Chapter 14
1179 Words
14Lucas
When Yulia comes out of the bathroom, I give her a clean T-shirt to wear and take her back to the living room, my body humming with the bone-deep satisfaction only s*x with her can bring.
“Do you like to watch TV?” I ask as I tie her ankles to the chair. I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed and content. Soon, I’ll get the answers I need, and I’ll be able to give her more freedom.
For now, the least I can do is alleviate her probable boredom.
“TV?” Yulia gives me a bewildered look. “Sure. Who doesn’t?”
“Any preferences? Shows? Movies? News channels?”
“Um, anything, really.”
“Okay.” Finished with the rope, I turn her chair to face the large television on the opposite wall. “How about Modern Family? It’s light and funny. Have you seen it?”
“No.” She’s staring at me like I’ve sprouted green whiskers.
“Okay, then.” Suppressing a smile, I turn on the TV and select the first season of the show from the files I’ve stored on there. “I have some work to do before dinner, but this should keep you entertained.”
“Sure,” she says, looking so adorably confused that I can’t help myself. Bending down, I press a kiss to her parted lips, swallowing her startled gasp. The delicious warmth of her mouth makes my c**k twitch, and I force myself to straighten and step back before I get carried away.
As unbelievable as it is, I want Yulia again.
Inhaling deeply, I turn away, determined to regain control. “I’ll see you soon,” I tell her over my shoulder and stride out of the house.
As much as I’d like to spend all day f*****g my prisoner, there’s work to be done.
I spend the first couple of hours in Esguerra’s office, ironing out the logistical details of his Chicago protection with him and the guards I’m planning to bring with us. There’s a lot to coordinate, as Nora’s parents will need extra protection during and after our visit, in case some of Esguerra’s business associates decide that using his in-laws as leverage is a good idea. It’s doubtful—everyone knows what happened to Al-Quadar when they tried it with his wife—but it’s always good to be cautious.
Some people’s stupidity verges on suicidal.
Just as we’re about to finish, Esguerra’s wife walks in. Her dark eyes widen when she sees us all sitting there. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt—”
“What is it, baby?” Esguerra rises to his feet and comes toward her, his eyebrows drawn together in a worried frown. “Is everything okay? How are you feeling?”
Nora shoots me and the guards an embarrassed look before turning her attention to her husband. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine,” she says hurriedly. “I wanted to ask you about something, but it can wait.”
“Are you sure?” Esguerra’s voice softens, as it often does when he speaks to his petite wife. “I can step out—”
“No, please don’t. Really, it’s not important.” Rising on tiptoes, she presses a quick kiss to his jaw. “I’m going to be by the pool. Come find me when you’re done.”
“All right.” Nora steps out and Esguerra gazes after her, frowning. I can see that he wants to follow her, but doesn’t want to seem even more obsessed with her than we already know him to be. If he were anyone else, the guards would rib him about this for weeks to come. Instead, we all keep our faces expressionless as our boss returns to the table.
It doesn’t take long to finish hammering out the security logistics. As soon as we’re done, the guards return to their duties, and Esguerra heads out to find his wife, leaving me alone in his office to catch up on a couple of emails. I decide to use this opportunity to video call our Hong Kong supplier and procure the tracker implants for Yulia. To my disappointment, the old man informs me that he’s only going to be able to get them to me in two weeks—exactly when we’ll be in Chicago.
“Is there any way you can do it sooner?” I ask, not liking the idea of leaving Yulia unsecured for so long, but the man just shakes his head.
“No, I’m afraid not. The ones Mr. Esguerra got that time were a prototype, and we’ll need to manufacture the ones for you from scratch. The coating is highly specialized, so it will have to be custom-ordered—”
“Never mind. I understand.” I’ll just have to assign some trustworthy men to watch over my prisoner in my absence. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Chen.”
Disconnecting from the video call, I get up and exit Esguerra’s office.
There’s one more thing I have to take care of today.
Ana, Esguerra’s middle-aged housekeeper, opens the door for me.
“Hello, Señor Kent,” she says in her accented English. “Are you looking for Señor Esguerra? He just went upstairs to take a shower.”
“No, I’m not looking for him.” I smile at the older woman. “May I come in?”
“Of course.” She steps back, letting me into a large, luxurious foyer. “Nora is by the pool. Would you like to speak to her?”
“No, actually.” I pause, looking around before glancing back at the housekeeper. “Is Rosa here? I’d like to ask her something.”
“Oh.” Ana seems startled, but recovers quickly, saying, “Yes, she’s in the kitchen, helping me with dinner. Come, this way.” She leads me through a set of double doors and past a wide curving staircase.
When we enter the kitchen, I’m greeted by a mouthwatering smell of roasted garlic. Rosa herself is standing next to a gleaming sink with her back turned to us, cutting up vegetables.
“Rosa,” Ana calls out to the girl. “You have a visitor.”
The maid turns toward us, and I see her brown eyes widen as a flush spreads across her face. “Lucas.”
“Hello, Rosa,” I say, keeping my tone neutral. “Do you have a minute?”
She nods and quickly wipes her hands on a towel. “Yes, of course.” A bright smile appears on her lips. “What can I do for you?”
I turn to look at the housekeeper, but Ana is already hurrying away, having correctly deduced that I want privacy.
“Thank you for the soup,” I say, deciding to ease into it. “It was excellent.”
“Oh, good.” Her smile widens. “I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s my mother’s recipe.”
“Wait.” I frown. “You made it, not Ana?”
Rosa turns beet red. “I did—I’m sorry I lied to you earlier. It was just that—”
“Rosa,” I interrupt, holding up my hand. I want to spare the girl any unnecessary awkwardness. “Thank you. It was a wonderful soup, but I’d rather you didn’t make it again for me. Or anything else for that matter, all right?”
She looks like I just slapped her across the face. “Of c-course,” she stammers. “I’m sorry, I—”
“And I need you to stay away from my house,” I continue, ignoring the tears pooling in the girl’s eyes. I’d sooner face a dozen terrorists than do this, but I have to drive the point home. “It’s not safe for you. My prisoner is dangerous.”
“I just—”
“Look,” I say, feeling like I was just cruel to a child, “you’re a beautiful girl, and very sweet, but you’re much too young for me. You’re what, eighteen, nineteen?”
Rosa’s chin lifts. “Twenty-one.”
“Right.” It strikes me that she’s only a year younger than Yulia, but I’ve never thought of the Ukrainian spy as being too young for me. Still, I continue without missing a beat. “I’m thirty-four. You should find someone closer to your own age. A nice guy who’ll appreciate you.”
“Of course.” To my surprise, the maid regroups, pulling herself together with startling composure. Her tears dry up, and she gives me a steady smile, though a flush still colors her cheeks. “You don’t have to worry, Lucas. I won’t bother you anymore.”
I frown, unsure whether I can take her at face value, but she’s already turning away, her attention on the vegetables once more.
- Writer
