The ceremony passed quickly. Roman was correct, Katie barely had to do anything except stand silently by his side. Perhaps he’d paid off the priest, or maybe he really did have this kind of power in the area, but no one seemed surprised or dismayed when the bride said nothing during her wedding ceremony. He lifted her veil at the appropriate time and took her lips in a chaste kiss that felt strangely obscene given his treatment of her earlier, and his semen still slick between her thighs. Then, he held her hand while she signed the register and placed his name boldly next to hers. And, just like that, they were married.
Katie looked up at him in stunned disbelief. He had actually done it. This man that she’d known for more than half of her life had taken her in marriage without her consent. She searched her heart and realized she couldn’t find true disappointment at being tied to him in such a fundamental way. She did love him, after all. But she couldn’t be pleased that he was going about things in such an ass backwards way. Where was the proposal? The declarations of undying love? Where were the flowers and bridesmaids forced to wear ugly dresses? This is not how her dream wedding was supposed to go. Not that Katie had ever planned on having a dream wedding. This was her second time down the aisle and neither had really been her choice.
Fucking men! she thought with disgust, narrowing her eyes at her brand-new husband.
He stared back at her, his emotionless eyes as unreadable as ever, giving none of his thoughts away. Well, she supposed that was better than the triumphant expression she had been expecting. He took her arm and together they thanked both Lana and Jorge for standing with them and the priest for performing the ceremony. Roman discussed some kind of formal meal with the other couple before leading Katie from the room.
She followed him down the hall and around the corner, tracing the corridors in her mind through the blueprints she had spent so much time studying. She knew exactly where he was leading her when they finally stopped. He entered the code into the door and pushed it open. Katie gladly welcomed the chill air as it rushed at her, hungry for a glimpse of the gorgeous painting. Her heart pounded in remembrance of the way Roman had captured her while she had been standing in front of it, staring in shock. Hard to believe that it had only been the evening before when he had lured her into his frightening trap.
She shuddered and glanced back at him before returning her eyes to Woman with Folded Arms. “She’s so beautiful, isn’t she?” Katie asked, her heart breaking as it did each time she looked at the painting. Seeing it up close and in person was a magical treat she thought she’d never achieve.
“She’s yours,” Roman’s voice rumbled from behind her.
“Mine?” Katie whispered.
“A wedding present,” he confirmed.
She tilted her head in acknowledgment, her eyes following each harsh, sad line of Picasso’s famous painting. The tortured emotions were there to see, starkly laid out, oil on canvas for their private viewing, the misery of both subject and painter so heartbreakingly evident. It had called to Katie from the moment she first laid eyes on a tiny replicated thumbnail in one of her art history textbooks eight years ago. They stood that way for a long time as she simply soaked in her new painting. It was the first one she would be allowed to keep for herself. Fitting that it was also her favourite.
Finally, she spoke, her voice low, shaking with emotion. “God, Roman, I don’t even know what to say about all this. Your level of planning and… and motivation, it’s too much, too intense. To find and acquire this painting… my painting. To resurrect an entire criminal empire that fell more than twenty years ago. To contact my boss and heartlessly hand over my friend – our friend – to him.”
His voice was sharp as a whip and just as brutal when he spoke. “XSource stopped being a friend to me when he chose to hide you and not reveal the extent of his duplicity. I hope I never cross paths with him, Katerina. Because I will gut him on the spot for playing me.”
She shivered as he stepped up behind her and drew her against his chest, his gentle actions in direct opposition to his brutal words.
“Source saved Riley’s life when he helped you and Soloman hunt down her kidnapper. Doesn’t that count for something?” she asked softly.
“Not when he’s been putting your life in danger for years while playing me and the boss,” he growled, leaning into her, letting her feel his hardness against the curves of her ass. “Now why would he do that, Katie? Why would he allow us to think he was working for us, when he was really working for you the entire time?”
Katie rolled her eyes and replied sharply, “That’s not how independent consultants work, Roman. Source works for h-himself. He chooses his own jobs. We work well together, which is why he consistently chooses to work with me. Yes, sometimes he told me what you were up to, but only because he knew I cared about you and wanted to know you were safe.”
Roman’s growl reverberated through her back and his arms tightened against her. She could feel his jealousy thicken in the air. She was an idiot for not telling him the truth about Source. There was no reason now not to reveal Source’s true identity, unless the hacker was able to somehow slip away from Ivan. Until she had definitive confirmation one way or the other she was keeping her lips sealed. She didn’t need to make more trouble for someone who had stayed true to her over the years, helping her out of more jams than Katie could count.
“You love XSource, don’t you?” Roman demanded suddenly, his arms tightening to the point of pain. “Don’t bother denying it, I can tell from the way you talk about him. How many times have you fucked him?”
“Roman!” Katie gasped, twisting in his hold. “Of course, I’ve never been with Source! Don’t be ridiculous! Where is this even coming from? You know I’ve only ever been with you and Colin.”
He slid his fingers in her hair and tilted her head back. Because of her high heels, she was tall enough that her head rested against his shoulder giving him access to her delectable lips. He held her firm against his body, taking the occasional bite and sip from her gasping mouth as he studied her painting.
“Wanted to burn it you know,” he told her, his deep voice an angry growl.
Katie gasped, going rigid in his arms as though afraid her precious masterpiece might be in danger at that very moment. She would fight him tooth and nail if he were to try anything with her new baby. She glared up at the ceiling. He was holding her too tightly for her to level an appropriate look of censure his way. The painting was literally worth millions!
“Why?” she asked him, her voice trembling with the perfect amount of aghast disgust his remark deserved.
He pressed his lips against her jaw. “Because I look at her, your Woman with Folded Arms and see my Katerina when she is left alone in the dark. She is sad and lost, huddled in on herself. She hurts herself and goes slowly insane with the bad thoughts in her head. That is why she needs her man, whether she likes him or not.”
Katie’s chest lifted and dropped with each breath she took as she processed his words. A tear escaped her eye. He captured it with his tongue before it could drip off her cheek. This man saw her better than she saw herself. He turned her slowly in his arms so she was facing him. He used his grip on her hair to tilt her face up to his. He studied the vulnerability shining through as clear as day and nodded his head. She knew he had brought her here to prove something, perhaps break down some kind of barrier.
“We are so messed up, Roman,” she sighed, leaning against him, absorbing his strength.
A slight smile twisted his lips. He gently set her away from him and straightened her wedding dress and veil, smoothing the latter back over her shiny curls. His gaze was hungry, but he clearly intended to savour both the evening and his new bride. He took her arm and escorted her back to the door. Katie was surprised when he gave her the code to get in, but he explained that both the painting and the room were hers to enjoy.
“Y-you won’t harm my painting?” she asked anxiously, as though she were protecting a child.
He shook his head with a frown. “You should know by now, mi amor, I could never harm something that you loved.”
She smiled brilliantly, and then a mischievous glint sparkled in her blue eyes. “Unless the object was another man.”
He growled, his hand tightening on her arm. “You better stop playing with me or you’ll miss your wedding feast and instead spend the time in my basement apologizing for such remarks.”
“Yes, Señor Valdez,” she murmured, dropping her eyes.
He led her through the corridors toward the back of the hacienda and out into the warm evening. She was surprised to see that it was just starting to grow dark. What an eventful day! Katie tipped her head back and searched out the Southern Cross. Seeing the beautiful stars that each part of the world had to offer was one of her favourite parts of being an international traveller. They walked together with Roman’s hand warm at the bottom of her back.
He led her across the hard-packed dirt yard toward another home, much smaller than theirs, but well taken care of and beautiful from the outside. She could hear music and laughter as they approached. She looked up at him questioningly. He gave her his usual blank expression and knocked on the door.
“Jorje and Lana wished to host our wedding dinner this evening,” he informed her as the door opened.
“They live right next door to us?” Katie asked, surprised, just as the door swung open.
Lana beamed at Katie and drew her into a warm hug as if they’d been close friends for years instead of just a day. Katie hugged her back and allowed herself to be drawn into the warm, enchanting atmosphere. Who was she to turn down an authentic Mexican wedding feast? Especially when she was the guest of honour.
Katie had a genuinely good time getting to know Lana’s large family and many of the people that now worked for Roman. Roman was never far from Katie’s side and, though he let her chatter away to her heart’s content with the women, he was quick to move her along whenever she happened to engage in conversation with a man. Such a chauvinist!
She stood at Roman’s side, his arm tight around her waist. They had eaten and were listening to a band play lively music in the open air of a pretty patio while Katie attempted to a follow a conversation between Lana and two of her nieces. The girls worked in the neighbouring town and enjoyed the work because the pay was good. After that, Katie lost the thread of the conversation because the Spanish was too quick for her with a little too much local dialect thrown in.
Since her attention was drifting away from the women, she was all ears when Jorje approached Roman and said in a gruff voice, “I have news on Ramirez, boss.”
Roman’s dark eyes flicked down to Katie’s face, taking in her curious attention. He gave her hip a squeeze and inclined his head to Jorje, indicating they would take their conversation elsewhere, away from the women. Katie understood. Cartel business. She crossed her arms to ward off the sudden chill when Roman moved away from her. She stayed with Lana and smiled indulgently when one of her nieces asked if she could touch Katie’s hair.
“Don’t be stupid, Ana,” Lana snapped sharply throwing her hands up expressing her annoyance. “You act like you've never seen a blond before!”
Ana giggled, completely unperturbed and rolled her eyes at her auntie. “Well, never one so beautiful or freakishly tall or married to Roman Valdez. Mierda, he’s so gorgeous!”
Lana gasped and slapped at Ana as she reached for Katie while Katie burst out laughing. Ana’s sister grabbed her and hustled her away before her aunt could truly slap her silly for swearing and ogling the cartel boss.
“Wow, Lana,” Katie said, reaching for her glass of wine and taking a hasty gulp. “I can see why you might not even want children if those are the sort of monsters your family are producing. And I am not freakishly tall, it’s the heels!”
Lana laughed heartily and gulped her own wine with abandon, collapsing into a nearby chair. “Si, niña, and us Latina women are much shorter than you. Those nieces of mine can be very wicked.”
“Amen to that!” Katie agreed, toasting Lana and taking the seat next to her. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Lana said, her eyes scanning the room distractedly, making sure all of her guests were in order and having a good time.
“Who is Ramirez?” Katie asked in hushed tones, cutting straight to the heart of what she wanted to know.
Lana’s eyes widened slightly and her entire focus landed on Katie. She glanced around anxiously for a second and then shrugged slightly. She kept her voice low as well when she replied, “I suppose it is no secret around these parts. The name is well known, although I would not go around speaking it to just anyone, child.”
Katie nodded, having guessed that already. “So, who is he?” she persisted, taking another sip of her wine and glancing up. She could feel the heat of Roman’s eyes on her. Sure enough, after a quick scan of the room, she discovered him standing just outside the patio doors alone with Jorje. The two men were deep in conversation, but Roman’s gaze never strayed from his new wife.
“Ramirez is the name of the cartel that took out Roman’s family and ran this area until recently,” Lana said quickly, her voice dropping even more until she was whispering.
Katie glanced sharply back at Lana. She wanted to ask more questions. It had sounded like Jorje was referring to a specific Ramirez, not an entire group of people. But Katie could tell that Lana was uncomfortable and didn’t want to push the other woman on the subject. Not in a room full of people loyal to Roman. She smiled and moved the conversation onto something more harmless, much to Lana’s obvious relief. The two women drank and chatted together until Roman came to collect his rosy-cheeked bride.
“We’re going?” she asked, turning bright blue eyes up to him. “But I’m having fun!”
He pulled her out of her chair, set her glass aside and guided her to the door. Leaning down, he spoke in her ear, “It is now time for my fun, mi esposa.”
His dark eyes met hers and he swept her out the door and into the cool night, picking her up when she couldn’t keep up with his long, impatient strides. She gripped his shoulders and watched his clenched jaw as he strode through the black night with her toward their home. Though he had laughed and seemed to enjoy their evening together, the intensity of his emotions were now coming off him in waves. He seemed… enraged.
“Are you… angry with me, Roman?” she whispered hesitantly.
He stopped just before they reached the door and looked down at her. His dark brows were drawn down in a deep frown. His arms tightened around her and he didn’t deny her question. She shivered against him. Was she going to be punished again for running from him? When would it end? When would he be done hating her for leaving?
Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet, despite the intensity she could feel vibrating through him. “You make me feel things, Katie… things I don't feel with anyone else. It’s always been this way with you. I’m long past questioning this part of me. But…”
“But…?” she whispered, reaching up to touch his lips.
“I know you still want to leave me, even though I’ve tied you to me in marriage,” he said bluntly, his eyes cutting to her fiercely, accusingly.
She gasped and dropped her hand. She lay stiffly in his arms, waiting for his next words.
“I know you so well, Katerina. Can see your thoughts before you even have them. I know you’ll keep trying to find ways to leave me and I will keep finding ways to tie you tighter to my side. Yes, I am angry,” he snarled down at her, causing her to jump against him. “You bring out this savage in me that will do anything to keep you. I gave you your years of freedom and now you will pay for them.”
She curled against him, blinking up at him. “What are you going to do to me tonight, Roman?” she whispered.
He chuckled darkly, his laughter reverberating against her body where she lay pressed against his chest. “I’m going to fuck my wife so hard that she won’t forget she’s mine. I’m going to exhaust her for one more night so she won't be able to walk away from me again.”
He shoved the door open and strode into their home with Katie clasped so tight against him that she could barely breath. Her heart broke a little for her beast of a husband, because he wasn’t wrong about her. The first chance she got, she was going to leave. She had no choice if she was going to secure their happy ever after.