Santiago: The Almeida Brothers Trilogy Book One: Social Rejects Syndicate Read online

  “How can you be so sure? What do we do now?”

  “Rodrigo and Marco are calling our German men right now and informing them of the situation. Once I have confirmation Müeller has her, I will reach out to him.” He places a hand to my face. “I promise to bring her home as quickly as I can.”

  “I know you will. How long before you get confirmation?”

  “I should have it within the hour.” I place my hand over his and lean my face into him.

  “I told my father you would call him. He said he tried to call you first.”

  Santiago nods. “I will call him when I have confirmation.”

  “Thank you.” I stand. “I’m going to take a shower.”

  He nods.

  I quickly retreat into our bedroom, closing the door behind me. I feel like I’m going to break. So much for being strong and brave. Maybe I can’t handle this? Maybe I was fooling myself to think I could be the wife of a mob boss.

  I rush into the bathroom, turning on the shower before stripping out of my clothes. The warm spray hits my exposed skin, doing nothing to relieve the tension I feel throughout my body. The water runs over my head, mixing with the tears starting to fall from my eyes. Sobs rack my body. Of all the things I considered when deciding to marry Santiago, the thought of my family being caught in the crossfire of his business never once entered my mind. I considered myself a target, but never my parents or sisters. It’s my fault Isabel is gone...

  My legs give out on me and I slump to the shower floor. Gathering my legs to my chin, I sob into my wet skin.

  Why would Müeller target my family like this?

  “Amelia!” I hear my name being called as someone shakes me awake. I look up into Santiago’s fear-stricken face.

  “Oh, thank God,” he says before he lifts me into his lap. He’s still wearing his suit, and the water has already soaked him to the bone.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask. I have no clue why he’s in here looking so petrified.

  “I came to check on you and you were passed out.” He holds me close to him. “You scared the shit out of me,” he whispers.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. The last thing I remember was sitting here crying.” I kiss his cheek. “You’re soaked.”

  “I don’t care. My only concern is you. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I need to finish showering.” He helps me stand. I begin washing myself as he steps out of the shower and out of his wet clothes. His eyes never leave mine. Once finished, I turn off the shower and find Santiago waiting for me with a towel in his hand. He dries me off just before lifting me into his arms and carrying me back to the bed.

  “Rest, Querida. I have some phone calls to make,” he says as he covers me with the blankets. My exhausted eyes barely follow him as he leaves the room wearing only his sweatpants.

  Chapter 14

  Santiago

  “Do you have confirmation?” I ask my German head of security. I have men in every country all over the world. No one crosses me and gets away with it. That’s a fucking promise.

  “Yes, Sir. She’s safe and they aren’t hurting her. They are holding her at Müeller’s compound.”

  “Good. Keep an eye on her and notify me immediately if anything changes.” I hit end on the call, seconds before I punch another number on my phone. It’s an alert to Rodrigo and Marco. Within a minute, I hear a knock.

  “Come in.”

  My brothers walk through the door.

  “What’s up?” Rodrigo asks.

  “Isabel is being held at Müeller’s compound. She’s fine,” I inform them, letting them know the details. “I want to be on a plane tomorrow. Set up the meeting.”

  “On it,” Marco says as they leave. I dial Leonardo.

  “Santiago, please tell me Isabel is safe.” The panic in his voice is evident. I close my eyes, rubbing my forehead.

  “She’s safe and unharmed. I have eyes on her.” I hear him take a deep breath and I wait until he composes himself. “I need to know what happened and exactly what was said to you.”

  Leonardo gives me the play-by-play of what happened, and I do my best to listen intently. Leonardo talks fast but seems to be much calmer than when I first called. I can’t imagine how scared he is. If my daughter was kidnapped, I would kill every mother fucker that touched her. The thought of having a daughter takes my breath away. The idea of having children never crossed my mind before I met Amelia. Now, all I see is Amelia with a swollen belly in my mind’s eye, getting lost in it.

  “Santiago, are you there?” I hear him say, snapping me out of the daydream.

  “I’m here. You go get some rest. They won’t harm her. I’ll be heading there tomorrow morning. You need to remain calm and keep your family the same. Stay indoors and don’t bring any unnecessary attention to yourselves. Business as usual. I’ll bring her back.”

  “Sim. Go with God.” Leonardo’s tone is completely calm now. He understands the need to stay calm and to let us handle it.

  “Thank you.” I hang up and head straight to the mini bar. Pouring myself a whiskey, I walk over to the window and take a drink. My nerves haven’t calmed since I found Amelia in the shower. She scared the shit out of me. I don’t know what I would do if something ever happened to her.

  Her sweet voice comes from behind me. “Santiago?” I don’t turn around but can feel her approaching. I continue staring out the window at nothing.

  “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” she whispers.

  I turn around to find her naked. She’s absolute perfection. My body immediately responds. I want to ravish her. But I can’t do that just yet. I need to control my urges with her, and for her to get more used to me.

  “Isabel is okay,” I tell her.

  “I know. I heard you talking to Papa. I’m relieved. Will she stay safe or will they make an example out of her?”

  “They are treating her well. If she were going to be made an example, she would be getting tortured. Müeller wants my attention.” She steps closer and my eyes wander down her body.

  “I need you,” she pleads.

  I take her hand and bring it to my lips.

  “I need to feel you, Santiago.”

  “I need you, too.”

  She turns, tugging me into the bedroom. I strip out of my sweatpants as soon as we enter the room. She looks back, shooting me a pleased grin. When we reach the bed, she sits, peppering sweet kisses across my stomach. Her hands trail down my torso, moving around to my ass. My eyes close as I relish in the sensations. No woman has ever taken the time to love me. All the other women before Amelia were a quick fuck. With her, I don’t want that. I want to savor every moment—I want it to last.

  “What do you want?” She looks up at me but continues kissing my body.

  “I want all of you.”

  “You have that. What do you want right now?” I take her face in my hands and bend to lightly kiss her lips. “I want to know what you want me to do to you.” My lips travel to her neck and I hear her breath hitch.

  “I need to feel you. I don’t want you to be gentle. I want to be with my husband. I don’t want the controlled man. I appreciate how you care for me, but I won’t break. Do what you want with me.” I stop kissing her and look into her green eyes. My hand wraps around her neck.

  “I want you to lose control and give in to whatever I do to you. Your body needs to be primed and ready for me.”

  Her little pink tongue licks her lips, mesmerizing me. I feel her hands start to move again and my body heats up. She grasps She grasps my length in her hand, and I groan over the contact., and I groan over the contact. She continues to work me while kissing the tip.

  “I love the noises you make,” she says. She moves back further on the bed. “Lay down.” I do as she asks. She straddles me and my hands go to her breasts. I knead them, eliciting a soft moan when I pinch her nipples. She leans down and kisses me. The more we kiss, the more worked up we g
et. Amelia sits up, guiding me into her body. She doesn’t move for a moment, allowing herself to adjust to me. I watch her face. She looks content.

  “You feel so good.”

  “So good,” she repeats before she starts to move. I’m mesmerized by her taking pleasure from me. Her eyes are closed, lips slightly parted. My hands move from her breasts to her hips, when I lift them up, she moans. My body tenses with the need to take over, but I fight it. I want her to take control. I need to watch her. I know she’s not fragile, but she hasn’t had much sex. I feel like I’ll scare her if I lose control. Amelia moves her hips faster. Her breasts bounce more as she increases her pace and I bring my hands back to them. My thumbs flick her nipples, and she opens her eyes. They find mine as she loses control. She cries out as the orgasm hits her, her eyes never straying from mine.

  “You’re stunning like this,” I tell her. She smiles shyly and collapses on me. I flip us over so I’m on top of her. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.”

  I move onto my knees, spreading her legs so I can plunge into her. She moans as I slowly pump inside of her, moving her body with mine. One of my hands grips her thigh and the other moves to stroke her clit. As soon as my finger makes contact, she combusts. Her body grips me tight and I lose all control. I pump into her a few more times before I shatter.

  “Fuck!” I groan, filling her. I pull out and make my way to the bathroom. I wet a washcloth, take it back into the bedroom and use it to wipe Amelia down before placing the cloth on the floor. Climbing into bed, I pull her to me. “I love you.”

  “And I love you,” she whispers.

  Chapter 15

  Amelia

  Waking up to an empty bed the next morning, I call out for Santiago, but he’s not here. The smell of coffee overwhelms my senses, so I get out of bed, making my way to the suite’s kitchen. A fresh pot of coffee is brewed and waiting for me. In front of the coffee maker is a folded piece of paper. I pick it up to read it.

  “Querida, have your coffee and get ready. Although you haven’t said anything, I know you want to go with us to see Müeller. We will be leaving in an hour. I will see you on the plane. I love you.”

  I smile, put down the note, and pour a huge mug of coffee for myself. I take it with me as I head back into the bedroom to get ready to leave. It’s going to be a long, emotional day and I need to put my game face on.

  An hour later, I step onto the private jet and find a seat. A few minutes after that, Santiago and his brothers board the plane. Santiago makes his way over to me and greets me with a kiss before sitting down.

  “Good morning, Amelia,” Rodrigo says as he sits across from me.

  I greet him with a smile. “Good morning.”

  Santiago threads his fingers through mine. “We need to talk about today’s meeting.”

  Marco nods as he finds his seat. The in-flight crew prepares for departure as the four of us discuss the meeting that will be taking place later today.

  “The meeting is going to be very dangerous. For that reason, I don’t want you inside the meeting place. You will stay outside. I need to know that you’re safe,” Santiago says.

  “None of us need to worry that you’ll be hurt. It’s bad enough Isabel is being held,” Rodrigo chimes in.

  “If I’m left outside, I’m only going to get anxious worrying about all of you. Please let me be inside with you. I won’t speak and I’ll stay back. I just need to know everyone is okay.” I look toward Marco for his input.

  He shrugs. “It could get messy. Can you deal with it?” Marco asks.

  “Define messy?”

  “Amelia, I like you and I think you’re tough. You’ll see things that may haunt you forever. It will change you. If you want to come inside, I’m okay with it, but you need to stay out of the way and keep your mouth shut. We don’t need you attracting too much attention. These men are ruthless.” Marco frowns. “But we trust you.”

  Marco doesn’t speak much. But when he does, it comes from the heart and he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. You only get the truth from Marco’s mouth, good or bad.

  “Thank you, Marco. You can trust me.” I squeeze Santiago’s hand. “I need to be inside for my peace of mind.”

  “I promised to keep you safe. If you’re a part of this meeting, your safety is at risk.” He looks away. “I couldn’t handle it if something happens to you.”

  “I trust you, your brothers, and your men. I know they will protect me. Plus, I’m asking. If it were anyone other than my family members being held, I wouldn’t ask to be a part of that. Like it or not, I’m a part of the business by default. I will handle anything I see, and I will keep my mouth shut.”

  Marco and Rodrigo chuckle. Santiago shakes his head and kisses me. It’s a losing battle, and he knows it.

  The limo pulls up in front of what looks like an abandoned racetrack. One of Müeller’s men stands guard at the door. Marco steps out first, then Rodrigo. Before Santiago and I step out, he stops me.

  “Please stay back,” he begs. “Listen to orders.”

  “I will,” I reassure him. He hesitantly steps out of the car first. He gives me his hand and helps me out of the car. The four of us head toward the entrance, protected by Müeller’s guards.

  The guard at the door opens it, and another one of Müeller’s men, leads us to a conference room at the end of the gallery. It truly is an abandoned building. It stinks of mildew and stale smoke. The furniture is dilapidated and outdated. It looks like this track has been abandoned for many years. The paint on the walls is chipping and there are holes in the ceiling. The windows overlooking the track are almost completely covered in mildew. The conference room is not much better. The table is old and peeling. The chairs have holes, and the cushioning is poking through. The wall that faces the track is nothing but windows.

  Müeller and his smug face are sitting behind the table facing the windows. Three of his guards stand behind him. A skinny man sits next to him.

  “The Almeida Brothers,” Müeller says as we walk in.

  Santiago nods before sitting across from Müeller. Three of the four guards with us stand behind Santiago, Rodrigo, and Marco. The other guy stands by me at the door. I look around the room. There are no other doors or windows. Where are they holding Isabel? I didn’t see any other rooms on the way to this one. It was just open space.

  “I’m here. What do you want?” Santiago asks.

  “I want your product,” Müeller states.

  “You tried to steal from my organization. Why would I do business with you?”

  “Almeida, you’re making me angry by doubting me. I only stole from you because you wouldn’t do business with me,” Müeller snarls. “It was only fair.”

  “If I can’t trust you, I won’t do business with you.”

  “I give you my word, there will be no more trouble. I will purchase your products at a fair price, and you won’t hear from me.”

  Santiago thinks on it for a moment and says, “I’m going to give you another chance. We will do business. If any problems occur, understand you and your organization will pay.”

  “Understood,” Müeller says with a shit-eating grin.

  “Where’s Isabel?” Rodrigo asks.

  Müeller gives one of his guards an order and he steps away from the table, walking out of the conference room. He looks at me and points. “She will be coming down the hall.”

  Stepping outside the conference room, I wait for my sister with the guard at my heels. Isabel runs towards me, straight into my arms. A sigh of relief escapes my chest, now that I know she’s okay and coming home with us. I take a moment to look her over. She’s unharmed. I’m so relieved.

  Santiago tells the guard standing with me to take us to the car. I lock eyes with him. He nods, telling me it’s time to go, so I do as he asks and head to the car.

  Chapter 16

  Santiago

  I watch as Isabel runs into Amelia’s arms. The two embrace for a moment before I give t
he signal to get them out of the building. I step out of the conference room to make sure they make it out safe. As they get to the door, Isabel screams, and I see Amelia walking backward with a gun pointed at her head. One of Müeller’s goons was waiting for her. The goon steps closer to Amelia and grabs her by the arm. He pushes her toward me and continues to point the gun at her head. The look in Amelia’s eyes is pure fear. She’s not panicking though, and I’m proud of her. She’s keeping her cool.

  “Müeller, you better make the gun pointed at my wife’s head disappear,” I growl.

  Müeller and his little sidekick jump out of their seats quickly and rush over. When he sees his goon’s gun pointed at Amelia, he starts yelling in German. I don’t know what he’s saying, but his body language tells me he’s angry. Immediately the gun is holstered, and the goon lets go of Amelia. She walks slowly to me, afraid to misstep. I meet her halfway and put my arm around her waist to hold her up.

  “Are you okay?” I ask her.

  “Yes,” she whispers.

  “Santiago, my apologies. It was a misunderstanding. I promise he will be dealt with,” Müeller stammers. He knows this isn’t going to end well now. My trust has been broken and he may have lost his second chance. I’m not going to do that though. My instincts tell me Müeller’s guy did this of his own accord. I’m going to test him.

  I look at my other guard and ask him to take Amelia to the car. They start walking toward the exit and I look back at Müeller.

  “I want a show of good faith,” I tell him.

  “Name it.”

  “Give me him. I want to deal with him myself.” I motion toward the goon.

  “Yes, of course.” Müeller says something to the goon who immediately goes into the conference room. “Do what you must.”

  He passed the test.

  I nod, watching him very closely as he and his men leave the building. Marco and Rodrigo jump on the phone to make sure all of his men have completely left the premises.