Even the bathroom in this place was spectacular, and the shower was unlike anything Valentina had ever seen. Having moved easily among the rich and famous for years now, she wasn’t easily impressed. The same creamy tone adorned the walls, accented by a tile pattern of gold and burgundy. Shower heads were strategically placed in the large, open area.
As she stepped under the water, she wondered what it would be like to have Victor touching her while the water cascaded over her skin. She tossed her head back and let the hot water soothe her fear of the unknown.
She chastised herself inwardly, but nothing would have prevented the intrusive thoughts about the stranger who held her destiny in his hands. His masculine presence was as authentic and real as the water washing away the stress and fear of the last 24 hours.
She still didn’t know why he’d brought her here. Surely someone would wonder where she was and launch a search. Then again, she and Luis hadn’t parted on the best of terms after the stunt he pulled on the movie set. He’d probably view her disappearance as an act of rebellion, and just one less problem to contend with.
Which brought her back to her present predicament. The only thing Victor had made clear was that she belonged to him now. Although she couldn’t make any sense of her visceral reaction to him, she was nobody’s possession and she had no intention of making it easy for him. But she was strangely intrigued by this man who appeared to be a force of nature, able to control the world around him with an unwavering will.
She chuckled as she thought about the battle that lay before her, her laughter bordering on hysterical when she opened her eyes and saw a bottle of her favorite shampoo. A small smile curved her lips as she poured a handful of shampoo and held it to her nose, finding comfort in the familiar floral scent.
She was in a country that was unfamiliar to her, apparently at the whim of a man who somehow knew every detail of her life. One way or another, Victor Ramirez was determined to get his way.
“Vamanos, hermano. Tenemos trabajo que hacer.” Tony always got second looks when he spoke Spanish because of his light hair and light skin. But Tony was something of a Renaissance Man, fluent in Spanish and English, not to mention the languages he had easily picked up during his time overseas. And he was intensely proud of his Latin roots. Their father had insisted the household staff speak nothing but Spanish to them. He had insisted that they be proficient in the language of their homeland and well-versed in their heritage.
“Fucking lowlifes trying to ride off our success, they never fucking learn.” Victor’s voice was harsh, like the frustrated growl of a predator being denied his next hunt.
The ride to the warehouse had been quiet, with each man lost in his own thoughts as the evening sun cast its rosy glow over Louisville.
“He’s here. There’s King’s SUV.”
“He better hope he hasn’t killed him yet,” Victor muttered. “I want to play.”
The hair on the back of Tony’s neck stood up. His brother was a ruthless man, and unpredictable. Lately, with the Vargas woman gnawing at his brother’s nerves, he’d been even more temperamental than usual. Tony cut the engine and looked over at Victor in warning. Whether he could reason with him or not remained to be seen.
“Victor, repeat after me: we are not here to kill this guy.”
“Fuck. You.”
“Seriously, man, we’re not here to kill this guy. Killing a bigwig with the FCC is asking for trouble we don’t need. It will bring government heat down on us that we don’t need. Hey--” he said when Victor rolled his eyes. “It would be counterproductive. A little persuasion, a little blackmail – that’s one thing. We have enough government officials in our pocket already, so we know how to ensure he keeps his mouth shut. But murder? That’s something else, man, and not what Dad wants.”
Victor cut his eyes at his brother, his lips pressed into a harsh line. “Since when did you start running things?”
Tony grimaced as he opened his car door. “Do not even try that shit on me, Victor. That’s the word straight from our father. He specifically said not to kill this guy. We may need him later. God knows by the time you’re finished with him he’ll be more than happy to be on our payroll. So, reel it in, my brother.”
“Oh, fucking calm down…I just want to play a little bit,” he said as he joined Tony at the back of the car and walked with him toward the entrance to the old warehouse.
“That’s what worries me. You’re too much like our uncle, man. You’re fucking crazy.”
“I’m just ensuring my woman gets everything she wants. By making her dreams come true, I’m setting the stage to get what I want—complete control over every inch of her and every aspect of her life.”
Tony could see the tick in Victor’s jaw that always meant there was no changing his mind. He of all people knew there was no talking to Victor when he got something in his head and one thing was for sure: Valentina Vargas had definitely gotten all up in his brother’s head and under his skin.
Victor unlocked the warehouse door and held it open, smirking as he gestured grandly with his arm. “Ladies first.”
“Really? Oh, fuck off--”
“What’s up, guys? Hope you don’t mind, but I couldn’t help but get the party started. He’s all ready for you.” King smiled at the two brothers as the door banged shut behind them.
“Please, please, you’ve gotta help me…” The words came from Jack Langston, an executive in the Broadcast Consumers Division for the FCC. He had come to Louisville two days ago on business and was now a guest of the Ramirez family, hanging upside down from a chain over a large metal tub of ice water. It was a surreal scene with the businessman still dressed in his shirt, tie and tailored slacks, no doubt after a day of meetings. The tie dangled in front of his face as his body swung slowly over the bucket.
Victor turned and cast an amused glance at Tony. “Let me guess. He’s scared of water?”
Tony just smiled and nodded smugly. Nobody could dig around and find out a person’s deepest fears like Tony could. There was nothing more fun to him than fucking with someone’s mind. But whereas he was all about the psychological mind fuck, Victor was all about bringing it to full physical fruition in the form of interrogation and torture. Together, the two men were unstoppable.
Victor strode over to the electric chain hoist and pushed a button. A thrill went through him when he heard the man shriek and saw his eyes widen in fear right before his head disappeared from view as he was lowered into the tub of ice water.
Victor checked his Rolex as he whistled under his breath. “How’s Lola?” he asked absently.
“She’s good,” King replied equally casually. “Glad to be back though. She hates to fly.”
“Yeah.” At the twenty second mark, Victor raised Langston back up. The man spat and sputtered, shaking his head as he fought for air.
“Brain freeze is a bitch, right?” Victor pushed the button again and stopped it seconds later when Langston writhed in mid-air and screamed, vowing he would do anything they wanted if they would just let him go.
“I’m begging you, please. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
Victor knelt down and grabbed a handful of the man’s sopping wet hair, yanking until they were nose to nose. “Oh, I think you know perfectly well why you’re here. You’ve connections we need. You’re going to make sure we dominate the market for Latin television entertainment, or I’m going to. Drown. Your. Fucking. Ass.”
“I already told Ricardo I would clear the way for you. I know how to bypass all the regulations and I swear I’ll generate so much red tape that it’ll be difficult for anyone else to compete with you.”
“Difficult?” Victor asked conversationally. “Hmm. I’m not really comfortable with ‘difficult’.”
Langston’s screams were muffled gurgles as his head disappeared in the water once more. This time Victor waited thirty seconds before he raised him back up with the hoist.
“I want a fucking guarantee.”
When Langston had finished choking and slinging snot, he assured Victor he would do whatever it took to make sure the Ramirez family’s domination of the Latin television market was assured. Showing the very married Jack Langston a few incriminating photos of his extracurricular activities in his hotel room didn’t hurt either.
Things were going as planned. Now there was just the matter of securing Valentina’s hand in marriage. Victor knew she was going to be a challenge. It was part of her charm. She’d spent too many years on her own to just give in to Victor without a fight. But that was the beauty of it; Victor never walked away from a fight.