In a Broken Dream (The Broken Series Book 4) (36 page)

Rafael
buried himself as deep as was humanly possible, then thrust even deeper in a
motion that was quiet and very precise. My breath caught when I realized his
intentions. He wasn’t trying to keep the bed from squeaking. He was trying to
plant his seed deep within me. I held him tight, insanely aroused by the
thought.

Rafael
took his time. I luxuriated in the slow, methodical climb, never once shying
away from his eyes. The climax he wrought was exquisite. Rafael swallowed my
cries in a kiss as he spilled inside of me. He remained buried deep within me
through the rest of the night. I drifted off contentedly. Nothing had ever felt
so right.

*
* * * *

It
felt wrong, driving away from San Fernando, but I found comfort in knowing that
Kadyn and Roger would soon be arriving in Reynosa. I was riding in the rental
car with Rafael. Maxim, Shae, and Konstantin were in the vehicle in front of
us. Cenia and Isabel were riding with Alejandro, who was driving behind us. We were
caravanning together in case any of us were stopped at any unofficial checkpoints.

Rafael
kept stealing glances at me. Last night had proven a turning point for both of us.
There was some unspoken agreement that our relationship had transformed into
something more. I was trying not to think about it. I needed to focus on what
lie ahead in Reynosa. Still, my mind kept circling back to my relationship with
Rafael. My emotions were scattered, equal parts terrified and giddy with
excitement.

We
parked our vehicles on a side street near the Cathedral of Our Lady of
Guadalupe when we arrived in Reynosa. Maxim had asked the mafia to meet us in
front of the cathedral. I suspected he had chosen the religious site to keep
everyone in check.

We
walked together, rounding the corner as one. The cathedral was not at all what
I expected. Two tall, rectangular towers flanked a contemporary looking dome. The
life size crucifix hanging on the front of the building was the only indication
that we were nearing a Catholic church.

Maxim
stopped short of the towering cathedral. “I want Shae, Cenia, Isabel, and Kristine
to wait inside the Church of Our Lady Guadalupe. He jerked his head toward the smaller,
more traditional looking church tucked alongside the cathedral. He looked
pointedly at Alejandro. “I’m trusting you to keep the women safe. Lead them
through the back of the church and to the vehicles if you hear any gunshots.”

Alejandro
nodded. “I’ll make sure they’re safe.”

Maxim
looked at Rafael. “I assume you have the final payment.”

Rafael
adjusted the backpack he’d slung over his shoulder. “Yes.”

Maxim
nodded his approval. “You will join Konstantin and me in front of the
cathedral. They should arrive within the next thirty minutes.”

I
hugged and kissed all three men. I was painfully aware that their lives could
be lost if Maxim was double crossed.

Shae,
Cenia, and Isabel hugged and kissed each man on the cheek. Shae’s eyes teared
as she clung to Konstantin.

My
arms tightened around Rafael’s neck. “I love you,” I whispered. “Please be
safe.”

“I
love you too,” he replied. He made a million promises as he gazed into my eyes.

Alejandro
thanked each man in turn before walking us to the church. I glanced at Rafael
before following Isabel, Cenia, and Shae inside. Alejandro pulled the door closed
behind us. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust. The church was
surprisingly dark.

We
took turns dipping our fingers into the basin of holy water, genuflecting, and
making the sign of the cross. A priest greeted us in Spanish as we walked
toward the front of the church.

I
joined Cenia and Shae on a wooden pew, while Isabel and Alejandro spoke to the
priest. “There are no windows in the back of the church,” I whispered
fearfully. “How are we supposed to know how things are going if we can’t see
outside?”

Cenia
looked equally concerned. “The cathedral next door didn’t have any windows in
the front of their building either.”

“Why
do you think that is?” Shae whispered.

I
glanced up at the crucifix as goose bumps crept up my arms and slid down my
spine. “I don’t think I want to know.”

Isabel
and Alejandro joined us when we pulled the kneeler down and began to pray.
After a few minutes, Alejandro rose from the kneeler so he could establish his
position near the door. He peeked outside, then shook his head every five minutes
or so.

We
kept praying.

“They’re
here,” Alejandro announced softly. He closed the door in an effort to conceal
his interest and our involvement.

I
stood shakily. Cenia, Shae, and Isabel joined me.

Alejandro
held his hand out, encouraging us to stay put. He maintained his position at
the door.

My
heart began to race. My ears strained to hear voices, footsteps, gunshots…
anything that would reveal what might be transpiring outside.

Cenia
tugged me onto the pew next to her. “They’re here. Everything is going to be
okay.”

Tears
welled in my eyes as I stared at my friend. I knew things could turn on a dime.
The gunfight that had taken Michael’s life in Ukraine had occurred during the
hostage exchange. They weren’t safe. They wouldn’t be safe until we crossed
over the border. Even then, I wasn’t so sure. Maxim had warned us, the cartel
would be digging up information on Cenia and her family. They might know where her
parents lived. Like me, they may never be safe. McAllen was too close to the
border, too close to the drug wars and the brutality brewing on the other side
of the bridge. My anxieties spun higher and higher until my entire body was
shaking violently.

Shae
pulled me into her arms. “I know,” she soothed. She was there, in Ukraine. She
had experienced all of the same things I’d experienced. She had watched Michael
die in my arms.

“They’re
gone,” Alejandro announced. He looked thoroughly confused.

“What?”
Isabel exclaimed. “What do you mean they’re gone?” We scrambled into the center
aisle.

“How
can they be gone? Where would they go?” Cenia demanded shrilly.

“What
if the mafia…” Shae began. She couldn’t finish the sentence.

We
turned, guardedly, when the back door opened. All of the air rushed from my
lungs. An army of angels couldn’t have prevented me from running into Kadyn’s
arms.

Shae
joined me in Kadyn’s arms. Cenia was sobbing as she clung to Roger’s chest.
Isabel and Alejandro wrapped their arms around Cenia and Roger.

“We
didn’t want anyone to see us enter the church,” Maxim explained apologetically.

I
swiped at my tears, then reached for Kadyn’s shirt.

“Kri?”
he asked, before understanding dawned in his eyes.

I
held his shirt up with one hand, while running my other hand over his abs,
chest, and back.

“What
are you doing?” Isabel asked suddenly alarmed.

“Kri
wants to see how badly Kadyn’s been injured,” Shae explained softly. “She wants
to see if he looks like we did when the SVR tortured us.”

Kadyn
pulled me back inside his arms when I lowered his shirt.

“I’m
so sorry,” I rasped.

“We
should not linger here,” Maxim warned. “We should return to our vehicles.”

“They
may stop us at the border,” Rafael interjected. “The embassy staff may have
already filed the missing person reports. When Kadyn and Roger show up at the
border, the customs officers may want to question them.”

“Why
don’t we follow each other to the border? If we get separated or delayed when
we drive through customs, we’ll meet in McAllen,” Alejandro replied.

“Let’s
meet at the Casa de Palmas,” Cenia suggested. “We were planning to spend the
next few nights at the hotel for the wedding festivities. We’ll just add two
more rooms to our reservation for Maxim, Konstantin, and Shae.” She turned
toward Maxim. “You will be attending the rehearsal dinner this evening and staying
for the wedding tomorrow night.” Her tone brokered no room for argument.

Maxim
smiled. “We will see you married.”

I
untangled myself from Kadyn so I could step in front of Maxim. Tears slipped silently
down my cheeks. “Thank you.”

In
complete disregard for our surroundings and the people standing around us, he
lifted me by the shoulders and planted a passionate kiss on my lips. “You’re
welcome,” he replied gruffly. He set me back on my feet.

Rafael
yanked me toward him with an ominous growl.

“It’s
okay,” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

We
were the first ones to leave the church.

The
Spanish mission style hotel was lovely. The subdued lighting from the wall
sconces, the endless array of decorative arches, and the warm terracotta tile
were incredibly inviting. Cenia’s
madrina
and
padrino
met us in
the lobby. They were understandably anxious to see Cenia and Roger. Cenia’s
madrina
had graciously packed our suitcases and brought them to the hotel so we could
get settled in and rest before the wedding rehearsal.

I
hadn’t realized how much I’d been relying on adrenaline until my head hit the
hotel’s luxury goose down pillows. I slept for five hours. Kadyn was sleeping
in the room directly across the hall. Maxim was sleeping in the room next to
him, and Rafael was in bed with me.

Rafael
woke me with a kiss. “Wake up sleepyhead.”

“No,”
I groaned.

“The
wedding rehearsal is in an hour,” he chided.

I
pulled the pillow over my head. “Call Cenia and see if she’ll reschedule.”

Rafael
laughed. “I don’t think that’s easily rescheduled.” He scooped me up and lifted
me out of the bed.

“What
are you doing?” I demanded shrilly.

He
smiled. “You’ll see.”

I
gasped when I caught sight of the bathroom. “How? When did you do that?”

Rafael
set me down next to the tub. “About fifteen minutes ago. I solicited some help
from the concierge when we first arrived at the hotel.”

I
dipped my hand in the steamy water and swirled the deep red rose petals around.
The bathroom lights were off, but tiny pinpricks of light bounced off the water
from the thirty or forty tea lights that Rafael had scattered around the
bathtub.

I
wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you.”

He
smiled as he folded me in his arms. “It’s been a very stressful week. I just… I
wanted to give you an opportunity to relax before all the wedding festivities
began. Why don’t you get undressed?”

I
stepped out of my panties and relinquished my bra. “Are you joining me?” I
asked curiously. The tub was certainly big enough.

Rafael
shook his head. “No, baby, I want you to relax.”

I
tried not to think about how tempting he looked in his dark gray boxer briefs.
I planted a kiss on his cheek and stepped gingerly into the bathtub.

Rafael
set his iPhone to play music before placing it on the counter and stepping out
of the bathroom.

I
scooped a handful of rose petals up as I sank into the warm water. I brought
the sweet smelling petals to my nose and inhaled deeply. I sighed contentedly,
leaned my head back, and closed my eyes.

My
mind remained blank for a few blissful minutes, soothed by the steam, the soft
lighting, and the fragrant flowers. My thoughts eventually drifted toward
Rafael. I was trying to process the fact that he didn’t want to have sex.
Between Maxim kissing me at the church and me clinging to Kadyn during the
drive back to McAllen, I thought Rafael would require some attention. Instead,
he asked the front desk to ensure Kadyn’s room was close to ours, and he
offered to hold me while we slept.

I
squeezed the hotel’s complementary body wash into my hand so I could wash up.
My hand paused briefly over my stomach. How much comfort had Rafael drawn from
our conversation last night? I pressed my fingers into my tummy. Could I already
be carrying his child?

I
washed and rinsed my hair, added some conditioner and stretched out in the
bathtub. The GYN I’d seen in Montana couldn’t have been more wrong. Michael and
I became pregnant the first week we made love. I sank into the tub and rinsed
my hair again. My relationship with Rafael had never really proceeded in an
orderly fashion. Still, I wanted to be married before we had a baby. Sadly, I’d
been dragging my feet for so long, I hadn’t a clue how to expedite a proposal,
unless of course I did it myself. The idea was tempting…

I
sifted through ideas on how I might go about proposing to Rafael before
climbing out of the bathtub. I discarded every single one. I eyed the rose
petals and the candles while I toweled off. I should be patient, give Rafael
time, and let him be the one to propose. He was far better at sweeping people
off their feet than I was.