CHAPTER ELEVEN

CIAN

The moment we stepped into Vasquez's estate, my eyes wandered, looking at the environment my little troublemaker was brought up in. Claiming her as mine in my head is stupid, but it seems my mind was made up. Dario Vasquez was nowhere to be seen, I snickered. Following the guards to the living room. Where we were now seated. I glance at my watch one more time, that bastard is taking his damn time. Something catches my eye and I'm on my feet instantly, walking to the wall before it registers in my brain. Standing tall is a picture portrait of the Vasquez siblings, I believe. Eight boys of ages across their preschool and teenage years and two girls. My girl looks to be in her teenage years, I assume. Footsteps have me turning to the side, my eyes on the entrance. Dario walks in with two men to his side, we shake hands as he does with my brother and Nico, nodding to the men. "Let's talk in the office," he says and turns to march out, without a second look. I grunt, forced to follow him, with a nod to the other three men to be alert. They nod in understanding. He takes the stairs and so does my two men and me. As I climb up, my hearing is on alert, listening in to whether I'll hear the sound of my girl laughing or anything, just to hear her voice, my pupils dart hoping to have a glimpse of her right now. Without looking back at me, Dario's voice cuts through the silence, "she's not here." He stops and turns halfway, so we stop. My mouth opens then closes, ready to say I wasn't hoping to see her. The look in his eye when our eyes meet has me feeling like a fool, I nod. He opens the door and we file in, my brother and I take the seats while Dario stands, a few feet away.

He rounds the table and takes the seat, behind it, and as much as he wants to appear calm, he isn't. I see right through him, I give him props for the way he tries to tucks his emotions away when he faces me, his eyes looking into mine and a smile or what is supposed to be a smile on his face, "let's get right into the matter at hand, shall we?" I lean back in my seat, comfortably, and rest one of my ankles on my knee and I see the irritation breaking through his void mask. "I do know my sister broke into your apartment and threatened you, somehow managed to escape so you're seeking revenge," he was looking at me, curious as to how all that happened, but the pride is in his voice when he speaks of his sister's actions. "That's not what happened," I say, simple and clear. He raises his eyebrows in disbelief, grabbed an envelope that was laying on top of the desk, and pushed it toward me. making eye contact with him, I make no move to take the envelope or open it. My brother signs and does the honors open it and push the content to me. That's when I look away and down at my hands, shuffling through the pictures. "I didn't do this," I say, pushing one picture at the scene of her burnt apartment, "nor this!" I add, pushing the other pictures back toward him. He leans back in his seat, a brow raised, "so wrong place, wrong time then?" "Sure, you can say that," i grin, irritating the hell out of him, there were pictures of me, inside the apartment after it was burnt, and others of Nico and I looking through the scraps of her burnt car. Of course, it would be stupid for him not to suspect me. Nico snickers as does my brother. I see him clench his fists and grin wider, "what's your narrative?" He opens his mouth to speak when the door opens and he closes his mouth, his eyes behind me and he stands, "papa." He goes to receive his father, the previous don of their organization. I don't turn to see whoever is at the door, instead, I check my watch, I am not checking the time, but I just want to piss him off.

My hearing is sharp, but I cannot make out what they're saying, next I hear two sets of footsteps on the seat and finally see the man. He looks sickly, even as Dario helps him to the seat and stands beside him. The man grins at me. "How was your flight?" he asks in Spanish. Nico is the one who answers back in Spanish, that we had a good flight. He raises a brow at my silence. I ask about his health and he brushes me off saying he is well. He eyes me, "you didn't fly all the way for nothing, what do you want?"

"Your daughter," I say simply, straight to the point. Pin-drop silence. "A marriage arrangement, if you will," I add, making my statement clear. "Fuck no!" Dario shouts, shooting daggers at me with his eyes. I spare him a glance then back to the mature one between them. His father watches me silently, nothing on him betraying his thoughts or feelings on the matter. He sits back, his eyes still on mine, "why?" One word. One question. There's so much I could say, like, because I want to own her, body, mind, and soul. Or I want to have her. I wouldn't be lying on either account, heavens knows I had to rub one in the shower right before the flight here. Instead, I say, "a life for a life. Her life in exchange for my men she's murdered." Dario is cursing, who knows what he's saying, but he is definitely not calm, based on his posture. "How many men?" his father asks. I'm not sure if he's asking to throw it in my face or because he genuinely wants to know. "Four," I grit out. For the first time, his eyes are filled with amusement, "and you'd be number five, from what I hear." I don't answer, because I do know, I actually would have been. The memory of that night slips back in my head from the box I'd locked it in and I adjust myself. From the corner of my eye, I see my brother smirking. He finds my hard-on situation funny, I wonder why. He takes a deep breath"Why marriage? You could choose to kill her?" I glance at the younger Vasquez, whose head snapped at his father, shocked by his words. Then I look back at the senior, shrug my shoulders, "for the fun of it." "That girl has been running wild like a little bitch in heat, will you be able to tame her? God knows if she is anything like her mother, she might not be a virgin anymore," he says, his head tilted to the side.

My blood is boiling, rushing to my ears, but i manage a grin of my own, "after she's mine, you won't have to worry about her anymore." "So that you can burn her car again, but with her in it? Or will it be our estate?" Dario spits, unable to contain his emotions this time. Between myself and his father, he looks at us in disgust. "I believe I mentioned that wasn't my doing," I say, irritated, I go into details of the information I have. Mentally dismissing Vasquez sr, I turn to Dario," she will have my protection. Always. We will also pull resources into helping find the disappeared girl. I believe that wherever she is, she is in Chicago. I have a lot of allies, I'll bring your sister back." He scoffs, "Christmas comes early, should I shake your hand and thank you Santa?" I grin wider, "you could after i'm done. I do know that you have businesses and regions under your power, especially in California. I plan to expand my business and it would do you good to make allies with me, I'll help expand your business more." I see the wheels turning in his head. Twenty minutes of discussion later, he says, "Eris makes the final decision. If she turns down your proposal, we'll figure something else out." His father argues that the girl has no bargaining chip in her hand, she has to agree, or rather, he will force her into the marriage whether she likes it or not.

"No, she won't. We're making the final decision here. She will marry you. She should be happy someone wants to marry her!" his father cuts him off. Just like myself, I see Dario holding himself back from saying shit or probably throwing a punch. I see my brother nod at him, approving of him. The man oblivious of what is going on, smiles, stretching his hand, and i take it, shaking firmly, "well, let's eat before we have to fetch that girl." As much as I want her, I want her willing. I'll just have to find a way to make her mine.