accomplishing nothing. Unease stirred in my gut, and I went utterly still, ingrained instinct telling me not to resist a man when he had his hands on me. His jaw firmed in response to the nervous tension in my muscles, but he didn’t release me.

  “No. We will talk now.” His hard tone told me there was no room for debate. I tensed further, and he sighed. His fingers eased around my arm, and his thumb stroked up and down in a reassuring rhythm. The gesture helped melt some of my anxiety.

  “I’ve been thinking about yesterday,” he continued. “I can’t allow something like that to happen again. I can’t be with you all the time, but I won’t leave you vulnerable. The threat from rivals like Ramirez is danger enough, but if members of my own tribe won’t respect my claim over you, I can’t keep them from hurting you.”

  I shuddered at the memory of Reyes touching me. Santiago had promised not to harm me, but now he was telling me he couldn’t keep me safe. What he was saying made sense, but that didn’t make the hard truth any easier to hear.

  “So, what are you saying?” I asked tremulously. “What can I do?” There had to be something…

  “You can marry me.”

  I stared at him dumbly for several seconds. Surely I hadn’t heard him right. That was crazy.

  “What?” I finally gasped out.

  “If you marry me, you’ll be safe. The Latin Kings value family above everything. If you’re my family, Ortiz and Reyes will have to respect that you belong to me. You’ll be more than leverage against your brother. And Los Muertos will be obligated to protect you from rival tribes. Men like Ramirez will think twice before threatening you.”

  This was insane. I couldn’t even formulate the words to express how ludicrous his plan was. My head began shaking in a show of my disbelief. His fingers closed around my chin, stilling the sign of my refusal.

  “Think about it, Charlotte. I know this isn’t what you want, but I won’t allow you to walk around the city when you could be attacked at any moment.”

  Something clicked into place. “You mean…” I began breathlessly. “You’re not going to let me go back to school?”

  He nodded, as though that was the most natural response in the world. “You’re not leaving this apartment until you agree. I won’t risk you getting hurt. I know you’ve been abused in the past, and what your father is doing to you is wrong. But that doesn’t change the situation. You’re in this now, and there’s no going back. You’re mine to protect, and I won’t allow anyone to abuse you ever again.”

  His intentions sounded noble, but his ultimatum was terrifying: face indefinite captivity or marry him. What the hell was going on in my life? How were these my choices?

  “You can’t do this to me.” I struggled to find my backbone. “I’m going to class. I promise I’ll come back. I won’t fight you, and I won’t turn you in.”

  “I believe you,” he said gently, but his fingers closed around my arm again in warning. “But that doesn’t change anything. You’re going to marry me. It doesn’t have to mean anything to you, but it will mean something to the Kings.”

  I jerked against him fruitlessly as panic rose. “But I don’t even know you! I don’t even like you! How can you expect me to marry you?”

  How was this happening to me? I had gotten out. I was Charlotte the Hudson U student. I couldn’t be a gangster’s wife. I should meet a nice boy like Craig and settle down in suburbia with a white picket fence and two-point-five kids. I would be a History teacher, and he would have some ordinary job in an office. Normal. All I wanted was to be normal.

  His features tightened in response to my short tirade. “That doesn’t matter. You don’t have to like me. All you have to do is survive, and this is the best way I can think of.”

  “I would rather die than marry you,” I flung out.

  His eyes narrowed. “Would you?” He challenged.

  I lifted my chin and returned his glare, but I couldn’t bring myself to reaffirm my statement. I really didn’t want to die. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

  “No,” he said calmly, seeing right through me. “I don’t think you would. In any case, I won’t allow it. You’re mine to take care of, and-”

  “Stop saying that!” I shrieked. “I’m not yours! You don’t own me! Please. I just want to go back to my life. I don’t want to belong to anyone but myself.”

  “Too bad,” he snapped at me for the first time, and I shrank back. “I don’t want this any more than you do. Do you see me throwing a tantrum about it? It’s time to face reality, chiquita. You’re going to marry me, or you’re not leaving this room. It’s your choice.”

  He finally released me and got to his feet. He grabbed up my phone from the bedside table and reached for my tote bag.

  “What are you doing?” I demanded.

  “Whatever I have to,” he replied coolly. “I’m not leaving you with your phone and your laptop so you can call someone for help. It’s just you and me until you make up your mind.”

  My jaw dropped. How could he do this to me? I had thought he was gentle – sweet, even – but he was nothing but a ruthless gangster. He might not be physically hurting me, but he was still a bully. I wanted desperately to grasp for my possessions, but I knew better than to challenge his strength.

  I glared up at him. “I hate you,” I hissed. “If you think I’ll marry you after this, you’re even more insane than I thought.”

  His mouth thinned to a harsh slash. “You will agree, Charlotte. You won’t leave me until you do. If you hate me so much, I can’t imagine that will be pleasant for you. If you marry me, you can go back to school and be with your friends. Until then, you’re stuck with me.”

  “Derek will kill you for this,” I threatened raggedly.

  Santiago shook his head almost sadly. “You know he won’t. He won’t risk you any more than I will. This is for your own good, Charlotte. You’ll come to see that.”

  “And if I don’t?” I asked defiantly.

  He shrugged. “Then that’s your choice.” He speared me with an intense black gaze. “But in the end you will choose me, muñequita. The sooner you do, the easier it will be for you.”

  He turned on his heel and slung my bag over his shoulder. Tears clouded my eyes as I watched him disappear along with all my stuff. The sound of the door locking behind him pierced my heart. I flung myself down on the bed and buried my face in the pillow so he wouldn’t hear my sobs. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  I waited until I heard him leave the apartment before I dared to test for escape routes. He might be right when he said I was in danger out there, but facing a shadowy threat was preferable to being locked up. Even my father had never done this to me. The door to my room had always remained unlocked.

  But that didn’t mean you were free. I pushed away the memories of him barging into my bedroom whenever he wanted. I had been safer away from him, in the outside world. Remaining trapped inside went against all my instincts to protect myself.

  I tried the door first, hoping the lock was as crappily designed as the rest of the apartment. But the knob refused to turn, no matter how sharply I tugged on it. I kicked at the door in frustration, but all I earned myself was pain shooting up my leg. My cute TOMS shoes did nothing to cushion the impact.

  “Shit!” I clutched at my throbbing foot, not
even caring that I was cursing up a storm. Worrying about the Tri Alphas judging me for having a mouth like a sailor seemed incredibly stupid and insignificant in that moment. I would welcome the sorority girls’ icy stares if it meant I could go back to class.

  When the pain subsided, I turned to inspect the rest of the room. There was no window. It didn’t matter that we were on the ground floor. Getting out onto the street wasn’t an option.

  Santiago didn’t even have a chair that I could hurl against the door. There was just the heavy bedside table, the big dresser, and a flimsy plastic CD rack in the corner. Even though I knew it was useless, I tried to lift the table. It was far too bulky for me to shift more than a few inches at a time. Even if I did strain myself to move it to the door, all I could do was barricade myself in. While the idea of keeping Santiago out was appealing, I knew it was pointless. I would have to let him in eventually if I wanted to eat. If I wanted anything, really. He had taken everything from me: my laptop, my phone, my textbooks, even my clothes. Hell, I would have to ask for permission to go the bathroom.

  He had declared that he would do whatever he had to in order to get me to agree to his ridiculous proposal. Depriving me of even the most basic freedoms was pretty damn extreme. He obviously meant business.

  In an act of desperation, I checked the closet for escape tools. Nothing but clothes and a big, heavy trunk. I gave a halfhearted effort at opening it, but it was locked. And really, what good would getting into it do me? It wasn’t like there was a secret stairway hidden beneath it.

  I sat down on the bed with a huff. What the hell was I supposed to do in here? Santiago didn’t even have any books. Of course he didn’t. He was an idiot gangster who only cared about moving up in his violent world. I doubted he made the time to do anything as esoteric as picking up a book.

  To be honest, I didn’t really read for pleasure, either. I loved researching for my History classes, but fiction wasn’t really my thing. I much preferred to spend my time socializing. After years of being trapped under my father’s thumb, I craved human contact. Not much time had passed since Santiago had locked me in, and I was already getting antsy. My skin felt too tight, as though it was constricting. I needed to do something; I needed to move.