In a Broken Dream (The Broken Series Book 4) (35 page)

“Nothing
will happen until after he calls,” Maxim replied. “They will not walk away from
an opportunity to obtain three million dollars so easily. Once he hears you are
unable to obtain the money, the mafia’s offer will sound more appealing.”

“We’re
supposed to be married in three days,” Cenia groaned. “How long is this going
to take?”

“Don’t
worry,” Maxim said. “We’ll make sure Roger gets to the church on time.”

*
* * * *

I
stepped outside. Rafael and Konstantin were playing chess. Maxim was talking to
Alejandro and Dante about the cartels. Isabel and Maria were drinking tea in
the kitchen. Shae and Cenia were sleeping.

I
couldn’t sleep. I was worried about how Roger and Kadyn were being treated by
their captors. I had seen too many horrifying images at the police department.
I knew how ruthless the cartels could be, and I knew how people were treated
when they didn’t cooperate with their interrogators. I wondered whether Kadyn
and Roger would look as bad as I did when they were finally released.

I
leaned over the porch railing and stared up at the few stars peeking through
the clouds. I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of freshly turned soil, the
sweet smell of hay, and the tiniest hint of rain. I wondered how the world
could feel so peaceful in that moment when there was so much cruelty, violence,
and pain lurking in every darkened corner. “Why?” I asked no one in particular.
I was hoping God would hear.

I
turned when the screen door squeaked open. Maxim crossed the porch and leaned
over the railing beside me. “Are you okay?”

I
sighed dejectedly. “Not really. I’ll feel better when they’re released.”

He
nodded thoughtfully. “I’m going to ask the local mafia to bring the men to
Reynosa. This should minimize the risk of them being intercepted by the cartel
or the
sicario
before they get to the border.”

“How
soon?” I asked.

“If
the cartel’s foot soldier calls Cenia by five o’clock tomorrow, then the mafia
should be able to secure their release on Friday.”

“You’re
presuming they’ll survive that long,” I noted miserably.

Maxim
sighed as he pulled me into his arms. “I’m sure this brings back a lot of
painful memories for you,
kotyonok
.”

I
sank into his arms. “Thank you for being here, Maxim.”

*
* * * *

Rafael
and I spent the morning at the BBVA Bancomer, transferring funds from another
account so we could withdraw enough money to pay the mafia. Maxim and
Konstantin met us in San Fernando so they could deliver half of this money to
the mafia. Rafael was holding the remaining funds until Roger and Kadyn were
safely delivered to Reynosa. Maxim ensured the mafia communicated their demands
to the cartel before we returned to the farmhouse.

Maria
offered to teach Shae and me how to make empanadas, while Cenia and her mother
called back to McAllen to coordinate some last minute details with the florist,
hotel, musicians, and the chef for the wedding reception. Cenia’s
madrina
and
padrino
graciously agreed to oversee the remaining responsibilities.
We were determined to proceed as if the rehearsal dinner and the wedding were
still on.

Rafael,
Maxim, and Konstantin were helping Alejandro and Dante repair the fence along
the property. I suspected the hard labor was helping them cope with waiting. Everyone
gathered back inside the farmhouse at four o’clock. Maria insisted we eat
dinner then. She didn’t think we’d be up for eating after Cenia’s phone call
with the cartel. Maxim and Cenia rehearsed her lines for the call while we
picked at the empanadas.

Cenia’s
cell phone rang shortly after five o’clock. She switched it over to speaker
phone the second she answered it. “Hello?”

“Do
you have the money?” a man’s voice demanded gruffly.

Cenia
glanced at Maxim uncertainly. I understood why. This decision could cost Roger
and Kadyn their lives.

He
nodded encouragingly.

“I…
I’m sorry. I’ve called everyone I know. I’ve only been able to come up with a
hundred thousand dollars. Please, I’ve done everything I can…”

“
No
me jodas!
I said three million dollars!” the man screamed. Every person in
the room flinched.

Alejandro
wrapped his arm around Cenia as she began to weep. “Please. I’ve tried
everything. I just… I don’t have that kind of money,” she sobbed.

Tears
welled against the hand I had clenched over my mouth. Cenia may have memorized
the lines, but she wasn’t acting. She was completely terrified.

Shae
pulled me into her arms.

“Maybe
if we cut his fingers off one by one… Let me put him on the phone so you can
hear him scream,” the man gritted viciously.

“Oh
God! Please don’t hurt him. I’ll keep trying. I just… God, I don’t have that
kind of money!” Cenia cried.

“Cenia!”
Roger yelled. “Cenia, don’t…” A loud crash sounded in the background. Some sort
of physical struggle ensued. Muffled voices, heavy breathing, and scuffling
boots shed little insight into what was happening on the other end of the phone
line.

A
single gunshot split the air, killing our connection.

My
eyes slammed shut, but there was no stopping the images of Michael being shot
on the tarmac in Ukraine. I collapsed in Rafael’s arms as he pulled me from
Shae.

 “What
have we done?” Cenia groaned. She doubled over in pain.

Maxim
knelt before Cenia. “It would be suicide for those men to harm Kadyn and Roger.
Those drug lords don’t want to anger the United States government. That
mudak
was just trying to scare you, so you would pay more money.”

“But,
Roger…”

“Roger
said ‘don’t.’ He knew they were demanding money from you, and he said ‘don’t.’ Roger
knows they can’t hurt him,” Maxim replied.

Cenia’s
cheeks glistened with tears as she peered into Maxim’s eyes. She shuddered
violently, but her tears subsided.

Konstantin
handed her a box of tissues. “The mafia will be repeating their demands and
increasing pressure on the cartel over the next few hours. I know it’s
difficult, but we need to give them some time to ensure the plan works.”

Rafael
sighed. “I agree, Cenia. As difficult as that was to hear, you needed to create
that roadblock so the mafia could secure their release.”

“Why
can’t we pay the three million dollars and be done with it?” I grumbled
irritably. I swiped a couple of tissues from the box so I could dry my tears.

“You
know why,” Maxim chided softly. He rose from the floor, tugged the tissue from
my hand, and gently dried my tears. “The SVR killed Michael, and they tried to
kill you, even after they received their money. The cartels are no different.
They will not honor this deal. They will take the money and kill everyone
involved so this crime cannot be traced back to them.”

“The
Gulf Cartel is not going to jeopardize its relationship with the mafia, not
when the mafia is arming the
sicarios
. Now that they know they can’t get
more than a hundred thousand dollars from you, they’re going to comply with the
mafia’s demands. They need to improve their standing with the mafia so they can
convince the mafia to back them instead of the
sicarios,”
Konstantin
added.

“I
agree with them,
hija
,” Alejandro said. “This is a good plan.”

Isabel
squeezed Cenia’s hand. “I’ll make us some tea.”

Maria
intercepted her on the way to the kitchen. “I think a pitcher of sangria might
prove more useful under the circumstances.”

Maria’s
sangria packed some serious punch. She was very generous with her brandy. The
pitcher was refilled multiple times, even after the men switched to drinking
straight brandy. I savored the warmth the liquor lent, the heightening of
senses, and a barely functioning mind.

*
* * * *

I
frowned. At what point had I climbed into bed?

Rafael
caressed my arm. “I brought you to bed when you fell asleep on the couch. You
haven’t slept in days. You need to sleep.”

“How
long have I been out?” I asked, eying the unfamiliar guest room. Blue toile
curtains framed the window. A crisp white duvet and a blue crocheted blanket
lie on top of the bed. Blue throw pillows were stacked neatly on the seat of a
white rocking chair, next to the window. A blue toile water pitcher and basin
sat on top of the white dresser, which was pushed against the far wall.

Rafael
glanced at his watch. “Four hours.”

I
bolted upright. “Four hours? Is everything okay? Did I miss anything?” I scooted
toward the edge of the bed.

Rafael
hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me back against the pillows. “No. There
are no new developments. The house has been quiet ever since I carried you back
here.”

I
rolled over so I could face him. “Where is everybody?” I asked uneasily.

“Cenia
is sleeping in the other guest room with her parents. Dante set up air
mattresses in the living room for Konstantin, Maxim, and Shae,” Rafael
explained. “Come here, love.” He lifted me onto his chest.

I
burrowed under his chin and reveled in the scent of his cedar and clove scented
cologne. “Tell me something… anything that will help me forget what they’re
going through… what we’ve gone through.”

Rafael
sifted his hand through my hair “They’ll be released within the next
twenty-four hours. Cenia and Roger will be married. Then we will be married.”

“Where
do you want to be married?” I asked. I was surprised I didn’t know.

He
wound a lock of hair around his finger, then gently released it. “I’d like to
be married in the botanical gardens just outside the Palace of
Monserrate
near Sintra, Portugal. There is this stone stairway from the nineteenth century
that has been completely overrun with ferns and exotic flowers. The stairway
leads to a pond where my father proposed to my mother. I know it’s not the most
practical location, but I’ve always dreamed I’d be married there.”

I
looked at him, stunned by his response. “Wow. That sounds amazing.”

Rafael
pulled me up a little higher, so that we were gazing into each other’s eyes.
“What about you?” he asked. “Where would you like to be married?”

My
heart beat erratically. As frightening as this conversation was, I could no
longer deny that this is what I wanted. I wanted to marry Rafael. I took a deep
breath, pushed through the last remaining wall, and handed him my heart. “I
don’t care as long as I’m marrying you.”

He
smiled. “Portugal it is then.”

“Kiss
me,” I whispered. “Make me forget
this
. I need to feel something that is
good, and kind, and right with this world.”

The
smile fell from his face. “Are you sure, Kristine? You haven’t been on birth
control since crossing into Mexico, and I don’t have any protection.”

My
pulse quickened, spurring my need. I ran my fingers along the stubble that
shadowed his jaw before cupping his face in my hand. “I will gladly accept the
consequences.”

A
fiercely determined look settled over his face as he rolled me beneath him. “In
that case, I’d prefer you never use birth control again.”

He
tugged his clothes off while I slipped the dress over my head. His lips consumed
mine in a ravenous kiss before he planted open mouthed kisses all down my neck.
His fingers made short work of my bra. I arched into his warm, wet mouth as he
latched onto my breast. My hands sought every chiseled edge of his abdomen and
chest before stroking between his legs.

He
moaned softly against my breast. The vibration from his chest made my toes
curl. “Kristine, baby, slow down.”

“No,”
I argued breathlessly.

His
tongue circled the other breast before he pulled the nipple into his mouth. He eased
my panties down my legs at a painstaking pace. He looked so beautiful climbing
back up the bed, I nearly wept. His hand caressed my calf and thigh before
settling between my legs. His thumb quickly found the right spot.

I
arched against his hand. “Please,” I whispered. “Not like this. I want to feel you
inside of me.”

He
climbed the rest of the way up my body until we were face to face. “Are you
sure about this?” he inquired huskily. His eyes were filled with desire, but
tempered with concern.

I
nodded. “I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you,
Rafael. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I’d be ecstatic if we
had a baby.”

He
collapsed onto my chest. “God, how I have longed to hear you say that.”

“Which
part?” I asked.

He
laughed softly. “All of it.”

We
stopped talking as he fit his body to mine. He grasped my hands and held my
eyes as he slowly pushed inside of me. He seemed determined to watch me fall
apart in his arms. I was every bit as determined to burn this memory into my
mind. I wanted this part of him… needed this moment to draw on when nothing else
went right.