Chapter 3

Zeldric

I pace back and forth in my office, taking long drags from the cigar between my fingers. It’s been over an hour since the guys brought Beni in. I know the doctor they kidnapped is treating him, but no one is giving me any updates, and I can’t bring myself to go into the game room on my own. That would be a disaster. My men can’t find out about one of my greatest weaknesses, or they’d lose respect for me.

“Relax, Zeldric. If anything had happened, Oscar would already be here. He’s a good dog,” Luna singsongs from the L-shaped sofa in the corner of the room.

I stop pacing and lock eyes with Lagos, my right-hand man and the only person I trust besides myself.

“Go check on my brother,” I order.

As usual, he doesn’t argue and does exactly as I say. He steps out of the office and closes the door behind him.

“Speaking of loyal dogs…” Luna smirks. She gets up and walks toward me, swaying her hips. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she starts massaging the nape of my neck with her fingers.

“I know exactly what you need to relax, baby,” she whispers seductively.

I push her hands away and let out an irritated breath as I take a step back.

“My brother got shot. What I need right now is for him to recover, not to have a fucking quickie,” I hiss through clenched teeth.

Realizing she’s not going to get anything from me, she plops back down on the couch with a sulky look, pretending to be angry.

I still don’t know why I keep her around. She’s hot, and she gives insane blowjobs, but other than that… She’s one of us, I remind myself, exhaling heavily. Besides, her hacking skills come in handy more often than not. She’s not just a pretty face—she’s smart, even if she doesn’t always seem like it.

Ten minutes later, I’m even more on edge.

I told Beni not to take risks, but he never listened. He’s obsessed with proving his bravery, and all he’s going to do is get himself killed.

The door suddenly swings open, and Lagos enters, smiling.

“Relax, he’s fine. The medic says he’ll recover.”

I released all the air I didn’t even realize I’d been holding and nodded.

“Make sure everything is cleaned up.”

“Already done,” Lagos replies. Not surprising. Aside from Beni, he’s the only one who knows about my weakness.

Without saying another word, I rush out of the office, cutting across the house until I reach the game room door. I grab the handle and push it open, my eyes widening at the scene before me.

Lying on the pool table is my brother. He looks asleep or unconscious, his abdomen wrapped in bandages.

But that’s not what catches my attention.

A woman is aiming a gun at my men.

There’s something about her stance, the way she holds the weapon… Police? No… Military, maybe?

She takes a step back, her heel slightly lifted, and I settle on the second option.

“Let me go, and no one gets hurt,” she says firmly, her voice unwavering.

She doesn’t seem the least bit scared despite being surrounded by five armed men. And she hasn’t even seen me yet—I’m standing behind her.

One of my men steps forward, and I instantly realize that was a mistake.

She shoots him in the hand.

A cry of pain fills the room as his gun clatters to the floor.

Two more shots ring out.

One bullet hits another guy in the shoulder, the last one embeds itself in someone else’s thigh.

Oscar and Gambo stare at her in shock. The latter starts to move, and I have no choice but to step in before she kills him.

“Lower the gun,” I say.

In less than the time it takes to blink, she spins around and points the weapon at my head.

Holy Christ, she’s gorgeous.

I lock eyes with her honey-colored ones.

Her chestnut hair is tied up high, and her face… Those features should be illegal.

She looks like an angel—fair-skinned and smooth, with soft, rosy lips that beg to be kissed.

I tilt my head slightly, letting my gaze trail down her body.

Even though she’s wearing dark blue cargo pants with reflective stripes and a simple matching t-shirt, I can tell she has a slender, curvy frame.

“I asked nicely,” I murmur. “Don’t make me take it from you by force.”

“I’ll kill you before you take a single step,” the woman says without even blinking.

I glance over her shoulder. Gambo and Oscar have their guns aimed at her.

“That’s possible, but either way, you’re not getting out of here alive.”

I wait a few seconds, and my jaw nearly drops when I see her shrug and flash a small smile.

Why isn’t she shaking with fear?

Anyone else in her position would be shitting their pants, but this woman looks at me with defiance, as if I’m nothing more than an inconvenience she can get rid of with the flick of her hand.

“I can either die alone or take a damn criminal off the streets. Not a hard choice,” she replies, and I know she’s ready to pull that trigger at any moment.

“Alright, you win.” I slowly raise both hands and glance over her shoulder again. “Guys, lower your guns. Let’s all calm down and find a solution that doesn’t involve bloodshed.”

Oscar and Gambo hesitate for a few seconds but eventually do as I say. Then, I turn my attention back to the woman.

“You’re not fooling me. The moment I lower my weapon, one of your men will put a bullet in the back of my head.”

“They won’t. You have my word.”

“The word of a criminal doesn’t mean much,” she retorts.

“But mine does,” I state firmly. And I mean it. I never break my promises. “Lower the gun, and no one will lay a hand on you.”

She stares at me with such intensity that I have to take a deep breath to steady myself.

There isn’t a single trace of fear in her eyes.

Except for a small tic in her jaw, she looks completely unbothered.

Several seconds pass before she finally lowers her hands, loosening her grip on the gun until it drops to the floor with a dull thud.

“Bitch,” Ramiro hisses, his wounded hand trembling.

I see him step toward her, ready to hit her, and I don’t hesitate for even a second.

I pull the gun from the back of my waistband and shoot him in the head.

I gave my word. If he can’t follow orders, I don’t want him in my ranks.

Once again, the woman doesn’t even flinch at the gunshot, though she does seem surprised.

“No one is going to hurt you. What’s your name?”

She takes a deep breath through her nose and raises her chin defiantly. My eyes drift to her neck—long and slender—and I can’t help but imagine sinking my teeth into it.

The thought sends a ripple through my body, leading to an immediate, painful erection.

“Jenkins,” she replies, her tone just as firm, still completely unshaken.

I step closer, stopping just inches from her face, tilting my head slightly as I study her with a mischievous smirk.

“Who are you, Jenkins?” I whisper.

Her chin lifts even higher, and her back straightens.

She’s standing her ground, the little—

My cock throbs even harder in response.

“I’m the one who saved your friend’s life and now expects to return to her own. I don’t want trouble with you, much less with the police. I’ll go home and say nothing about what I’ve seen here.”

My smirk widens as I take a deep breath.

A fruity scent—something citrusy—fills my lungs, and a shiver runs down my spine.

“I’m going to fuck this woman. Whoever she is, I want her for myself.”

“I suppose I should thank you for what you did for my brother.”

Her eyes widen slightly in surprise.

“Unfortunately, what you’re asking isn’t possible. Consider the fact that I’m letting you live as my way of returning the favor.”

“Shit, I’m getting dizzy!” Pablo—the one I shot in the thigh—suddenly exclaims.

Jenkins whips around, frowning, muttering a curse under her breath before rushing toward him.

“Damn it, I missed the shot,” she grumbles, pressing both hands firmly against the wound.

My expression of surprise must match that of Gambo and Oscar, who stare at her in shock.

She starts barking orders, demanding someone clear the pool table so she can tend to the injured man.

I don’t understand.

Why is she helping him if she was the one who shot him?

My two most trusted men, the ones I consider my brothers, silently ask me for answers.

“Give her whatever she needs,” I instruct. “And after she’s done, take her to one of the guest rooms.”

I turn to Oscar, pointing at him.

“She’s your responsibility. I don’t want anyone else getting near her, understood?”

He nods.

“And you better keep yourself under control. No accidents.”

“Yes, Zeldric,” he responds.

The woman—Jenkins—snaps her head toward me like a whip.

I wait for her reaction.

Now she knows who I am.

And yet, she still doesn’t seem fazed.

She clicks her tongue and curses under her breath before turning back to her patient.

“Can someone help me, for fuck’s sake?! If I don’t stop the bleeding, he’ll be dead in two minutes!”

I smile. She’s an odd woman. Maybe I should let her go, but I need to know more about her. My curiosity is killing me.

I leave the room and head back to my office. Halfway there, Lagos intercepts me—somehow, he already knows what happened. I guess he saw it through the security cameras in the game room.

“What do you want to do with her? She looks like a cop.”

“No, I think she’s military. She says her name is Jenkins, but I think that’s her last name or maybe just a nickname. Find out everything you can about her—yesterday.”

“Why not just kill her and be done with it? If she’s got military training, she could be a problem.”

“I gave my word,” I explain, adjusting the collar of my shirt.

Lagos nods. He knows what that means.

“I’m on it. I’ll have Beni moved to his room and take care of Ramiro’s body.”

“That idiot had been disobeying my orders for a while, and that’s something I can’t tolerate.”

“I know. He had it coming.”

“Talk to his family. Make sure they don’t suffer too much.”

Lagos nods again, and I continue on my way.

When I reach my office, I’m pleased to see that Luna is gone.

I sigh as I sit behind my desk and glance at the computer screen.

The feed from the game room is still up.

Two of my men are moving Beni, and immediately, Jenkins says something to Oscar.

Gambo and Oscar lift the injured guy onto the pool table, and the woman gets to work on his wound.

She looks so relaxed it’s unsettling.

Who in their right mind would dare stand up to the leader of a criminal gang without even a hint of fear?

She’s either crazy… or maybe just too damn sane.

I take a deep breath, dragging my fingers over the bulge in my pants.

Whatever it is, she’s got my attention.

I want her.

And I will have her—whether she likes it or not.