My legs twitched when the truck jolted over a loose rock, the suspension groaning softly as we bounced. I instinctively gnced toward the darkened window—and immediately regretted it.

  We were high. Really high.

  The road clung to the mountainside like it didn't quite belong there, a narrow strip of dirt carved into stone. Below us was nothing but forest—yers and yers of green spilling downward until it blurred into distance.

  Trees swallowed everything. No lights. No houses. No signs of life for miles.

  It hit me then just how deliberate this pce was.

  Car didn't just take her safety seriously—she engineered it. No one stumbled onto this mountain by accident. You had to know where you were going. You had to be allowed.

  The drop beside the road was steep enough to make my stomach curl. I forced my gaze forward, fixing it on the headrest in front of me.

  The truck felt solid, heavy, built to survive worse than this—but my nerves didn't care about logic.

  Car's thumb brushed lightly against the back of my hand, a grounding touch.

  "Haven't been here in a while," she murmured, almost to herself. "I get bored being in my own home." A pause. Then, quieter: "With you now though... that'll change."

  Something about the way she said it wasn't threatening. It wasn't pyful either. It sounded... decided.

  I swallowed. "Is that why you're always in the cities?" I asked carefully. "Is being rich too much for you?"

  The words came out blunt, but I didn't mean them cruelly. I was genuinely curious. Trying to understand her.

  Car didn't bristle. She didn't ugh.

  She watched the road ahead, her jaw set, eyes sharp even in rest.

  "I love my people," she said simply. "I like protecting them."

  The convoy continued its slow climb up the mountain, engines humming in unison, the world shrinking behind us—until there was nothing left but forest, stone, and the sense that I had crossed a line I couldn't uncross.

  And strangely... I wasn't sure I wanted to.

  Eventually, the truck crested the final rise, and I finally saw the full scope of it. Trees surrounded everything, thick and wild, but beyond them, a massive estate stretched out—walls, buildings, and a gate in the distance.

  This wasn't just a house... it might as well have been its own vilge.

  We slowed as we approached the gate, the tires crunching on gravel. A guard booth sat immediately behind it, a single woman inside, heavily armed, scanning us as we passed.

  She didn't flinch or look away, completely professional. My stomach tightened.

  "Lots of guards," I muttered, partly in awe, partly nervous. "What are the chances of this pce getting raided, Car?" My voice carried a tinge of worry—I couldn't imagine sleeping peacefully knowing this level of danger existed now that I was gonna be living with a drug lord.

  Car gnced at me, calm as ever, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Don't worry," she said smoothly, "none of that will ever happen... unless the government decides it doesn't want billions of dolrs from me anymore."

  I swallowed hard, my throat dry. Billions? All hers? My mind tried to process it, but the scale was beyond comprehension. This woman... she wasn't just powerful. She was untouchable.

  The truck rumbled past the booth and into the sprawling compound, my heart still racing, a strange mix of fear and awe settling over me.

  Three buildings dominated the compound: Car's "humble" home—which was anything but humble, a sprawling mansion—and two other buildings, one clearly a garage, the other looking like barracks for her soldiers. The sheer size of it made my chest tighten, my mind struggling to comprehend what I'd stepped into.

  The trucks came to a stop, and almost immediately, I found myself standing in front of the massive mansion. I exhaled slowly, my stomach twisting.

  What the hell did I just get myself into?

  "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Car said, her hand sliding into mine. There was a calm authority in her touch, grounding me amidst the chaos in my thoughts. "I'll show you where you'll be sleeping," she continued, leading me inside.

  The doors opened to reveal a scene straight out of a movie—like Scarface or some over-the-top Hollywood action movie. Dual staircases curled elegantly toward the second floor, with hints of a third above.

  Sunlight from massive windows reflected off polished marble floors, making the entire space gleam as if untouched by human presence.

  "My goodness..." I breathed, following her up the stairs towards the second floor. Each step felt like I was walking on a fortune, the echo of our footsteps swallowed by the vastness around us.

  Finally, she stopped at a door. "You'll be rooming with me," she said softly, her gaze locking with mine. "Having you in your own room feels... unkind of me. I hope you understand."

  I swallowed, realizing I didn't really have any room to argue. She was already giving me a pce in this mansion—a sanctuary far beyond anything I'd ever imagined. Sleeping in the same room as her didn't feel bad at all. If anything... it felt safe.

  She pushed the door open, and I froze.

  The room was enormous—so big it felt more like a private suite than a bedroom. You could fit a hundred people in here and still have space to breathe.

  Floor?to?ceiling windows lined one wall, revealing a dizzying view of the mountains and, far in the distance, a faint shimmer of Culiacán's lights. There was a full bathroom tucked off to the side, sleek and modern.

  Luxury stacked on top of luxury.

  My eyes drifted around in awe—until they nded on the bed.

  One bed.

  Large. Immacute. Impossible to ignore. "I like it but..." I said slowly, my voice catching as I gestured vaguely, "...where's the other bed?"

  Car gnced at it, then back at me, her face lighting up as if the answer were obvious. "We can share!" she said, almost cheerful.

  My chest tightened. I let out a small sigh, my brows knitting together. The idea of sleeping next to someone—anyone—felt strange right now. Too close. Too vulnerable. My body still didn't feel like it fully belonged to me.

  "I–I guess," I murmured, then hurried on before I lost the nerve. "But I beg of you... please don't try anything."

  My vision blurred, tears threatening despite my best effort to hold them back. I sniffled, my arms wrapping around myself instinctively—

  And then I felt her.

  Car stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me, firm but careful, like she was afraid of breaking something fragile. I stiffened for half a second, caught off guard, but then my body slowly gave in.

  Her embrace wasn't demanding. It wasn't possessive. It was warm. Steady. Protective.

  "I told you not to worry, Miguel," she said softly, her voice low and sincere, right by my ear. "I hate rapists. Anyone who ys hands on a man without his consent is scum. I could never do anything to you."

  She pulled back just enough to look down at me, her eyes serious, unwavering.

  "I promise."

  Something in my chest loosened. At st, I believed someone when they said that.

  ———

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