Sold To Mr. Milano - Daniella Wright Page 0,34

Pablo fumed resentfully. “She slipped past the guard outside of her room and took off on horseback.”

I laughed a little. Her defiance knew no limits. “Was she knocked off again? You’d think she would have learned her lesson about horses the first time.”

“No,” he hissed, not finding any of this the least bit amusing. “She ventured off along the property lines and the Mendozas captured her. They’re keeping her, but she mentioned your name. Julian and Javier wanted you to know she was with them now.”

My smile faded. We had a peace treaty with our half-brothers, Nicholas and Victor Mendoza. We were supposed to stay out of each other's business. Out of all the trouble, she could have got herself into, she just had to go and get herself captured by them. I squeezed the bridge of my nose between my fingers, hanging my head. It felt like I would never be rid of the trouble she caused.

Unless I left her there. I could wash my hands of the whole thing, and she would deserve it too. She was the one who ran off yet again. It wasn’t my fault she got caught by the Mendoza’s. I was stuck on that for a moment, knowing how much easier it would be to just leave her in their hands and forget any of this ever happened. But that was the problem...I didn’t think I would be able to forget, no matter how badly I wanted to. I didn’t need another thing haunting me - looming over every day as a distraction.

I stood abruptly and began putting on my coat while Pablo and Felix watched with stunned expressions.

“Where are you going?” Felix questioned with rising panic.

“To go get her,” I grumbled.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Pablo burned into me with an incredulous glare.

“I bought her fair and square. I’m not letting that money go to waste,” I defended weakly.

“She’s been nothing but trouble from the moment you brought her here. I’d say take her back for a refund, but this is even better. Just let her be, Alberto! The Mendozas will set her straight, and what do you care anyway? You may have bought her, but they captured her out there fair and square.”

I ignored him and told one of the workers to get a car ready.

“You’ll break the pact of peace,” Felix reminded me. “You do this and you open a whole can of worms for them sticking their noses into our business. They could jeopardize things we have in the works. It’s not worth it, Alberto.”

They sounded like fools to me, but I did have the sneaking suspicion inside that it was me who was acting foolish. They were right. Alicia would get what she deserved, and I wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore. Whatever she learned about us here on the estate would pale in comparison to what she was about to see from the Mendozas. And all of it would die off the same. They would never let her be free again.

But just like I was inexplicably drawn to her lips and in between her thighs, I was now being drawn to go negotiate her back into my possession. I didn’t even bother questioning it too much, because it seemed futile. I knew I just needed to get up and go.

“What is this woman doing to you!?” Pablo shouted as I was halfway out the door. “She’s making you weak. You’re not thinking clearly. All for some lying whore prisoner. This is absurd!”

I whipped around in a fury, my voice bellowing out in a low rumble. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to! I’ve tolerated all of your questioning long enough! This is my estate and you work for me! I will see to this matter however I see fit! Understand!?”

Felix and Pablo retreated and sulked, leaving me to carry forward to the door. The car was already waiting for me outside. I was glad I snapped at them. My anger over their doubts had been boiling up for too long, and this was exactly what needed to happen to put them back in their place. Their suspicions about Alicia clouding my decision making were not entirely unfounded. I was worried about the same thing myself. But at the end of the day, they had to know their limits when it came to questioning me.

I felt tired as we traveled to the Mendozas estate. Like a man going to retrieve his dog that would just not stop