—
Ancient walls come tumbling down.
NOTE: All characters in this story are fictitious. Any names that might be similar to real names are purely accidental. Just wanted to make that clear.
—
My last full day in Spain started auspiciously, pounding my pretty little boss from behind. I thought I’d be exhausted, but I felt energized. I left Chris dozing in bed and headed down to the hotel gym, putting in 40 minutes on the treadmill and another 15, or so, on the weights.
Back upstairs, Chris had retreated to her room preparing for the day ahead.
It was my last full day in Spain, and I realized that I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to be home, with Debbie and Beth, in my own house. I’d been away long enough.
I had finished getting ready for another day of training, when I heard the knock. I instinctively turned toward the door separating our rooms, but I realized it was the front door. Looking out the peephole, I saw a slight man dressed in a suit.
“Senor Morgan?”
I removed the chain from the door, opening it wide.
“Yes?”
I was unprepared for the sudden blow to my gut, doubling me over. A large man in a poorly fitting suit stood in front of me and pushed me back into the room. He had a rod of some kind in his hand, and landed another blow across my back, the pain nearly dropping me. I staggered back, confused.
The first man, much smaller, almost slender, stepped into the room and reached down for my head, tilting my chin up.
Big mistake, since he was now between me and the big guy.
I came up fast, slamming my forearm up between his legs, and as he bent over gasping, I reached my arm around his neck, spinning him around and pulling him back with me. I had him in a choke-hold, my arm crooked around his neck.
The big guy moved forward, his baton held at the ready.
“Stop. Another step and I’ll snap his neck,” I warned in Spanish.
The hulk slowed, looking at me hard. His beady little eyes looked like they were having trouble comprehending my words.
I was squeezing the first guy’s neck tightly, cutting off his air. A quick step backward and a drop to the ground was all it would take to snap his skinny neck like a twig. As it was, by pulling him close, his head was forced forward, nearly facing the ground.
“Turn around,” I told my assailant.
He hesitated, and I released my shield’s neck enough for him to breath. “Tell him.”
The man gasped, drawing in a breath. “This is a mistake,” he warned.
I pinched his neck tight, pulled him back and punched him in the kidney, hard. “Tell him. Last chance.”
“Hazlo,” he wheezed. Do it.
The big guy turned, facing the hall. “Drop the stick.”
He obeyed, tossing it behind him.
“Good. Now on your knees, so we can talk in peace.”
He slowly dropped to his knees, looking back at me, then turned to face the hallway.
I spun with my hostage, and lashed out with my shoe kicking the bruiser in the side of the head as hard as I could. He bounced off the wall and dropped like a rock. Thank God for hard-soled dress shoes.
I turned back to the guy who I’d been choking, and pinned him to the wall with one hand around his neck. “What is this about?”
The color was returning to his face, and he gasped for breath. I released the pressure long enough for him to speak.
“Miss de Borbon. She’s not for you.”
The adrenaline was still running through me, and I was shaking. The little bastard. I shook my head, then punched him in the gut as hard as I could, shaking the wall, and collapsing him over my fist. In my current mode, I liked the way it felt. So I gave him another shot just for fun.
“The Major is a work colleague. I leave here tomorrow. Any time we spend together is as friends.” I growled at him, throwing him to the ground.
The big guy was lying still, but I kicked him in the side, hard, to make sure he wasn’t faking it. He didn’t budge. Rolling him over, while keeping my eyes on the mouthpiece, I undid his belt, while the little guy stayed on hands and knees retching. Yanking the belt off, I rolled the muscle onto his stomach, and used it to tie his hands tightly behind his back. I wasn’t gentle.
Standing, I kicked him again for spite. I didn’t like being sucker punched. I hoped I broke a rib.
“You’re making a big mistake,” the small guy said, sitting back on his haunches, watching me.
“You made the mistake,” I told him. “And the Major’s business is none of yours.”
“Don Reinaldo thinks otherwise. When you sleep with his fiancee you make it his business. She is not some whore you can play with.” He was trying to straighten himself out, like he was back in control.
“I have not slept with her, and insulting her is not a wise move,” I assured him, kicking his leg, which he drew back in pain.
The guy trussed up was groaning, trying to roll to his side.
I grabbed the little guy by the hair and pulled him upright. “I think you should leave now, before I get angry.”
He struggled to get free, and almost fell when I released him. “You have been warned. Keep your distance from her.”
“If I see you again, I will break your little weasel face,” I told him. I pushed him through the open doorway, making him trip over his associate. I grabbed the guy on the floor by the hands and pulled him out the door, leveraging his arms back and up, nearly pulling them out of the sockets. When I had him in the hall, I pulled up sharply, as hard as I could and was rewarded with a sickly pop from his left shoulder. Serves the bastard right. He’d be in no shape to ambush me now.
The first guy looked at me in fear, his face blanching. He started to speak but I held up my hand. “Say nothing. Just leave. One more word, one, and I will take you back into my room and I will hurt you very badly. Very. Understood?”
I could tell he wanted to reply angrily, but he just nodded, red-faced.