PROTECT HER (A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance) (LOVE HER Book 2) Read online

  Four

  If always getting into the wrong situation were a competition, Gloria would lead the pack as world champion. Motivated always by equal parts laziness, greed, narcissism, and selfishness, Gloria had a natural knack for finding herself in often dangerous and sometimes illegal situations.

  It was around the time when Cora was about fifteen when Gloria met Carlos Vilas. Carlos was a middle-aged man with slick greasy black hair, a thick equally greasy mustache, and a thriving drug cartel business.

  Gloria had immediately been attracted to the kind of power Carlos wielded over his small empire. By positioning himself in the southern tip of Mexico, he was at the perfect junction to meet smugglers from Central and South America.

  This meant huge profits for Carlos. And huge profits were translated into a sprawling mansion and several luxury cars. He even had the several acres surrounding his mansion turned into a sort of compound for him and his cartel.

  After years of literally eating garbage and sleeping on the streets, Gloria couldn’t have been more taken with Carlos. And Carlos loved the idea of having a gringa woman by his side.

  It wasn’t long before Gloria was soon living at the mansion and it took even less time before she was making short drug runs for Carlos.

  As a white woman, she’d get stopped less and would be less suspicious, Carlos explained. And it wasn’t as if she was smuggling the drugs to America. She was just moving small packages from one dealer to another within Mexico.

  Cora, who had felt too uncomfortable with the leering gazes of Carlos and his men, had decided to stay in a small shack a few miles down from Gloria and her mansion.

  Gloria would stop by often with some money and food and several dozen stories of how wonderful life was for her. Cora knew Gloria liked having the mansion and Carlos’s attention all to herself. She didn’t want to share the luxuries of a drug queen life with her daughter and appreciated Cora keeping a safe distance away.

  She had also seen how Carlos had looked at Cora and wanted to make sure her position as his main woman was secure. Secretly, Cora was sure that Gloria knew somewhere deep inside that Carlos did not care for her the way Gloria cared for him. And that made the older woman constantly on edge.

  And for a year or two, life had remained precariously calm. Cora had even found work as a waitress for a tiny little restaurant at the edge of town. She was slowly saving up money for what she hoped would be her ticket to somewhere bigger, perhaps Mexico City. And from there, America? She could only dare to dream.

  But late one night, as she was leaving the restaurant, a man followed her down her normal alley home. Cora had felt his presence but had maintained a speedy pace in hopes of outracing him.

  As she turned a corner, she thought she had lost the man. Breathing a sigh of relief, she continued on her way. But only two steps later, she felt a sweaty palm fall over her mouth as a slurring voice murmured in her ear, “Chicaaa….”

  Cora fought with all her strength. Although the man wasn’t particularly tall, he was big. He had to easily weigh over two hundred and fifty pounds. And he was drunk, making his movements sloppy and heavy.

  He grabbed at her shorts and ripped the zipper open. His hands groped her breasts, feeling them with such perverse intimacy that tears immediately sprang to Cora’s eyes.

  Although she could feel herself losing the battle, Cora never screamed. In this kind of neighborhood, screaming had a better chance of bringing on more trouble than help.

  But when the man’s thick fingers slipped between her legs, plunging into her dry, unwilling pussy, Cora couldn’t help but shriek. Feeling against the alley wall behind her, she grabbed whatever was at hand. A sizeable chunk of loose wood was only a foot away from her. Twisting and squirming towards it, she grabbed it and thumped the man as hard as she could on the back of his neck.

  At first, the man seemed completely unfazed. Cora hit him again, using every ounce of strength she had. Finally the man’s fumbling hands paused as he froze before slumping forward into a large doughy heap.

  And it was precisely at that moment, when she was carrying her bloody battering stick, that the police arrived.

  The man was immediately identified as an off-duty police officer. Completely ignoring her bruises and her cries of attempted rape, the police promptly arrested her and threw her in prison where she was charged with murder.

  She sat in jail for three days before Gloria finally came to see her. “I told Carlos. He’ll fix it. He promised he’d fix it,” she had said through the bars. Cora fervently hoped he could but wasn’t sure how. The police were just as crooked and corrupt as the drug lords. It would take quite a lot of work to have them waive a murder charge.

  Cora had been a little surprised at how urgently Gloria had worked on Carlos to help her daughter. But then again, one thing Gloria hated above all else was being alone. And Cora suspected that in case something bad happened with Carlos, Gloria saw her as insurance against ever being alone.

  It had taken nearly two weeks but finally the police chief and Carlos had made a deal. Cora wasn’t sure how much money or goods were exchanged but she was sure it couldn’t have come cheap.

  After being released, she saw Carlos and Gloria waiting for her in a shiny Rolls Royce.

  “This is my gift, preciosa,” Carlos had said to her, regarding the charge waive. He held up one stubby finger, studded with thick gold rings. “But remember who gave it to you.” Running a hand across his mustache, he added, “And who can take it back.”

  Cora wasn’t sure what that meant but she could tell it was a threat. She wondered what she’d have to do to pay the man back for his “gift.” But within a day or two, she realized she might not ever have to worry about it again.

  It was only two days later when Cora woke up to her mother’s note and the few pesos she had left her, telling her daughter of her leaving. Carlos had packed up everything within his compound and had suddenly moved. Gloria had followed him and hadn’t asked Cora to come along.

  Now in the same town she had just been charged with murder but without the protection of Carlos, Cora knew it was time for her to leave whether she was ready or not.

  And thanks to various shady connections she had met through Carlos and Gloria, she had managed to snag a ride across the border, clutching a handful of forged documents, ready to start anew.

  Five

  “….but this Vilas character didn’t move far. About fifty miles east. On a map, it looks like it’d be a better spot for his smuggling but in actuality, his business has been hurting for the last two years. And he’s gotten quite reckless and vindictive because of it,” Paulson said.

  Holding the phone against his ear with his shoulder, Julian scrolled through the information Paulson had emailed him—copies of police reports, interview transcripts, and even a Wanted ad.

  “What does that mean—vindictive?” Julian asked, as he quickly skimmed over the police report the night Cora was arrested and charged with murder.

  His Spanish wasn’t perfect but it was enough to be able to know that the report noted bruises and blood on the murderer but nothing about a rape or assault. That wasn’t too surprising, given the town Cora had been in.

  “It means that Vilas has been lashing out on old partners for minor infractions. He’s been erratic on deliveries and strangely paranoid and suspicious with some of his men. And he’s been very paranoid with Gloria.”

  Although Julian now was completely sure that Cora Rámon was actually Karen Denton, it still hit him like a brick to hear Gloria’s name mentioned so casually. That woman had brought mayhem and chaos into countless lives but the most damage she unleashed was on her own daughter.

  “Does he have reason to be paranoid with Gloria?” He wouldn’t put it past Gloria to somehow cross an armed and corrupt drug lord. The woman must’ve been born without any sense of self-preservation.

  “Well,” Paulson said broadly, sounding like he was stretching in his seat. The man had been hard
at work trying to piece together Cora’s life. “Now I can’t say for sure. From what I’ve been able to tell, Gloria’s been doing some small deliveries for Vilas for almost going on ten years now. All the deliveries have always been successful. But in the last year or so, she’s failed to make three deliveries. She could’ve been robbed or searched but three times is hard to brush off as a coincidence.” Julian could hear the click of a lighter as Paulson lit a cigarette. “If I were Vilas, I’d be suspicious too.”

  Julian read page after page, gobbling up information of what Cora’s life had been life for the past decade and a half. And with every revelation, his heart broke a little more for her. Life hadn’t just been hard for her. It had been goddamn impossible. The mere fact that Cora had grown into such a determined and well-adjusted woman made Julian’s heart clench in heartbreaking admiration.

  “So does this have any repercussions for Cora?” Fuck Gloria for all he cared. But he wanted to make sure nothing came back to haunt Cora. He would make sure she would be able to finally breathe a breath free of fear and obligation.

  “Just one repercussion. One big one.” Paulson sighed heavily. “It looks like Vilas had made some kind of deal with the arresting police department to free Cora. He would provide them with a small measure of drugs for them to sell. They would obviously still be giving Vilas a cut but in return Vilas would sell the product to them at a much cheaper rate. Well, two weeks ago he rescinded the deal.”

  “He rescinded it? After nearly six years?” Julian asked, surprised.

  “Yep. In retaliation, the police department dragged up Cora’s old charges and put out a warrant for her arrest. They thought that would bring Vilas down to his knees but little did they know that’s exactly what he wanted. Vilas has even helped broadcast the warrant further up Mexico.”

  “Why the fuck is he doing this?” Julian demanded, feeling his fingers curling into enraged fists.

  “Honestly, chief, who the fuck knows? This man has seriously gone a little bonkers and he’s soon on the brink of losing what little of an empire he’s made.” Paulson took a deep drag on his cigarette.

  Julian could almost imagine the grizzled old PI with a ragged cigarette hanging out from the corner of his mouth. “But one thing is clear,” Paulson warned, “Cora Rámon is a wanted woman in Mexico. And soon as she steps foot there, Carlos Vilas will find her.”

  Six

  “Cora, I need more. I need three grand more,” Gloria said urgently.

  Although she knew her mom couldn’t see it, Cora threw her hands up into the air. “Mom, I already sent you three thousand dollars. I had to take everything in the bank plus max out a credit card to get that money. There’s no other place I can possibly go now to get any more.”

  She could hear Gloria’s agitated breathing on the other end of the phone. This was more than just a missing delivery. Something more serious was happening. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

  Gloria hesitated before sighing and whispering, “Something’s wrong with Carlos.” Another agitated breath. “Something’s been wrong with him for awhile now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I—I just need some more money, Cora,” Gloria said, a genuine note of desperation entering her voice.

  “But mom,” Cora said, trying to uncover what was unnerving her mother so, “how do you know another three thousand will make it right with Carlos? What if he keeps asking for more? There’s only so much money I can scrounge together. What then?”

  Gloria gave a small frustrated cry. Cora could tell she was trying to keep her voice down. Wherever Gloria was, she didn’t want to be overheard. That alone alarmed Cora.

  After a long pause, Gloria whispered, “I need to get out of here, Cora. I need to get away. But I don’t know how. I can’t do it alone.”

  Cora was only human. She couldn’t help but feel the initial pang of bitterness at Gloria’s words. Who had helped Cora when she had tried to cross the border? Who had protected her or watched over her as she tried to dangerously forge a new life for herself?

  But Cora quickly shook the thought out of her mind. No matter what her feelings, Cora had never been able to let go of the debt she felt she owed her mother when Gloria had helped free her from prison.

  Cora had very narrowly escaped life in a Mexican prison where women inmates were routinely raped and abused. She just couldn’t ignore such a debt even against all the terrible things her mother had done.

  And if now Gloria was thinking about leaving Carlos, that meant she was frightened of something. Carlos offered luxury, comfort, and most of all protection. To leave all that meant Gloria would rather take her chances on the dangerous and cutthroat streets again. Something was seriously wrong.

  “What do you mean by ‘leave,’ mom?” Cora asked cautiously. From what Cora remembered of the man, Carlos was a very possessive person. He would not let any thing—person or not—go without a fight. “Where do you want to go?”

  “To the north. To the States. Any fucking place but here,” Gloria whispered. Now that she had voiced these dangerous thoughts aloud, it seemed like there was no stopping her. “I just have to get away from here. Carlos is just getting too crazy and if I stay, I don’t know what’ll happen to me.”

  Cora’s eyes widened at this. Of course she had always realized that there would be substantial risks in engaging in a relationship with a drug lord, which is why Cora had always chosen to keep a safe distance away.

  Her mother, on the other hand, had thrown herself head over heels into Carlos’s waiting lap. But after so many years of relative calm, Cora had just assumed that Gloria must’ve secured quite a safe position within Carlos’s heart.

  It looked like she was wrong.

  And it sounded like Gloria was now afraid for her life. Cora remembered the cold prison cell and the taunting guards. She remembered how one of the officers had given her ass a painful squeeze as he tossed her into the cell with a promise of more to come.

  Cora owed Gloria.

  “Mom, I can come down. I can’t help with money but I can help try and get you to safety,” Cora said slowly. She hadn’t set foot in Mexico in years and had no particular desire to ever again. But if Gloria was in trouble, she would go.

  “No!” Gloria said suddenly. “No! You can’t come! Definitely not now!”

  Cora was brought short. “Definitely not now? What does that mean?”

  Gloria hesitated. “Just—I mean, you just need to send me more money. That will help.”

  Cora shook her head. “Mom, I really don’t have any more money. And there isn’t anyone I can borrow money from.” Julian’s face quickly flashed through her mind. “The only thing I can offer you is for me to come down there and help you.”

  There was a long pause.

  Finally, Gloria took a deep breath. “Okay, fine. Come find me, Cora.”

  Seven

  “I think you’ll be doing just fine on your own when I leave,” Trisha said with only the slightest note of pride in her normally reserved voice.

  Cora looked up distractedly then gave the woman a quick smile. She appreciated Trisha’s training and wanted to make sure the woman knew it before she left. But Cora was still so distracted from her mother’s phone call.

  If she left for Mexico, she didn’t know how long she would be gone. She had only just gotten the job at JB Enterprises. It would be extremely unprofessional to leave now for an unknown amount of time.

  Besides, Cora realized, she didn’t know if Julian would grant her the absence anyway. He had maintained his aloof manner towards her even in the office.

  He still greeted her and was quite vocal during their professional meetings but outside of that, he was just always a little removed and distant. She could feel him watching her and calculating something in his head. She only wondered what it could be.

  She had worked so hard to build a life not only in New York but in America. If she left for Mexico now, she wasn’t sure what she would return to. Certainly
not this job at JB Enterprises. She was positive Julian would fire her as soon as she asked for any kind of time off.

  But there was no way that Cora could live with having Gloria’s blood on her hands and if she really was in that kind of mortal danger, Cora needed to do something.

  As Cora carefully filed away some contracts that needed signing before the end of the day, she began to realize perhaps this distance between herself and Julian was a blessing in disguise.

  With Gloria in trouble, the last thing Cora wanted was to drag Julian down with her. Nobody deserved that kind of baggage and drama and Cora felt shame at the idea of Julian even having a hint of the kind of background she came from.

  She would’ve been torn and heartbroken at the idea of choosing between Julian and her mother. At least this way, there was no choice. The choice had already been made for her.