Falling With Grace

I stood and held my glass by the rim with three fingers as I placed it on the table and stared at the men in the photos. “Have Mariana get in touch with Juana. I want the wedding plans canceled. And double security, we’re going out.”

“We?”

“Grace. If she won’t give me the information I need, I’ll draw Andrés out. I want him to know I have her.”

“This feels like along con.”

“Grace is willing to die for the people he has captive. Torturing her to death will get me nowhere. She’d welcome it.”

“But not before I got the answers out of her.”

I shook my head. “You don’t know her like I do. You won’t get it from her unless she wants to tell it.”

“You give her too much credit. She’ll talk like all the others.”

I shrugged. “That may be.” Stalking out of the room, I walked to my room, pausing in the foyer, and glanced up.

Darkness flowed above the banister, the liquor in my veins urging me to take the steps two at a time and crawl into her bed.

Is she sleeping?

Does it matter if she is?

My foot hit the first step and then the second until I stood at the top of the steps.

Manuel and Felipe stood at attention, their black uniforms tailored and crisp, a display of professionalism in every stitch.

“Leave.” I tossed a thumb over my shoulder towards the stairs.

“Yes,Jefe.”

The men left her door and descended the stairs, my gaze trailing them until they vanished through the labyrinthine halls.

My heart pounded in the shadows, a surge of adrenaline clawing at my insides as I loitered outside her door in the oppressive night.

Blood rushed to my cock as I pictured her chestnut hair cascading over the pillow. Her deep and rhythmic breaths created a fleeting peace in the darkness.

I shoved the door open and stepped inside the bright room, closing it behind me.

Grace bolted upright in bed in her sheer chemise. “Elias?” Her knuckles dug into her eyes as she winced into the light.

“Why do you sleep with the lights on?” I took slow, calculated steps toward her bed.

“My nightmares are worse in the dark.”

“What do you dream of?”

Her head turned as she followed my footsteps around the bed. “Many things.”

I twisted the switch beneath the lampshade near the door. “Like?” Darkness filled the corner as I moved to the closet.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed and brought her arm over her chest. “My parents’ death.”

My hand hovered over the closet light.

Interesting.

“Not about the men?”