Free Her Latin Lover (Contemporary Romance) by Katheryn Lane Page A

back of the house leaving a trail of blood behind them.
    Mary left her room and went downstairs to see what was going on.
    “Just a stray dog,” Paulo explained to her in the main entrance of the house.
    “But why did they have to shoot it?” Mary demanded. “Do your men shoot every stray dog they see?”
    “I’ve heard reports that one of the local dogs is infected with rabies. I cannot say if this dog had the disease; I personally don’t think it did, but we cannot be certain. The man who shot it was merely trying to protect himself and all of us. A rabid dog is a very dangerous creature.”
    “Is that why you have a dozen men outside your house with guns? Because of rabid dogs?” Mary didn’t want to have infected dogs running around the place, but she didn’t think that it took that many people to stop them. She looked outside the open door. The men were standing around doing nothing in particular, except for one man who was cleaning his gun. She guessed that he was the person who had shot the dog.
    “You think they are here to stop rabid dogs?” Paulo asked. “No. They are here to stop a sick man.”
    “A sick man?” Maybe someone had already been bitten. Mary hoped not. “Who’s sick?”
    “Why, El Leon of course!”
    “What’s he planning to do? He’s not planning to kill another one of your horses, is he?”
    “He’s threatening to . . . He wants to . . .” Paulo seemed lost for words. “You read the messages. You saw those awful pictures. You know what he’s planning to do.”
    “What messages? What pictures?” Mary had no idea what he was talking about.
     “The ones on my computer.” Paulo pointed in the direction of his study. “I should have deleted them, but then you shouldn’t have been snooping around on my computer reading them.”
    “I’m sorry I was on your computer.” Mary felt that she now knew why Paulo was so angry. She shouldn’t have been messing about in his study. “I know I should’ve asked you first, but there was no one around at the time. I looked everywhere. The house was empty and I just wanted to check my emails. I had one from Nick. To be honest it was pretty awful. It was all about how he’s managed to get his story sold and how he’s got an invitation to some fancy party. He’s such a self-centred idiot. I sent him one back telling him that I’ve finished with him. From now on I don’t need him or anybody.”
    “You need me.”
    “No, I don’t! I don’t need you, Nick or anyone else.”
    “You are mistaken. You need me to take care of you. You are my responsibility and I take my responsibilities very seriously.”
    Mary stared at Paulo. He looked very certain of himself. She knew that he had been very generous and helped her out a bit financially. However, she didn’t need looking after like some kind of child and Paulo certainly did not possess her just because of a stupid game of poker.
    “You aren’t responsible for me. You don’t own me. I can do as I please. If you could just lend me some money, I’ll go to La Puesta and stay there until it’s time for me to fly back to London. As soon as I’m home, I’ll send you a cheque for the amount that I’ve borrowed.” Or rather, she would get Nick to send a cheque. It was the least that he could do after what he’d put her through.
    “I can give you some money and you can go to La Puesta, but El Leon and his men will follow you there. How long do you think it will take for them to find you? An hour? A day? An exceptionally attractive young English woman all alone in a city with no friends . . .”
    Mary wasn’t sure if he was trying to compliment her or threaten her. “What does El Leon want with me and why would he follow me?”
    “Even if you didn’t read his messages on my computer, and I’m glad that it appears that you did not, I have already told you that El Leon is determined to have you and El Leon is not a man who gives up easily, but then again, nor do I.” He gave