Unfortunately for her, they lost most of the time.
She sat silently beside him as the car returned them to Emiliano’s home.
She would have liked to have talked to Nicholas. She couldn’t understand why he had looked so furious at her. It wasn’t like he had asked to see her again. It seemed like no one was happy with her tonight.
She crossed her legs, her dress sliding silkily up her thigh. When Rafael’s hand came down, pushing the red dress up farther, she placed her hand on his, stopping the intimate touch.
“You must wait until we’re back at Emiliano’s. You don’t want to get me in trouble, do you?” She pouted, putting on the act she had perfected, making promises she had no intention of keeping.
After the car came to a stop and Mitchell opened the door, Rafael got out, reaching back inside for her.
“Our part of the evening is over,” she said, sliding away from his reach. “Don’t worry, though. Emiliano has several women inside for you to choose from.”
Rafael started to argue, but Mitchell closed the door and leaned against it. Right on time, the front door opened and two women appeared, greeting Rafael, each taking one of his arms to lead him away. Ria breathed a sigh of relief. This part of the evening always made her ner vous.
Mitchel l got back in the limo and drove her to the luxurious apartment she now lived in.
Ria stared at the tastefully decorated room, wishing her mother was there to share it with her.
Emiliano still refused to let her see her mother, but he had allowed her to talk to her, as well as Lacey. Neither conversations had been long, although she had found out her mother was safe and had reassured Lacey of her safety.
When a knock sounded on the door, Ria answered it, expecting Mitchel l, only to stare in shock at Nicholas.
“You followed me home?” Ria looked around the empty hallway. “You have to leave, Nick. Now, before someone sees you.”
“Let me inside.”
Ria glanced around the empty hallway again then opened the door and moved to the side to let him in. Closing the door and locking it, she took a deep breath as she turned back to him. She found him staring at her with anger.
“How many men have you been forced to entertain since you disappeared?” he snarled.
“Nicholas, you need to leave. Emiliano does not allow men in my apartment.”
“He just gets you to tease them into losing their money with fake promises?”
Ria turned bright red at his disgust.
“I don’t have to explain anything to you. It’s none of your business.” Ria turned her back to him.
She heard him take a deep breath as his hands went to her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest.
“I’m sorry, Ria. I wished you had called to ask for my help, or even Lacey’s. You know that she would have found some way to get you out of this situation.”
“How? By going to the police? I didn’t want to jeopardize anyone’s safety.”
“So you’re just going to keep working for him?”
“I have no choice! He took my mother, and I don’t even know where she is, Nicholas.”
“Are you…? Do you have to have…?”
Ria gasped. “ No ! Emiliano makes it plain to the men that they are not allowed to touch me. I am only their companion during dinner and the fights. When they return to his home, he has women waiting for them.
“That way, he can charge them twice. He’s no fool.” Nicholas turned her around to face him.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
His concern lifted some of the fear she had been experiencing ever since the night she had found her mother missing.
“How did you find me?”
Nicholas remained silent.
“Ty told you, didn’t he? If Emiliano finds out, he will be furious. You need to leave.” Ria tried to push him toward the door.
“Ria, stop it. We have to find a way to get you away from this mess.”
“There is no way. When my brother Alejandro died, Emiliano became head of the cartel. My mother and I are their property. You can’t
She sat silently beside him as the car returned them to Emiliano’s home.
She would have liked to have talked to Nicholas. She couldn’t understand why he had looked so furious at her. It wasn’t like he had asked to see her again. It seemed like no one was happy with her tonight.
She crossed her legs, her dress sliding silkily up her thigh. When Rafael’s hand came down, pushing the red dress up farther, she placed her hand on his, stopping the intimate touch.
“You must wait until we’re back at Emiliano’s. You don’t want to get me in trouble, do you?” She pouted, putting on the act she had perfected, making promises she had no intention of keeping.
After the car came to a stop and Mitchell opened the door, Rafael got out, reaching back inside for her.
“Our part of the evening is over,” she said, sliding away from his reach. “Don’t worry, though. Emiliano has several women inside for you to choose from.”
Rafael started to argue, but Mitchell closed the door and leaned against it. Right on time, the front door opened and two women appeared, greeting Rafael, each taking one of his arms to lead him away. Ria breathed a sigh of relief. This part of the evening always made her ner vous.
Mitchel l got back in the limo and drove her to the luxurious apartment she now lived in.
Ria stared at the tastefully decorated room, wishing her mother was there to share it with her.
Emiliano still refused to let her see her mother, but he had allowed her to talk to her, as well as Lacey. Neither conversations had been long, although she had found out her mother was safe and had reassured Lacey of her safety.
When a knock sounded on the door, Ria answered it, expecting Mitchel l, only to stare in shock at Nicholas.
“You followed me home?” Ria looked around the empty hallway. “You have to leave, Nick. Now, before someone sees you.”
“Let me inside.”
Ria glanced around the empty hallway again then opened the door and moved to the side to let him in. Closing the door and locking it, she took a deep breath as she turned back to him. She found him staring at her with anger.
“How many men have you been forced to entertain since you disappeared?” he snarled.
“Nicholas, you need to leave. Emiliano does not allow men in my apartment.”
“He just gets you to tease them into losing their money with fake promises?”
Ria turned bright red at his disgust.
“I don’t have to explain anything to you. It’s none of your business.” Ria turned her back to him.
She heard him take a deep breath as his hands went to her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest.
“I’m sorry, Ria. I wished you had called to ask for my help, or even Lacey’s. You know that she would have found some way to get you out of this situation.”
“How? By going to the police? I didn’t want to jeopardize anyone’s safety.”
“So you’re just going to keep working for him?”
“I have no choice! He took my mother, and I don’t even know where she is, Nicholas.”
“Are you…? Do you have to have…?”
Ria gasped. “ No ! Emiliano makes it plain to the men that they are not allowed to touch me. I am only their companion during dinner and the fights. When they return to his home, he has women waiting for them.
“That way, he can charge them twice. He’s no fool.” Nicholas turned her around to face him.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
His concern lifted some of the fear she had been experiencing ever since the night she had found her mother missing.
“How did you find me?”
Nicholas remained silent.
“Ty told you, didn’t he? If Emiliano finds out, he will be furious. You need to leave.” Ria tried to push him toward the door.
“Ria, stop it. We have to find a way to get you away from this mess.”
“There is no way. When my brother Alejandro died, Emiliano became head of the cartel. My mother and I are their property. You can’t
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