The Assassin's Bride Ch. 09

"And how many make up this dream ensemble?"

Carlos angled his head at his food, his dark eyes alert. "I couldn't say, Gavin. But I do know they work as a team and that their cooking skills vary. Sometimes they cook together, and sometimes they cook alone, depending on the...culinary task at hand."

Gavin quickly looked up and locked eyes with Carlos. "I see," he nodded, and concentrated on the rest of his meal.

"Will you play cards with me later?" Carina asked with a tug at Carlos' shirt, feeling it was her turn to disrupt a tense moment.

"Of course, darling," Carlos smiled, still watching Gavin. "Will you join us, Gavin? Or would you prefer a tour of the kitchen?"

Gavin laughed, very much wanting a tour of the kitchen. "Cards, it is. I should issue my own warning -- I'm much better at it, than pool."

"How interesting. Success with card games requires a very different skill to pool," Carlos said lightly.

Gavin shrugged indifferently. "Both are strategic."

"But with pool, everything is on the table for the eye to see," Carlos said fluidly. "Cards requires an aptitude for deception."

"Or basic control of emotions." Gavin raised a questioning eyebrow. "I hope you are not a sore loser, Carlos."

Carlos showed his teeth in a hostile grin. "I am only a sore loser when I am cheated."

"Let's hope you don't catch me out, then," Gavin joked.

"You had better hope that I don't." Carlos spoke in a staccato threat.

Carina groaned, tiring of the stressful back and forth of foreboding innuendos. Dangerous and unsettling as it was, she also felt like it was some kind of immature battle of male egos.

"This is fucking boring!" she rudely announced, and Carlos' severe expression lightened. "And where's my drink?"

"Only one for you tonight, Carina," he chuckled.

"Why?"

"Because of what happened last time."

Carina blushed heavily; Gavin's expression didn't alter. The rest of the meal was slightly awkward, and Carina was relieved when Gavin opted to spend some time in his suite before the card game.

Carlos jerked his head and the three lingering men vacated the room. With a last sip of his water, Carlos tapped his leg in a silent order, and Carina slowly moved from her seat onto his knee. For a moment he faced her neck, breathing the scent of her hair, before leaning back to gaze into her face.

"Some interesting developments."

"I presumed as much with your weird insinuations," Carina retorted, and Carlos smiled darkly.

"I intend to prove my insinuations," he murmured, his lips trailed up her neck to caress her ear. "I want you to seduce him."

"What!" Carina's head spun with a strange déjà vu.

"Seduce Gavin," Carlos repeated. "I know he will respond to you."

Carina angrily staggered to her feet, almost rolling an ankle when her heel caught the table leg. "How dare you!"

Carlos silently watched her.

"You-!" Opting for attack as defence, Carina took a deep breath, and let loose. "After what I went through with Eduardo's murder, then with you on that couch, then with Michael!" she raged. "I am not some hooker for you to pimp when you can't figure out a man! I am not a slice of meat to be dangled at a potential enemy! I am not-!"

Carlos caught Carina in his arms and dragged her back to their former position.

"Be easy, Carina. I just wanted to know how eager you might be to do it."

"You were testing me?" she breathed accusingly.

"Something is awry," Carlos replied, unabashed by his tactic. "I highly doubt it is you, but at the same time I cannot pinpoint exactly what is wrong. But something is off, and I do not trust Gavin."

"You were testing me?" she repeated, concealing her unease. "You don't trust me?"

"Of course, I do." Carlos stared into her eyes. "But I do not ignore my gut instincts."

"That means you don't trust me," Carina sulked, dropping her gaze.

"I know you hated the sapphire necklace," Carlos said unexpectedly, startling Carina. "Do you know your eyes go dark, when you like what you see? I always loved watching that gorgeous violet fade to black when I gave you presents. But when I put that necklace on you, your pupils were pinpricks. It worried me."

"I had been through a lot. I was upset," Carina faltered. "It's not fair of you to-"

"Darling, when you are in this business as long as I have been, you never let your guard down. That's how..." His eyes became distant and Carina knew he thought of Eduardo. "That's how you end up dead."

A despondent silence fell between them, and Carlos shook his head. "Enough of this misery. Shall we go to my suite?"

Carina's eyes widened. "But the game..."

"Gavin can wait. God knows the number of times I waited for you and Eduardo to make an appearance," he said wryly, pleased by Carina's bashful response. He lightly tapped her warmed cheekbone. "Out of character as it may be, I could really get used to this blush."

Carina swallowed nervously, as Carlos led her from the room.

"So, what developments did you find out?" Carina pried as they entered Carlos' suite.

The door closed behind her, and Carlos gently placed his palms against the door above Carina's head. "Michael and Gavin worked together. For many years."

The moment was overwrought with all kinds of tensions, and Carina opted for the one she was most familiar with. Seizing the front of Carlos' shirt, she pulled until his mouth crashed down on hers. For a short moment he kissed her with his hands still on the door, enjoying Carina's initiative. Then one arm circled her waist, and without breaking the kiss Carlos spun and walked Carina back until the bed's edge caught her calves and there was no option but to fall back onto the large mattress.

While Carina tried to gather her bearings, Carlos wasted no time. His hands were everywhere, his mouth moved incessantly across the skin of her throat, her jaw. One hand slid up her neck to clench in her hair, immobilising her. Carlos' other hand moved up her thigh with enough strength to drag the skirt of her dress with it.

"Oh, fuck!" Carina panted, feeling overwhelmed and severely disadvantaged. "Carlos, please..."

"You can relax with me, Carina," he breathed against her temple. "I only ask one thing of you tonight."

"W-What?"

"Touch me."

Something warm and incredibly thick slapped into Carina's idle palm. Without looking down, her eyes widened with disbelief as her fingers closed around it; much as she strained, her thumb didn't come anywhere close to meeting her middle finger.

"Carlos," she numbly uttered, not knowing what else to say. The cock in her hand was massive, and she didn't want to compliment it and encourage him.

"It's all for you," he said huskily, jerking his hips and watching Carina's eyes flare with surprise at the same time her hand grappled with his size.

"I can't... Carlos...!"

"Don't worry," he breathed. "Just move your hand and keep looking at me like that."

Carina stared up at Carlos and began to stroke him. She was too scared to look down at what was in her hand.

"Yes," Carlos groaned, burying his face in her neck. "Like that. Oh, yes..."

Carina tentatively raised her legs to the sides of his waist, continuing to pump him with her hand. Carlos arched with rapture, then lowered so his mouth could reach hers whilst leaving enough room for Carina to continue jerking him.

Very startled, Carina panted against his lips, and Carlos seemed to enjoy her breathless surprise, grinning as he kissed down her cheek to her jawline.

"You must be relieved I didn't rape you that first time," he slurred against her neck.

Carina tensed at the distasteful memory, and that Carlos would banter about it when they were being intimate, adding yet another layer of weirdness to the encounter.

"Do you like it?" he panted, lightly jerking his hips.

"Carlos... it's huge!" Carina squeaked with frightened awe.

"You will enjoy it. Spit in your palm and continue."

Carina frantically spat in her hand and wrapped it around the shaft that was probably the girthiest cock she'd ever touched. Carlos laughed at the look on her face.

"You look like a scared virgin, darling," he said thickly. "I admit I often fantasised about this; about your first reaction."

Carina's heart raced with panic. "Carlos, I don't want to-"

"I only ask for your touch, Carina. It is not the biggest demand I could make."

"Yes, Carlos." Carina blinked at her mild obedience. She sounded like a soldier answering a general.

"Oh, God!" Carlos grunted, thrusting more rapidly against her hand. "Make me cum, Carina!"

Terrified, Carina pumped faster; her compliance only to avoid something worse. The situation was not erotic for her at all. It was a strange fear she'd never experienced, and she felt like a victim of incestuous abuse.

It wasn't like with Michael, where they were close friends and harmlessly flirted. Being raped by him felt backward, but the current scenario seemed a different level of unnatural. Carina always saw Carlos as a big brother, not a man who could ever be lustfully carried away with her. The man on top of her was a complete stranger.

"Ohhh..." Carlos groaned. His cock slipped from Carina's small hand as he moved onto his knees.

"Carlos!" Carina squealed, watching the enormous member quickly ascend her body. "Please, no!"

"Open your mouth."

"Carlos, please, don't!" she pleaded.

Carlos sighed angrily, reached down and yanked the front of Carina's dress down until her pert breasts popped out.

Feeling traumatized, Carina shut her eyes. She heard Carlos' heavy breathing, the brisk movement of his hand on his cock, then he moaned.

A large hand kneaded her bared breasts before sliding through her hair. The hand clenched, pulling down so she was forced to arch, presenting her chest to him. Seconds later, warm streaks wetly scattered across her breasts. Carina whimpered when his hold in her hair tightened as the last drops of Carlos' cum fell across her left nipple.

Carina kept her eyes closed, listening to Carlos' breathing become steady, knowing his eyes were on her face.

"Carina?" he uttered hoarsely, using the blanket to wipe his cum away. "Carina..."

"It's fine," she said flatly, her voice was thick with tears. "May I leave?"

"I broke my promise, Carina. I'm sorry."

Carina sat up and tucked her breasts from view, keeping her back to him. "How many more apologises will you make?"

"I don't know what to say. There's something about you that dissolves my control. But I am better than that. I will be better."

"Why would you be better? You're Eduardo's brother," she said bitterly, not caring if the insult angered him.

The comparison was ugly, and a nasty silence hung in the air. Eduardo was a cheating scumbag who swore to change, until he stopped making assurances he couldn't keep. It was a similar pattern to how Carlos might reassure her about his conduct, until he decided it didn't matter what she wanted.

"I deserved that," Carlos stiffly acknowledged; his jaw clenched with resentment. "It's just that I know Eduardo..." he swallowed awkwardly. "I know he had certain proclivities that you..."

Carlos pulled up his trousers as he stood from the bed. "I know he was fucking kinky, and I know you liked it."

Carina made an irritated sound but didn't deny it.

Carlos tiredly crossed his arms. "I suppose you would never know this about me, but I like those things, too. Except I don't want to do them with just anybody. And if I didn't already know you had similar desires I would never... I mean, I thought you would like..." he trailed off, hoping she might understand his presumption.

Hating that Carlos knew she like copping Eduardo's load in her mouth, Carina rubbed her face. "I do not want to talk about this. I'll be at the lounge in twenty minutes."

She knew Carlos wanted to explain his actions, but it only humiliated her. Carina knew he was aware of her sex life with Eduardo, but to imply she would welcome it with him just because she enjoyed it with his brother...

"Carina."

Pausing by the door, she turned with a pained expression. "What?"

Carlos' eyes were intensely solemn. "I can make you happy if you give me a chance. I will treat you better."

Carina wrenched the door open and left. Encountering two men in the corridor, she couldn't meet their eyes as they politely stood aside for her to pass. Shame washed over her as their focus inevitably settled on the stretched front of her dress and she wondered if they could smell sex. Normally she flaunted her sexuality, but under these circumstances she was mortified.

Where her roaring sex-life with Eduardo was widely known and accepted, she felt the men's silent disapproval of her becoming Carlos' lover. But there was no alternative, she didn't like it any better than they did, and she had an agenda to see through.

After a quick rinse in the shower, Carina distractedly rummaged through her clothes, still reeling from the recent encounter with Carlos. Hesitating as a thought struck her, she nervously reached into the cupboard, right to the back and felt around the base. Velvet brushed her fingertips, and she pulled back like she'd touched fire. It was her sex toy case.

"Ugh." Covering her eyes with one hand, she slowly shook her head, refusing to consider whether Carlos had been through it. "Keep it together, Carina."

Dragging a gleaming red jumpsuit up her body, she firmly tied the satin sash around her waist. Gathering her glossy dark hair into a high ponytail, she faced the mirror with a wry smile. One silver lining was that the new issues with Carlos temporarily distracted from her upsets with Michael.

Eduardo used to tease her about Carlos' oversized cock, but Carina presumed he was being obscene just to make her laugh. Her amusement stemmed from the inappropriateness of it; the fact Carlos would be scandalised if he overheard them. She never saw Carlos in a sexual light and was never curious to explore the myth. But as an afterthought it was interesting to know Eduardo was actually telling the truth.

Carina met her eyes in the mirror, wide with disbelief as she remembered the feel of Carlos' member in her hand.

"I can't believe he really is hung like a monster," she mused at her reflection. "That thing is not going inside me," she muttered determinedly, slipping into black Louis Vuitton heels. "No fucking way."

*****

Carina was surprised to find Gavin alone in the game lounge, quietly shuffling cards.

"Hello," she said shyly, lightly blushing as he looked over her new outfit.

"You change clothes a lot," he said mildly, still toying with the cards. "I have yet to see an unflattering colour on you. I thought you were with Carlos?"

Carina immediately suffered the mental image of a giant appendage approaching her face.

"Um...no," she said awkwardly. "Gavin, I think we..."

"Bugs everywhere in the tropics," he pleasantly interrupted, resuming his shuffling.

Baffled, Carina opened her mouth to question him, but her voice died when Gavin stared fiercely, the blue of his eyes like chilled slates of ice. Carina paused, feeling a strange fear ribbon up her spine, and down between her legs. He was angry. It was hot.

"I suppose Carlos' lackeys usually carry repellent," Gavin added tartly, briskly tapping the deck to the table. "But I guess when they are absent, there will always be bugs."

Carina's jaw dropped. Did he mean...?

"My spidey-sense tells me Carlos will be a while," he continued with an easy smile. "Let's start without him."

"O-Okay," Carina stammered, taking the chair opposite.

"Since we are all alone, this is a good opportunity to get to know each other a little better. What do you say?"

Carina stared speechlessly, taken aback by Gavin's enthusiasm. Despite his cheerful tone, his eyes were still angry, and she wondered what the Hell had happened since dinner to enrage him.

"Sure," she croaked, then cleared her throat and reached for a glass of water.

By the time Carlos showed up, the hour was late. Prior to that, Gavin told Carina numerous, conflicting stories about his background, before steadily delivering a never-ending flow of terrible Dad jokes.

When Carlos entered with three men, Gavin greeted him with a wide smile.

"Carlos, you made it!" he exclaimed. "I was beginning to think you had better things to listen to."

"Forgive my tardiness," Carlos retorted, taking his seat as the men hovered by the bar. Glancing over Carina's attire, he indulgently flicked her ponytail. "You are a vision, Carina."

"Thank you, Carlos," she said politely, avoiding his eyes.

"What shall we play?" Gavin inquired, the cards buzzing between his hands in a riffle shuffle.

"No more games, Gavin. I want to speak candidly."

"Okay." Gavin lightly placed the card deck between them. "You start."

"Why didn't you disclose your connection with Michael?"

"Why are you looking for my parents?" Gavin snarled.

Carina twisted in her seat to stare at Carlos, who smirked with a nod of acknowledgement.

"I wanted leverage. It's just my way," he shrugged carelessly. "I wonder how you knew?"

"Your men are loud, and I understand Spanish," Gavin snapped, eyes blazing. "You might have saved yourself the trouble and asked me. I could have told you they are dead."

Carlos looked sceptical. "You understand Spanish? Or perhaps you snooped through my iPad? Creo que eres una mentirosa."

Carina waited breathlessly, wondering if Gavin bluffed.

Gavin's grinned menacingly. "You think I'm a liar, Carlos? Estás lleno de mierda," he returned.

Carina's jaw fell open as Carlos was told he's full of shit in flawless Spanish.

"Fluent, just like Michael," Carlos observed with a twisted smile. "If you worked together you must know who he is. That his name is not really 'Michael'. You may not be his friend, but you are still not helping me, Gavin. I think you should consider very carefully whose side you are on."

Gavin didn't answer.

"I don't like this," Carina said uncomfortably, and Carlos placed his hand on her leg to prevent her rising.

"Stay," he sharply ordered, watching Gavin's eyes follow the movement of his hand to Carina's thigh. "Am I going to have a problem with you, Gavin?"

"What kind of trouble do you anticipate?" Gavin asked bluntly, and Carlos looked foreboding.

"I do not like you, nor trust you. The men will see you to your room. Come, Carina."

Carina cast a desperate glance at Gavin, who seemed calm and gave the tiniest shake of his head, warning her not to make a scene.

*****

With his three-man escort, Gavin paused as they approached the narrow passage leading to his room.

"How do we do this?" he inquired, gesturing to the thin space ahead. "Will one of you lead the way, with two behind to make a nice sandwich? Or will all three of you guard me from the rear?"

Taken aback by the amiable inquiry, the men exchanged unsure glances. Only one had a hand resting on the gun by his hip. Gavin had been flagged as dangerous from the beginning, however thus far behaved like a complete civilian with impeccable manners. There was never a threatening air about him, unlike the common thugs Carlos normally dealt with.

"Lo siento por esto," Gavin apologised. I'm sorry about this.

The man with his hand lingering by the gun took the first hit. Gavin felt bone break under his knuckles in one of his best sucker punches. In the same movement his other hand shot out to seize the second's throat in an agonising squeeze to shove him into the third man before any weapons could be drawn.

The two men fell together as the first stayed bent over, blindly clutching his bleeding nose. Gavin aptly gripped the man's head and ended his life in once vicious twist. Trapped on the ground, the third struggled for his gun, the second retched for air atop him. Gavin hauled the second man up by his shirt in time to use him as a human shield. Choking against Gavin's shoulder, the man lurched twice as the third fired frantically. Before the gunman could compose himself to aim properly, Gavin promptly stomped on his crotch.