SIENNA.
I was pacing the guest room that felt like a cage, its walls pressing in with every breath I took. The accusing words he had hurled at me were a cruel reminder of the fight that had torn us apart. The accusation had hit like a slap, leaving my chest hollow and my mind spiraling. I had seen the distrust in his eyes, the way they had hardened, and it had broken something in me.
I stared at the closed door, half-expecting to hear his heavy footsteps, to see him barge in and demand more answers I didn't have. But the penthouse was silent, save for the faint hum of the city beyond the windows. Zane had left that morning without a word to me, but there was a low murmur as he spoke to Jason, my security detail, before the front door slammed. He hadn't even looked in on me. I didn't know who I was to him anymore or who I was to myself.
For years, I had been running from the Reyes Cartel, who had taken everything from me and had been hunting me ever since. Yet, I had never once stopped in my tracks to ask why I was that important to them. Facing the truth scared me. Running, starting new lives, and changing names felt easier than confronting the truth that surrounded my family.
Sienna Carter was a lie I crafted to keep the world at bay. I had abandoned my family name because it felt like a target painted on my back. But was it to protect myself, or something else? Something I didn't even understand?
I pressed my palms to my eyes, trying to stop the flood of questions that Zane's accusations had cracked.
Who are you, Sienna?
I hadn't answered because I just couldn't since the truth was a void. I didn't know who I was. Was I a fraud, like he had said? A pawn in some game I didn't understand? The cartel's obsession with me wasn't random; I had always known that deep down. But what did they want? A secret? A debt? Or was I tied to them in a way I couldn't face?
I paused to get my phone from the dressing table and sat down to dial Belinda.
The line rang thrice before I suddenly recalled it was a working day and she was probably working her shift. I tossed the phone onto the bed as frustration bubbled up. I needed her clarity to pull me out of the spiral of questioning I was in. Without her, I was alone with my thoughts, and they were tearing me apart.
I stood, pacing the room, then I stopped at the window, staring at the city below. My reflection stared back. I couldn't stay there, trapped in that room, suffocating under the weight of my own questions. I needed air, and space to think.
I headed to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face to get the puffiness out. Then I changed quickly, pulling on jeans and a black sweater. I didn't care where I went, as long as it was away from there.
Jason was at the door when I opened it, his broad frame filling the hallway. "I need to get out," I said to him. "Take me somewhere. say a bar. Somewhere Zane doesn't know."
Jason's brow furrowed, just a flicker, but he didn't argue. "Are you sure?" he asked cautiously.
"I'm sure," I said, meeting his gaze. "I need space. Please."
He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I know a place. Low-key, off the grid. Stay close."
I followed him out, my heart pounding with relief. I could feel his tension. He was Zane's man, loyal to the core, and I wondered what he thought of me now. Did he believe Zane's accusations? Did he think I was a traitor, too?
֍
Jason pulled into a dimly lit street, parking outside a bar with a faded sign. It was tucked between a laundromat and a pawn shop, the kind of place you would miss if you were not looking. "This is it," he said, cutting the engine. "Quiet. Nobody asks questions."
"Thank you" I nodded, stepping out of the car and into the bar. The smell of beer and cigarette smoke hit me like a wave when I set foot. The interior was filled with mismatched tables and a jukebox playing a jazz beat.
A few patrons glanced up, then looked away, uninterested. Perfect. I slid into a booth in the corner, Jason taking the seat across from me, his eyes scanning the room like a hawk.
"Whiskey," I told the waitress when she approached, "Make it the dirtiest you can."
Jason raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I didn't care. I needed something to dull the edges, to quiet the questions tearing me apart. The whiskey arrived minutes after my order, and I took a sip, letting it burn down my throat.
It didn't help, not really. My mind kept circling back to the cartel, to my parents, to Zane. Why did they kill my family? Why were they still after me? And why did Zane think I was one of them?
I leaned back, closing my eyes. I thought of Belinda. If anyone could help me piece this together, it was her. But she was out of reach, and I was alone, drowning in a past I couldn't grasp.
I took another sip, the burn sharper now, and glanced at Jason. He was looking at, the door, his posture rigid, ready to move at any sign of trouble as he took sips of his soda. "You think I'm a traitor, too?" I asked.
His eyes flicked to me, unreadable. "Doesn't matter what I think," he said. "My job's to keep you safe."
It wasn't an answer, but it was enough. I leaned forward, my elbows on the table, my head in my hands.
A man approached, his smile lingering too long. He was tall, with a leather jacket and an aura that screamed overconfidence. "Mind if I join you?" he asked, not waiting for an answer as he slid into the booth, his knee brushing mine.
I stiffened, my fingers tightening around the glass. Jason shifted at the bar, his posture tensing, ready to intervene. I caught his eye and shook my head, a silent plea to stay back. I didn't need a savior, not at that moment. I needed a distraction, something to pull me out of the spiral of Zane and the cartel and my own fractured identity. "Sure," I said forcing a small smile. "What's your name?"
"Jake," he said, leaning closer and my nostrils picked up his cologne. "And you're too pretty to be sitting here alone."
I rolled my eyes but let him talk about his job, his car and charming life. I nodded absentmindedly as I sipped my whiskey. I let it wash over me, a temporary shield against the questions since it was better than drowning in my own head. I laughed at one of his jokes, and for a moment, I almost forgot the weight of everything.
Then the air shifted, a sudden hush fell over the lounge, the jukebox stopped playing, and the crowd of patrons began to slip out, as if they had been given a silent signal.
I turned, and there he was... Zane walked in through the side door. His dark eyes locked onto me. My stomach dropped with dread and unwanted heat flooded me. How did he find me? This place was supposed to be a secret, like Jason had promised.
I shot a glare at Jason, who was already standing. His face was still unreadable but tense. Had he told Zane? Or had Zane tracked us somehow? The answer hit me like a slap...the car. Of course.
Zane was a billionaire, a cartel don with resources I couldn't fathom. A tracker on Jason's car would be child's play for him. He would never really let me out of his sight, did he? Even when he had left me with Jason, he had ensured he could find me. The realization made my blood boil with a fresh wave. The man was a control freak. He would never give it out.
Zane's gaze shifted to Jake, who was still talking, oblivious to the storm approaching. Zane's lips curled into a dangerous smirk, and he moved with predatory grace, closing the distance in seconds. "Get up," he said to Jake.
Jake froze, his smile faltering. "Hey, man, we're just..."
"Out," Zane snapped, his tone leaving no room for argument. He grabbed Jake's arm, hauling him from the booth with a strength that was both effortless and terrifying. Jake stumbled, muttering protests, but one look at Zane's face silenced him. Zane didn't even glance at me as he marched Jake to the door, shoving him out. The remaining patrons scattered, not one bothered to rescue Jake, even the bartender was suddenly busy polishing glasses.
Zane turned to Jason. "Everyone out, including you, Jason," he said, his voice a command that echoed in the now-empty lounge.
Jason hesitated, his eyes flicking at me, but he nodded and headed for the door, leaving us alone. I stood, my hands trembling, my heart pounding. Zane's eyes were on me now, dark and intense, and I recognized that look.
Lust.
The same look he'd had weeks ago when he had taken me apart, piece by piece, in a frenzy of need. The memory sent a rush of heat through me, my body betraying me even as my mind screamed at the violation of my freedom.
"How did you find me?" I demanded, "This place was supposed to be a secret."
Zane stepped closer, "You think you can hide from me, Sienna?" he said. "You think I would let you run?"
"You tracked the car, didn't you?" I snapped, my hands clenching into fists. "You don't trust me, so you put a leash on me. That's why you left me with Jason, isn't it? To keep tabs on me."
His jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it. "I'm trying to keep you alive," he said, his voice rough, his eyes burning into mine. "You have no idea what's out there, what they will do to get to you."
"And whose fault is that?" I shot back, stepping toward him, "You don't get to play the hero now."
"You let that guy touch you.," His eyes darkened with jealousy sparked by Jake's flirtation. He closed the distance between us, his body inches from mine, the heat of him making my skin prickle. "You let him sit there, smiling at you, like he had a chance."
I laughed but my body was betraying me, the memory of our night together flooding me with heat. "You don't own me, Zane," I said, but the words felt weak, drowned out by the pull between us. "I needed a distraction from all of this."
"You don't get to distract yourself with someone else," he growled, his hand cupping the back of my neck, his thumb brushing my pulse point. My breath hitched, my body responding despite my anger.
His lips crashed into mine, hard and claiming, and I melted into him, my hands gripping his shirt, pulling him closer. I should have pushed him away, should have fought the fire igniting under my skin, but I couldn't. I wanted him, needed him.
The lounge faded out of my view as he lifted me onto a table while his lips trailed down my neck, his teeth grazing my skin, and I arched into him, my nails raking down his back, losing myself in the only thing that felt real. The cartel and my past were all waiting, ready to tear us apart. But for now, I was going to let my bond to Zane Calloway take me away.
