Guns and Royalties Book 2

Angelica

She found the peace she craved here. The calm waters, the sunlight dancing like diamonds on the surface, it all eased her inner turmoil.

But not her curiosity.

The compound was a hive of activity all day. Juanita called it organized chaos.

Even Ramon was up at the crack of dawn, overseeing the ranch hands. It was strange to see them in such intense training.

It was like a military drill. The sound of gunshots echoed in the air, making her pulse race. It was thrilling.

She wanted to join them, but she didn’t trust anyone enough to reveal this side of herself.

It was better to let them see her sweet side. Not the restless spirit that urged her to fight, to train, to seek adventure.

She’d been feeling so restless lately.

How could she kill time until it was safe to return to the villa?

Tia Juanita had warned her to keep her distance until El Patron knew she was there.

She snorted. They all revered him, and from what she’d heard, everyone was in awe of the elusive man.

She wondered what he was really like.

Angelica couldn’t resist the urge to see him for herself anymore—she just had to know.

Like the tomboy her father and brother would have been proud of, if they were still around, she climbed the tallest Ceiba tree she could find that overlooked the mansion’s forecourt.

Any minute now.

She shielded her eyes from the sun’s glare, her gaze fixed on the convoy of SUVs kicking up dust as they approached. She waited.

The man she was looking for had to be in the car at the center of the procession.

A leader. Surrounded by guards. And she’d bet her life, heavily armed.

She was right. A muscular man, dressed all in black with sunglasses hiding his eyes, got out of the car first, scanning the area.

Then everyone else followed. Except for their leader.

A sense of déjà vu made her frown. She’d seen this level of security before, but where?

She held her breath as the muscular man opened the car door for his boss and a tall, strikingly handsome man stepped out.

He stood aloof, watching as Juanita and a woman who looked just like Tia embraced.

Tia started to approach him, but something stopped her.

Angelica was sure it was because of the intimidating aura that surrounded El Patron.

He said something and, moving with the grace of a panther, left everyone behind and walked into the house. He didn’t look back.

How rude. Didn’t he realize everyone was excited to see him?

There was no doubt he was the elusive owner of this magnificent place she was staying. He seemed arrogant and commanding.

She decided to return much later. She didn’t want to cause trouble for Tio and Tia.

The scene she’d witnessed replayed in her mind. The man’s handsome face haunted her thoughts.

Why did he look so sad?

And he didn’t look old at all.

Juanita

“He hasn’t changed much, has he?”

She watched her sister’s eyes dim at her question.

“No, hermana. And it’s gotten worse since he returned from San Francisco.”

Juanita sighed.

“I was hoping he’d improved at least. He can’t keep punishing himself. His mamá, God rest her soul, would be heartbroken to see him like this.”

Lucinda came over and hugged her tightly.

“I know. Gabriella was a wonderful leader to us all. She saved us from a fate worse than death, and now, this is the only way we can repay her. By treating her firstborn as if he were our own. Don’t lose hope. He’ll come around.”

Her eyes filled with tears. She remembered clearly how hard life had been when they were teenagers.

“I hope so, hermana.”

“Okay. Enough of that. Let’s make his favorite dinner and you can share your secret. I’m dying to know.”

She smiled again, thinking of the young beauty she’d taken under her wing.

“Si. You’re going to love this.” She had a feeling El Patron would, too.

She’d always believed in fate. And maybe, just maybe, Angelica was the answer to their prayers.

Unbeknownst to the angelic beauty, two sisters were eagerly making plans for her and El Patron.

Angelica

Unaware of everything, she stayed at the cottage by the river, lost in thought. Making her own plans. Trying desperately to remember her past.

Anything.

Tio Ramon and Juanita had promised her a monthly wage, and they’d kept their word.

When her memories returned, she’d have the means to go back to where they found her, and maybe she’d find her family.

The food she’d brought with her was long gone, and it was nearly midnight. Her stomach growled.

It was time to go home. She’d been hiding all day.

Since this was the countryside, people went to bed early. She knew from experience that no one would be around at this hour.

The cottage was cozy, but it had no lights, and she hadn’t had a chance to clean it yet.

And she was scared of what she might find under the bed. She hated bugs. She shivered. Spiders and cockroaches.

Sticking to the shadows cast by the bushes and trees, she made her way from her hideout to the back of the villa, where her room was.

She’d done this many times and always made it back without any problems.

She was right. Almost all the lights were off and the place was deserted.

Relieved, she went into her room and took a much-needed shower. Her earlier bath in the river had been refreshing, but this was Mexico, where it was hot and humid most of the time.

Plus, she loved the feeling of being clean before bed. Her spacious bedroom was air-conditioned, so she always slept well.

Dressed in her usual nightclothes, a silk teddy that Tia had bought her, she flopped onto her bed, trying to sleep. But she couldn’t.

Then her stomach growled again, demanding food.

She punched her pillows, knowing she wouldn’t get any sleep if she was hungry.

Angelica’s room was conveniently close to the kitchen, perfect for her midnight snack habit. Juanita, always thoughtful, would leave something out for her.

She figured she’d be back in her room, snack in hand, in less than five minutes.

With a sigh, she made her way back down the dark hallway, this time heading for the kitchen.

Ice cream and cake would be the perfect late-night companions. Maybe there were even some leftover homemade nachos.

Thankfully, she knew the layout of the kitchen like the back of her hand, or she’d be stumbling around in the dark.

The moon was hidden tonight, leaving the room almost completely dark. She didn’t want to risk waking anyone up.

She grabbed a basket and filled it with cheese, chips, and fruit. Then she headed to the fridge, squinting against the sudden light.

Balancing on her toes, she scanned the ice cream flavors.

Chocolate chip or cookie dough?

“¿Quién diablos eres tú? ¿Y qué haces en mi cocina?” a voice growled from behind her.

Startled, she felt her eyes widen at the anger in his voice. Fear made her body shake and goosebumps prickled her skin.

~(Who the fuck are you? What are you doing in my kitchen?) ~

~Oh, shit. ~

With her back to the man, she tried to calm herself as she closed the fridge, plunging the kitchen back into darkness.

Bad move. Now she couldn’t get a good look at the man behind the voice.

He must be one of the new guards from the city. He probably didn’t know who she was.

She was about to turn around and introduce herself when she felt the air shift behind her and he touched her bare arm.

No one was allowed to touch her without her permission. Instinctively, she moved to defend herself.

She spun to the left, twisted his arm, and jabbed him in the nose with the heel of her hand. At the same time, her knee connected with his crotch.

Fuck! He was all muscle.

~Doesn’t matter. ~

Just to be sure, she punched him twice in the ribs. ~Ouch! ~

Despite being twice her size, his grip on her loosened and he doubled over, groaning in pain.

Oh, God!

She hadn’t meant to hurt him that badly.

Even in the darkness, she could see the blood on his nose. He grunted and wiped his face.

His very handsome face.

She swallowed hard. This was not the time to get distracted.

And to make matters worse, he was glaring at her, ready to retaliate.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I don’t want to hurt you,” she warned, her body tensing up again.

“You already fucking did! Now, tell me who sent you before I kill you,” he shot back, his eyes gleaming in the dark.

She felt like rolling her eyes. All she wanted was some ice cream and then to go to bed.

This is going to be a long night.