7 comments/ 17862 views/ 22 favorites Identity Pt. 01 By: MrsStealyoMan24 Part 1: Playing a Role So this is my next project. Hope you guys enjoy it. It takes place in Colombia and my characters are Hispanic and so they switch between English and Spanish every now and then. I tried to make sure I translated they're Spanish statements shortly after they spoke them. But here are Some basic translations of words I used a lot. Hermano- Brother, Puta- Bitch, Calmate- calm down, Mijo- my son, Senorita- Miss, Senor- Mister, Cumpleaños- Birthday. I hope you enjoy the First chapter! * Gabriella awoke to the sound of the door breaking. The splintering wood was loud enough to wake everyone in the apartment. She was too young to really know what was happening, but she knew her family was in danger. She sprang from her bed and ran over to her bedroom door throwing it open. Three men as large as an SUV were standing in my living room with angry grins spread across their faces. They all had cold black eyes and the face of a murderer. Gabriella turned and ran back to the bed in which her baby brother slept. He was awake now and the look on his face told her he would soon burst into tears. She wrapped my arms around the three year old and held him tight to her chest whispering, "everything will be okay, Rico." She began to hum the lullaby their mother sang to them every night in an effort to calm him. The shattering of a glass followed by their mother's screams made them jump. The toddler whimpered against Gabriella's chest and she tightened her arms around him. "Shh, todo está bien, Rico calmate," she lied, knowing everything would not be alright. Gabriella knew something was horribly, horribly wrong, but he couldn't know that. Another scream rang through the house and Gabriella's worry for her parents began to gnaw at her. "Stay quiet, hermano," she whispered to her baby brother, "I'm going to find mamá and papí." He nodded and pulled the cover protectively over his head. Gabriella ran out to the living room in search of her mother and father. She was surprised to see her father on his knees with tears running down his face. Before him was a tall well muscled man with tanned skin and cruel gray eyes. He wore a smirk across his face that sent a wave of fear through her, and his chin length black hair framed his face making him look all the more sinister. "I believe you have something that belongs to me Carlos," he spoke for the first time addressing Gabriella's father. "Please, Vincenzo, I will get the money! Just don't hurt mi familia, por favor!" With a resounding "smack!" he knocked my father to the ground. Gabriella gasped and the man seemed to notice her now. He walked up to Gabriella, ignoring Carlos' pleas to leave her alone. "You're a pretty little girl. How old are you?" His heavy Spanish accent only served to intimidate the little girl further than just his appearance. "Ocho," she whispered shyly. "An eight year old. Plenty of time to train her into a profitable asset to my business." She had no idea what he meant by that, but Gabriella knew she wanted no part in his business. "You son-of-a-bitch! You will not touch her!" Carlos shouted over his shoulder, a trail of blood dripping down his chin from his busted lip. "No!" Little Rico screamed from the doorway to the bedroom hurling a soccer trophy at the wicked man's head. It clunked him in his black mane and Gabriella could have compared the anger in his eyes to fire. He spun and yanked her little brother up by his pajamas making him cry out in protest. "No! Leave him alone! Don't hurt him, please don't hurt him!" Gabriella's mother shrieked. Gabriella tried to yell at the man to let him go, but nothing came out. Her voice was stolen by fear. "You know, Carlos," he started looking down at my little brother struggling to break free of him, "the money you stole from me was going to be for my son's college." My father shook his head, "I didn't steal any money from you! That money was mine!" "That money was never yours!" The man barked at my father silencing any further protests. "Do not interrupt me again. What have you done to earn it? You steal from me, and I bet you thought I wouldn't find out you were giving secrets away to my competitors, did you? Because of you my son will never be able to go to college. He will be trapped in the life that I had so badly tried to keep him from." The man placed my brother back on the floor while he glared angrily up at him. "Vicente, mijo ven aquí." Just then a little boy looking to be about seven walked in the open door of the house. He had light gray eyes as innocent as an infant and short spiky black hair. He was the spitting image of the tall man threatening Gabriella's family. "Mijo, take a good look at this coward. Pieces of shit like him never understand kindness, they only respond to violence. Men like him steal and then beg for mercy when consequences are dealt." The man bent down to be level with Rico while keeping eye contact with my father. "You took my son's future away from him, so I suppose I'll accept yours as repayment." "Vincenzo, I'll get the money, I just need more time--" My father was cut off by another fierce slap to the face. "That is not apart of the deal! The world doesn't need another coward like you in this world. The way I see it, I can prevent it two ways. I can kill you to make sure this innocent boy is never taught the ways of a weakling, or I can take him from you and teach him to be a man. Either you offer me your son, or I kill you in front of your pretty wife and take her as my whore!" Vincenzo aimed the gun at Carlos with a sadistic smile on his face. Gabriella's father stayed on the floor as tears streaked down his face. "Your boy, who is his father now?" "You are Vincenzo," Carlos answered like the obedient slave he was putting his head down. "Good boy, Carlos." Vincenzo smiled bringing his gun down to his side and turning walking his son to the door. "Alejandro, grab the boy so we can leave this ghastly place. The stench of fresh pussy will cling to my suit if I stay any longer." "No!" Gabriella and her mother shouted simultaneously as they both rushed after the man carrying Rico away. Carlos managed to grab them both before they got too far, the little boy's screams echoing those of his mother and sister. Gabriella felt his arm tighten around her possessively reminding her where she was. No longer that little eight year old, she looked down with disgust to this man's limb around her twenty-five year old waist. Her now fully developed breasts and toned legs had attracted him. God, all these drug lords were the same— old ass men chasing women half their age and using ill gotten funds to impress them. To them Gabriella was a trophy to proudly display at a fancy party, or a nice ornament at a business meeting, a bed warmer late at night. That was until one day they didn't wake up. Tonight was finally the night she put this puta down. After tonight she would be one step closer to finding her brother. This guy was one of the big names that only sold under the most powerful and well connected drug lords in Columbia. This asshole worked for Vincenzo. Tonight, after weeks of gathering Intel, Gabriella could finally end her suffering with a knife through this man's chest. Tonight she would close out yet another chapter on her journey for vengeance. Without hesitation she pulled the long dagger from beneath her pillow swinging it up in the air and plunging it down through his left pectoral. He gasped catching her face with a look of shock before his soul delved into the pits of hell. Gabriella's work was finished, and so she hopped out of the bed, swung her black trench coat over her petite frame and slipped out the door. She had to play this part right down to the nail or this could be the end of her young life. She got downstairs to the front door where two of the now dead man's bodyguards stood, protecting the door. "Another midnight snack run, Tina?" Head of security, Ray asked Gabriella identifying her as one of her many aliases. "You know it Ray. That man loves his goddamn Twinkies and hot fries," Gabriella lied smoothly. "Hey Josh go bring her car round, would ya?" Ray nodded at the younger guard and he nodded hurrying off. Ray shook his head, "new guy. Why is it always me training the newbies?" "You're Damien's right hand man, that's why." Gabriella told him with a chuckle. "Some would call that an honor." "Yea, right. I been working for Damien Tolero for 12 fucking years and I'm still working basic bullshit jobs." "Well you never know, Raymond. You may be taking over sooner than you think," Gabriella winked giving him a dazzling smile as Josh pulled up in her Altima. He stepped out holding the door for her and closing it once she was safely in the driver's seat. "Try not to take too long, eh?" Ray called to her before she sped off toward the already open gate. Gabriella knew it would be a matter of minutes before Ray or one of his men found Damien dead in his room, and they would all come after her. Damien Tolero was one of the most feared and powerful drug lords in Colombia, and his men were paid very handsomely to keep him in a seat of power. Despite his complaining, Ray and the other security were very loyal to their employer. When they found him dead, they would be looking for blood. Gabriella knew she had to get rid of her Altima now. She pulled over to the side of the road next to a kid sitting at the bus stop. He looked to be about sixteen holding a skateboard. "Hey kid, you drive?" "Uh," the boy was clearly caught off guard by this beautiful, model looking woman stepping out of her car and talking to him. "Whatever," she rolled her eyes and tossed the keys at him. "It's yours. Keep it, sell it, chop it up, I don't care," she told him. He caught the keys wide eyed and amazed. "Th- thank you, señorita." As she expected, he asked no questions, simply hopped in the car and sped off. Ray's men would stop the boy looking for her. Now as she walked down the street Gabriella began stripping herself of the silicone coating on her hands, arms, legs, and face. The rubbery material had been her skin for the past 3 months as she got close to Tolero as "Tina Menendez," and now she had no use for the identity, nor the disguise. She ripped off the pale "skin" revealing her real mocha color. She removed her trench coat and flipped it inside out turning red to basic black. She pulled the red wig from her head letting her naturally curly dark brown hair cascade down in waves. Gabriella quickly slipped the brown contacts from her eyes, her original blue ones adjusting quickly. There was no way they would suspect her now in her true form. Content with the outcome of the day, Gabriella strolled down the street happily whistling all the way back to her apartment. ************************************ Another murder published in the paper. Vicente was losing some of his best men now and he couldn't figure out the damn culprit. The men he had left were beginning to question him in their panic. Not to mention this tag killer was pissing him off. They always had the same MO. Man killed in the dead of night, black dagger to the chest. No finger prints, no evidence, no way to track them. "A tag killer is out for vengeance, Vin. We wouldn't even know where to start. The list of people that want you dead is long. This person has been working their way up, fighting for your attention. I would be wary of the people you allow into your circle for a while." Vicente's right hand man told him as they walked the perimeter of his father's gardens. "I'm supposed to be afraid of a stupid tag killer?" Vin gave a light chuckle. "I don't give a damn about that. What I care about is the deal going down tonight. Is everything in place?" "Si, everything is ready." He pulled a map out of the dock the shipment was supposed to be delivered to. "I've got men placed here and here. The switch will be here and then we bring it home." He pointed out the highlighted points and then folded the map and put it back in his pocket. "What about the narc? What is to be done with him?" Vicente had recently found that a man he had hired almost a year ago was an undercover cop and was waiting to bust the very deal he had going down tonight. "He thinks the deal is going down in Santa Maria. He is to be killed on the way there and left as a warning to la policía." Vicente smiled and lightly tapped his brother's cheek twice. "This is why you're my right hand, Rico. Let's get this done." Rico nodded his head, his now close cut light brown hair almost turning red as it caught the sun's rays. "I'm glad you finally decided to cut this, baby brother," Vicente told him rustling his hair, "now to work on this goat hair you've got growing on your chin." Rico laughed, "Ah Vin, I'm only 20. I'm entitled to my youthful rebellion." "Why? I never got that." Rico shrugged, "That's because Papa was grooming you to take over the family business, that's hardly my fault." "Well in the event that something happens to me--" "Don't even joke like that, Vinny." Vicente smiled to himself. His baby brother and he had become extremely close even though they weren't blood. He and Vincenzo were the only family Vicente had ever really known. His mother had died when he was baby, and his father's only brother had been killed when he was 12. He valued the relationship he had with his little brother. "Vicente, leave your brother alone." Vincenzo's raspy whisper of a voice came from behind him once again chastising him for chastising his brother. Rico had always been Vincenzo's little angel and allowed to get away with murder. His childlike face and sweet talk got him out of nearly every predicament he got himself into. Vicente's father babied his little brother, but with as much as he looked up to Vicente he learned everything he did and fought to do it better than his big brother. Vincenzo never wanted Rico to get into the life— moving and selling illegal product— but he wanted nothing more than to be Vicente's right hand man, and there was no one he trusted more for the job. "Papá you're not supposed to be out of bed." Vicente told him walking over to his father. He wasn't the hulking Scarface Mob boss he once was anymore. Karma had been very cruel to him giving him cancer when Vicente was just 13 and Rico, 8. He had always trained Vicente to take his place, but once he got sick, he was much harder on Vicente and his expectations became much harder to fulfill. Now his long dark hair was gray and slicked back to his shoulders, his back slightly hunched over from sickness, and he had a limp from an old gunshot wound that never truly healed. He walked with an Oakwood cane with little angels carved into it and a brass Wolf's head at the top. "Hush boy," he waved Vicente off, "I refuse to sit in bed until I die. If death wants me, it'll have to fight for me." "Well at least have a seat Papá," Vicente tried to guide his fragile body to a chair but he wouldn't budge. He smacked his hand away and looked to Rico. "So what's this I hear about you not celebrating your birthday?" "Papá its Vinny's birthday, not mine." Rico corrected his father. "Ah yes, you're right," he nodded, "Well Vicente has business to handle." Vicente shook his head at the response. "Well I think Vin should celebrate his birthday too. He's turning 28. He should enjoy the little bit left of his 20s, right Papá?" Rico tried to coax his father into agreement with a flashy smile. Vincenzo just laughed and playfully slapped his cheek. "Always the smooth talker, Rico." His face became deathly serious, "You promise me you won't get involved in the deal tonight, mijo." "Papá I have to be involved. I'm Vinny's right hand." Vincenzo turned his icy grey eyes on his eldest son and the resentment he held for him for allowing his little brother to become involved in the family business was evident. He had never wanted this lifestyle for Rico, but it wasn't really up to him. Rico was the only person Vicente had ever been able to trust. "Papá, don't—" "Why do you insist on dragging your brother into this life when I have spent twenty years hell bent on keeping him out of it?" Vincenzo waved his cane at his son and Vicente knew if he got too close his father would hit him with it. "Why is it always my fault when he makes a dumb decision? Rico is a grown man! I have told him to stay out of it, but he wants to be involved!" "Well if you were any kind of leader you would make sure that doesn't happen! How am I to trust you with an entire Empire when you cannot even handle your baby brother?" Vincenzo growled. "Papá, its not Vinny's fault—" Rico tried to intervene, but his father wouldn't hear him. "If you are to take on the great legacy of the Cruz Dynasty, then you must grow the balls of a Cruz man. Stop acting like such a little puta!" Vincenzo shouted making Vicente lose his temper. "I never asked for any of this!" Vicente shouted turning and storming away from his ranting father calling after him. He ignored him thinking that maybe he did want to celebrate his birthday tonight after all. Vicente watched as his Rico made an absolute ass of himself. Rico was drunk out of his mind and laughing non-stop as he buried his head in the breasts of the giggling dancer on his lap. "Come on, Vin! Get a dance!" Rico shouted over the pounding music. "I'm fine, hermano. Watching you act an ass is entertainment enough." Vicente smiled at his little brother. They had every right to celebrate. Tonight had been the biggest deal that had been organized since Vicente took over and it went off without a hitch. They had made 1.2 million dollars in a matter of minutes and Rico was planning on basking in the afterglow of his success. "Speaking of ass," Rico nodded at the main stage as the dancer twirled around the pole to the ground into a split. "Got damn!" Vicente was not as easily impressed as his brother. All of these girls looked the same and did the same dances. At one point, coming to Exotica would have been the highlight of his day, but that hadn't been the case since he turned 26. Perhaps he was reaching an age in which he craved a steady relationship. He wondered about his "type" of woman often these days. He would need a real woman, one that wasn't easily scared, one that would support him and his business. His dream woman would be able to fire off a gun, and ride his dick equally fearless. He wanted a woman that could be as ruthless as him, but only when necessary. But most of all he needed a woman that could satisfy his heavy sexual appetite. "Hey Finn! Get my brother your best dancer, would you? He's looking rather lonely," Rico's shouting across the club snapped Vicente out his thoughts and back to the scene around him. "Oy vey, Rico no." Vicente complained, but it was too late. Finn, the club owner waved at Rico showing he'd heard him. "Oh I've got something special just for the birthday boy." "Finn, come on, no." Vicente argued, but Finn was already gone backstage. Gabriella put the finishing touches on her makeup in the large vanity mirror. "Brielle, you're up, let's go!" Finn called as he made his way around the bustling half naked women backstage. "Ok, I'm coming!" She called back as she grabbed her trench coat from the coat rack. "You're giving a private dance in room 4," Finn told her rushing her to the dance room. "Whoa, private dance? Can't Candy do that while I work stage? You know how much I hate private dances Finn." "I know, but these guys are very rich and only one of them is spending any money." Finn pat Gabriella's cheek. "I need my best girl." She let out a long sigh and rolled her eyes. Rico drunkenly pulled his brother into the private dance room. "Come on Vin, it's just a dance. Stop being such a pussy." Vicente just laughed at his little brother and shook his head. He could tell Rico was trying his best to make his birthday memorable for him. Not wanting to ruin it for him, Vicente went along with it. The room was dimly lit with slow, sensual music playing in the background. The walls were covered in pink velvet with pink fabric flowing freely from the ceiling in waves. There was a fluffy plush couch against the far wall facing the curtain covered entrance. "Just sit back and enjoy, hermano." Rico gave him a wink before slipping out of the room. Identity Pt. 01 Vicente sat on the sofa alone ready to get this over with. He was sure the dancer would be some drop dead gorgeous blonde, typical stripper type. The smell was already starting to irritate him. The room reeked of naked woman, sex, testosterone, and perfume. It was utterly repulsive. Three years ago Vicente would have been right with his brother drinking and cat calling the strippers, but partying just wasn't a priority for him anymore. Suddenly the curtain shifted and a woman appeared in the doorway. Vicente froze as his eyes locked on this beautiful Amazon before him. He followed the map of her dark skin beginning at her painted toes clad in red "fuck me" stilettos. He marked an imaginary trail up her long toned calves, to her thick thighs, and pausing at her red g string outlined in black lace. The animal in him wanted to rip them from her body. Her abdomen flexed as she walked seductively towards him swaying those hips back and forth like a pendulum hypnotizing him. Triangles of red and black lace covered her breasts, but left enough skin showing to see the perfect curve to those enticing teardrops. Her long neck led to an angular face with high cheekbones, luscious full lips, and dark brown eyes under arched eyebrows. He could see the dark brown roots peeking out slightly from the black bob wig she wore on her head. He wondered how long her real hair was, what it felt like, how she would sound screaming as he tugged on it in the throes of sex. She took two more long strides before straddling Vicente's legs. He wanted to grab her, bend her over, and take her from behind. And Lord did he want to see her behind. He imagined it would be as breathtaking as the rest of her. "Hoy es tu cumpleaños?" The dancer parted her legs and slowly wound her hips down until she sat on his lap. "Sí señorita," he answered his voice thick with lust. She smirked as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward pressing her breasts to his chest. She brought her lips close to his ear and lingered there grinding her hips in time with the music. "Your brother wants me to make sure you enjoy your birthday," she whispered emphasizing the word "enjoy." Vicente wondered if she could feel his erection pressing against her. He groaned as she twisted and twerked her body on him teasing every nerve ending in his body. His skin was ablaze. Everywhere her skin made contact with his seemed to fire off a neuron, creating little sparks of raw heat. He felt an overwhelming need to take her, more than anything he wanted to tear those flimsy panties off and shove them in his pocket. Unable to restrain himself, Vicente brought his trembling hands to her thighs and squeezed. Gabriella gasped as her client gripped her thighs while she rolled her hips on top of him. She could feel his erection straining against its denim prison and she had to hold back a moan as she thought about how big it felt. She had given tons of private dances and had become accustomed to clients losing control and grabbing her, even though touching the dancers was not allowed at Exotica. She was definitely not accustomed to enjoying it. Several men had been thrown out over the years from breaking the rules while Gabriella danced for them. She had never wanted a dance to escalate past just a dance, but this mysterious man in front of her was quickly changing that. Her body responded to his every move, to the lust in his eyes, to the way he clenched his teeth and growled when he pulled her closer. His shift caused his beautiful hardness to press directly against her pussy. She wondered if he could feel her juices seeping through her G-string. Gabriella wanted to take his hand and guide it to her wetness. She wanted him to flip her over and slam his entire length into her. She wanted to know his name so she could scream it while he took her body to new heights of pleasure. Without knowing anything about this man, Gabriella knew he would be the best sex she'd ever have— NO! What was she thinking? She had to reign in her lust— but then he growled. The sound was too realistic, too animal. He radiated dominance and authority. Against her better judgment let her instincts take over. Gabriella never touched her clients past their shoulders, but she wanted to feel this man, molest him. She ran her fingertips down his chest to his stomach. He was all lean, hard muscle from countless hours in the gym. Gabriella jumped when he wrapped his large calloused fingers around her wrists. "You're going to make me lose it, cariña," he whispered those gray eyes piercing through her. For a while neither of them moved. Time seemed to stand still as they watched one another, both thinking of ravishing the other in bed. Vicente moved first, his hands timidly following the path of his eyes. Gabriella shivered as his fingertips traveled down her sides slowly feeling her mocha skin. She felt his erection twitch and she jumped at the intimacy this private dance had taken on. Suddenly she slapped her hands on top of his stopping his eager fingers. She pushed his hands away and quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, that was extremely unprofessional," she muttered, eyes wide in embarrassment. She looked away from him, unable to focus under his lustful stare. "I didn't mind unprofessional," he told her with a devious smile. Vicente fished 5 hundred dollar bills from his wallet. Gabriella had turned her back to him now, her instincts telling her to leave, but her mind and body commanding her to stay. Vicente came close behind her placing his hands on her bare waist. Her breathing quickened and her heart rate increased— if that were even possible— at his touch. She felt him slide money into her panties, but she wasn't focusing on the money. "It doesn't have to end here." Vicente felt like a man possessed around this mysterious woman. He hadn't propositioned a stripper since he was 18 when he'd first taken over his father's business. He had been young and immature back then, eager throw his money around and assert his dominance. This woman in front of him was bringing back his old need to prove himself. He could almost feel the testosterone pumping through his veins. "I'm sorry?" Gabriella turned to face him almost getting lost in those eyes. "I am a very wealthy man. I would love to make it worth your while to come home with me tonight. Several awkward moments passed between them as Gabriella tried to focus long enough to process what he'd said. When she finally realized what he was offering, she brought a hand up and slapped him hard across his face. "I'm a stripper, you asshole, not a fucking hooker!" With that angry sentiment, she turned on her heels and stormed out into the club. Vicente stood there in complete and utter shock. Even before he became the most powerful drug dealer in Colombia, he had never been turned down by a woman. He was gorgeous and he knew it. This mysterious woman was beyond any woman he had ever come in contact with, and though she had just slapped him in the face, he still felt this burning desire for her. He was not giving up that easily. Gabriella found Finn at the bar laughing with that asshole's brother. "Hook me up, Donny," she called to the bartender. She rarely drank on the job preferring to be sober in a club full of sleaze balls, but after that proposition, she was going to use her employee free drinks. "So did he like it?" The young man asked Gabriella with a knowing smile. "Oh he freaking loved it." The bar tender slid her drink to her and she down it in two gulps. "Your brother is a sick fuck." Rico broke into a fit of laughter. Leaning behind him Gabriella glared at Finn, "there's a reason I hate private dances, Finn." "What on Earth happened?" Finn asked panicking. "He offered me money to be his sex toy for the night. Who the fuck does that? If he wanted a hooker there are plenty walking the fucking streets." "Wait, he what?" Rico asked, his expression now matching the shock of the club owner. "I didn't mean to offend you señorita." Vicente appeared behind her smiling. "Back for more?" Gabriella asked turning to face him. "Did I not slap you hard enough?" "You slapped him?!" Finn shouted in utter horror. "Yes she did. Rather forcefully too, still stings a bit." Vicente waved Finn off knowing that this girl had no idea who he was. She had no clue that while Finn owned the club, Vicente owned Finn. The club owner was scared to death of Vicente knowing exactly the business he was in and just how ruthless he could be. This girl had no idea that all Vin had to do was suggest that she be fired and she would be jobless within minutes. But Vicente had no intention of doing so. This girl had now captured his attention and he was not giving up until he claimed her. "Leave it to me to proposition the only stripper with a moral code." "You fucking prick!" By now Gabriella was on her third drink and the liquor was already bubbling in her veins. That was probably what gave her the courage to throw the drink in her hand in Vicente's face. "You just don't know when to shut the fuck up!" Vicente's face grew deathly serious as Finn yelled at the bartender to grab a bar towel. Rico saw the anger flash in his brother's eyes and he knew he had to move quickly. He jumped up from his seat and got in Vin's face putting himself between his brother and the dancer. "Vinny calmate," Rico told him grabbing him by his jacket. Vicente took a deep breath and grabbed the towel from Finn wiping his face. "Estoy tranquillo, hermano." When he looked up, the girl was gone. "Senor Cruz, I am so sorry. I promise you, she is finished here. Please let me get you another drink, perhaps another dancer? We have quite a few that would more suit your needs." Finn immediately began kissing up to Vicente, but he wasn't listening. "No that is quite alright Finn. You don't need to fire her. But as many times as my brother and I have been here, I have never seen her before. Is she new?" "Um, no sir. She just works sporadic hours. She's my best dancer so I give her a rather flexible schedule." "I'd like a copy of her work schedule delivered to my house at the beginning of the week. If there are any changes to it, I want to know immediately. Do you understand?" "Uh, yes sir, of course." Vicente waved Finn off telling him to leave him and his brother to talk. "So you're going to stalk her now? Isn't that a bit extreme, Vinny?" Rico asked once Finn was out of earshot. "I don't like her working here," Vicente muttered. "And what exactly does this random stripper have to do with you?" Rico asked. Vicente looked his brother in his blue eyes, "she is mine." Identity Pt. 02 Part 2: Instinct "Wake up, Carina," a voice called to Gabriella pulling her from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and she found a pair of cool gray ones staring down at her. "What? How did you..?" The man from the club lay in the bed next to her, one arm holding him over her so he could look into her eyes. "Shh," he whispered slowly leaning down to meet her lips with his. He was gentle, so gentle. His lips were like satin across her own as she moved her hands to his back. He trailed his calloused fingers up to her thigh rubbing small circles into the smooth skin as his kiss became more fervent. His teeth nipped at her bottom lip and she moaned at his aggression. She could feel his member pressing into her side as his mouth traveled down to her neck. He paused there sucking at her flesh like it was his favorite desert. Gabriella could feel her panties sticking to her center. She felt like a fountain around this man. "Take this off," she commanded gripping the white t-shirt that covered the hard muscle underneath. He obeyed without hesitation pushing up onto his knees and crossing his hands at the bottom hem of the t-shirt pulling it over his head. Gabriella watched in awe as his muscles flexed and twitched in all the right places as he removed that pesky shirt. He looked so sexy towering over her, those chiseled abdominals just begging to be dampened by the tip of her tongue. The enormous bulge in his shorts made her quiver in anticipation. "Are you sure about this?" He asked staring deep into her eyes. She sat up and wrapped her hands around his neck. "I'm positive." Gabriella's phone woke her suddenly, sweating and gasping for air. "Fuck." She grabbed the annoying device and answered it angrily. "What?" "That is no way to speak to your mother." The voice on the other end of the line immediately snapped Gabriella out of her discombobulated state. "Mother. I hadn't expected to hear from you so soon." "Well I heard you might have made some progress." Gabriella pushed herself out of the bed heading to the restroom. "More than just progress, mother. I found him." ******************************************************************************* Vicente was becoming more irritated by the second. He had been trying for two hours to focus, struggling to push the negative thoughts from his head. He didn't even know what they were about. The night before he'd fallen asleep on his desk working on the negotiations for the very deal that was going down in less than 30 minutes, but he hadn't been out for very long. He'd had the most intense dream of the dancer from Exotica, but it had ended abruptly leaving him with the understanding of an unsatisfied woman when the man came too early. He's then woken up in a cold sweat feeling that animal inside him tossing and turning as if he knew something Vicente's conscious mind did not. The night had been rough, but the morning leading to the present had been even worse. He felt like his skin was crawling and he had this terrible headache. What was even stranger were the pictures that he could have sworn he was seeing every time he closed his eyes, but they were so blurry that it made him wonder if they were real at all. "You okay, hermano?" Rico walked in looking very clean cut and formally dressed for the negotiations. He wore a black button-down stripped with thin white lines and a smooth silk vest on top. His tie was white with black dots making out the letter "R" matching the ones on his cuff links and his short hair glistened, freshly washed. He topped the outfit with a simple pair of black slacks with a crease that galloped down his legs and shinning black and white dress shoes. "I'm fine. Don't you think you're a bit overdressed for Vance and his boys?" "Yeah right, Vance wishes this was for him." Rico beamed playfully at his older brother. Vin gestured to his little brother's clothes, "so are you going to tell me who it is for then?" Rico pulled at his lapel almost as if he were embarrassed. " I got a date after this." "I thought dating was against your philosophy." "Yeah, well I have to call it that to get her panties off." "Ah." Vin shook his head at his brother laughing at his view of the world and women. He wished he could show him the beauty of love. Vicente's heart sped up at the thought of seeing the beautiful stripper from Exotica. Her body had been so flawless and tempting, and Vin was an animal, by nature. He was used to grabbing and taking what he desired, but this woman was more than worth the chase. "Hey, since when do you make that face?" Rico eyed his brother carefully as if overnight he had become a stranger. "What face?" "That face that old married men give single players because they'll never know the 'joys of being married' and shit." "You can get all of that from a face?" Rico shrugged, "I'm perceptive." Vicente hadn't even realized he was making a face, but that had in fact been exactly what he was thinking. It was as weird a transition for Vin as it was for his younger brother. In his youth, Vicente had sampled a variety of women treating them as a fine wine leading up to the bedroom and once he was done, they became spoiled grape juice. He was starting to wonder if the girl was truly his mate, or if he was simply more determined to sleep with her because she actually had the balls to slap him. She seemed so different from all the other slutty women that threw themselves at him. Even while she was dancing on him grinding her hips against him, he could tell she was attracted to him, but stopped him when things began to escalate. That would have been the perfect situation for the gold digging skanks that clung on to powerful types and families like his. He was so overtaken with lust; if she'd let him Vicente would have fucked her right there on that plush pink couch. Thinking about his encounter earlier in the week, Vicente was becoming very aroused. He had to keep his hormones in check long enough to close the deal with Vance. This meeting was the most important one he'd been left to handle alone since his father officially handed down the reins. Mara Salvatrucha, was the most powerful gang in Central America and was known for their strong ties in the United States. One of their many leaders, Vance Martinez was well known for his international trafficking operations, running product all the way from Honduras and El Salvador down to Venezuela, Bolivia, and Colombia. Vicente was intent on taking control of his operation for the Cruz Empire and expanding their business to International Status. If he pulled this off, it would gain a powerful alliance for his business, as well as a 3.2 Billion dollar contract. But first, he'd have to get into bed with the devil. "Are you sure about this deal? I mean, are we sure we can trust... them?" Rico asked his voice filled with skepticism. "Trust wasn't really what I planned on extending to them." With everything that was about to go down, Vicente could not be distracted by some paranoia that he couldn't even begin to explain. Pushing back from the table, Vin took a breath and stood rolling his neck in an effort to calm down. "You sure you're good?" Rico asked again. "Fine. I think I just need some air." He started heading towards the door but Rico stopped his brother with a hand on his shoulder. "Is this about the stripper?" Vicente held back a snarl as the word 'stripper' left his brother's mouth. It just reminded him that his mate— the woman that he would marry, the future mother of his children— takes her clothes off for other men for a living. If jealousy truly turned people into green-eyed monsters then Vin would have looked like a pure jade statue. "No," Vicente snapped grabbing his coat off the back of the chair and exiting the room in a huff. "Where are you going?" Rico followed him as he rushed out of one of the side doors of the house. "I just need some air. I'll be back in a few minutes." "Vin!" Rico called out to his brother's retreating form as he jogged off into the woods. "Fuck!" ******************************************************************************** Gabriella pulled back the tattered old curtain that now hung where a door used to be. The house looked exactly as they had left it. The walls were charred from the flames that had consumed the only home Gabriella had ever known. Only a few short months after her brother had been kidnapped, a fire from an old space heater had destroyed what was left of her family, killing her father and leaving her and her mother homeless. Life had become much harder on her then. "Mother I'm tired. Can't we take a break?" Gabriella pleaded with her mother gasping for air as she dodged another strike. "Take a break? Do you think some burglar or rapist that finds us will give us a break? We live on the streets now, Gabriella. You must be prepared for anything." Reina snapped sweeping a leg under her daughter's feet causing her to fall on her back. She then climbed on top of her, pinning the ten-year-old down and holding a knife to her throat. "What do you do?" Gabriella pushed off the ground with her right leg throwing Reina's balance off only slightly, but just enough to get a hand free. She used this opportunity to push off rolling her mother onto her back and knocking the knife out of her grasp. Gabriella quickly grabbed the knife from the grassy ground in the meadow that she and ....her mother now called home. "That." "Brings back memories doesn't it?" Reina stepped out of what used to be the kitchen into her daughter's field of view. She was just as flawless as she had been the last time Gabriella had seen her. Her long dark hair was twisted neatly into a French braid that reached all the way down her back. The electric blue eyes that both Gabriella and her brother had inherited were concealed behind plain brown contacts— a trick she had passed on to her daughter. Gabriella was shocked at the jeans and worn old jacket her mother wore, for even when they had been homeless and living out on the streets, she had never seen her mother in anything other than a long dress. "It's been a long time, mother." Reina smiled at her daughter, genuinely happy to see her. "What, no hug for your own mother?" Gabriella smiled, knowing everything with her mother was a test. Every question was calculated and planned to determine one thing or another about the "progress" she'd made in the past two years. "Affection is weakness. Didn't you teach me that?" "I often wondered if you were actually listening." Just then Reina reached into her jacket pulling a knife from it and fired it directly at Gabriella's head. Eyes wide, the young girl quickly jumped backwards and swung her right arm around to pluck the blade from the air, just barely avoiding the attack. "Hmm, two years ago that might have killed you." "Must everything be an evaluation with you, mother?" "What have you found out?" "I told you, I found him." "You've made contact with Vincenzo?" "Well, no. But I found Rico, mother!" Reina's eyes grew wide. "You found him? Are you sure? What does he look like?" Gabriella nodded her head profusely confident in her ability to recognize her baby brother. "He's handsome, mother, a real lady-killer. He looks so much like the old photos of papa when he was young." Reina's face seemed to grow a bit darker at the mention of her late husband. "Well, hopefully he only inherited your father's looks." Gabriella ignored the jibe at her father. She tried to remember him the way he was before her brother was taken. The months after that had been short, but the man he'd become was not one a child brags about having for a parent. "Mother he was with someone. He looked so familiar. And Rico calls him... brother." "That must have been Vincenzo's son!" Reina eyes sparkled only slightly with a glimmer of hope that Gabriella couldn't recall seeing before. "Did you speak to him?" "The boy, the boy from that night, that was him." Reina crossed the room in a few quick steps and wrenched her daughter out of her own thoughts. She grasped her chin snapping her head forward so they could make eye contact. "Gabriella! You can mutter to yourself later! Did you speak with him?" "Yes. I spoke to him." Gabriella grumbled, stepping back and away before she lost her temper. Reina cut her eyes at her daughter. "What does that mean?" "He was very forward about his desires to bend me over a table." "He hit on you? What did you do?" "Well, before I realized who he was... I slapped him." Gabriella thought it was best to leave out the fact that she also threw a drink in his face. Especially since by that time, she had figured out exactly who he was. "You did WHAT?! ¿Qué es lo que te pasa? ¿Ha perdido completamente la cabeza? ¡Dios mío! ¡Esto podría haber sido la oportunidad que hemos estado esperando!" "What opportunity? He was a creep!" Reina's eyes narrowed at her daughter. "And just what exactly have you been doing for the past two years? You're a fucking hooker, Gabriella." Gabriella stepped towards her mother pointing an angry finger in her direction. "I am not a hooker!" "Right. A stripper, much better." "The only reason I even started any of this was to find my brother!" Gabriella came face to face with the woman that had haunted her nightmares for years. "Now that I have, I'm done with this shit." She walked past Reina, bumping her shoulder in the process. "So that's it?" Reina asked with a devious smile. "You've found him, so now what? You tell him you're his long lost sister and that you're the one that's been murdering all of his brother's employees. He does call Vincenzo's son hermano, doesn't he? You really think he's just going to believe you?" Gabriella was only a few short steps from the exit, but her mother's words stopped her in her tracks. "What are you talking about?" "Think about it. He's grown up with the Cruz family. He knew you for, what a few years of his childhood he can barely remember?" Reina approached slowly, that grin only growing when the gears began to churn in Gabriella's mind. "You need me. Without me, you wouldn't have that job at Exotica or be in a position to find Rico, let alone bring him home." "So what do you suggest, mother? That I start fucking the Cruz boy too?" Reina shrugged, "I don't see how it's any different from all of the others." "I am not fucking that... dog." "Oh sweetheart, you have no choice. You want to get to Rico? Earn the trust of the brother first. In the process, you put Vincenzo in the ground." "I don't think I can do that." Reina narrowed those blue a eyes at her daughter as if she were trying to squeeze the life out of her with her eyelids. "That man took my baby boy from me! He put us out on the streets and destroyed any chance of happiness we had. He turned my husband into a useless drunk and my daughter into a whore! I will not let him get away now! You can and you will finish what we started. We have the chance to avenge the destruction of our family, and you will do this!" Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Or what, mother? You'll put me over your knee?" "No. But I'm sure the fact that you're the one killing all the Cruz's men would put to rest any chance you have of rekindling a relationship with your brother." "You wouldn't. Are you threatening me?" She turned to face her; finally, giving a look that would have ended her mother's life if that were possible. "Oh no, my daughter. I'm making a promise." Assured in her victory by Gabriella's stunned facial expression, Reina took her leave bumping her daughter as she did. *********************************************************************************** Vin took a breath as he took in the view of the mountains. He extended his claws and closed his eyes as the thick beard that surrounded his face caught the wind. The dark coat of soft hair, short and well kept like his haircut covered his arms and legs as he let the beast roam free. Thoughts of his brother flipping out at his house drifted in and out of his mind as he balanced on the edge of the high cliff just east of the Cruz mansion. He could hear Rico screaming at Manuel to come find him. Of course, there was a reason why Manuel was Vicente's Beta. Manuel was fully aware of where his boss was and kept his cool even while Rico shouted obscenities in the muscular black man's face. Darle su chupete. Vicente told Manuel through the mental connection between an Alpha wolf and a Beta. Manuel just laughed infuriating Rico even further. Vicente shook his head and took another look over the edge down into the city— his city. He knew that Vance was going to give him what he wanted, one way or another. "I was hoping I'd find you here." The familiar voice interrupted Vin's thoughts and gained his full attention. He turned to face the olive skinned woman with wild blonde hair. She looked as if she had been living in her animal form in the woods. Her hair was wild and in need of a cut, her skin had a few fresh lacerations and many more scars then when he'd seen her last. Even the look in her green eyes was distant, like she was fighting the animal within as they stood there face to face. "Carmen." He gasped as his former Beta studied him, trying to predict his next move. When she denounced her pack and became an Omega, she'd lost the entitled safety that came with being in her Alpha's pack. If he decided to rip her head off, Vicente was well within his right to do so— many Alphas did when faced with the lone wolf. "Requesting hospitality, Alpha Cruz." She held out her hand and bowed to him respectfully awaiting his answer. "Denied." She shot straight up and started a snarl before taking a breath. "Please, Alpha. What I have to say is important." She spoke through her teeth and dug her nails into her palms. "You show up on my land after two years, and expect me to grant hospitality? You lost that the day you denounced your position." Vin stepped down onto the grassy flat area near the forest Carmen had appeared from. "Now, I suggest you leave." Carmen groaned and shook her head. "I'm trying to help you, dammnit! The deal is a set up!" Vin shot across the small space to her and gripped her by the neck lifting her off her feet. "Who do you think you are speaking to?" "I apologize, my Alpha, but your enemy is on the move," Carmen managed to choke the words out while gasping for the limited air his hold was supplying. "I am not your Alpha." Vin spat before dropping her to her knees on the ground in front of him. "Hospitality granted. Speak." With a raspy voice, Carmen quickly revealed the information she'd intercepted about Vicente's upcoming plans. Vin stepped in the room fixing his tie while Manuel, Rico and two of Manuel's security details filed in behind him. Vance eyed Vicente up and down sizing up him and his bodyguards. Vicente caught the slight crack in Vance's cool, collected expression. He must have caught the scent and realized with whom he was surrounded. "I wasn't aware I was walking into a pound today." Vance smiled flashing shining white fangs that glinted in the light along with the silver of his hair. His red eyes transfixed on the 3 wolves picking them out without hesitation, even in their human forms. He was surprised to see werewolves in such control, clearly caught off guard by the raw power that radiated off their leader. An even more curious attendant was the human he brought along with him. The young man at Cruz's immediate right reeked of cologne, but his blood smelled sweet, taunting his thirst. "Yes, well I wasn't informed about your little moonlight condition either." Vin continued the journey to his large meeting table and sat in the large oak chair at the table's head. "Luckily, I know to do my research." Identity Pt. 02 "Well, I do hope you've got something other than puppy chow in this dump. It's been a long trip, and I'm famished..." Vance smiled directing his attention to the only human in the room. Rico nervously loosened his tie suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Vicente let out a threatening snarl warning Vance to control his urges. "You have a death wish, Señor Martinez?" "I'm sorry, I mean it's just so obvious that you knew who you were having over. You could have at least tried to be polite." "Let's not beat around the bush, Martinez. We both know why you are here today." Vicente swiftly changed the subject feeling his anger beginning to boil. "Yes. Puppy wants to make a deal, right?" Vicente growled at Vance's nonchalant attitude about invasion of his territory. "This continent belongs to the wolves. Be happy we allow you to run rampant in North America." Vin took a second to withdraw and rein his temper in just a bit before continuing. "Your father signed a contract with my father years ago. It states that South America is our territory. Therefore if you wanted till run your product from the other Americas to here, you should have cleared that with me." "So the rumors are true then. Vicente Cruz is the son of Vincenzo, the legendary Alpha of Medellín." "I never kept that fact a secret. But of course you not knowing that already just confirms that your father isn't involved in this side business." Vin took a few steps toward the young vampire to show he was not even slightly intimidated by his leech bodyguards. "So let me be clear. You have one choice right now— cut me in for 75 percent, or get out of my territory." "Fuck you, you arrogant mutt! You think you scare me? You really think I wasn't prepared for this?" Vicente smirked as Vance fell right into the trap that he'd set. "You know, I thought you might say that. I had planned to work this out peacefully, but your little attempt at an ambush requires me to put you over my knee and teach you a lesson." He signaled to Manuel and suddenly the courtyard was filled with loud screams, snarls, and howls. Vance's boys ran to the windows to see huge wolves attacking their friends and cohorts they'd believed to be well hidden. Some of the vampires were being dragged by white, red, and gray wolves out into the open, some were being torn apart by two wolves at a time. It was an all out massacre and they watched in horror while Vin simply checked his watch. Some of the vamps put up a decent fight, and Vicente felt each of their strikes to his soldiers, but none landed were fatal. Vance's eyes went full black as he watched a thin brown wolf cornering one of his vampires. Vicente recognized Gio and shook his head, knowing he had a tendency to play with his prey while he hunted. One could almost make out Gio's smirk as the young vamp went on the offensive. He lunged at the wolf but Gio easily sidestepped him. Vampires were so slow. Growing bored, Vicente used the mental link to his pack to order them to end it. Gio's ears drooped slightly before he attacked sinking his teeth into the vampire's side and jerking back. Vance stared as the light left the young vamp's eyes and his guts leaked out of the gaping hole in his side. "No!" Vance shouted as the last of his army was killed. The brown wolf turned, looking through the window directly at Vance, he hocked the vampire's guts out on the ground. Carmen watched from her position on the roof. After relaying her message, Vicente had ordered her to wait for him at his loft across town where she couldn't be seen, but there was no way she was doing that. Carmen had never been one to sit out of the action, and so she'd decided to keep an eye on things from a distance. This way if all went well she could stay out of sight, but if anything went wrong, she could be there to personally rip out Vance's throat. Now taking in the blood and gore among the gated courtyard of the Cruz Estate, she realized there had been nothing to worry about. "You see Senor Martinez, in just a matter of minutes, I have managed to disarm your entire 'army' of bloodsuckers. What takes a phone call for you only takes a thought from me. That is the mark of a true leader. Until you are ready to play a grown man's game, you will be racking up casualties like you did today." Overcome with anger, Vance charged Vicente spewing obscenities. Vicente stood his ground choosing not to move until the very last second when Vance lept off the ground fangs bared and eyes black straight at him. Vin grabbed the vampire and swung him, chucking him clear across the room into the wall. He followed behind moving so quickly that Rico believed he imagined it for a second. Yanking Vance up off the crumbled dry wall to meet his cloudy white eyes Vicnete allowed his wolf to overcome his body and Vance's eyes rreturned to their original red as his fear finally set in. Con's facial features became more wolf-like as the beard shaded over his chin, the bridge of his nose scrunched, his teeth elongated, and his ears pointed. "You cannot match me, boy. Today you have lost at least 50 men. Take the men you have remaining and go back to Los Angeles before I am forced to send you back to your father in a body bag." Vance glared at his opponent for what seemed like hours before he finally admitted how severely outmatched he was. Vicente saw his resolve crumble and he dropped him to his feet. "Get out." Vance gave his boys a nod and they headed to the door. Just before he took his leave, he turned and looked at Vin, eyes filled with rage. "This isn't over, mutt. My father won't stand for this." "Make no mistake, leech. The only reason you stand in my house, alive, is out of respect of the treaty your father contracted with mine." Vicente smirked at Vance teasingly, "However, I am not opposed to putting you over my knee, again." His comment received a chuckle from even Manuel as Vin signaled for him to see that their guests indeed made it onto the next plane back to LA. The large muscular man followed behind the last four vampires in Vance's fleet, urging them to the door. Without warning, Carmen barged into the room just after Manuel stepped out shocking the hell out of everyone. Vicente had thought to place a guard with her at his loft, but with her current status one of them would be dead when he returned. Now he was wishing he'd just risked it. "You're letting him go? He just attacked you, and you're just going to—" Carmen froze when she realized everyone was staring at her. Eager to please, Gio launched himself through the glass window at the omega teeth and claws bared. Vin groaned regretting what he was about to do. He quickly darted in between young Gio and Carmen, stopping him in his tracks. Gio knew the penalty for going up against the Alpha of the pack was grounds for immediate execution. He stared at his Alpha, completely baffled as to why he was protecting the wolf that had denounced him, an act of pure disrespect to an Alpha wolf in the Shifter world. "Change." Vin commanded and before their eyes, Gio's form slowly snapped back into place and he once again became a man, naked and smeared with blood. His bright eyes assessed his leader's mood, debating if he should risk speaking out of turn. "Why do you defend her, my Alpha?" "I have granted her my hospitality in exchange for the information about Vance's preplanned attack." Vin announced to his pack. Through his mental link with Manuel, he could feel irritation and jealousy. "No harm is to come to Carmen so long as I have granted it. Anyone that disobeys these orders will have to answer directly to me." His baritone was commanding and left no choice to his pack. They would all grumble and growl, but they would not harm their former Beta. "Permission to speak, my Alpha." Gio requested and Vin nodded his head in response. "She is a traitor and her actions here today have changed nothing. I know I speak for the pack when I say that she may be safe under your orders, but she will never be welcome." "Noted." Vin turned to Carmen gripping her arm and leading her out of the room toward the main spiral staircase. "Ouch, you know you can just tell me where we're going. I can walk, oww!" Carmen bitched as Vicente guided her up the stairs to the last bedroom on the left side. He pushed her through the threshold and slammed the door behind them. "I told you to wait at my loft." "And sit around waiting for a final body count? No thanks." Vin turned letting out a vicious roar that radiated throughout the house. "You think this is funny? I just defended you from my own pack! The very same people that intend to rip you limb from limb for your disrespect—" "My disrespect? I just saved your Asses!" Carmen stepped up shoulders forward and Vicente lost his mind. He lunged for her and he saw the look of pure fear in her now glowing amber eyes as his slowly clouded with pure white. His canines elongated and his muscles beefed up like Bane in a Batman movie. The full weight of his Alpha authority rolled off of him as he gripped her by her neck and slammed her against the wall. The power behind it was enough to make half the wall crumble around her body. Carmen struggled against his hold like a rabid dog, but her fight was futile. "Enough!" Vin shouted using his Alpha command. Carmen glared at him. "Alpha command doesn't work on wolves that denounce their Alpha." Vicente glared back at her allowing his eyes to go fully white to intimidate her. He could see by the sweat beads that formed along her brow that it was working. "No, but ripping your throat out would certainly work." "You granted hospitality!" "Exactly! I grant your safety here and it can be revoked whenever I deem it necessary!" He released her from his grip and her hands went to her now bruised throat. "Now that the threat has been neutralized, I'm not sure you are worth my protection." Carmen coughed as she rubbed her neck where Vin's hand was outlined in flaming red. "Was that necessary?" "It seems being an omega for so long has relieved your memory of proper etiquette." Vin fixed his suit and turned to the window. "Well then maybe you should reteach me." Vin snorted, "And why would I do that?" "So I can come back." He spun and gaped at her as if she'd just sprouted a second head. "You're sick." "I'm serious." "I know. That's what makes you sick." Vin shook his head trying to sort through some of the emotions attacking his brain. "Look, I'm not saying that what I did here today makes up for my previous mistakes, but it could be a start. You want me to beg? I will. I can get down on my knees right now—" "This isn't a joke, Carmen!" Vicente roared his eyes beginning to cloud over as the memories flooded back. He remembered the anger he'd unintentionally unleashed on the rest of the pack the day Carmen defected. "You think this is funny? Do you even care about what you did to this pack? The Beta is like the right arm of the pack and you left it severed without as much as an explanation! Now you show up and expect to just come back like nothing ever happened?" He walked to the door and threw it open. "Fuck no, you might as well leave before I revoke hospitality out of spite." Carmen watched the way he moved, the look on his face— it was the same as the day she'd decided to leave. "You want an explanation? Hmm?" She met his eyes, her glare filled with anger, hatred, and disgust. "How about the night of the Cruz Enterprises Ball at the Mansion?" Vicente tried to maintain his composure when she brought up that night, but Carmen saw the slight change in his eyes, the slight hesitation of his next breath. "You remember how you bought me a $6,000 dress, told me to get ready for an amazing night? I felt like a princess with you doting on me like I was your girlfriend. Then halfway through, we're sitting at the table and you lean over and whisper in my ear. 'I hope you had the sense not to wear underwear,' you tell and I giggle like a little schoolgirl. We dance a few more times, but after that last song, you whisk me away to the kitchen and tell me to go up to your room and wait for you. I was so excited that I didn't ask any questions, I just ran upstairs and stripped down." Carmen's eyes began to well up with tears against her wishes. She felt weak for her body's inability to show emotional restraint, until she saw how her tears were beginning to affect him. "You left me up there for two hours!" Vin shifted his weight from one foot to the other thinking about what he had been doing for those two hours— drinking, schmoozing his guests, flirting with other women. "Then when you finally get upstairs, you come in hammered, laughing, with two whores on each arm! And when so ask what the fuck is going on you look at me and ask 'you staying or not?'" "What do you want me to say, Carmen? You want me to apologize? I told you what this was before we ever did anything! I told you we weren't a couple!" "So what, Vin! It still hurt." Carmen wiped at the tears bringing her walls back up. "Being an omega was easier than being your mistress." She didn't say anything else as she left Vicente speechless and frozen. Rico watched Carmen race out of Vicente's old bedroom as he walked to his current one down the hall. He hadn't necessarily been looking to overhear all of his brother's business, but it seemed too good to miss. Everyone in the vicinity was curious to see what was going on in that bedroom. Half of the pack believed the two were at each other's throats, the other half believed he might have been down hers... Rico was completely flabbergasted by what he had actually heard. He knew that Vin and Carmen had been fucking before she left— everyone did. He even knew that she had feelings for his older brother, but the fact that she'd left because of him was news. Rico knew his brother was a player, but in Carmen's story, he sounded heartless. Vin stepped out of the bedroom shortly after, rubbing the back of his neck. He saw Rico standing in the hall with his mouth hanging open. "I need a drink." *********************************************************************************** Gabriella watched from backstage as the jackass from a few weeks ago walked into the club. He and his brother jumped ahead of the line causing patrons to hoot and holler in dismay. The two didn't even acknowledge them as they made their entrance immediately greeted by Brielle's sluttiest coworkers. The younger brother immediately took to them, taking one under each arm as they lead him to the bar. The older brother caught the brunt of Gabriella's attention as he strode confidently onto the floor, picking a seat close to the stage. As much as she hated to admit it, he looked damn good. Last time she'd seen him, she had gone weak in the knees at the mere sight of him, but today she just couldn't take her eyes off him. He looked absolutely edible as he took his seat up front. The long-sleeved black thermal he wore did nothing to cover his chiseled body underneath. She could see the clearly defined lines of his abs, the ripple of his flexing biceps, but as her eyes wandered something drew his attention to her. Gabriella didn't notice the way he was fucking her with those steel gray eyes, because she was too busy undressing him with hers. She remembered the way he had felt last time she'd danced for him, and now she was beginning to wonder if her brain had exaggerated. Had she really felt the giant bulge in his pants or had she just been so overwhelmed with excitement that she'd gotten confused? Could he really be that... hung? "Hey, Bree, you're on!" Krista called from the behind her urging her to get ready to do her set. She nodded and made her way to the stairs behind the entrance to the main stage. Finn, the club manager gave her a wink before queuing the DJ to introduce his headliner. "Showtime." "Gentlemen get ready to empty your wallets on our next girl." The DJ announced and the regulars hooted and hollered knowing who was up next. "For your viewing pleasure, welcome to the stage Lady Esperanza..." The DJ announced her and dropped a slow beat. Gabriella stepped dramatically from behind the curtain with a seductive smile. Let's play a little game, just between you and I... The song crept slowly in through the speakers as she circled the stage. Vicente drank in her appearance trying to contain the growing erection in his jeans. Esperanza. Stage name or not, the name was fitting. Her real hair swung free today in a long trail down her back. Her skin looked like soft velvet in the black and white leotard she wore fashioned to look like a skimpy tuxedo. Her legs were bare but she wore long white gloves that covered both forearms, a black and white bowtie, and on her head, a top hat. The objective is the same, to please and entertain. You will be my vixen, my bed'll be your stage... Miguel's lyrics only reinforced the temptation her body recalled from everyone in the club. She unfastened the buckle that held the middle section on her body and threw it at a customer. Her now exposed panties drew hoots from customers, and drove Vicente mad. Gabriella tried not to focus all of her attention on the eldest Cruz brother, but his eyes were drawing her to him like a moth to a flame. He was so focused on her as she wound her hips and ran her hands along the skin he was dying to taste. The hat and gloves were the next thing to go, taking them off and tossing them into the crowd as well. You will be my vixen, as we improvise. Delivering a captivating performance every time... Vicente was nearly drooling when she actually began to use the pole in the center of the stage. He admired her athleticism as she hooked her legs around the pole and flung her body around it with skill. Gabriella twirled around the pole a few times before sliding all the way down onto her knees. She ground her hips and humped the floor to the bass beat of the song as customers threw money on the stage. Why not be creative, pull out all the stops. You can pick the scene, if I can pick the props... Vin was absolutely mesmerized by her movements as she wound herself all the way up the pole and teasingly removed her bra. She threw that article down onto the center stage and twisted her way breathtakingly slow down the golden pole. Vicente wondered if she would be as good with the rod in his jeans as she was with that one. She landed in a pushup position and pressed up onto her knees. Gabriella flipped her hair back over her face and made eye contact with Vicente. Baby together we can't lose. And I know you're always down for something new. When we're making love let's put on a show, Until the curtains close... Gabriella used the change in the beat to work on her tips entrancing the men surrounding her as she crawled toward Vin. He smirked at her watching her breasts rubbing against each other between her arms as she made her way out to him. When she reached the edge of the stage, she came up on her knees and licked her fingers before running them down her stomach and hooking them in her panties. Vicente was only a few inches from her, and it was taking all of his self-control not to maul her right then and there. She pulled her panties down halfway revealing the neatly trimmed landing strip of curly dark brown hair that hinted at the treasure only a few seconds away from being revealed. He reached out to slip two hundred dollars in the front of her black and gray lace panties eliciting an involuntary moan from her. His hands had only touched her skin for a fraction of a second and her pussy was in revolt. We will get the spotlight all night, each and every time we play. You will be my vixen, as we improvise... "Ay Dios mio," she heard him whisper as she danced to her feet so that she stood directly over him. She was so close— too close— to him. Identity Pt. 02 Vicente could smell the juices beginning to pool in the crotch of those fortunate underwear covering that hidden pearl. He wanted to put another two hundred in them but he didn't think he could resist pulling her onto his lap and tonguing her. Her body was so flawless she could put a supermodel to shame. She wasn't just skinny though, no he loved that she was a full figured woman with a round ass and hips. She was pure Colombian bred, he could tell. The women on television had nothing on Esperanza. A few customers came to the edge of the stage to put more bills in her underwear and Vicente tried not to be possessive. Technically, she wasn't his— yet. Be my vixen... You always said you wanted to be an actress... With Miguel's last words of the song, Gabriella unclipped those lacy panties and threw them directly in Vicente's face. The last few beats in the song allowed her time to wink at him, then spin on her heels and walk slowly off stage. The crowd cheered and clapped, whistled and yelped for more and the DJ announced that Esperanza would be walking the floor if anyone wanted some "special time." Gabriella hated when he said that, it made her feel like a hooker. Vicente joined Rico at the bar after his constant nagging. "What the hell man? I gave up easy pussy tonight. I thought you said you needed a drink." Rico slid one of the shots he had lined up down to his brother. "Come on, take this with me, hermano!" "Ugh, fine. But you're not getting me as hammered as you did last time." Vicente smirked as he raised the shot glass and clanged it with Rico's. The two downed their shots and two more right behind them before Rico started to feel a little woozy. "Shit, you always fuck me over when I drink with you." He groaned putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "When will you learn, hermanito?" Vin chided, gripping his little brother back on the opposite shoulder. "Okay, come on, one more for the road!" Rico whooped and dry heaved at the same time making his brother burst out in a fit of laughter. It was almost funny enough to keep the escalating scene across the club from drawing Vin's attention. Almost. "Ouch! What the fuck?" Vicente's attention immediately shot to the sound of her voice. Esperanza was over by the stage on some guy's lap, but she didn't look like she wanted to be there. The grungy looking guy was gripping her wrists in one hand and fiddling with the new black bra she had changed into with the other, while she was trying to pull away from him. "Come on, baby I was just kidding." He tried to slip a hand in her new black panties and pull her in closer but she managed to jerk her hand free, cock back and punch him square in the nose. "Fuck!" The man yelled jumping up and throwing her off his lap onto the floor. "The fuck is wrong with you, bitch?" The angry customer's nose was gushing blood. He even had the nerve to kick her while she was still down on the ground. Vicente dropped the shot glass in his hand and darted over to the man. His eyes were full blown white by now, the wolf in him having gone insane when he saw his mate was involved. He put himself between the man and her, "didn't your mother teach you any manners?" Vicente punched the man so hard he flew back into one of the glass tables in the middle of the club. "Hey!" One of the man's friends launched himself at Vin tackling him to the ground. The two crashed into an armchair tearing the arm off of it before landing hard on the ground. Vin brought an elbow down on the man's spinal cord with a bit more force than necessary. The man cried out and Vicente pulled the man up enough to deliver a good blow to the face. The man's friend went down easily just before Rico arrived with the bouncers and Finn frantically blowing a whistle. Rico pulled the man off Vicente and helped him up as Finn called for the party responsible. "Your eyes, Vinny." Rico whispered in his brother's ear urging him to pull back his animal instincts before they took over completely. "Senor Cruz, are you alright? What is going on over here!" Finn turned to see Brielle still on the ground holding the leg the angry customer had kicked. "You! Why is it that every time something happens, you have to be involved, E?" "Are you kidding me? He fucking kicked me!" Gabriella shouted as Finn tried to dust Vicente off. "I told you, one more time! Mr. Cruz, I am so sorry about this." Vicente jerked away from Finn appalled that he was yelling at Esperanza. "I'm not the one you owe an apology. That jerk grabbed her and kicked her. You really allow your customers to treat your dancers this way?" Finn felt infinitesimally small looking at the 6-foot man hovering over him. Though Finn was not a small man, it was clear in his slightly crouched posture just how intimidating he found Vicente. "I, of course not! Exotica has a strict no touching policy. Jorge, remove these men!" Vin bent down to Gabriella's level, "Are you hurt? Can you walk on it?" She looked up into his gray eyes feeling a connection with him. "I, I'm not sure." Vicente took her in his arms and lifted her from the ground. Gabriella gasped as he picked her up effortlessly. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and without thinking about it, leaned her head into the crook of his neck just taking in his subtle scent. He took note of how perfectly she fit there. "We should get you some ice." He carried her over to the bar with Rico trailing behind them. "A glass of ice and a towel, please." Gabriella noticed how he was polite, but commanding when he spoke to the bartender. He set her down gently in one of the barstools sideways so he could rest her leg on the stool next to her. Vin made sure to position himself at her side to be positive she could not fall. The bartender sat a beer mug filled with ice and a white bar towel in front of Brielle and she thanked him. She went to take some ice from the mug, but Vicente stopped her placing his hands over hers. "Please, let me. You just relax." Gabriella's features softened at his words. "You really don't have to—" "I know," he gave her a genuine smile that dazzled her. She noticed a chip in his front tooth at the right corner and wondered what kind of accident might have caused the injury. He splayed the towel open on the bar and poured the ice over the center before setting the mug back down. She watched his long fingers as they folded the now moist towel over and placed the makeshift icepack on her shin. Brielle made a slight hissing noise as she sucked the air through clenched teeth when the cold pack made contact with her mocha skin. "Am I hurting you?" Vin asked pulling back immediately. "No, no, it's just cold." He let out a sigh and placed the pack back on her leg and the other hand on her calf. His calloused hands felt amazing on her skin. "Thank you." "No need. I saw how he grabbed you. I was waiting for one of the bouncers to enforce that 'strict' no touching rule." He used his free hand to make air quotes when he said strict. "Yeah, guess it isn't quite as strict as the sign says." Vicente made a mental note of her joke taking it more seriously than she'd meant it. He would make sure Finn got his security in line tonight. No one was to lay another hand on his girl, lest they wanted it amputated. "That guy is in here like every other week and he gets a bit handsy when he's drunk, but I've never seen him that bad. He really shook me for a second there," Gabriella thought of her last meeting with her mother before she was hired at the club, wondering if she had set everything up. It would have been very characteristic of her. "You need to get his attention again. The attraction for you is clear, so now you need to draw him in." Her mother's words echoed in her brain as she thought about the night they'd begun this scheme. She was only eighteen when she was enlisted into her mother's little revenge army. "I still don't understand the point of this, mother. I mean if they have Rico brainwashed like you say then we need to get him away from them." "And what do you think we are doing here? Planning a tea party? This is how we get to Vincenzo. You go through him." She showed her daughter a picture of Vicente Cruz, better known as The New Alpha of Medellin. "Vincenzo's son, Vicente. He recently took over the family business, giving us an opportunity." Her mother paced the scorched floor of their old home. She had designated this as the last place they would see each other until the time came. "You'll be working here," she pointed at the picture of Exotica. "The Cruzes own this club so not only do he and your brother frequent it, but many of his men are known to spend much of their time there as well. This job will put you directly in his path and give you a chance to get right to the heart of the Cruz Empire." "Why do I have to sleep with him? Why can't I just use the club to get to Rico?" "What do you think you can just walk up to him, tell him who you are and he'll leave with you? No, you need to get close to them both. Earn their trust and when they let their guard down, we'll destroy whatever twisted illusion that sick son-of-a-bitch has brainwashed my baby with." Reina slammed her fist down on the charred countertop making Gabriella jump. "Fine, so what do you suggest when I actually meet him?" Vicente watched her gaze into the crowd as if she were wrapped up in her own head. He didn't mind it though. He was content just to stand there and look at her. It was an odd feeling, actually wanting more from a woman than just her body. From their first meeting, he had seen she was full of fire and she had a hell of a swing, but he was dying to know more. Staring at her there, he wondered what it would be like to have her love him. He could tell she would be an amazing Alpha female, taking no shit from any of his wolves. Thoughts of her taking control of the pack and running things by his side stirred the sleeping beast within him. The instinctual lust he was trying to keep buried began to resurface with a vengeance. Just like the other girls working the floor, she was barely clothed and he was beginning to take serious notice. "You may be missing work for a bit." He noted seeing her shin swelling even under the ice pack. The guy must have kicked her pretty hard. Still lost in her own thoughts, Gabriella didn't respond at first. She was still noticing how different this experience was than anything her mother could have prepared her for. Reina had been very clear about how drawn Vicente would be to her, but nothing could have warned her body of how mere proximity to him would fry her senses and numb her inhibitions. "I'm sorry, what?" Brielle asked him shaking her head and bringing back her wandering mind. "I was saying you might need to see a doctor for this leg." Gabriella smiled, "yeah right." She took the ice pack from his hands and moved it off her leg. Putting on a bold face, she swung her leg off the other barstool forcing him to take a step sideways. She pushed herself off her seat putting her full weight on her injured leg, but she quickly realized how she'd underestimated her injury when a surge of pain caused her leg to give out. Vin knew she would not make it very far on that leg, and so he was more than ready to catch her when she lost her balance and fell into his chest. "Careful," Vin whispered feeling the heat of her body pressing against his. "Guess you're right." Brielle looked up into his gray eyes ad subconsciously moved her hand to feel the stubble along his chin. It wasn't prickly as she'd expected, but soft to the touch, almost like fur. Vicente couldn't help himself as the desire to taste her lips overwhelmed his judgment. His hands curled around her lower back just above her panties, pulling her close. He could taste the faded mint on her breath as he leaned in agonizingly slow. Gabriella closed her eyes I anticipation and Vicente completed the journey covering her lips with his. She moaned softly against him as he ran his tongue along the dividing line between her lips as if pleading for entrance. She easily complied, granting him access to an entirely new territory that he intended to map out in great detail. His right hand slipped down to cup her ass and Brielle momentarily forgot she worked here as she gave into him. Vicente scooped the young girl up and placed her back on the barstool, stepping in between her legs. Gabriella slid her hands down the front of his body, her fingertips caressing the hard muscle under the cotton thermal until she reached his belt buckle. He growled into her mouth when she tucked four fingers between his jeans and his undershirt and pulled him even closer. Vin slid his hands along her thighs and as his callouses scraped her smooth skin; she wondered exactly what had put them there. She imagined those long digits gliding along the frets of a guitar. "Whoa, if you guys needed some privacy, you could have just asked." Rico interrupted the two bringing their surroundings back into focus. Vin pulled away while he was still coherent enough to do so. He smirked at his little brother's comment making a mental note to kick his ass later. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—" "You're apologizing?" Brielle smirked at him. "What are you a virgin?" Rico made a noise somewhere between a gurgle and a laugh as her jibe caused him to choke on his beer. Vin was still very aware of just how close he was to her center, and his nose was telling him just how wet she already was for him. In light of her comment he was having an even harder time now keeping his urges in check, and Gabriella had no idea just how close she was to being fucked right here and now in the middle of the club. With a wicked smile, Brielle only continued taunting him slipping a hand down to trace the bulge in his jeans. With the way he was still gripping her thighs, no one, not even the bartender could see when she quickly slid down his zipper. Vin's hand opposite Rico swiftly flew to stop hers from any further torture she was about to put him through. He leaned in bringing his lips close to her left ear. "Be careful, you might just get what your pussy is begging for if you keep that up." Hearing him talk to her like that just made her want him even more. She let out an involuntary groan at the loss of his body heat and his hands on her skin when he took a step back and discreetly zipped his pants in the process. As soon as he was arm's length away, Brielle felt as if she was coming out of some sort of trance. She could almost see the smoke clearing from her mind. Her desire for the man in front of her was still very, very strong, but just then she felt that if he had pulled his hard member out and plunged it home right there she wouldn't have been able to stop him— even her own body was doubtful she would have tried. Brielle felt her judgment smack into her like a garbage truck. "I, I have to go." She excused herself standing to her feet. The pain shot through her leg again but she was prepared this time for it. She winced a little and bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from making too dramatic a noise. "Wait, I'll help—" "No!" Brielle shouted recoiling from him like he was going to burn her if he touched her again. In all actuality she was just too afraid to loose control again. There was something so... animal about him. Everything about him screamed sex to her, and she felt like she was constantly fighting the urge to jump his bones. But when he touched her, when he had his hands on her flesh, all she could think about was taking it further. She needed him to stay back where he was in order to maintain control. "You're neglecting your brother on my behalf, really I'm fine now." "I think he's making out just fine. He'll probably be face deep in your coworkers chest soon." Vicente gestured over his shoulder at his brother who was in fact trying to work his magic on one of her fellow dancers. "Really I'm fine. I should probably get back anyway. Thank you again!" Vin watched as she rushed off, and his keen eyes picked up on the change in her walk. She was trying very hard not to limp away. He wasn't sure what bothered him more, the fact that she nearly ran from him or the knowledge that she was willing to endure severe pain to get away from him. He found himself pondering that for the next hour as he kept an eye out for her, but she never came back out. When he asked Finn where she'd gone, he was even more disappointed to hear she had asked to leave and gone home. After discovering his ladylove was no longer in the club, Exotica suddenly lost all of its appeal. Rico chose to stay behind and continue flirting with one of the other dancers. Vin carried himself and his wounded pride all the way back to the estate, leaving the car and Manuel at the club with Rico. As he walked, he could feel those animal instincts scratching at the surface, trying to break out. After getting all worked up with no actual release, he knew it would only be a matter of minutes until he lost all control. So he dipped into an alleyway and stripped out of his clothes in the darkness. It had been a long time since he'd changed into a full wolf. Being a born shifter, it wasn't as pressing for him to change regularly as it was for bitten werewolves. It also helped that he was an Alpha— the more power a shifter had, the more control they needed to possess. Vicente had become a master of self-control after taking over the pack at age 16, but she was surely testing his will. By her reaction, he was positive she felt the pull to him that he felt for her. Vicente folded and placed his clothes neatly hanging on a ladder attached to the side of some building forming the right side of the tiny walkway. He made a mental note to have Manuel pick them up and take them to be cleaned. Standing there in his boxers, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his mind up to the world around him, allowing his instincts to take over. Vicente released that breath slow and steady through his nose and opened his eyes with new clarity. It evaporated into the air like the water vapor appearing while one talks in the cold of winter. His irises clouded from that deep gray to a smoky white and the ancient magic that ran deep in his ancestry changed his body from the upright form of a human to a bushy black wolf. His huge paws planted firmly on the ground, Vicente quickly adjusted without the dramatic bone breaking, agonizingly painful grotesqueness of a full moon change for bitten wolves. Assessing his changing site, he sent Manuel the order to pick up the clothes and then freed his mind of his pack's thoughts, completely letting go. With such adrenaline rushing through him from withholding a shift, he was eager to challenge his body and rebounded up the walls quickly hopping out onto the roof with the meta-human balance his wolf form allowed. His second form only complimented the fitness of his human body as he was large but those lean muscles still supported his athletic, agile frame as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Vicente didn't look like any of the other wolves in the area. Although his roots lay in the Mansion and Cruz Estate in Medellin, his father had traveled the world in the years that he searched for his mate. A human woman had conceived Vicente in the United States, but she died during childbirth and Vincenzo never brought her up. He had never once seen a picture of his mother, and when he asked his father he simply said she was "a means to an end." Even his father's wolf form showed similarities to a large black and red fox, and while Vin's body was just as long and sculpted as his father's, Vicente favored the shape of the extinct form of the gray wolf, once found in North America. He ran for hours taking off once he reached the woods past the estate just enjoying the freedom he rarely got to experience in his lifestyle. The wind running through his fur, the Earth directly under his feet, it was like opening gifts on Christmas morning and biting into a delicious burger all at once. He moved faster than any ordinary wolf, saw better than any normal human, smelled everything within 5 miles of his home. There was nothing like the freedom he felt in his wolf form, but when he caught the unfamiliar scent of a wolf, his alpha duties slammed back into him. Identity Pt. 02 He darted in the direction of the unknown wolf's scent baring his teeth. He immediately commanded his beta to stay with Rico even though his built-in loyalty to his alpha was pulling him home. Vin alerted his scout team of the possible threat through the link as he opened his mind back up to his pack. They would not make it to the wolf before he did, but from the scent he could tell it was a bitten wolf and did not pose a huge threat to him. As he came closer, he was able to pick up more information off the scent ruling out the chance that it were another omega wolf roaming into his territory. He could also tell the wolf was male, and once he was close enough to see him, he recognized the coloring and body type of a bitten wolf, changed by a South American Alpha. The wolf obviously knew whom Vicente was, bowing as soon as he came into view. Vin grunted in response telling him that he could raise his head. The display of respect allowed Vicente the easy decision to grant him hospitality. He was interested to see what he had to say, but could tell this wolf was here on business. When Gio and the other two wolves of the scout team arrived, Vin gave them the order to escort the wolf to the house and give him some clothing so he could change back and state his business. Vin arrived back at the house and seeing his window open, he scaled up the two stories and jumped through the window. He shifted there in his room putting on a plain white tee and some basketball shorts. Sighing, he made his way to the door and down the stairs to the meeting room. When he walked in, he was surprised to find Manuel standing at the head f the table awaiting his alpha. "I told you to stay with my brother." "And I did." Manuel told him with a curt nod. "Rico is upstairs passed out in bed." Vicente narrowed his eyes at his beta, but he had nothing to say. Manuel was right, he had indeed followed orders and there was no just cause for discipline. Before he could respond, Gio and his brother walked in with the unidentified wolf now in his human form. Vicente sat down at the head of the large meeting table realizing now that he was still just how tired he truly was. "I'm sorry to intrude on you at this hour, Alpha Cruz. My name is Jabriel Alvarez and I was sent here by my Alpha, Alpha Ortiz." "You're a long way from home, Jabriel. Your Alpha sent you here all the way from Chile. It must be important." "Yes it is. We recently had an omega passing through our territory. We sent out a search party, but none of them returned. When we sent out a second wave to look for them, the results were disastrous." "Get to the point, Jabriel." "Well, in short sir, we were attacked by hunters." This caused Vicente to sit up right in his chair. "Hunters." "Yes sir. I was among the search party, and I was the only one that made it back." "How many were killed?" "We counted 7 dead, 3 captured." "They took prisoners? That's odd." "We believe they were hunting the omega so we tracked that wolf all the way to this area. The scent is strong here." "Carmen," Gio grunted. "What?" Jabriel turned to Gio. "You know the Omega?" "No." Vicente snapped before Gio could answer himself. The young man ducked his head and Vin declared he would be dealt with later through their mind link. "Hunters trailing an Omega isn't unusual, but taking prisoners is very rare. I will look into it myself." Vin rose from his chair, "Jabriel it was unwise for you travel alone with hunters in the woods." "I traveled in my human form, but it was a long trip. So much time spent repressing my wolf caused a forced change." Vin nodded his head in understanding. "Well my men will arrange a place for you to stay for the night. We will tackle this issue in the morning when we're all rested." He walked over to where Jabriel stood on the other side of the table and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find out what happened to your pack mates." "Thank you, Alpha Cruz." Vin nodded again and Jabriel let out a breath he had been holding since he walked into the room. He had been scared shitless when his Alpha sent him to meet with the Alpha of Medellin. The Cruz family was known for their strict leadership and their brutality when crossed. "Manuel, be sure that Jabriel is cared for tonight. I have someone I have to speak with." Vicente left them to it seeking out the only Omega that Jabriel could have been talking about. He could smell her and that told him she was close, but she was in her wolf form. He stormed off into the woods in search of her shocked to find her sitting in the area she'd first appeared to him earlier that day. She was taking in the view of the city, but she turned and looked at him when she heard him approaching. "Change. Now." He ordered and watched as she shifted with the control that only time and practice could give a bitten wolf. Her limbs shrank, her fur shortened until it was just smooth skin, and soon enough she stood there naked. "Who's the wolf?" She asked and Vicente nearly lost his composure. "You are not a member of this pack and have no right to ask about pack business." "Ay, Dios, I've almost forgotten how uptight you are." "And I nearly forgot how untrustworthy you are." Carmen's face remained unchanged telling Vin that she knew exactly what he was talking about. "You brought hunters back with you." "I didn't think they'd follow me here." Vicente let out a roar soaked with rage. "You've put this entire pack in danger!" "I never would have returned if I thought that would be the case!" "You selfish bitch. If anything happens to any of my people because of you, I will rip you apart myself." "I wasn't trying to get anyone hurt." "That wolf is here because hunters attacked his pack in Chile searching for you! They lost 7 wolves and 3 have been taken!" Carmen was thrown by this new information. "They took prisoners?" "Yes, they did. That is the only reason why you are still alive. Tomorrow we're going to look for them, and you are going to help." Vin turned to walk away, but spun back to her to tell her one last thing. "If we find those wolves in any other condition but alive I will kill you. And if you lie to me again—" He broke off breathing deeply to get his anger in check before he actually ripped her throat out. Without continuing, he stormed off back to the house to get some sleep in preparation for the morning search.