Elena
I thought the rumors about Miami’s criminal underworld were just that—rumors. Until Diego Pérez showed up. Cold. Merciless. A kingpin in a tailored suit.
My father’s debt is too deep to crawl out of, and Diego has no interest in money anymore. He wants collateral. He wants me.
Thirty days. That’s how long my father has to pay before Diego makes good on his threat to kill him—or worse, keep me forever.
I should be terrified.
So why does part of me want to stay?
Diego
Elena Aguilar is leverage, nothing more. Her father's mistake put her in my hands, and I intend to use her.
But when the Russian bratva demands I marry for power, Elena becomes something else entirely—a shield. A bargaining chip. A temptation.
She’s defiant, fire-mouthed, and far too beautiful for her own good. She doesn’t want this deal.
But in my world, consent is a luxury. And Elena Aguilar will be mine—in every way that matters.
Trigger Warning: This story contains depictions of violence, coercion, and sexual assault that may be disturbing to some readers.
Diego’s voice comes at me from the doorway, and I snap to attention, swiping at my damp chin with the back of my hand. “I take it you slept well.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I yank my cover-up closed over my body. “I didn’t really have a choice, did I?”
Diego leans against the doorframe, staring at me with those piercing, dark eyes of his. He’s immaculately dressed and groomed just as he was last night. Black slacks hug his hips, showcasing the power of his muscled thighs. A white dress shirt is stretched tight across his shoulders, the top two buttons undone. Through the opening, I can see a light smattering of dark chest hair and the sparkle of a gold necklace. My eyes fixate on the things I missed last night—the chiseled hardness of his face, the way his five o’clock shadow frames a pair of shapely lips. I can make out black ink on his knuckles—letters spelling out different words on both hands, PRIDE on one and FAITH on the other.
READ MOREDamn it. Either I’m still high from being drugged, or this man is pushing every one of my buttons right now. If he hadn’t kidnapped me less than twelve hours ago, I would give in to the sudden and unwanted attraction that sparks at the sight of him. The man certainly has presence; I’ll give him that.
“I’m sorry about the injection,” he says, actually sounding sincere. “But Jovan and I had to assure your compliance as well as your safety.”
I scoff at that last bit. “How is sticking a needle in my neck keeping me safe?”
He shrugs. “You seemed determined to fight, and might have hurt yourself in the process.”
I grind my teeth at his gall. If given half the chance, I would have hurt him, not myself. I might not have won the battle, but I would have made him regret ever laying a hand on me.
“So, what now?” I snap, leaning my hip against the vanity.
“Now you’ll stay here, as agreed between me and your father.”
“No one bothered to ask for my input.”
Diego’s lips twitch as if he’s about to laugh, but the sound never comes. He doesn’t even crack a smile. “I’m sorry, gatita, but in my world, this is how things work. Unfortunately, your father wasn’t up to the task of keeping you out of my grasp.”
A shiver runs down my spine at the silken steel of his voice and the soft utterance of those words. He called me ‘kitten,’ and it’s as insulting as it is intriguing. “You would really kill me because of my father’s actions?”
Diego straightens, slipping both hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Killing you doesn’t appeal to me, but I’m a man of my word. In the meantime, I want you to be comfortable here. This is one of the best guest rooms in the house, and I’ll do my best to accommodate reasonable requests.”
“Would you consider a knife to plunge into your eye ‘reasonable ’?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
I was only half joking, but Diego gets that look on his face again—as if he wants to laugh. “Absolutely not. Come into the bedroom and sit down. We have things to discuss.”
He doesn’t even wait for me to move, going back into the room with confidence in his stride as if he knows without second thought that I will obey him. The asshole.
It occurs to me to rebel, maybe lock him out of the bathroom. But my legs are shaky and I’m still weak. Reminding myself of my plan to be docile until the time is right for escape, I trail Diego into the bedroom.
He’s in the chair vacated by his lackey, and he gestures for me to sit on the bed. I hesitate for a second, not sure I’m comfortable being in what feels like such a vulnerable situation. I’m half-naked and exposed, while he’s sitting there looking like the king of the castle. Slipping back onto the bed makes me feel like some kind of supplicant—a possession to be commanded at his whim.
I don’t like how that makes me feel.
I sit on top of the blankets and fight the urge to tug at my cover-up. Showing weakness—even by letting him see how uncomfortable I am—is the last thing I want. Giving Diego a pointed look, I wait for him to lay down his rules. Rules I intend to break at the first opportunity.
“Don’t you want to know where you are?” he asks, raising a dark eyebrow.
I shrug. “It doesn’t matter.”
He makes a low, humming sound in his throat, and it almost sounds like a laugh. Almost. “It does, actually. Understanding where you are is part of accepting your situation. This is one of my properties on Indian Creek Island. Are you familiar with it?”
My heart sinks as I realize he was right. It does matter that I’m on an island removed from the city, in a place that’s locked down like a fortress.
When I don’t answer, Diego goes on. “There are about twenty houses on the island, and only a single road—one way in, one way out. We have a private police patrol here, and every one of the officers is on my payroll. The entire island is secure, including the waterfront. If you try to run and happen to make it off my property—which is highly unlikely to begin with—you won’t get far. You’ll only piss me off, and you should know that’s the worst sin you can commit.”
I raise my chin, unable to resist this tiny act of rebellion. “You gave your word not to hurt me.”
“I did. At least, not in any permanent or scarring way. There are other ways I could punish you, Elena.”
His voice drops when he issues that threat, growing huskier. His timbre slides down my spine in a cold shiver.
COLLAPSEVictoria Vale leaves you breathless with this amazing enemies to lovers mafia romance, a dark and intense romantic suspense that has you to the edge of your seat at times.