His Territory

16

Cristian scratches the back of his neck, his gaze dropping to the hard-packed dirt beneath our feet. As I take a step closer, he shifts back, so I stop and cross my arms over my chest.

"Dimelo," I say, waiting for him to look me in the eye.

He finally meets my gaze, a flicker of something unreadable passing across his face. "I told you, mama. We had things to take care of." He shrugs, gesturing for me to come closer. I step forward until we're nearly chest to chest. It takes a monumental effort not to scream in his face as his eyes lock onto mine, unyielding.

"Why can't you just tell me?" I say, my voice low and tight. "I have a right to worry about you."

Cristian rubs his temple, letting out a weighted sigh that fills the space between us. "I can handle myself. I don't need my lady sitting at home, pacing the floor and worrying." His hand moves to brush a strand of hair from my face, his touch gentle despite the tension simmering between us. "I need you safe."

My hands shoot forward, hitting his chest and shoving him back. He barely moves, but the gesture is enough to make my point. "I'm not going to sit around, wondering when—no, if—you'll come home. I deserve to know, Cristian."

His jaw clenches, and his eyes harden into something that could cut stone. "Diosa," he says, his voice so low it could scrape the floor. "If I know I have you to come home to, then I will always return."

His movements are fluid as he steps toward me, lifting my chin with a finger. A hint of a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, almost too faint to catch.

"I can't lose you before I've won." He dips his head, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

I pull back, shaking my head, letting his hand slip from my face. "With all these secrets, maybe you'll never win me," I murmur, turning away and heading for the ladder that leads out of the cavern.

"Lu, please." His voice is a plea as I climb, but I don't look back. When I emerge into the dim light of the living room, five pairs of deep brown eyes are trained on me, each gaze heavy with unspoken questions.

Gian clears his throat, breaking the silence. "Lu, glad you're here." His voice is brisk, as though time is slipping through his fingers. "I'm assuming Cristian caught you up. The plan is to make them think they've kidnapped you, then we come in and take you back once they're settled. Quick and clean."

My brow furrows. Kidnap me?

"Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?"

Gian looks almost offended by my confusion. "The bounty on your head, Lu. 84th is offering thousands to anyone who brings you in!" He sounds almost enthusiastic, like we're planning a heist rather than my own abduction. Just as he finishes, Cristian's head appears at the top of the ladder, and he hauls himself into the room.

"How much?" I ask, but my gaze stays locked on Cristian, daring him to answer.

"$50,000," Gian says, the number landing heavy in the air.

I turn to Cristian, flashing a bitter smile. "Did you hear that, honey? Fifty grand for my head. Isn't that just wonderful? Maybe they'll give you $75,000 if I throw in our firstborn, too."

Cristian's face darkens, his expression razor-sharp as he crosses the room in two strides. His arm wraps around my waist with a force that nearly knocks the air from my lungs, pulling me flush against him.

"This," he growls, his words a warning aimed at both me and Gian, "is a conversation we were going to have later."

He steers me out of the room, down the hallway toward his bedroom. I dig in my heels, halting our progress. "Are you fucking kidding me, Cristian? Why didn't you tell me?"

He pushes forward, but I stand firm, blocking the narrow hallway. Without a word, he lifts me, throwing me over his shoulder like I'm nothing more than a sack of flour. I kick and slap at his back, fury radiating off me.

"Put me down, you dusty bastard!" I shout, my words echoing down the hallway, followed by laughter from the living room.

Cristian carries me into his bedroom, kicking the door shut with enough force to rattle the walls. He lets me slide from his shoulder, setting me down so my back presses against the door. His hands find my shoulders, pinning me there as he leans in close, his face inches from mine.

"Listen to me," he snarls, his voice vibrating through my entire body. "I don't care if they offer a million dollars for you. They could bring me all the gold in the world, and it wouldn't make a damn difference. You're not going anywhere."

I swallow, my anger dissolving into something else, something fragile. His hands slide from my shoulders, wrapping around my waist as he pulls me close, burying his face in my hair.

"Eres mi siempre, no habrá otra," he whispers, his breath warm against my ear.

I take a shaky breath, my voice barely above a whisper. "But what if I wanted to take the money?" I feel his body tense, and he pulls back to look at me, shock and hurt etched into his features.

"Are you crazy? No way in hell." He shakes his head, his eyes wide.

I press a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Didn't you hear Gian? He has a plan."

Cristian pulls my hand away, his gaze hard. "Why would I risk losing you over some fucking money?"

"It could help you, Cristian. It could help all of you." I speak gently, hoping he'll see the sense in it.

He clenches his jaw, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "Or we could not. That way, we know you're safe."

"They're not going to stop," I say, my voice trembling. "They made that clear. This could end it—and bring us a reward. Think about what we could do with $50,000."

A single tear slips down his cheek, and he quickly wipes it away, looking at me with a fierce determination that makes my chest ache. "I don't want to risk losing you."

I place a hand on his cheek, brushing away the wetness with my thumb. "Then we don't lose. Right?"

He lets out a shaky breath, his resolve hardening. "We never fucking lose."

A faint smile curves my lips as I stand on my toes, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "I think we can do this."

He looks down at me, his eyes filled with something that looks a lot like hope. "I know you can."