spot over her pulse. He moved
slower now, deeper. His touch softened, and the pleasure was profound.
“Please,”
she begged him. When he lifted his face to him she saw the pain there. She
kissed his lips softly, closing her eyes against the tears that clouded her
vision. When she opened her eyes he was still looking at her. He opened his
mouth to respond but the phone rang, a shrill sound
that stopped them both cold. Elijio frowned. Bella realized that he really
didn’t have much contact with the outside world. He didn’t have friends that
called regularly to check up on him. They’d been trapped in their own little
world. Bella’s stomach dropped, getting the feeling that the call didn’t bode
well.
“Hold
on,” Elijio said, all business, and stood up. He slid
from her and buckled his slacks as he strode away from the table. She felt cold
as she found her dress and held it up in front of her body. He picked up the
cordless phone and answered curtly.
“ Elijio … Who? Why? I see … and
who made the offer? Tell them I’ll be there. Same meeting
place.” Elijio hung up the phone and turned to her, his face a mask of
cold steel. She’d never seen him so cold before. She stood on shaky feet, not
wanting to sit and hear his news.
“Your
brother has found himself in trouble again.”
“What?”
Bella cried, coming around the table, nakedness forgotten.
“But
an offer has been made. We are to meet them within the hour to talk terms.”
“Is
he okay? Did they say how he was doing?”
“It
was him that I was talking to. He didn’t sound harmed.”
“They
must have put him up to it. We have to go. Please help me. I know I’m asking
you a lot, but—”
“Are
you listening to yourself? You’ve been here for over a month, Bella. Nearly
two, and the only time you’ve talked to you brother was when I first paid for
his release, and now he’s looking for you to get paid again.”
“We’ve
never talked every day. He knows that. It may seem odd to you but that doesn’t
mean we aren’t close. If he called it’s because he’s in trouble.”
“Then
let him be in trouble. He hasn’t cared about you, or how you got the money.
According to him, your rich boyfriend, namely me, should be able to cover the
cost. No one would touch him, knowing that he is under my protection. That’s
why you came to me. Think, Bella.”
“But
if he doesn’t pay, or you don’t protect him, then they will hurt him. He’s my
brother Elijio.”
“A
brother that didn’t give a damn about you, or how you paid for him the last
time until he needed you again,” Elijio roared. She wasn’t afraid of him
though. Not anymore. She balled her fist, glaring at him.
“I’m
asking you to help me. If you don’t, then I’ll find someone who will. My debt
has been paid to you.” He stared at her, incredulously, pain lacing his gaze,
but she couldn’t take back her words. He hadn’t wanted to hear hers anyway. The
most important ones, and the pain of that spiraled
through her head. She moved away from him, searching for her undergarments. She
got dressed with angry, jerky movements. She couldn’t even bring herself to
look at the table.
“Your debt? Is that all
this was? That’s all?” he asked, but before she could answer he cut her off.
“If
you want me to do this, I will. But after this, no more. I’m done. We are done. ”
“Elijio,
please, he’s the only family I got.”
“Then
we better save him.” Elijio spun on his heels and she
had to run to keep up as he stalked out o the house. Richard rushed behind them
out the door, from where she had no idea, and produced keys to Elijio’s car.
In
silence Bella got inside and rode as Elijio raced
from his private drive and across the city. Her heart was breaking as she stared
at his cold visage. He didn’t look her way, or take his attention off the road.
She’d wanted to tell him that she’d loved him tonight. Wanted to make love to
him, in the bed she’d
slower now, deeper. His touch softened, and the pleasure was profound.
“Please,”
she begged him. When he lifted his face to him she saw the pain there. She
kissed his lips softly, closing her eyes against the tears that clouded her
vision. When she opened her eyes he was still looking at her. He opened his
mouth to respond but the phone rang, a shrill sound
that stopped them both cold. Elijio frowned. Bella realized that he really
didn’t have much contact with the outside world. He didn’t have friends that
called regularly to check up on him. They’d been trapped in their own little
world. Bella’s stomach dropped, getting the feeling that the call didn’t bode
well.
“Hold
on,” Elijio said, all business, and stood up. He slid
from her and buckled his slacks as he strode away from the table. She felt cold
as she found her dress and held it up in front of her body. He picked up the
cordless phone and answered curtly.
“ Elijio … Who? Why? I see … and
who made the offer? Tell them I’ll be there. Same meeting
place.” Elijio hung up the phone and turned to her, his face a mask of
cold steel. She’d never seen him so cold before. She stood on shaky feet, not
wanting to sit and hear his news.
“Your
brother has found himself in trouble again.”
“What?”
Bella cried, coming around the table, nakedness forgotten.
“But
an offer has been made. We are to meet them within the hour to talk terms.”
“Is
he okay? Did they say how he was doing?”
“It
was him that I was talking to. He didn’t sound harmed.”
“They
must have put him up to it. We have to go. Please help me. I know I’m asking
you a lot, but—”
“Are
you listening to yourself? You’ve been here for over a month, Bella. Nearly
two, and the only time you’ve talked to you brother was when I first paid for
his release, and now he’s looking for you to get paid again.”
“We’ve
never talked every day. He knows that. It may seem odd to you but that doesn’t
mean we aren’t close. If he called it’s because he’s in trouble.”
“Then
let him be in trouble. He hasn’t cared about you, or how you got the money.
According to him, your rich boyfriend, namely me, should be able to cover the
cost. No one would touch him, knowing that he is under my protection. That’s
why you came to me. Think, Bella.”
“But
if he doesn’t pay, or you don’t protect him, then they will hurt him. He’s my
brother Elijio.”
“A
brother that didn’t give a damn about you, or how you paid for him the last
time until he needed you again,” Elijio roared. She wasn’t afraid of him
though. Not anymore. She balled her fist, glaring at him.
“I’m
asking you to help me. If you don’t, then I’ll find someone who will. My debt
has been paid to you.” He stared at her, incredulously, pain lacing his gaze,
but she couldn’t take back her words. He hadn’t wanted to hear hers anyway. The
most important ones, and the pain of that spiraled
through her head. She moved away from him, searching for her undergarments. She
got dressed with angry, jerky movements. She couldn’t even bring herself to
look at the table.
“Your debt? Is that all
this was? That’s all?” he asked, but before she could answer he cut her off.
“If
you want me to do this, I will. But after this, no more. I’m done. We are done. ”
“Elijio,
please, he’s the only family I got.”
“Then
we better save him.” Elijio spun on his heels and she
had to run to keep up as he stalked out o the house. Richard rushed behind them
out the door, from where she had no idea, and produced keys to Elijio’s car.
In
silence Bella got inside and rode as Elijio raced
from his private drive and across the city. Her heart was breaking as she stared
at his cold visage. He didn’t look her way, or take his attention off the road.
She’d wanted to tell him that she’d loved him tonight. Wanted to make love to
him, in the bed she’d
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