Sold To Mr. Milano - Daniella Wright Page 0,5

compadre. They went back to teasing and taunting Alicia, getting her as riled up as they could.

“Pregnant women are hard to come by,” he sang out as they poked and prodded at her through the cage. “They go for a pretty penny. Much more than a common whore.”

“Need I remind you that I am not your common customer?” I hissed. They’d do well to remember their place. They were nothing more than petty, swindling thieves. I was practically a god to them and everything that went on here. Nothing about the underworld of Argentina would thrive without me.

They backed off Alicia, straightening with humility. After talking between themselves a moment longer, he came over and murmured a price into my ear...as if it was too exorbitant for anyone else to hear.

“Fine,” I sighed, pulling out a wad of cash. His eyes lit up with envy as I counted out the bills, and I could see a tinge of regret flash through his eyes. He was thinking he should have asked for more. “Here,” I shoved the fold into his hands as he licked his lips.

I stared down the other guard who quickly pulled himself together and rushed to unlock the cage, but Alicia didn’t budge. Was she mad? Surely whatever fate she faced with me was better than this hell hole.

“Get on!” the guard shouted as he shoved her forward.

I had half a mind to let her crash across the floor as she tripped out of the cage, but I remembered the innocent life inside of her and leaned forward to catch her. No sooner than she caught her balance, she was shoving herself back out of my arms.

“Told you she was trouble,” the man snarled as he counted his money. “But she’s your problem now.”

I looked over at Alicia, feeling clueless as to what to do next. I rarely ever acted without a plan. But with a deep breath, I reminded myself about the old adage of keeping friends close and enemies closer. Surely there could be some benefit to saving the great Don Martino’s precious daughter and his grandchild, if I chose to take that route.

“Wait here,” I barked down at her. “Try not to get yourself into trouble.”

She was too furious to respond, but she saw the guards still eyeing her with hunger and a surge of vengeance now that they hadn’t been able to have their fun with her.

“I’m coming with you,” she insisted, picking up speed to follow me as I marched off.

“I don’t care what you do as long as you’re quiet and stay out of my way,” I answered coldly.

I could see some snide reply forming on the tip of her tongue, but I busied myself with talking to some of the other men before she could get it out. I wasn’t going to let this trip be a total waste of time. Once I had tracked down the witness in question and knew we wouldn’t be hearing from him again, I was left to figure out what the hell to do with Alicia.

She stayed nearby and kept to herself, thankfully. She wasn’t stupid enough to take any more chances for now...chances she never should have been taking to begin with, given that she was with child. The audacity of it caused a renewed rage and irritation to boil up inside. If she and her father wanted to run around Argentina like renegades, risking their lives to put a stop to any tiny wrongdoing they saw - so be it. But to risk the life of a baby was a new low, even for them.

My cause for being there was settled, so I gripped my hand tightly around Alicia’s arm and hurried out back into the light of day. I didn’t know if once we were outside I would turn her loose to fend for herself again, or if I would force her to stay with me until I figured out what to do next.

I paraded her past the howling and whistling prisoners and hustlers who called out to us as we went. Most of them were too stupid to know not to lay eyes on any woman in my possession. She was still only half-dressed and was a complete mess from the ordeal, at least on the outside. On the inside, she still seemed strong and unintimidated as steel. Maybe I should have left her to let those guards put her in her place. But I didn’t. She was mine now...for whatever