Amata looked up from the bed, her gaze finding Amicus where he was seated drinking coffee and working on his laptop. “I want you to bring Cesar up and let him get a shower. Stop treating him like a prisoner. He’s my brother, Amicus. In the meantime, we need to figure out how to deal with this shit without you being executed and us getting caught in the crossfire. I have an idea.”
“Oh, really? What’s that?” he asked idly.
“Do what I ask and I’ll tell you.”
Amicus looked up from his work and studied Amata’s face. His thoroughly masculine gaze sent a surge of heat coursing through her. He always had that effect on her, no matter how hard she tried to be indifferent to him. With him, she was an open book even as she stifled her emotions and closed off her heart to everyone else – everyone except her brother, of course.
“And how do I know you won’t run away? Cesar is my insurance policy.”
“You have me right where you want me, Amicus. And where would I go? What more do you need?”
She sat up and scooted back against the headboard when he stood and approached the bed. Why did he have to be so fucking gorgeous? She jerked away from him and lowered her eyes when he reached out and lifted her chin.
His voice was barely above a whisper. “At least look me in the eye when you lie to me. You’re not here, you’re not truly with me. Sure, your physical form is here, and, yes, I’ll make use of that to my dick’s content, but we both know I don’t have your heart. Not yet. I want all of you. Can you give me that? Can you give me your heart, Amata?”
“I don’t know, Amicus,” she said, glancing up at him before lowering her eyes once more.
“Better. At least you’re telling the truth now.” He ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, then, his decision made, he grasped her under her knees and yanked her ass to the edge of the bed. In an instant he had her panties off. “Maybe I can help you make up your mind.” And with that, he pressed his face between her legs, sealing his lips over her core as his tongue began exploring her depths. She felt like she was coming unglued every time he barely touched her, so intimate contact like this stole her breath.
“You taste like heaven,” he murmured against her skin, looking up at her and holding her gaze as he took a long, slow lick through her folds to circle her clit with the tip of his tongue. “Bringing you pleasure is my drug, making you mine is my reason for living. I’ll give you anything you want, whatever you need. But make no mistake, I will kill to keep you – and the blood will be on your hands, not mine.”
She wound her fingers through his thick unruly hair, pulling and tugging him closer as if he were a lifeline, her only chance for the salvation she so desperately sought. He had been her only lover, and his exclusive possession of her body had sealed his fixation with her. She had always been a good girl, but she felt deliciously bad and dirty under his demanding touch. As she writhed beneath his hands, crying out his name, he couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. Music, sweet music…
In the aftermath of her orgasm, his smooth words broke through her rapture. “I will do as you ask. But if you run from me, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. And when I bring you back, I will kill your brother…while I make you watch. So, tell me, what is this plan of yours?”
“I’ve got Sinaloan connections. La Reina del Sur. If we give her that stash of cocaine it will help your chances of not being executed by the Ramirez brothers. When all is said and done, you’ll survive and have an inside connection with the Sinaloans.”
“La Reina del Sur… Ahh, yes, Aurora. Escondido’s woman.”
“Not as far as she’s concerned. They’re cartel rivals.”
“All I know is the man’s as obsessed with her as I am with you. I don’t want to get on his bad side. The fucker’s crazy.”
“Right now, all I care about is keeping you alive,” she said.
He waggled his eyebrows. “Well, well, well. So, you do care.” It was a playful side of him that he rarely showed anyone; only her. His expression became somber as he stroked a finger over her cheek. “I do love you, Amata. I think I’ve loved you ever since that night under the stars. One day you’ll love me too.”
She shook her head, willing away the three words that were on the tip of her tongue. “I don’t doubt that. You’re already working your way into my heart.”
“Like I said…” He changed the subject, fearing that she’d shut him out if he pressed the issue. “Do you have her number?”
“Are you kidding? I told you, I’ve got Sinaloan connections. Being half-Sinaloan has its perks.” It also had its disadvantages, like your life not being your own and your husband being chosen for you as part of a business deal.
Amicus knew her bloodline would make the Sinaloans more likely to trust her. She had the beauty of a Colombian cartel woman and the lethal cunning of Sinaloan cartel. Though she had been innocent when it came to sex, she was anything but innocent when it came to cartel matters. Her father had sheltered her from the outside world, saving her as a prize for a cartel boss of his choosing. But when it came to cartel, she had seen plenty.
He listened as she placed the call to set up negotiations with the woman known as the Queen of the South.
“Quiero hablar con Aurora, por favor.”
Amicus got hard all over again at the confident tone she used during the call. She frowned at the smug light in his eyes. “Aurora, es Amata. Tengo un negocio que podría interesarle.”
Amicus listened to her negotiate a deal with the most lethal woman in Sinaloa. Aurora Mendoza ran her business with a sultry smile and an iron fist. It made Amicus wonder what a powerful man like Escondido saw in her. Then again, Escondido was a supremely confident man. Maybe it was the thrill of the chase, since her ruthless nature would make it impossible for her to be owned by any man. But maybe that was it: people always wanted what they couldn’t have. Amicus sure as fuck knew all about that.
Aurora listened as Amata filled her in on the deal of a lifetime. That much cocaine could yield a couple million dollars. All the parties involved, even if the two crime families were the most unlikely of allies, would surely want the drugs off their hands as soon as possible. She was more than willing to offer her assistance and keep the drugs to sell for a tidy profit.
“Amata…I know you, I know your family. But, nonetheless, I don’t know you that well. Things can become most unpleasant in my line of work. If I thought for a moment that this information was a setup by either the authorities or the cartels, I would be disappointed. You don’t ever want me to be disappointed. You see, I don’t believe in the three-strike rule. One fuck-up, one mistake, and you will be dealt with.”
The sun streaming in through the immense picture window accented Aurora’s glossy, jet black hair and vivid green eyes. Her enemies feared her and the ruthless men who worked for her were devoted to a fault and would do anything she asked of them, no questions asked.
“Please don’t make the mistake of underestimating me because I’m a woman. I would expect you to know better than that.”
The words tumbled from Amata’s lips. “Why would I do that? You and I both know women can be far deadlier than men could ever hope to be. I’m telling you all this to save the life of my brother and…well…my lover.” She stole a glance at Amicus and felt her cheeks heat at the small, knowing smile that crossed his face. He was an enigma: so strong, so ruthless, and yet so taken with her. It was a combination that was proving impossible to resist.
“So, you’re motivated—good,” Aurora said. “You’re less likely to be a problem, which makes you more likely to stay alive."
As the line went dead, Amata breathed a sigh of relief. Her brother and her lover would be safe—for now.
Amicus felt a swell of pride as he listened to Amata work out a deal that would not only save his life but give him new connections that would come in handy in the future. By surrendering the drugs to Aurora, he and Amata and, yes, Cesar, would be under her protection, so no harm would come to them.
She ended the call on a cordial note. What Amata accomplished in that phone call had cleared the path for them to have a life together. One way or another, he was certain that destiny would somehow ensure that nothing broke that bond.
Turning to look at her lover, Amata crossed her arms over her chest. “I saved your life today. What do I get for my trouble?”
“Your brother’s life, for starters. And my hand in marriage. Non-negotiable.” At her skeptical expression, he shrugged. “Hey, that’s one hell of a deal.”