Sold To The Boss: A Narcos Romance

Chapter 14

The modern white house exudes opulence as Isabella stepped out of the car, one of Rafael's men holding her hand to help keep her balance in heels. Rafael came around the vehicle, his face set and his jaw tense. He offered his arm to Isabella but didn't look her in the eyes, his head nodding almost imperceptibly at his staff, a signal passing between them.

Rafael led her into the house, two men following close behind, no doubt fully loaded beneath their sports coats. Isabella felt her throat constrict with nerves, the polished marble floors of the house almost reflecting like glass, as beautiful men and women sauntered about, the smell of expensive weed in the air.

"For you, beautiful," a man with an American accent and dusty blonde hair handed Isabella a perfectly rolled joint, his honey-brown eyes warm and clearly high. Isabella's heart almost stilled at the realization that there was another fellow American here, perhaps someone who could help her, a reminder of home. But Rafael's words broke her reverie.

"Nice house, Jayson. Seems like you upgrade every year."

"Every six months if I can help it," the American man laughed, pulling a full drag from his joint, "but you know me, it's good to be on the move. All I take with me is my toothbrush. The rest of this shit," he waved his hand around the room, the silk of his button-down shirt clinging to his narrow torso, showing off the unmistakable outline of a handgun tucked into the front of his slacks, "I just sell along with the place when I go." Jayson's eyes moved between Rafael's and Isabella's and she tried to remove the look of shock, fear, and dashed hope from her face, reminding herself that her only instructions from Rafael had been to act like she was having fun at a party. Not to act like a terrified kidnapping victim.

"And who is this lovely, mute creature?" Jayson reached out and twirled a lock of Isabella's hair, moving his body in closer. He was clearly high out of his mind, his cheeks flushed and his eyes glassy. Isabella felt Rafael go rigid beside her, standing up even taller.

"My fiancé."

"No shit!" Jayson took a step back, a huge cheshire grin on his face. "You're telling me you finally found the one to make an honest man out of you?" Jayson slapped his hand on Rafael's shoulder, nearly leaning on him for support to stay upright, "I don't know whether to say congratulations or good luck in hell, but this one right here makes either scenario pretty damn well worth it!" He raised his joint in the air, the smoke trailing around his face. Rafael smiled but it was forced, impatient.

"I wanted to talk with you about the American trade routes. Specifically Miami." Isabella watched as Jayson's eyes seemingly cleared and focused after Rafael's words had turned to business.

"You looking to give me a shot, El Rey?"

"I'm looking to make a change."

"I like change."

"I know you do," Rafael nodded his head slightly, similarly to how he had outside. Two of his men seemed to appear out of nowhere, crossing their arms in front of their chests.

"We taking a walk?" Jayson waved his hand toward one of the servers and dropped the remainder of his used joint on a silver tray.

"Stay out in the main room," Rafael whispered in Isabella's ear, his voice low as she inhaled the masculine scent of his cologne. "Do not wander off with anyone. I'll be back in twenty minutes." He stood and straightened his coat, leading the way for himself and the American, Jayson, to take a walk, no doubt to discuss important business terms. Isabella glanced around the modern house uncomfortably, noticing that one of Rafael's men remained behind, standing just a few feet from her.

"Champagne, señorita?" A server approached with a bubbling glass and Isabella took it gratefully, nearly downing it in one sip. The server smiled and offered her another glass before scuttling away. Isabella descended down into the sunken living room, large glass windows surrounding the space as lights outlined the vista. She tried to pretend that she was in some Hollywood star's house and not at a party full of dangerous narcos.

"You need a light?" Isabella turned at the sound of a deep voice with a thick accent. A man towered over her, his black hair slicked back tightly, green piercing eyes assessing. He was huge. As broad as a linebacker, she could barely see around him. She paused before responding, blinking at him confused.

"Your joint?" He indicated his head toward the perfectly rolled joint still held tightly between her fingers. The large man watched with a forced smirk on his face as Isabella raised the joint, her hand shaking slightly. He pulled a silver lighter from the breast pocket of his coat and brought it toward the tip of the joint as Isabella put the other end in between her full painted lips.

"I haven't seen you before, who are you with?"

"Um, Rafael."

"No shit," the guy let out a disbelieving dark laugh, his eyes glittering. "You his?" Isabella blinked again, her heart racing wildly in her chest like she was caught in some sort of trap. She glanced around the room, scanning for Rafael, but seeing no sign of him, she held up her ring finger as her only form of defense, the oversized diamond glittering under the recessed lights.

"Tell me, beautiful. You're marrying the man of the moment, you've got a rock the size of a damn grape on your finger, and you're sexier than any woman here. So tell me, why do you look so damn miserable?"

"I'm not--"

"Don't lie to me. I can help you," he leaned in closer, his eyes piercing into hers as he held her forearm, "blink twice if you need help." Isabella's heart stopped at his final words. His accent was gone. Another American. He was too perceptive, too hyperaware. Isabella's mouth popped open, the thought that maybe this man really could help her, maybe someone could take her home, warring with the short-lived but strange loyalty for Rafael. Before she could fully process her reaction and decide whether to blink twice, a warm strong arm slid around her waist, causing a small jump of her shoulders.

"Hi, mi amor." Rafael dipped down, kissing Isabella's cheek, his hands digging into her sides in warning as he pulled her a few inches away from the linebacker with the fake accent and the perceptive green eyes.

"Paulo, hello." Rafael's words were ice and Isabella could feel his heart pounding angrily against her back.

"Rafael." Isabella glanced between them, taking a deep drag on the joint and coughing slightly as she exhaled. Rafael steered her away, but not before Paulo glared back at her, pleading with his eyes that his offer of help was still standing.

"Outside. Now." Rafael steered Isabella past several intoxicated partygoers, a few of the women tossing lustful glances Rafael's way as led them toward a large sliding glass door.

"What did he offer you?" Rafael spun around, his eyes hard and closed off. Isabella dropped her joint, smudging it out under her heel as she felt the effect of the high spread throughout her limbs.

"Nothing, Rafael. I don't even know who he--"

"Was it money for my head on a plate?"

"Rafael--"

"I thought you were starting to trust me," he leaned forward, closing in on Isabella as her back came up against the outside wall of the house to the left of all the windows. "And here you are, making deals that could end my fucking life before I even have a chance to get you back to safety."

"Rafael!" Isabella's voice rose, her eyes scanning his face wildly, trying to put the pieces together. "I don't know what you're talking about." Rafael let out a dark laugh and rested his hand beside her face against the wall.

"You think I don't know what your kind of fire is capable of? You think I'm fooled by your soft upbringing and your beauty? I chose you because I knew you'd be strong. I needed strength. But what I didn't need was for my supposed ally to turn on me."

"I didn't--"

"And what I really didn't need," Rafael leaned his, his lips just an inch from hers, "was a woman so distracting, so goddamn consuming, that I don't know if I'm more pissed that you almost just made a deal with a DEA agent or more furious that you were standing so close to another man." Isabella's eyes went wide with Rafael's words, her mind still scrambling to keep up with everything he'd just said as his lips crashed down onto hers. She felt her mind go blank, her hands lifting of their own accord and fisting violently in his hair. She was pissed at him for keeping her in the dark, for using her as some sort of ally and keeping her from her family even though he was also keeping her safe in this incredibly dangerous world. And more than anything, she hated the fact that he was consuming her too, no longer as something only to be feared, but also as something she was becoming afraid to lose.