Enslaved (Colombian Cartel #6) - Suzanne Steele Page 0,32
comfort of their homes. All the people had found their place in the hum of the city streets. The streets were alive with vibrancy. They were as addictive as a drug flowing through the veins of a junkie. They possessed an allure that drew people from all different walks of life, a conglomeration of pieces that formed a picture Page found fascinating as she rode in the limo.
“It’s beautiful,” Judy whispered as she took in the sights and sounds of the city.
“Yes, it is,” Page agreed. “It’s like seeing the city for the first time. I’m not sure how a limo ride changes things, but it does. Oh, the ambiance—what a difference.”
“Maybe it’s because you have time to look because you’re not driving.” Leave it to Judy to come up with a practical answer that was more than likely correct. She was of the true belief, ‘If you hear hoofbeats think horses and not zebras.’
“That’s why I like you, Judy, you’re practical, and I need that practicality in my life. Thanks for being the best friend ever. You settle me, and I can’t thank you enough.”
“Ditto,” was all she said in return—her warm smile said it all.
Chapter Seventeen
Roxanne flowed through ‘The Club’ as if walking on air. Every eye in the room was on the breathtaking redhead wearing the cream spun-silk gown with iridescent gold weaved throughout. Roxanne was wearing the dress so well it flowed on her with each step she took. She was wearing the dress—it wasn’t wearing her. Even women stopped and stared as she glided over the flooring like royalty. She was royalty—the queen of the underworld. Every man lusted after her, and every woman wanted to be her. They had no way of knowing her life was more complicated than they could ever conceive. Antonio Wayne had made certain of that. Few could withstand the intensity her husband subjected her to.
Antonio Wayne’s arm snaked out from around the corner so quickly she never saw it coming. He moved like a panther. Fierce, fast, and lethal.
“Where the fuck, do you think you’re going?”
“Why so intense, Tony? Do you still think I’m going to run away?”
“God help you if you do because no one else will be able to. I’ll hunt you down to the ends of the earth. I can’t live without you. Breaking my heart would be a very stupid thing for you to do.”
“I have no intention of breaking your heart.”
“Mentirosa,” he gently stroked the skin of her bare arm lightly with the tips of his fingers. “My little liar,” he breathed huskily, sending a chill over her skin where his breath blew over it like light feathers touching her skin. It was a pet name he’d given her for all the trouble she’d caused him. She was a challenge that kept him on his toes, and he loved her for it.
“Your little liar—I do belong to you, Tony. Now, are you going to let me go talk to the ladies you told me to have drinks with or are going to mark me with your scent first?”
“Don’t fuck with me, Roxanne. I’m watching you. You better hope like hell that dress you’re wearing doesn’t get you in trouble. I’m in the mood for a fistfight tonight.”
A chill ran through her. The last time he’d gotten in a fight, he’d almost killed a man in the back alley. Antonio Wayne could fight, and he liked it. “Antonio, please…”
He looked up at her through hooded eyes and grinned. “Be a good girl. I’m watching …always watching.”
Like a predator watching prey, she knew he was. He was obsessed with his wife, and they both knew for her to flirt with another man would be very dangerous. She walked a tightrope of being pleasant to the customers but not being too friendly. She saw the way men sneaked looks at her. Nobody had the nerve to openly gawk. Antonio Wayne Ramirez owned her, and the city of Louisville knew it.
“Ladies,” she smiled with ease as she approached the booth where Page and Judy were seated. “I see you already have drinks,” she raised a finger, and a waitress nodded in her direction. Within moments she brought Roxanne a Peach martini.
“A woman after my own heart. I love the peach martinis here,” Judy said.
“They’re addictive, and they sneak up on you too. This atmosphere calls for taking the edge off.” It was the first sign the girls had seen of Roxanne being affected by the life she was