You're Special

Carlos's POV

The Vargas family was one of the top members of the syndicate, old money laced with fresh blood, the kind of power that could make even my brother Marco pause before crossing them. Raquel's father had built an empire on cocaine routes through the Caribbean and political bribes that reached all the way to the capital. He'd tried to tie that empire to mine through marriage. I'd walked away the night before the wedding when I learned he'd been feeding information to my brother.

Nico Vargas was a man I'd never want to cross. Sure, I'd managed to gain a reputation in the syndicate, it didn't mean I had the strength to do whatever I wanted. Walking away from a contract I'd signed with Nico Vargas meant war, and Raquel had made that painfully obvious with her slap. I still thought about what would happen from now onwards, and I was certain Elena did too.

She hadn't said a word since Marco walked away, but her eyes kept darting to the crowd, searching for threats she didn't yet understand. Good. Let her stay sharp.

I guided her toward the open terrace doors, away from the worst of the staring eyes. The night air was cooler, heavy with salt from the sea and the faint scent of her vanilla shampoo. I stopped near the stone balustrade, turning her so her back was to the railing and my body blocked the view of the room. One hand stayed at her hip, the other lifted to trace the edge of the chain at her throat.

"You handled that well," I murmured, voice low enough that only she could hear. "Most women would have slapped Raquel back. Or cried. You did neither."

Elena's green eyes flashed up at me, still burning. "I wanted to. Both. Especially after the way your brother talked about my father like he was already dead."

I smiled, slow and dark. "Your father is already dead in every way that matters. He sold you to me. You were the only reason he still had any say whatsoever, and now that his prized possession is gone, there isn't really much he has to offer. The only reason he's still alive probably is because my money is buying him time. He won't last much longer." My thumb brushed the hollow of her collarbone, feeling her pulse jump. "But that shouldn't bother you, if you behave, I can keep him safe…"

She swallowed, the movement making the chain shift under my fingers. "What about your brother? What are you going to do about him? What's your move now that he's basically declared war?"

I leaned in until my lips almost touched her ear. "My move is you, Elena. Every don in that room just saw the Devil arrive with a wife on his arm. They're wondering if you're a weakness or a weapon. And as for my brother, you don't need to worry about him, who we should be worried about for now is Nico Vargas."

Before she could say another word, the orchestra inside struck up a slow, dangerous waltz. I straightened, offering her my hand the way a gentleman would, if that gentleman owned the woman he was inviting to dance.

"Dance with me," I said. It wasn't a request.

For a second I thought she might refuse just to test me. Her jaw tightened, that familiar spark of defiance lighting her eyes. Then she placed her hand in mine, the massive diamond I'd put on her finger flashing like a warning to anyone watching.

I pulled her onto the dance floor, one hand at the small of her back, the other holding hers as I led her through the first slow turns. She moved with me, stiff at first, then loosening as the music wrapped around us. Her body fit against mine like it had been made for this, silk sliding over muscle, her scent filling my lungs every time I spun her.

"You're good at this," I told her, voice rougher than I intended. "Almost like you've danced with the devil before."

She tilted her head, lips curving in something that wasn't quite a smile. "Maybe I'm just learning how not to step on his toes. Yet."

I laughed softly, the sound surprising even me. Around us, couples watched. Marco stood near the bar with Diana, his eyes tracking every move I made with my wife. Raquel was somewhere in the shadows, probably whispering to her father right now. Let them watch, it was exactly why I had come here tonight.

I dipped Elena low, my arm tight around her waist, our faces inches apart.

"Things are going to change a lot after tonight, and that's exactly why I needed you to be here. I want you to memorize every face you see here, none of them are your friend. They're all snakes, all they do is devour anything that catches their eyes. You've caught the eyes of many, I'm sure of it. So prepare yourself, you're going to be playing games that not even the devil can play."

"Is that why you bought me? To play your dangerous games while you reap the benefits? Doesn't that make you an even bigger snake?" Elena returned, her eyes fixed on mine intensely.

"I won't deny being a snake, but I didn't buy you to play the role of a pawn. You're special, Elena Bush, not many know that yet, but they feel it."

Her body stiffened in my arms for half a beat, the silk of her gown whispering against my tuxedo. I felt the exact moment my words landed

"Special?" she echoed, voice laced with disbelief and something hotter. "Is that what you call the woman you paid one hundred million for? A collector's item? A pretty weapon?"

I spun her once, smoothly, then drew her back in until her breasts brushed my chest and our faces were inches apart. The scent of vanilla and fury filled my lungs. "No, Elena. Special is the daughter of Thomas Bush who somehow learned to shoot like she was born with a gun in her hand. Special is the woman who looked the Devil in the eye the morning after an auction and slapped him twice without begging for mercy. Special…" I let my thumb trace the edge of the gold chain at her throat, feeling her pulse hammer beneath it, "is the only person in this room who could actually destroy both my brother and the Vargas family if she chose to."

Her green eyes widened, the defiance cracking just enough for raw curiosity to bleed through. "What are you talking about?"

I dipped her low again, my arm locked around her waist, holding her suspended for a heartbeat longer than the music required. Her lips parted, breath mingling with mine. Every don in the room was watching now. Marco from the bar, Raquel burning with jealousy from the balcony upstairs.

"Your father didn't just sell you because he was broke," I murmured as I brought her upright, keeping her flush against me. "He sold information two years ago. Information that got your mother killed, information that could probably tilt the syndicate and ruin operations as we know it. And you're the key to that information. He came to that auction because he knows that anybody who could afford you, could definitely offer you some sort of protection."

Elena glared at me with shock and confusion in her eyes. I could tell she had a lot to ask, to say, but she just couldn't find the words. She was still frozen when the music stopped, and only when I kissed her temple did she finally regain herself.

"What…what are you saying?" She trembled as I led her away from the staring eyes.

"Get yourself together, this isn't the place to show too much emotion." I cautioned her, but she was far too curious to listen.

"You'll tell me everything you know about my family, and you'll tell me now!"