All Chapters of Craving His Captive: The Cartel Heir's Obsession (Book 1): Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Elodie's POVThey say one’s instinct is never wrong, and I should have listened to mine. That gut feeling that twisted my stomach the moment Colin showed me those tickets for this trip, that terrible nightmare I had that night—it was right. I was right to feel that way.The first thing I felt was the pounding in my head. It was sharp and steady, like someone knocking from the inside. My throat was dry, and my lips were cracked. The air felt wrong, it was thick, hot, and heavy. It clung to my skin, smelling like dust and leather.I blinked my eyes open, slow and unsteady, as the ceiling above me spun for a moment before settling. I wasn’t in my hotel room."Shit!" My head throbbed as I sat up, pushing my tangled red hair out of my face. Strands stuck to my skin, damp with sweat. My eyes tried to adjust to the dim light, but nothing around me felt familiar.Then it all came rushing back—Colin’s anger, his shouting, him driving off and leaving me there, the footsteps behind me. The cloth

Elodie's POVI stayed frozen, clutching the blanket to my chest. My heart was pounding so fast I thought I’d pass out. The man turned his eyes to me then. For a second, I couldn’t tell if he was another monster or if I’d just been saved by one.He exhaled slowly, rubbing his forehead as if trying to control his temper. “Get her cleaned up,” he said finally, his tone rough but calm now. “We must make the delivery to El Cuervo." Two other men appeared behind him, both dressed in black. They didn’t say a word as they stepped inside. I didn’t move when they came closer, I didn’t even breathe.All I knew was that the gold-tooth man was gone… and whoever this new man was, he was far more dangerous.***I was escorted to a more decent washroom and given some privacy to wash myself. I glanced around the small bathroom, the tiles on the wall were cleaner with no fungi in sight and no guards to seize me with their hungry eyes.I took a deep breath and peeled the thin nightgown off my body, an

Elodie's POV I was left alone in that grand living room. The men who brought me here had already disappeared through the tall entrance doors, leaving me standing in the heavy silence. My hands were finally free of ropes, and I rubbed at my sore wrists before glancing around, truly taking in the place for the first time. It wasn’t built like any normal modern house. Nothing about it felt warm or lived in. The entire place looked ancient, like something dragged out of another century and preserved in wealth and darkness. The ceiling rose high above me, with dark wooden beams running across it. Huge stone pillars stood around the room like guards. Old paintings hung on the walls in worn gold frames, while candles fixed to the walls threw shaky light across the marble floor. A wide staircase curved upward like one from an old castle, with iron railings shaped into fancy patterns. Thick velvet curtains hung over the tall windows, blocking out most of the daylight. Every piece o

Elodie's POV Warm water poured over my head and trickled down my face, then my body as I stood under the running water. It was nighttime already and I was getting ready to have dinner with the handsome devil. That's what I'll be calling him because I didn't know his name. Was it El Cuervo or Valiente? I didn't care. After washing, I stepped out of the bathroom, a thick towel tied around my chest and another one on my head. I looked at my reflection in the dresser mirror, my face was flushed and freckles too many to count. I let out a deep sigh and took the towel off my head, letting damp red curls fall on both sides of my shoulders. I wouldn't style them. With the corner of my lips pulled up into a smirk, I moved away from the mirror and finished drying the rest of my body with the towel. Once I was done, I slipped into the same dress I've had on for almost four days now. It looked dirtier under the dim light of the room—the beautiful fabric now ugly. Staring at myself i

Elodie's POVMy back burned as it scraped across the floor. My dress rode up, exposing my inner thighs. I kicked again, using my free leg to strike at his wrist.He didn’t budge. He didn't even stumble.His grip around my ankle stayed firm as he dragged me along like I was some dirty rag being hauled away for disposal.I shouted for help, screamed at the top of my lungs, clawed at the floor, and reached for anything I could grab to stop myself from moving. But nothing worked.“It’s of no use,” he said calmly, way too calmly. The sound of it made anger twist inside me.I lifted my head and looked ahead, seeing we had reached a staircase. But this one wasn’t the grand staircase that led upstairs.This one went down. My stomach dropped suddenly. I thought it was just another hallway hidden inside the house.He stopped dragging me without warning. Before I could gather myself to run away, he hauled me upright and lifted me against him. One hand fisted in my hair, forcing my head back, whi