His Territory

26

A hand landed heavily on my shoulder, jolting me awake. I opened my eyes, blinking against the dim light.

"Here, drink this," Adrián's voice reverberated in my ears, firm and unyielding. He held out a can of seltzer water, dismissing the stewardess with a wave.

I took the can, feeling his eyes linger on me as I drank. I nodded briefly before setting it in the cupholder, trying to ignore the penetrating gaze that felt more like an assessment than concern.

"'Ta bien?" he asked, his voice low, his eyes still locked onto mine.

"E'toy bien," I replied, echoing his lazy grammar.

He gave a small nod, then returned his attention to his phone, his fingers flying over the screen with such force that the veins in his forearm stood out. I leaned back, desperate to focus on anything but the man beside me.

"I got us a new house, by the way," he said, almost as an afterthought, still not looking at me.

"What?" I murmured, lowering my voice to match his tone.

This time, he turned, his hand gripping my chin and forcing me to look at him. "I said I bought us a new house. The old one wasn't good enough for you."

"Where is it?" I asked, unable to keep the worry from my voice. A new location meant Cristian wouldn't know where to find me.

"No importa, mi amor. Just know it's not where we were before. It's better." His words made me dizzy, and black dots clouded my vision. I gripped the nearest thing to steady myself—his arm, unfortunately.

"Are you okay?" he asked, though his face showed no concern.

"I don't feel good," I managed, my stomach twisting and turning, nausea clawing at me.

"Just try to sleep." His voice was like a distant echo as drowsiness crashed over me, dragging me down until my body felt like dead weight.

A familiar hand gripped my shoulders, shaking me awake. "Baby, wake up." I grimaced internally at the sound of Adrián's voice.

I cracked one eye open, taking in my surroundings. Cream-colored walls framed a large king-sized bed, black sheets pooled around my thighs, leaving my torso bare. My gaze settled on Adrián, who was hovering over me, his arms on either side of my head.

"Welcome home, mía."

I tried to move, but my body felt like it had been disconnected from my mind. I lay still, taking in the eerie silence. There were no sounds of traffic, no voices, only Adrián's shallow breathing and a faint, rhythmic crashing. I tilted my head, straining to hear.

He watched me curiously, the edge of a smirk tugging at his lips. I opened my mouth to speak, but all that came out was a weak squeak. He chuckled, grabbing a glass of water from the nightstand. "Drink this slowly." He held the glass to my lips, and I tried to reach for it, but my arms refused to respond.

"Jesus, why are you so weak?" he muttered, his tone laced with disdain. The sting of his words made my chest tighten, but I fought back the urge to cry.

His hands slid beneath me, propping me up against the pillows. He pressed the glass to my lips, tipping it gently so I could take small sips. "You look terrible," he said, shaking his head. "I knew you wouldn't make it without me."

I gathered the strength to speak, my voice barely a whisper. "Where are we?"

A glint of excitement flickered in his eyes, a small smile breaking across his face. "I told you, mía. I bought us a house." He lifted me effortlessly, cradling me in his arms. "This is all ours now. We're going to make it a home."

He kicked open the door, letting it slam against the wall. I flinched at the loud sound, and he immediately stroked my hair. "Don't worry, you're safe here."

Light flooded the hallway as we moved to the end, where large glass doors opened to a stone patio overlooking the ocean. I gasped at the sight, the shoreline stretching out before me, the waves crashing rhythmically.

"I know you like being near the water," he said, watching my face closely. "Do you like the view?"

The eye contact made my skin crawl. This man who had tried to break me was now pretending to care about my comfort, my happiness.

He slid the doors open, carrying me onto the cool stones, setting me down carefully. His hands lingered on my waist as I stood, weak but steadying myself.

"Is this still New York?" I asked, my voice small.

"Yes, baby, but not in the boroughs. You deserve better than that. A queen should have a castle, not an apartment."

I nodded, barely processing his words. I needed to keep him calm. I couldn't risk angering him.

"I'm still going to provide for us, but no one I work with will know where we are. You'll be safe from that life now," he said, inhaling sharply. His head dipped to my shoulder, his lips grazing my ear. I froze, feeling the pressure of his chest against my back, his hands firm on my waist.

"We're only twenty minutes from a law school. I'll get you a car, clothes, a new phone—everything you need to build the future you want."

He shifted to face me, his hands never leaving my sides. "I'm going to do things right this time." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box. My heart stopped, my breath caught in my throat, and icy dread seeped into my veins. Surely, he wasn't proposing.

He opened the box to reveal a delicate gold necklace with a circle pendant, engraved with the gang's insignia—a star with a cross through it. His eyes searched mine for approval as he flipped the pendant to show a scripted "A" on the back.

He moved my hair aside, clasping the necklace around my neck, then leaned down, pressing a kiss to the spot where the pendant rested, his lips searing my skin.

"Mía. Vivo para ti desde este día en adelante."

I kept my face emotionless, willing myself not to react. He sighed, disappointed by my lack of response. "I have to leave, but I'll be back by morning," he said gruffly. Without another glance, he brushed past me, slamming the door shut.

I turned back to the ocean, silent tears spilling down my cheeks. I repeated his words in my head, mocking me.

Don't worry, you're safe here.

Cristian will never find me now.