After watching Isabella sneak back over the mansion’s wall, I steer the SUV toward the safe house.
What the fuck did I witness tonight?
It’s rare for something to catch me by surprise. Isabella freed a shipment of girls. I was prepared for anything but that.
It’s also rare for anything to impress me.
And fuck, did Isabella Terrero impress me tonight.
She was nothing like the socialite everyone thought her to be. Far from it. She was badass and expertly trained, in and out of that junkyard in less than an hour.
Holy fuck.
Parking the SUV in front of the house, I get out. Still stunned, I walk toward Demitri, where he’s standing by the front door.
He looks pissed as fuck as he snaps, “Two hours?”
Stopping in front of him, I lock eyes with him. “You will not believe what I saw tonight.”
A frown forms on Demitri’s forehead as he moves to the side so I can enter the house. “What?” he asks while following me to the security room.
I drop my backpack next to the chair, and sitting down, I shake my head as I lift my eyes to Demitri’s. “Isabella Terrero freed slaves.”
Demitri takes a seat on the other chair. “Was that her sneaking into the mansion?” He gestures at the screens, where he must’ve seen it.
“Yes.” I let out a deep breath, then shake my head again. “I wish you were there to see her in action. She was fucking badass.”
“So…? Are you telling me she’s working against her own mother?” Demitri asks with a skeptical expression.
“Yes, but we’ll watch her for a while to make sure,” I reply, needing to make sure this wasn’t just a once-off thing for Isabella.
I doubt that’s what it was. Isabella was too comfortable… as if she’s done it a hundred times.
“Then what?”
Relaxing back in the chair, I shrug. “Then we can use Isabella to get to Sonia.”
“Or…” Worry flickers in Demitri’s gaze.
“Or what?”
“They know we’re here, and Isabella’s a distraction to get you out in the open.”
Resting my elbow on the armrest, I stare at Demitri for a while before I say, “I don’t think that’s the case.”
“How do you know?”
“The same way I know everything. I’m God, remember,” I chuckle at Demitri before I grow serious again. “Gut instinct.”
“Okay.” Demitri glances back at the screens showing all the cameras. “You’re not tailing Isabella alone again. Just in case.”
“I planted a tracking device on her motorcycle,” I mention as I take my phone out of my pocket. “I’ll get an alert if Isabella’s on the move.” I bring up the phone number for St. Monarch’s, then look at Demitri. “Time to find out everything we can about the Princess of Terror.” I press dial, and a couple of seconds later, Madame Keller answers her private line.
“Mr. Koslov, to what do I owe the honor?”
Madame Keller is the architect behind St. Monarch’s, where most of us received our training. It’s also neutral ground where people like me can hide if we need to.
“I need everything you have on Isabella Terrero.”
Madame Keller lets out a chuckle. “Miss Terrero is high-value. It will cost you fifteen million.”
Information is one of the most expensive things in my world.
I glance at Demitri. “Make a transfer of fifteen million euros to St. Monarch’s.”
I watch as he carries out my order, and when he nods at me, I say, “Payment made.”
“I assume you know the basics for Miss Terrero?” Madame Keller asks.
“Tell me about her training.”
“Sonia Terrero sent her daughter to learn the fine art of sex slavery and drug smuggling, but Isabella wasn’t interested in any of that. Instead, she requested to be privately trained as a custodian. We were ordered to not inform Sonia of the change in training.”
“Did she mention why?”
“No. Isabella kept to herself while she was visiting with us. But, I will say this… she was exceptionally good at her training.”
“Exceptionally good?”
Madame Keller hesitates for a moment, then she admits, “Same level as the Vetrovs.”
Fuck.
My eyes dart to Demitri’s. If Isabella is on the same level as him, we’re in for a rough time unless we can get her to join us.
“Thank you,” I murmur absentmindedly as I cut the call.
“What did she say?” Demitri asks, worry etched on his features.
“Isabella’s apparently as good as you.”
Demitri’s right eyebrow lifts. “She trained as a custodian?”
I nod, processing what I just learned. “Sonia doesn’t know her daughter trained as a custodian.” I consider the important fact. “Adding that she freed slaves earlier, I’m certain Isabella is trying to take Sonia down from the inside.”
“If that’s the case, do you think we can get Isabella to side with us?”
I shake my head. “It depends on her reason for sabotaging Sonia. If she’s attacking Sonia so she can take over the cartel, we’re still her enemy.”
“How do you want to handle this?” Demitri asks as he glances over all the screens.
“Let’s watch them for a while and see what the queen and princess are up to. With a little luck, we might not have to do anything, and they take each other out.”
My thoughts turn to earlier when I watched Isabella free the girls. There’s something familiar about the way she moves, but I still can’t figure out what it is.
She showed no fear and took out the two guards without any hesitation. It was well planned and executed.
If Isabella tries to overthrow Sonia to take over the cartel, she will be a bigger threat than her mother. But… if she’s destroying the cartel from the inside out… she might just be the alliance of a lifetime.
Fearless. Dangerous. Beautiful. Isabella will make the perfect partner.
That’s if we can get her to work with us.
“What are you thinking?” Demitri asks.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly, and then the corner of my mouth lifts. “How everything went from boring as fuck to fun in a matter of an hour.”
ISABELLA
Wearing a bikini, I’m lying in the shade near the pool, pretending to scroll through my friends’ social media accounts.
Their Instagram pages all look the same. Always showing off their latest purchases and how social they are.
My mother stalks out of the house, and with a sigh, she sits down in one of the plush chairs. A servant rushes to bring her a glass of juice and a fruit salad for lunch.
I keep scrolling through the posts, my attention focused on my mother.
“Is that all you plan on doing with your life?” Mother asks, her tone tight with disapproval.
I let out a lazy chuckle. “Yep.” Knowing it will annoy her, I let the ‘P’ pop.
“You’re a disgrace to the Terrero name,” Mother mutters before she takes a sip of her beverage. “You need to start learning the business.”
I let out a bored sigh. “Why? Hugo can take over. I have no interest in dealing with the filth you sell.”
“But you love spending the money?” Her tone is now ice-cold.
Giving her a wide grin, I get up from the lounge chair and walk toward her. “I’m only doing my part to support the economy.” Taking a seat at the table, I steal one of the grapes from my mother’s salad and pop it into my mouth. “Besides, you know all the killing and torturing freaks me out.”
Mother’s eyes lock on me, emotionless and laced with a deadly poison. “It’s my legacy.”
“I’m thinking of becoming a model,” I flippantly change the subject.
“Over my dead body,” she hisses.
Soon.
I relax back in the chair and cross my legs. Just then, Hugo walks out onto the patio, and I give him a smile. “Hugo, you wouldn’t mind taking my place in the cartel, right?” My voice is sugary sweet, and it earns me a possessive death glare from my mother.
Hugo will never betray my mother. He ignores me as he sits down next to my mother, and leaning into her, he whispers, “We lost another shipment.”
Mother’s eyes snap to his. “Which one?”
“The one meant for the Soacha.”
Surprise.
I bring up the summer catalog for Chanel and scroll through it, pretending not to care about their conversation.
“What are you doing to find out who’s behind it?” Mother asks, doing her best but failing to remain calm as her cheeks flame up and her mouth settles in a grim line.
Hugo brushes his hand over her long black hair to soothe her. “It’s one person. Some vigilante. Don’t worry, we’ll catch him.”
Sure you will. Idiot.
I got the same training as Hugo at St. Monarch’s, only I’m a hell of a lot better than him. The poor bastard doesn’t stand a chance against me.
It’s fun watching them worry, not having the slightest clue the person is right under their noses.
“Double the security on all the shipments,” Mother orders.
Double the fun.
“What about the shipment for the auction?” Hugo asks, and it takes a lot of effort to not glance up.
The auction will be for virgins. It’s held once a year, and I almost got caught last year. I need every bit of information I can get my hands on.
“I’ll have the shipment come through Cali instead of Medellín,” Mother replies.
The shipment is scheduled to dock in three weeks, and then the girls will be brought here, where the auction will take place. I can either free the girls at the docks or en route from Cali to here. Both will be risky as hell.
“Have every man we can spare guard the shipment,” she orders.
Hugo leans into Mother and presses a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll take care of it.”
I peek up, and for a moment, Mother’s features soften as she looks at Hugo.
Four years ago, she bought Hugo during an auction at St. Monarch’s. Even though he’s twenty years younger than her, it was love at first sight, which was totally weird and out of character for my mother. They must be made of the same thing because they fit perfectly together. He’s also the only person who’s managed to get any kind of affection from the Queen of Terror.
As I said, it’s weird and sometimes downright creepy.
“Ooooh,” I coo, and then I hold my phone, so they can see the dress I’m looking at. “Isn’t this pretty? It will be perfect for Nadia’s party tomorrow night.”
“Isabella,” Mother snaps angrily. I can see it’s taking all her self-control to not slap me. “I don’t have time for your shit.” I watch as she gets up and stalks away to deal with business.
Hugo gives me a look of warning which would strike fear in most men. “Don’t you think it’s time you grow up and join the business?”
I smile my sweetest smile. “You do a much better job than I’ll ever be able to. You don’t mind, do you?”
My words stroke his over-inflated ego. He lets out a sigh as if it’s such a burden dealing with me, but then he admits, “Of course, I don’t mind.”
I’m sure you don’t. You better enjoy being at the top of the food chain while you can.
We stand up at the same time, then I say, “I have shopping to do.” Faking excitement, I hurry into the house to change out of the bikini.
Three weeks until the shipment docks. I have a lot of work to do. Luckily Nadia’s party will be held on her father’s superyacht, so I’ll be able to check the shipyard and surrounding areas then.
Sometimes I wish I had enough power to overthrow my mother and Hugo, but seeing as it’s just Ana and me, freeing the slaves is all I can do at the moment.
