Carmen
We walked in silence, finally reaching the car where she half pushed me inside, roaring the engine to life.
“You’re worried,” I said after watching her.
“Hell, yeah. There’s some shit going down that no one can figure out. You can almost feel a war is about to break out. Haven’t seen blood in the streets in a long time.”
“My father?”
She eased the car to a stop just before leaving the garage. “You’re going to have to discuss that with Sebastian.”
“Of course. No one wants to tell me anything.” I studied the rolling waves as she drove, unable to get what my father had said out of my mind.
“You like him,” Sylvie said almost casually as she leaned back in her chair, giving me a wry smile.
“Who?”
“Don’t play coy with me.” She half laughed.
“How can I like a man I don’t know?”
“Hmmm… Sebastian is a complicated man.”
“Sounds like you do know him very well,” I said, realizing that a hint of jealousy had crawled into my system.
Sylvie’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, the sound of the leather as she twisted her hand a distinct reminder of the bondage from before. I shuddered at the thought. “I know enough about Sebastian Sturm to realize that very few people will ever truly understand the man inside.” She slowly turned her head, taking a deep breath.
“It sounds like you’ve been in love with him for years.”
“Love? Not a chance,” she retorted.
I lifted my eyebrows, believing her. “I’m no one to him, not really, Sylvie. The only reason I’m with him is revenge against my father. A deal made.”
“It may have started out that way,” she said in passing as she scanned the area, always on the lookout. “Don’t worry. You’re not taking him from me if that’s what you’re worried about. The truth is I’ve never seen Sebastian with a woman for longer than an evening out. Even then, the situation wasn’t romantic. He’s a loner.”
“He tells me very little, has a Jekyll and Hyde personality.”
“You need to ask him why.”
“But you know. Don’t you?” I pushed.
“Look, I respect Sebastian for the man he is, fair and caring. I admire his tenacity and business savvy. I appreciate the time he takes with those who work for him. I value his friendship especially since there wasn’t another one of his soldiers who didn’t have serious reservations about the fact I was promoted to one of his Capos. I’m not in love with him, Carmen, but I do care about his welfare. I would die for him without question. Anyone who attempted to betray either him or his family would have to come through me. I will also not betray his friendship or his trust.”
“I’m certain you’re a valuable asset. Did he save you from some horrible situation? Is that why you’re so loyal?”
She chuckled. “I have my reasons.”
“I don’t know if I can trust him even though every part of my body craves his touch.”
“He’s probably the only man in his position that you can fully trust. That’s something you need to keep in mind.”
There had to be more to the story. “Then help me understand him. Tell me why I can trust him when he’s keeping me prisoner.”
“Have you fully understood what’s at stake here? Do you comprehend at all what would happen if anyone attempted to muscle in on the hold the Sturm family has on the South? There would be streams of blood in the street, families destroyed and the kind of violence that no one will be able to control. What the Sturm family has done from the moment his father took over for one disgusting pig of a human being was to provide decent jobs and wages for his employees. His father fought the various gangs in the streets, building an army as well as a reputation. The honor the family has brought to so many is tremendous.”
There was no one in Cuba who would talk about my father’s reign in that manner. “You make his criminal world sound appetizing.”
She cocked her head, her upper lip curling. “Listen to me because I’m not saying this twice. I was a strung-out kid on the streets, my father in prison and my mother dying of AIDS. I didn’t give a shit about life. One night I stole money from Sebastian because I was running away from an asshole I owed. I learned later that Sebastian was back in town visiting during Christmas break from college. I had no idea who the fuck he was. There I heard some girls talking about how important and dangerous he was. When two of his goons found me, I realized I was dead meat. I figured they were taking me to some abandoned warehouse to kill me, dumping my body in the ocean.”
The conviction in her voice was intense.
“No amount of begging or pleading seemed to work. When they put me in a fancy hotel with instructions to take a shower and rest, I was certain they were going to rape me or worse. When I got out, there was a new set of clothes and more food than I’d seen in months from room service. I knew the two men were outside the entire night. I ate and slept in a real bed, still expecting a bullet in my head.”
“What happened?”
“Sebastian came to see me early in the morning, making certain I was all right. He said he cleared the debt I owed the jerkoff and all he asked in return was that I keep clean.”
“His rules for kindness,” I whispered, uncertain where the story was going.
“You don’t get it. Sebastian rented an apartment for me for six months. He helped me land a job, even got me enrolled in the local college. He had people looking out for me and he never asked for anything else. He gave me my life back. I’ve been drug free since that very night. I’ll never forget what he said on the day I graduated from college with a degree in business administration. By then I was able to pay it forward. I’ve been with him since that very day and I don’t regret a thing.”
I was floored by the story, my heart racing. “That’s… incredible.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Carmen. Sebastian Sturm is a very dangerous man, capable of doing horrific things, but he is also the kindest man I’ve ever met. His family and especially his niece mean more to him than anything. I’ve never seen a man so devoted. I suggest you consider giving him a break. There are reasons why he decided to bring you into his home and his life that have nothing to do with revenge.”
Niece. Another shiver trickled down my spine, my mouth dry as I thought about her words. “I know you need to get me back but before we leave the area, there’s one more thing I’d like to do. I promise I won’t try and run.”