Two days later, I prayed to the Blessed Mother for the patience to hold my temper. First, because I was in my parents’ home, at my personal office on their estate, and trashing the place in a fit of rage would piss off my mother. Second, because Joy was only a few doors down from us, and I didn’t want her to get scared because she could hear me going on a tear. Forcing myself to relax, I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, willing my heart to stop racing as my mind went over all the threats facing my woman.

Tino’s normally smiling face was grim after he gave me a detailed report of how hard it would be to keep Joy safe if she went back to school on campus. There were too many civilians, too many bodies, and in the days of cell phones, everyone was a heartbeat away from showing you live on the Internet. No, that was the last place we wanted to have someone try to snatch Joy.

I knew I could get her a diploma within two minutes of making a phone call, but I also knew my girl wouldn’t want anything she didn’t earn. Joy had pride. While I admired it, I didn’t like how her pride ended up hurting her sometimes. She still fought me on the things I bought her, expensive trinkets that I liked to shower her with, but slowly she was letting go of her ridged control. Bit by bit, I was gaining access to her heart, and I knew without a doubt she loved me.

That’s why the thought of anything happening to her sent me into a panic. I fought my impulse to yell at Tino, to vent my rage on him like it was his fault.

“Do we have eyes on her family?”

“Of course. Diego already arranged that on Fernando’s request. I think he likes Brittney, Joy’s sister.”

That made me rear back. “What?”

Some of the coldness left Tino’s brown eyes as he said, “Relax, not like that. She wouldn’t be interested, anyway. Seems she’s got a lady love in her life. The mother of Memphis’ half-sister.”

I shook my head and glanced at the closed doors to my home office at my parents’ house. Joy was with Hannah, probably doing homework together, and I wished she was here with me. I was addicted to her, plain and simple, and not having her warm, soft little body within reach made me antsy.

“Her name is Karen,” I said absently as I imagined what Joy was doing right now. “Decent lady, a wealthy criminal defense lawyer who is utterly head over heels for Brittney. I already had her checked out. It’s a fucked up situation, to be sure, but other than Brittney’s estranged husband, Greg, everyone seems okay with it.”

Tino stretched out his neck with a faint pop. “Will you ask Joy to consider staying home?’

“Yeah, I’ll ask her. But I can tell you right now, she won’t give up her tutoring in Phoenix.” Tino’s frown drew my attention back fully to the moment. “What? You don’t like her tutoring either?”

“No, I think what she’s doing is great, but she’s forbidden me from coming onto school grounds, and I have to agree.”

“Wait, are you fuckin’ telling me you aren’t with Joy when she’s tutoring?”

“With all due respect, I don’t belong in a high school.”

“You belong wherever the fuck I say you belong,” I shouted, incensed that Joy had been left vulnerable.

“Relax, she’s covered. I made sure the cops doing overtime by patrolling the school are good guys who look out for her. But I would stick out like a sore thumb, and she doesn’t want or need that kind of attention.” I started to argue but he held up his hand. “Listen, mi amigo, I’ve been married for many years to a feisty woman like Joy. Let me give you some free advice. There are some arguments you will never win with your wife. This is one of them. Either you respect her boundaries, or you pay the price for breaking her trust in you. And once you lose that trust, it’s hard as hell to win back.”

I sagged back into my chair and looked up at the ceiling with a groan, my gaze tracing the patterns cut into ceiling trim. “Fuuuuuuck.”

Tino laughed, but he sounded sympathetic. “I know. But it’s only for another month or so. Then she’ll be done with school and working for Mrs. Cordova. Mark my words, once she gets involved in the Cordova’s charities she grab the reins and never look back. That girl has drive, determination, and I look forward to seeing what she’ll do with some real assets available to her.”

I stood then inwardly groaned as my muscles protested the movement. Last night, I’d spent a couple extra hours training with Leo in the gym. Hannah was still refusing to forgive him, and I could tell it was eating at him. Leo was the kind of guy that liked to take care of things, a fixer, and not being able to mend what he’d broken between him and Hannah was sucking the life out of him. The best way for me to help Leo was to get him into the boxing ring and fight him until we were both left gasping and wrung out on the mat.

My legs ached, and I slowly stretched out my calves.

“I’ll talk to her, see what she has to say. Maybe if I let her know how risky everything is, how much danger she’s really in, she’ll understand why this is important.”

“Good plan.” Tino clapped me on the back. “I wish you luck. Just remember, after every good fight comes even better makeup sex. And if she feels guilty, like the fight was her fault, you’ll usually get a pretty good blowjob out of it.”

Laughing, I exchanged goodbyes then texted Joy.

Where are you?

Watching a movie in your bed.

Our bed.

Whatever. 

I found her curled up in my massive down comforter like a mummy, her wide eyes focused on the large screen against the wall at the foot of our bed.

I shrugged out of my shirt, then my pants. “What are you watching?”

“Shhhh, it’s the season finale,” Joy waved her hand at me, “I think he’s going to finally figure out that Stella’s been cheating on him with the dog groomer. Nobody’s poodle needs that much trimming.”

Laughing, I jerked the blanket way and pulled her squirming body toward mine. She wore cotton pajamas and a ratty old t-shirt, or as she called them, her ‘I’m on my period leave me alone’, outfit that she’d worn to bed for the last few days. I thought it was cute as hell, but she’d been a little testy so I decided just to hold her for a bit and let her enjoy her show while I watched her instead.

She cuddled right into me, even shared some of her blanket, then started to explain the plot in a whisper, as if the people on the screen could hear us.

Smoothing her hair back, I traced the profile of her features with my eyes. “I thought this is a reality show?”

Darting a glance at me, she snorted. “It’s reality TV, not reality real life.”

“I don’t speak chick; translate for me.”

She elbowed me, but her voice held no anger as she said, “It’s totally scripted, and everybody knows it, but we all like to pretend it’s real.”

“Makes sense.”

I waited until the end of the show to breech the subject I’d been mulling over. “Joy, I need to talk to you about something.”

Right away she turned then sat up, wrapping her arms around herself in a defensive manner. “Okay…”

With a sigh, I tugged one of her hands free and held it in my own. “I have a huge favor to ask you, and you’re not going to like it.”

“What?”

“I’m asking—no, I’m begging—you to finish up school online.”

“What? No, I’m going back for the last month of classes. We talked about this.”

I hesitated, debating on giving her a hint as to how much danger she was really in. “I had a meeting with Tino tonight. He laid out why he feels that you going back to school on campus is dangerous. Complete with a power point presentation.”

The last bit I’d added to try and get her to smile, but instead she grew still. “Why is it dangerous?”

“There have been a few…incidents where we’ve spotted people watching you. It’s to be expected, you’re a kidnapping target simply because you’re my woman, but Tino is an expert at protection and, if he feels this strongly about it, I have to ask you at least consider it.”

“Ramón, I’ve worked so hard to get to this point. I don’t want to feel like I’ve just been given my diploma without earning it.”

My proud, stubborn woman. “Nobody said anything about you not doing your work, or giving you anything. These past few weeks, I’ve seen how much classwork you do, how much time you devote to getting the best grade you can. You’re bright, and driven, and I admire that more than you’ll ever know, but I’m asking you to be smart about your personal safety, please. I’m not trying to scare you, but the world is a fucked up place, the kind of place where a mother would sell her own son for money. With people like that out there, people that are willing to do anything, break any rule, to get what they want, I need you to be as safe as possible.”

Tears filled her eyes, and I felt like a complete piece of shit. “Okay.”

I should have been happy she was agreeing to this, but instead I felt the ugly shadow of remorse in my heart for bringing her into this mess. “I’m so, so sorry, Joy. Things will get better, I promise.”

Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, Joy said, “Can I still tutor?”

“Tino didn’t like it, but yeah. With only after school activities going on when you do your tutoring, and the security they have there, I believe you’re safe. Besides, even criminals don’t want the kind of attention a kidnapping at a school would bring. That’s the kind of thing that gets the public up in arms and thirsty for blood.”

She abruptly collapsed onto my chest and rubbed her cheek against me. “Sometimes it feels like the whole world is against me, like I’m trapped in some alternate universe where everyone is more apt to be evil than good.”

I sighed, her curls moving against my lips as she rose with my breath. “I promise you, as long as I’m around no one will hurt you, ever.”

The flickering light of the screen illuminated her face as she leaned up on my torso on one hand. “You must think I’m very naïve, not even considering the obvious dangers all around me.”

“No, I think you have a good heart, and you haven’t lived a life where you needed to be afraid. I’m glad you grew up safe, I’m glad you had a normal-ish childhood.”

She stroked my chest with a troubled smile. “Normal-ish?”

“Don’t forget, I’ve met your family.”

“Good point.” She nuzzled her nose against my neck, then licked my skin in a way that had blood rushing to my cock.

“Stop,” I groaned. “It’s been three days since we’ve had sex.”

Laughing, she tried to push me off her. “Whatever. You’ve had four pity blowjobs.”

I had, and they were damn good. “I’d return the favor if you let me.”

She made an icked out face. “You’re nasty.”

“Yep.”

Quieting beneath me, she searched my face while exploring the muscles over my ribs with a soft touch. “Turn off the TV, I’m sleepy.”

I got out of bed and did as she asked, returning after I’d brushed my teeth. A soft rush of air scented like my cologne mixed with her perfume washed over me as I lifted covers, then cuddled into my girl. She squirmed against me, but soon settled then whispered, “I tried to get Hannah to talk about what’s going on with her and Leo today. She wouldn’t tell me anything. I feel bad for the poor guy. He’s obviously hurting, and I don’t understand why she’s so mad at him. Did he do something bad? Did he cheat on her?”

“What? No. Leo worships her. Whatever is going on, it’s between them, mami.”

“But she’s my best friend.”

“Then why haven’t you told her about us yet?”

“I don’t know…” she was quiet for a few moments and I wondered if she’d fallen asleep before she said, “To be honest, I don’t think she’s your biggest fan right now. Whatever Leo did to piss her off seems to extend to you and your brothers.”

“I have no idea. While we’ve hung out, we aren’t exactly besties like you two.”

“Besties,” she snorted. “Anyway, I’m worried about her. I mean, she’s almost totally healed and should be eager to get back to Leo’s place, but it seems like she has no desire to go. Which doesn’t make any sense, because Leo’s house is all kinds of awesome, and he can’t wait for her to come home. He doesn’t say it, but I can tell he misses her so much. I wish she’d just talk to me.”

If Joy knew how fucked up things were between Hannah and Leo right now, she’d be making a run for the police with Hannah thrown over her shoulder. “Give her time. I’m sure whatever happened between Hannah and Leo will work itself out.”

“I hope so. They’re both so miserable apart.” She yawned. “Night, honey.”

I held her close and felt her finally relax. “Night, sweetheart.”

 

 

A firm knock on my door woke me early the next morning, and a still sleeping Joy grumbled in my arms.

Her hair was a wild riot of curls this morning, and so soft it was like touching baby duck down. She was on top of me, draped over my body, her preferred place to lounge. I loved the feeling of her soft warmth pressing into me. Irritation pierced me as the knock came again. I gently moved her off me, her adorable whining protests dying off as I tucked her back in before putting on my boxers then going to my bedroom door.

The place was big enough that by the time I got to the door, someone was about to get their damn arm ripped off for knocking louder. I wanted to send whoever it was away before they woke up Joy. I was going to take a rare day off and spend it with her, sleeping and cuddling in bed. I had plans to take her furniture shopping for our home later in the day, and I wanted to somehow make up for her having to miss out on her last month of school.

After unlocking the various bolts on my steel-reinforced door, I swung it open to reveal my father, who looked absolutely furious. Dressed in his usual dark suit and immaculate tie, he appeared every inch the powerful businessman, but a sheen of perspiration dotted his brow, and his fists were clenched at his sides, knuckles torn and his cuffs saturated with blood. My dad ran the legit side of our empire—he has more patience and tact than my mother—so many people assume he’s not as violent as she is. They’d be wrong.

“Dad,” I stepped outside of my room, closing the door behind me.

There were more people outside, a few of my father’s top men and a highly distraught Diego, his hair unbraided and wearing only pajama pants as he snarled at his phone.

“Ramón,” my father said, drawing my attention back to him. “We have a situation. I am so sorry to take you away from Joy, but we need your help. Do you remember Diego’s lieutenant, Tim McCray? His stepdaughter was taken by the Santiago cartel, and we need to get her back before…well, before. We have a lead that she’s being taken to Mexico City. Get dressed and meet us downstairs. You know Mexico the best, have the most contacts in the area. I hate to take you away from Joy, but we need you.”

Our eyes met, and I’m surprised the hallway didn’t burst into flames around us as our tempers roared to life. “I understand.”

Before I could turn, my father grasped my arm. “Don’t tell Joy where you’re going, but let her know you’ll be gone for a few days. And don’t give your mother an excuse to do something rash in our absence.”

I flexed his hand off my bicep, torn for the first time in my life between my duties to my family and my woman. “I hate lying to her.”

“Ramón, you know it’s for her own good. Give her some story she’ll believe, something about you having to go on a business trip somewhere with no cell phone and spotty satellite. That you’ll contact her when you can, but for her not to worry—but do it quick.”

Diego joined me as our father moved down the hall to speak with one of his men.

Taking in Diego’s distraught state, I said, “We’ll get her back.”

Diego closed his eyes, his expression haunted. “She’s only sixteen, just a kid. If anything happens to her…”

My father interrupted us, “We have to go.”

Years of training kicked in as I went back into my bedroom, regret sinking into my gut that I had to leave Joy’s side.

I packed quickly, pulling my weapons out of the secret vault hidden behind the bathroom sink. After I was ready to go, I left Joy a note telling her that I had to make an emergency trip down to South America to visit a sick friend who lived deep in the jungle, and that I would be back as soon as I could.

Before I left, I slid my knife from my boot and cut off one of Joy’s small curls, then put it in my pocket over my heart.