Stolen Dove: Stolen Hearts Series by Blake, Carina (ebook reader 7 inch txt) 📕

“What are you going to do? I know you’re going to enjoy torturing me. I’m counting on it because you’ll never be worth her.”

“Are you hoping that pissing me off enough will get me to end this faster? No. I want you to suffer. I want the streets to run red with your blood for touching my woman. She’s my queen, and you fed her lies.”

“It’s pathetic how easy it was to pit you two against each other. All I had to do was type in a few key search words and you turned into a raving lunatic, trapping her, locking her up while you went to find out the mysterious Firestarter.”

“It was you?” I make a mental note to have every single one of my men evaluated, phones pulled and given to my forensic tech guy.

“It’s easy when no one’s looking for me. Then all I had to do was treat my Dove with kindness. All it took was some sweet words and she willingly snuck out. I almost had her to myself. The only reason she didn’t submit was because she was afraid that you’d kill her. Besides, everyone knows you’re no better than your father. Soon she’ll live in shame just like your mother.” I punch him in the face, cracking his jaw. He laughs and spits, but it comes out as dribble.

“I’ve had enough.” Pulling out my knife, I slit his wrists and then press the crane button, raising the hook that holds the rope he’s tied to. Slowly he’s lifted as blood runs down his arms and falls to the concrete slab.

“Let’s see how long you take to fall or bleed out.” I wipe my hands and face off with a wet cloth. I turn to my guards on watch. “If he escapes, you die.”

Fernando’s waiting for me. “Where is Dove?”

“At the house with Hector and your mother. They are keeping her close.” He gives me the camera to the house and she’s sitting in the garden with them. The room is surrounded and well protected.

“While you were in there, I received a call from Benedetti’s man Martin. He’d like to speak with you when you have time. He says it’s important.”

“Right now, I need to see Dove. Everything else can wait. In fact, set it up for around midnight when Dove will be sleeping.”

“I will. Do you want me to listen in?”

“Yes.”

As soon as we’re at the house, I slink toward the back and send the guard away. I watch as they talk. Hector’s standing guard at the other side while on his phone. He gives me a slight nod to let me know he’s seen me. Good. I’m glad he’s on his guard. “You can leave, but I don’t think that will stop Victor. He’ll come looking for you across this earth.” My mother is sure the fuck right. There’s no way in hell I’d let her get far.

“Of course, because of the baby. I don’t know how you did it. I’m not that strong. I think it would be better to live without him…”

“I’m back.” She gasps, looking up at me nervously. “Dove, come here.” She shakes her head and sits still, looking scared. “Now.”

She stands, coming to my side meekly. “Excuse us.”

I grab her and cradle her in my arms, carrying her to our bedroom. Once we’re inside, I shut the door and lock it. “Sit.”

She doesn’t. “Damn it, sit the fuck down.” She finally does with her lip trembling. Unable to handle the sadness that I caused her, I drop to my knees in front of her, my hands taking hers. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to fuck you. No. Not anymore. I’d rather never touch you again than for you to leave me, Dove. It would kill me. I know you hate me for forcing you that night, paying for your virginity, but I would gladly do it over and have walked out of there, guns blazing, dropping bodies if it meant that we could make this right between us. I’m not sure what to do to make it right. I look for the words, but I’m not sure that they’ll ever be enough. I wish you wouldn’t hate me for the rest of our lives.”

“I don’t hate you, Victor. I’m angry with you. Are you sleeping with anyone else?”

“I told you that I’m not. I have not been with anyone since before I went to college. It’s been over ten years.”

“That is hard to believe.”

“It’s the truth. Then I saw you, and you changed everything for me.”

“I don’t even think I hated you then. I was hurt, jealous, feeling confused because I was so grateful that you picked me. Then I was hurt that I was nothing but a convenient lay for you.”

“Honey, you were anything but convenient. The thought of another man touching you was too much to bear. They had rules and warnings. I took you so no one else would. I pictured someone snatching you from me if I gave you an inch of space.”

“But you left the room.”

“To deal with Avanti. I’d been coming from his office, pissed about the entire purpose of the party, and then I saw you as I climbed the steps to my room. Afterward, I told him I was leaving and taking you with me. There was no way I was going to let you go. I wasn’t gone long when I found you sleeping in my shirt. Selfishly, I married you before you could fight it.”

“Why? So you know your babies are yours only?”

“No. Because I’m madly in love with you. I didn’t know it right away, but by the time we landed in Madrid, I knew that this burning pain in my chest from the thought of you leaving was more than guilt. I love you, and I know that I don’t deserve your love, but I’ll forever promise to love you faithfully, Dove.”

“I love you more than you know.