Slater - Kiss of the Cartel

L ena, dance.

I stiffen, not wanting to turn around, but having no choice. I know who is speaking, his curt voice, the timbre, the inflection and accent, unmistakable. I turn slowly, keeping Manuel on my right, still within my line of sight as I face Luis. The bosss son, a man who's made it clear that we are not friends, we're not even acquaintances. We're enemies. And in our world, the mafia world, an enemy in ones own camp is a very dangerous thing.

His sexual appeal is undeniable. Hes tall, broad, and darkly dangerous. His inky black hair is long, tied at the back of his neck in a ponytail that flows to midway down his back. His suit is fit to kill. Women that is. Dark, tailored, with a crisp white dress shirt and a black bowtie. Everything about him is proper. But I know better. He's a wolf in sheeps clothing, fitting in where he doesnt belong. A killer pretending to be civilized.

I despise the zing that goes through my body as I study him. The way my heart beats overtime in fearful interest. He wont know though. I keep my gaze cool, assessing, impersonal.

I keep my eyes lowered, my voice coolly professional when I say, Are you asking me to dance?

I wasnt asking. His voice is deep and the chill matches mine.

Im surprised that he would want to dance with me, though we are attending a charity ball and couples are whirling all around us. In the years weve spent living under the same roof, eating the same food, protecting the same man, hes never once willingly touched me. Not unless ordered.

Luis is a bully. He never misses an opportunity to verbally stab at me, to test the boundaries of his relationship with his father's asset. Asking me to dance is just another opportunity for him to fuck with me.

Im about to say no, to tell him I dont dance, when Manuel turns from his conversation with a city developer and says, Go dance, Lena. You rarely get to have fun on these outings, and nothing will happen to me in a room full of people.

His voice is low so no one can hear except me and Luis. This is because only a handful of people know that I am Manuels personal bodyguard. Most know me as his silent, much younger girlfriend. This cover has served us well, enabling me to remain at his side through most of his outings. His other bodyguards, big conspicuous men, are ever-present as well. But at events like this, where it becomes more difficult for the protection details to monitor their clients, Im able to remain by his side. His secret weapon. The silent but deadly shadow that will strike before the enemy knows Im even there.

My existence in Manuels life is the reason for Luis hostility. He despises the idea of his father using a woman for a bodyguard. Luis is not as progressive as his father, he prefers the old ways. Bodyguards are big, burly men whose presence conveys a menacing threat to anyone who would dare mess with the family. Despite his annoyance at my position, I suspect he is also pissed off that I'm posing as his father's girlfriend.

I see the way Luis eyes linger over my curves, settle on my body almost unwillingly before he forces his gaze away. Brutal experience has taught me to know when a man lusts after me. Unfortunately, I also know when a man hates me. And Luis is a cauldron of both emotions whenever we inhabit a room together.

Before I can speak, come up with an excuse to refuse the dance, Luis takes my arm in a firm grip and pulls me toward the dance floor. My instincts are screaming at me to fight him, to break his hold and rush back to Manuels side, where I belong. I have been trained well. I must always keep my principal within sight unless I've been dismissed.

Luis turns me to face him, one big hand wrapped intimately around my hip while the other takes my hand in an unbreakable hold. For one single moment the room ceases to exist. The couples, the music, the laughter, it all fades as Luis touches me. Our eyes lock and for this split second the ever-present rage falls away from him. Its just the two of us, our undeniable attraction sizzling between us.

The unprecedented moment feels almost... life altering.

Then his lip begins to curl in a familiar sneer, and I know that the next words out of his mouth will be daggers to my heart, meant to shred any feelings I might have harboured for him. This man has convinced me Im a masochist, because I crave his words, whether they are barbed knives or a passing comment. Even though they slice deep, they are mine.

You clean up good, Lena. His deep voice holds the sharp edge of a dagger to it. A fuckable little pet, attached to my fathers arm.

I dont reply. I have nothing to say to him. He is the bosss son and I must not disrespect him. Manuel is a mostly benevolent boss, but his goodwill ends when it comes to his son, his only remaining immediate family. The two men love each other as deeply as any father and son. They've set up a criminal empire together. And though Luis doesn't care for Manuels choice of personal bodyguard, he does hold his father in the highest esteem. Insulting Luis to his face is the same as insulting Manuel. Bad for my health.

A wolf in sheeps clothing, he murmurs, his eyes hot on the bodice of my dress. I nearly laugh at the analogy he uses, the same as I was thinking of him a few minutes ago.

Im wearing a black dress, sleeveless and low cut, but my arms are covered with a long-sleeved jacket that obscures the holster strapped to the left side of my chest, under my arm. It holds my .45 Glock. The dress falls to my ankles but slits up my side almost to the top of my thigh should I need to reach my blade, tucked into a holster strapped to my right thigh. My long brown hair sits coiled on the top of my head like a crown to keep it out of my way should I be attacked. I wear diamonds in my ears, on my neck and on my fingers. The only incongruency to my ensemble that anyone might notice is the low pumps on my feet, instead of the sky-high heels worn by the women whirling all around me. Intended so I can run or kick if the need should arise.

My outfit is meant to look sexy and sophisticated, but with a hidden functionality. Perfect for the woman who stands at Manuels side posing as his girlfriend, protecting him as his bodyguard. A wolf in sheeps clothing indeed. Few would guess that I could kill them before they have time to wonder why Manuels girlfriend has suddenly turned into a weapon wielding ninja.

Answer me when I speak to you. Luis thin veneer of civilization is slipping. The rage he doesnt bother to conceal is coming to the fore.

What was the question? I score a small victory with my calm voice and straight face. I havent insulted him directly, yet we both know he wasnt asking me a question. He wants me to respond to his hate. He wants an opponent in me, not the doll who stands quietly with his father.

I dont give him the satisfaction. I find more pleasure in stoking the flames of his rage by remaining silent than by fighting with him. It keeps distance between us, a necessary wall. I am wary of his intentions. A part of me knows that if the dam between us ever breaks we'll find ourselves in a deadly, heated struggle. One that would inevitably end in my death. Better to keep my feelings to myself.