Free Reckless by Samantha Love

manner that doesn’t allow any light to slip through.  
    Hands pass my waist. Diego buckles me in and settles the seatbelt strap across my chest.  
    I listen to his calm breath, feeling his hands brush against my body.
    “Trust me,” he whispers. “I won’t harm you.”
    His hand rubs my thigh.  
    The vehicle starts.  
    My breathing quickens.
    About a minute later, I hear the tires sliding to a stop in the gravel. From this, I know we’re leaving Diego’s residence. I have to pay attention to each stop and turn and try to figure out where we’re going in case I’m forced to make a quick getaway.
    After a while, I realize it’s impossible. There are too many turns and twists and pauses. I think the driver is circling around the nearest village just to throw me off. There’s no way we could have taken that many turns so soon.  
    I hope Nick and José are following us. They would have stayed close to the gate of Diego’s compound, hiding in a nearby location and watching. Maybe they saw me in the backseat with a blindfold over my eyes. That would have given them concern. Or maybe they couldn’t see through the SUV’s tint at all.
    During the ride, the driver begins shouting something in Spanish. Diego shifts in his seat as if he’s looking through the rear of the car.  
    The Escalade accelerates, the force pushing me back into the seat.
    “Is everything, okay?”
    Diego pats me on the thigh. “Of course. A car was just following too closely.”
    A lump forms in my throat.  
    The trailing car has to be Nick and José. If they’re following us that poorly, José must be the one behind the wheel.  
    I don’t think Diego suspects anything of me yet. If he did, I’d already be dead. There are plenty of rival drug dealers, and clearly he’s on edge about something within his business.
    The twists become more prominent. The hairpin turns occur at regular intervals and my ears start to pop. We’re obviously traveling up a mountain. Which one, I have no idea.  
    The tires rumble as we turn onto a gravel path.  
    We stop.  
    Doors open.
    “Can I now take this blindfold off?”
    “Not yet,” Diego says. “Keep it on for a little while longer.”
    He helps me out of the vehicle and leads me by the arm.  
    From the energy I have to expend, I know we’re traversing up a steep path. When I’m almost out of breath, he tells me to stop and removes the blindfold.
    I stare ahead.
    I’m too shocked to speak. We’re standing at the top of a ledge overlooking Machu Picchu. Sharp peaks and daunting mountains surround us. A full moon bathes the Inca ruins in milky light.
    He takes me by the hand. “What do you think?”
    “It’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”
    It’s not a lie.
    “I thought so, too. Until I met you, Caroline.”
    Bringing me closer, he stares into my eyes. Despite a few kinky fetishes Diego may be harboring and the fact that he’s a drug smuggler, I want him to kiss me.  
    What has gotten into me?
    He doesn’t kiss me, though. Instead, he nods to a small table set up behind us with a bottle of champagne. A sea of candles lights the scene.  
    He pours us each a drink and offers a toast.
    “To trust.”
    Our glasses ring together.  
    I take a sip.  
    The bubbles are good. Probably the best I’ve ever had. No telling the price.
    “How in the world did you get permission to do this? I don’t imagine this is a regular thing here.”
    “Who says I have permission?”  
    Diego smiles. He’s even darker and more handsome beneath the moonlight.  
    “I have a few connections with park associations. That’s how I was able to secure my home in a protected wildlife area. I’m very trusted in this region.”
    “I guess money can buy lots of trust.”
    “Money can buy some things, but trust is earned. When I promise something, I always deliver. Stay close to me Caroline, and I promise you the world.”
    If such a cliché line had been uttered by anyone else, it would have