The Assassin's Bride Ch. 08

It is a bit weird writing a bunch of different themes, but I love it! Thanks Rumpole, for nagging me to get it done.

As always, voting and comments appreciated.

~I write for pleasure, I post for joy~

********

With a soft, grey blanket about her shoulders, Carina sat quietly while Carlos poured her water. Dressed in a red cotton t-shirt and black jeans, he was just as she remembered him. Tall and bulky, with his black hair cut short, his features were drawn and there were dark circles under his eyes. But he was still attractive in a stoic, roughened way. He still looked so much like his dead brother.

"So, he took you from Eduardo's apartment?" he asked.

Briskly wiping tears from her cheeks, Carina nodded. Sensing a critical moment, her mind struggled to keep a sharp line of thought. There was a lingering shock that she hadn't recognised the yacht. Perhaps Michael wasn't the only one losing his marbles.

"Did he rape you?"

Carina listlessly nodded.

"I'll cut off his dick, before I kill him."

Choosing not to argue, Carina lifted her gaze to see Carlos carefully watching her. Only then did she realise he was scrutinizing her reaction, watching for some sign to suggest she was anything other than Michael's prisoner. But Carlos seemed satisfied that she was more a victim than co-conspirator.

"Who is the other man?"

"Michael's enemy," Carina immediately answered. Knowing Carlos, it would be foolish to disclose a first-name basis with Gavin.

If she could get Gavin above board, he could possibly save them all. Whatever his grievances with Michael, Gavin would not condone his torture and murder. From the little Carina had seen, Gavin was quite resourceful and cunning. Most importantly, he was level-headed in emergencies.

"Paulie said he had a knife to your neck."

"It was a bluff to trick Michael."

"Mm." Carlos sat beside Carina, and firmly took her hand. "Carina, the last time I saw you... I am so sorry for what happened," he murmured, his thumb drew a smooth circle in the centre of her palm.

"It's weighed so heavily on my mind when you disappeared. The possibility I might never get to make amends. But now I hope to make you happy where my brother could not."

"What?" Carina frowned, feeling bewildered. What was he talking about?

"I mean I cannot let you get tangled in another scrape with the wrong man," Carlos elaborated, his dark eyes determined. "I will take care of you. It is the least I could do for Eduardo. He would want me to ensure your safety."

"B-But Carlos!" Carina exclaimed, trying to pull her hand away.

"I will not touch you against your wishes," Carlos said tersely. "You are family to me. I will never lay a hand on you again, unless you ask me to. This is difficult for me. I..." he hesitated.

"I always wanted you. I would never have acted on it while you belonged to my brother. And I won't act on it now, without your permission. I had a drinking problem, and when Eduardo died, it defeated me. I am ashamed that my feelings surfaced in such an ugly way. But it will never happen again."

Carina nodded. Inside, she was not nodding at all, but she knew Carlos' nature. He was not an amorous, flirtatious man. He did not express his feelings openly or often. It didn't matter how much he desired her, Carina knew he wouldn't lay a finger on her without encouragement. Carlos never made the same mistake twice. As a man of his word, it also meant he would not release her. She was again, a kept prisoner.

It was almost a shame that an honourable, steadfast character like Carlos was embroiled in underhand dealings and capable of terrible acts of violence. Carina still resented the fact Carlos' disclosure perfectly matched Michael's speculation. Carlos was in love with her.

"I have to admit, seeing you again has brought back some happiness," Carlos confessed. "It reminded me of him. Our past life."

Carina bleakly opened her mouth to respond, but Carlos gestured for her to wait. Carina curiously watched him leave her side and open a small black case. When he lifted the item out and turned to her, Carina's eyes widened.

Moments later, Carlos gently clasped a weighty, diamond-sapphire necklace around Carina's neck. The stones were heavy, and delicately scattered down her throat to collectively rest along her collarbone.

Where Carina would have been thrilled by such a gift in the past, the stone and metal assemblage made her feel suffocatingly imprisoned. It ironically aligned with their current topic of conversation; she felt like Carlos had just collared her.

"This was meant for your birthday. Eduardo wanted..." Carlos choked and cleared his throat. "He was right. It does you justice. You look stunning, Carina."

Carina suddenly burst into tears. She didn't know precisely why; what particular aspect of a multitude of traumatic events broke her. She couldn't tell whether it was the trauma of the past, or fear of the future, or both. But in that moment, everything seemed wrong.

"Shh, Carina." Carlos quickly drew her into a fierce hug. "It's over. You're going to be ok."

"W-what about the other man?"

"I will speak with him, and decide what to do."

"And Michael?"

Carlos' arms tensed about her. "His time will come. I have waited long enough to get my hands on him. By the time we are finished, our closure will be complete."

Carina hiccupped and nodded against his neck, wondering how the fuck they were going to get out of this alive.

********

Locked at the base of the yacht, Michael and Gavin sat on opposite sides of a small room, both with their hands and ankles cable tied.

"If you'd listened to me, you wouldn't be caught up in this," Michael said harshly.

Blood seeping from the cut on his cheek, Gavin rolled his eyes at his companion's smouldering glare. Well, one-eyed glare, considering the nasty punch he'd dealt Michael.

"I've been in worse fixes," he sighed.

"True."

"You do look a little worse for wear, Ethan," Gavin cheerfully observed, surveying the damage to Michael's face. Though Michael's swollen eye wasn't as bad as it first appeared, and Gavin predicted it would reduce to an ugly bruise within 24 hours.

"Thanks for that," Michael curtly replied.

"My pleasure. Really, it was."

They looked to the steel door as it clicked and opened. The two men who entered were familiar to Michael. One stared with a speechless hatred, the younger one looked more dismayed than angered by the sight of Michael, his hazel eyes glittered with the hurt of Michael's betrayal.

Without warning, Michael threw himself forward and looped his tied hands around Gavin's neck. Pulling the restraint brutally tight against Gavin's throat, he hauled him close until his lips met Gavin's ear.

"There are spares at the rear of this vessel. Get her out of here."

Before he could say more, the older visitor seized Michael by his hair, skilfully unlooped the tie from Gavin's neck and dragged Michael back.

"You're lucky Carlos wants to play with you first," he snarled. Turning to the young man, he pointed at Gavin. "Free his feet and take him to Carlos."

The younger one immediately obliged, and led Gavin from the room whilst his older companion stared, unable to drag his eyes from Michael.

"It's like seeing a ghost, huh?" he said distantly, cracking his knuckles. "And when I think I took orders from you..." He viciously spat on the ground between them.

"Yes, I remember you were my little bitch," Michael swiftly agreed with a taunting smile.

The other man's eyes flashed, but he had himself under control.

"Oh, no, Michael," he said with soft venom. "I am not going to get on Carlos' bad side by further marring your pretty face. You know what happens to people on his bad side. I don't envy you."

Afraid of losing his temper, the man quickly left the room and securely locked it behind him.

******

Gavin was led to an austere dining room, and as the door opened he was confronted by the sight of Carina firmly encased in the leader's arms. There was a very hefty piece of jewellery glittering at Carina's throat, and she seemed hardly pleased by it. She looked miserably exhausted.

Finally released, Carina looked relieved when she was led from the room. She gave Gavin a furtive glance as they passed whilst unconsciously fiddling with the back of the necklace, searching for the release clasp. Gavin completely ignored her, his eyes centred on Carlos.

"Untie his hands," Carlos ordered.

Gavin's wrists were cut free, and he was directed to take the seat opposite the brooding stranger.

"I am Carlos. What is your name?"

"Gavin."

"Carina said you are Michael's enemy?"

Deciding to conceal Michael's true identity, Gavin pursed his lips thoughtfully, and nodded.

Carlos poured him a glass of water. "Will you tell me why you were out on the ocean with Carina?"

Gavin's eyebrows slightly lifted, as Carlos' tone suggested answering wasn't quite optional. "I rescued her."

"Why?"

"Because she was a prisoner."

With his elbows on the table, Carlos rested his chin on his fists. "Not because she is very beautiful? Not because you wanted her, for yourself?"

Gavin looked bored. "Carina is attractive, granted. But I'm sure she never said my intentions were untoward," he said blankly, praying Carina hadn't disclosed their connection bordered on intimate.

"Very well," Carlos said, allowing Gavin's ambiguity. "We have been through a lot, she and I. Michael murdered someone very dear to both of us. I am not a very trusting man, or a forgiving one."

Gavin nodded, acknowledging the thinly-veiled threat. Carlos took a moment to let his words sink in, before continuing.

"I will be upfront with you, Gavin. I am going to find out what I can about you. Until anything upsetting surfaces, you are my guest. I am very grateful you brought Carina to me."

Gavin's pale-blue eyes turned cold at the suggestion he was a mere transport officer for an imprisoned woman. He had seen enough of Carina to tell she was more despondent than relieved by their being discovered.

"So Michael will stay downstairs?" Gavin asked, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Of course. He is on death row, and dangerous. A lethal combination."

Gavin nodded. "Makes sense. He should be fed."

"You object to his conditions?" Carlos stated, suddenly deadpan.

"Well, he has caused both of us trauma-"

"And Carina," Carlos harshly interjected. Gavin tilted his head in concession.

"Your yacht has stalled. You're not in a hurry." Gavin gave Carlos a meaningful look.

"What point do you make, Gavin?"

"You might want to keep Michael in a better condition if you want the torture to last. Unless you plan to starve him to death? That would be anti-climactic. I suppose it comes down to the damage done-"

"Do not presume to understand the extent of my loss, Gavin," Carlos stonily interrupted.

It was true, his violence was normally swift and brutal. But in this case, he was planning a very prolonged death for Michael. It was his only chance to counter the grief with satisfying revenge, and he did not want it to be fleeting.

"How has Michael wronged you?" Carlos questioned.

Gavin's jaw tensed with real emotion. "He was involved in an incident that killed someone dear to me."

"We have that in common. Well, I will see Michael gets his vitamins," Carlos said with mild sarcasm. "Again, I am grateful for your interference."

"My pleasure," Gavin politely answered.

"However, speaking of treatment..." Carlo's dark eyes took on a curious gleam. "You've done quite a job on Michael yourself. And I know Michael is no pushover. You must be a skilled fighter."

"I am, thank you," Gavin said smoothly, choosing to accept Carlos' statement as a compliment, rather than a query. He was also careful not to deny the observation.

Carlos gave Gavin a hard stare, then got to his feet.

"Hydrate yourself. The water is not poisoned," he said with a rare smile at Gavin's justified paranoia. Then he looked to the man hovering by the door. "Take Gavin to a guest room, and see to that cut-"

"A medical kit is all I need, I can attend myself," Gavin calmly interjected.

Carlos paused a heartbeat, then continued as though Gavin never spoke. "Ensure he is comfortable."

Tossing back the glass of cool water, Gavin wanted to roll his eyes. Carlos may as well have told the guard to 'watch him'.

*********

Carina's suite appeared strangely sterile compared to Michael's comfortable prison. She sat up on the bed, staring ahead at her tired reflection. The discarded necklace lay beside her on the dark-violet bedspread.

Carina wondered if Carlos had reserved this suite for her, as there were definite feminine touches throughout. It was just like their old days, when he arranged everything for her. What was once luxuriously convenient was suddenly bleak and stifling.

Discarding her dirty white tracksuit and stepping into a hot shower, she sighed as the water soothed away some of her anxiety. When she finished up and checked the cupboard for a robe, Carina froze for a full minute as an array of familiar colours filled her vision.

Carlos must have taken her clothes from Eduardo's apartment; the ones Michael left behind, anyway. Carlos must have been confident of finding her. Blinking away her unsettling surprise, Carina put on some black track pants and a soft grey jumper and tried to forget the memories that came with the outfit.

As she methodically plaited her hair, her mind elsewhere, someone knocked.

"Come in," Carina called hoarsely, shocked by the way her voice deteriorated, realising it had been several hours since she consumed anything. She'd been too distraught to drink the water Carlos poured her.

Gavin casually walked in, flanked by two men. The men discreetly stood against the wall while Gavin joined Carina on the bed.

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly, keeping at least half a metre of space between them.

"Better," Carina answered honestly. Gavin's presence was very reassuring. She'd been petrified that Carlos would ultimately decide Gavin belonged with Michael.

Looking mildly concerned, Gaven reached for a bottle of water from a nearby table, and twisted the lid. "Here, you're parched."

Carina gratefully chugged the water, unable to stop her eyes darting to their silent supervisors.

Gavin sighed, looking at the discarded jewellery on the bed. "Well, Michael is safely imprisoned, and we are liberated," he said cheerfully.

"That's good to know," she stiltedly answered.

Gavin pursed his lips, wishing she were more apt at the art of pretense. Then again, she was just a pretty girl in the custody of criminals.

"Well, I just came to see how you were," he smiled, and got up from the bed with an almost indiscernible shake of his head when Carina opened her mouth to protest. "I guess I'll see you at dinner."

Gavin's tall figure left without a backward glance, Carina sadly watched her last source of comfort abandon her. Whether in Michael's captivity or under Carlos' guard, Gavin had become something of a symbol of freedom, and a tantalizing one.

But she understood Gavin's indifference; how important it was that he didn't appear a threat. The man was gorgeous, and one inappropriate move toward her, and Carlos would likely fill Gavin with bullets and throw him overboard. It wouldn't be the first time.

*******

Within the hour, Carina was summoned to Carlos' suite. It was the largest on board, and Carina tried to forget the sinful things she did with Eduardo all over it.

When she was ushered in, Carlos lowered the papers in front of him with a welcoming smile. "Sit, Carina."

As she nervously settled in a large armchair beside the couch, Carlos gave her a searching look. "These last hours have been overwhelming, and I've neglected you. Do you need a doctor?"

Carina began to shake her head, but paused.

"Go on," Carlos encouraged, leaning forward. "What do you need, Carina?"

She flinched, afraid her request might rouse an irrepressible anger in Carlos and lead to sudden, regretful events. But he already knew she'd been raped.

"I could be pregnant," she murmured, her eyes glimmering apprehensively. Carlos' jaw clenched.

"I am afraid I don't have those kinds of medical supplies," he said grimly, his hands balled into fists. "I will procure what you need as soon as I can. But Carina, we are a long way from shore."

She looked confused, and after a brief moment's hesitation Carlos decided to explain, his eyes serious. "I am all for prevention. But if it is too late, I cannot condone a termination."

Carina's jaw went slack with horror. It wasn't necessarily that she'd choose that road, it was more the disturbing reality that she might be forced to raise Michael's child with her dead lover's brother, after brutally murdering the child's father. That Carlos, the man who killed without flinching, who had no qualms about murdering children, would insist she carry their enemy's child to full-term? It made no sense.

"That makes no sense," she blankly stated her thoughts. Carlos looked bitter.

"You could be pregnant. My brother cherished you, and that child would be a part of you. And I could never hurt you, Carina."

"That makes no sense!" she repeated with growing panic. "You would force me to have a traitor's child? A child who would look like Michael? Carlos, you kill children!"

"Do not talk to me about work, Carina," Carlos said sharply. "I know you loved my brother; that your feelings for me are different. I hold no hope or expectation that you would consider accepting me as a lover or bearing my children."

Bile rose in Carina's throat. Perhaps she'd taken Michael's arrangement for granted.

"I'm upsetting you, I know," Carlos said soothingly, reaching for her hand. "Carina-"

"I would rather accept you, than be forced through that!" she blurted, pulling away. "I understand your limits, Carlos, but there is still time...and the yacht is not moving!"

There was a terrible suspicion in her mind that Carlos hoped she was pregnant, and would deliberately wait until it was too late to procure an after-pill. Though admittedly, the time-frame was almost up, and he wasn't exactly hurtling toward shore.

It was somehow more frustrating than her arguments with Michael, because at least Michael conceded her points even if he denied her wishes. Carlos would not brook argument, and even if he listened, he wouldn't understand.

But she could get blind-drunk every night, just in case. She could vigorously exercise every day until she passed out. She could ask Gavin to punch her in the abdomen, though she already knew he would never consider it. Carina started, so preoccupied with emergency strategizing that she forgot Carlos was opposite her.

"You speak from desperation, Carina," he said dryly, leaning back on the couch. "But we'll see." There was a definite glimmer of interest in his eyes as he picked up his iPad and flipped open the leather cover. "There is very little to learn of your friend, Gavin. Much like Michael."

"How did you find us?"

Carlos laughed roughly. "I didn't. If you weren't on the water...I was ready to turn back, to be honest. I used all my resources to track Michael's journey. I tapped countless CCTV. I had to wring a few necks to find the car rental company. He paid cash, but there is always a trail. It led to the docks, and that is where he lost me." He looked to her, simmering grief in his expression.

"The idea that you might have been involved cut me, like a knife." He pressed a hand to his heart. "I already felt horrible about what I did to you; about Eduardo being gone. I had to find you, Carina. It was my responsibility to keep you safe, or to make you pay for an unspeakable betrayal." He threw his head back to stare at the ceiling. "But part of me knew it couldn't be true. You really loved my brother, though he didn't deserve you."