she’s exercises regularly. Slim hips give way to those long legs—the thighs and calves supple and womanly, but holding the same definition as her stomach.
It’ll be a shame have to kill her. Aside from being a knockout, she seems to be nothing like Santiago. She was clearly pissed about the debt and her father’s lack of business acumen. Really, the only sin she committed was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In my world, that’s all it can take to seal your fate.
Jovan clears his throat, drawing my attention away from Elena. I should be embarrassed to be caught ogling her, but shame isn’t something I give into. Ever. I own everyone and everything around me, which means I can do whatever the fuck I want.
“What?” I snap when Jovan gives me a loaded look through the rearview mirror.
He shakes his head and lets out a snort. “Why didn’t you just kill the bastard? Taking his daughter when you know he can’t pay up only complicates the situation.”
He’s right, and we both know it. But I can’t go back on the decision now—not that I particularly want to. Killing Santiago in front of Elena means we would have had to kill her, too. It’s the cardinal rule of carrying out a hit job: never leave witnesses. If she had stayed in the pool, things might have been different. But there’s no use crying over spilled milk.
“Five mil plus interest is nothing to sneeze at,” I remind him. “If the money can be recovered, I’d rather have it than Santiago’s blood on my hands.”
Jovan gives me a dubious look but doesn’t argue. He knows better than anyone how much I dislike having to kill. It doesn’t matter how long ago I first learned just how much pressure it takes to pull a trigger, or how many bodies I’ve left in my wake. Jovan will assume that’s the only reason I took Elena, and it’s all he needs to know. The specifics of my conversation with Father Moya are none of his business.
I roll up the privacy screen, not wanting to discuss the matter further. Also, I need the rest of the drive home to think about what the hell I’m going to do with a twenty-something-year-old woman for an entire month. I’ll need to assure her security and squash any attempts at escape. If I’m lucky, that show of spirit in her father’s office was brought on by adrenaline and fear. I don’t have the patience to deal with a feisty chick who thinks she can fight her way out of this. I also don’t want to spare more manpower than necessary to keep her under control. Elena will be made to understand that failure to cooperate will result in the deaths of both herself and her father. If she values her life, she’ll do as she’s told.
We aren’t stopped at the security gatehouse, as the island’s private police force know my cars on sight. The drive down the single, curving road is quick with it being so late and no other vehicles around. My eyes keep cutting toward Elena, and because of how she’s dressed I get an eyeful of bare skin every time I look at her.
I don’t need this. Elena will be more a distraction and a nuisance than anything else, and I knew that when I decided to take her. But Father Moya’s voice overtook my own thoughts and persuaded me to stay my hand. That’ll be the last time I go to confession before handling cartel business.
The privacy screen rolls down and Jovan says, “we’re home, jefe.”
By the time he comes around to open my door, I have Elena across my lap with my arms hooked beneath her knees and shoulders. Her head rests against my shoulder as I stride toward the house with Jovan on my heels. The smell of chlorine wafts of my nostrils, reminding me that my prisoner will need fresh clothes and a shower when she wakes up. She’ll need more than that, considering the planned length of her stay. Yet another bothersome detail I didn’t consider when taking her.
Sean and Nicolas—the two soldiers responsible for nighttime security—give me a puzzled look as I walk through the door. Mariana, one of my maids, looks on with a furrowed brow when I dump Elena into Sean’s arms.
“Put her in one of the third-floor guest rooms,” I order. “Stay with her and send for me when she wakes up, no matter