Into the Light (University of Isles #2)

32. Chapter 32

Chapter thirty-two

There were hundreds of photos, bank receipts, and transcriptions of what looked like phone calls in this envelope. All of which incriminated Mr. Ortiz. I quickly opened each paper detailing exactly how badly Mr. Ortiz fucked up.

Every. Single. One.

I inhaled deeply as I took the first one out and read it over. It was a bank statement that detailed Mr. Ortiz was skimming from the Cartel by quite a large percentage off of his large properties. He managed most of the legitimate businesses in America so they could funnel their drugs and launder their guns.

What Mr. Ortiz was doing was also taking a percentage of what they were laundering and keeping it for himself. If Ash had access to these, then others must’ve been close to figuring out what he was doing, too.

I pulled out one of the photos and was shocked at what I saw.

“Holy shit.” Ember peered over my shoulder to see the same thing I was looking at. “Didn’t they get married recently?”

“Yeah.”

“What is the date on this?” she asked.

“A month before Ash passed away.” I held the photo, and it was Mr. Ortiz walking out of a strip club next to the same person fucking him in the back of his vehicle.

“I am so sorry—”

“I’m not.” I chuckled, which was highly inappropriate, but I didn’t give a fuck, to be honest. “My mom has always had this happen to her. She picks the wrong fucking men all the time, and she stopped listening to me a long time ago.”

Frankly, my mom and I never had a relationship.

“You never talk about her.”

“There isn’t much to talk about.” My mom stopped raising me a long time ago. I relied on Ash to get through the day most of the time, especially when I was younger and he would help me get the basic necessities I needed to eat, sleep, and shower. My mom stopped parenting when she lost my dad, but honestly, who knows how much she did before that.

“You can always talk to me—”

“Ember, seriously. I am fine.” It was the truth. Looking at these pictures of my stepfather cheating on my mom should have ignited some pain and hurt within me, but nothing happened. I felt absolutely nothing about it. He was a bad fucking man and not in the villain-gets-the-girl-bookish sort of way. No, he was a horrible human.

She squeezed my arm before I opened a few more bank statements.

“Walsh?” I said, turning around to where I knew he was still standing. “Can you come here and help me go through these?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.”

I needed to excuse myself, to process the grief I was feeling, the pain I kept hearing in her voice, but the reason Walsh kept this to himself, I understood. It was all part of a bigger plan that Ash orchestrated. If he’d asked me to keep a secret before he died, I would’ve gone to my grave with it, too . . . especially if it was for Ember’s protection. What Walsh had to see, experience, and do this last year had to have given him as much heartbreak as I had to endure, just in a different way.

“These are bank statements,” I began, spreading the papers before them. “Mr. Ortiz has been embezzling funds from the Cartel. There are also photos of him being unfaithful to my mom.” I set aside another stack of documents. “These contain confidential Cartel information, like transcripts from the strip club.”

“Holy shit,” Walsh exclaimed, his jaw dropped. “This is really bad.” He was thumbing through the transcripts from the club. They all described Mr. Ortiz as discussing confidential Cartel information at the club in front of the strippers. There was also a recording device on a USB with the actual transcripts, according to the note next to it.

“Good,” I replied firmly.

“This will enable Pico to assume control swiftly,” Walsh said.

“Yeah, right after graduation,” I added.

“Pico?” Ember inquired.

“Yeah, mi pareja,” I confirmed. “Remember I told you I thought he’d be—”

“Oh, right. I think he’d make the best leader,” she said.

“I agree,” I responded, giving her a warm smile. Her desire to be involved and included warmed my heart amid this otherwise somber day.

“What’s our next move?” Walsh asked.

“I’ll go back and speak with Pico, but we need to gather everyone together,” I explained.

“Isles is the best place for the meeting, right? Doesn’t the neutral territory extend to the elders, too?” Ember asked. I leaned in close to Ember’s ear, feeling immensely proud of her.

“There you are,” I whispered before pressing a kiss onto the shell of her ear.

“That’s correct,” Walsh replied on my behalf. “However, there’s no way Dad will come down here for a sit-down with Mr. Ortiz without insisting on security, armed guards, and everything that could sabotage the meeting.”

“You have a point,” I admitted.

“What if we tell Dad to meet us at the diner? We can say that we’ve finally reconciled and want to talk to him about it. He’ll probably come with just his bodyguard if he knows it’s only us,” Walsh suggested.

“I can inform Mr. Ortiz that we need to discuss what happened with Ash. I’ve pieced it all together now. He’ll want to know about the missing money,” I added.

“What money?” Walsh asked.

“Ash had a will that was done by a lawyer. It gives his entire trust to Ember. The whole reason Mr. Ortiz is so fucking hell bent on figuring out or thinking it was you at the woods that day was because he wants that money.”

“I wonder if he knows someone is onto him, which is why he needs the trust to replenish the Cartel funds,” Ember added, and Walsh and I turned toward her.

“Holy—” I was shocked.

“Shit.” Walsh finished.

“Ember, that is it.” I gave her a huge kiss on her lips before practically leaping off the chair and walking over to Walsh. I paused in front of him before I grabbed him and gave him a hug.

“He is using the trust to replenish the funds,” Walsh repeated.

“In the meeting, we are going to fuck him by not outing him to the Cartel. As much as I’d like to see the fucker dead, I don’t know if that’s the best endgame right now. We will just use our evidence as blackmail and to get Pico to the top spot right after graduation this summer.”

“Then we use the information to make sure Ember gets to keep her portion from the will.”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I’ll have him come in tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow works because I need to prepare Pico.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll see you guys then?” Walsh questioned. We both nodded before piling up the letters and bringing them back to the bike.

Once we got outside, I tugged on Ember’s hand, encouraging her to meet me outside the gates. She looked between Walsh and I, unsure, but eventually agreed.

“I know it’s an inappropriate time to talk about this, but I just wanted to let you know that I understood why you did that with him.”

“Kept the secret?” Walsh questioned.

“Yeah.” I sighed.

“I didn’t want to hurt my sister, but I was so conflicted—”

I stopped him. “I know. I get it.”

“Thank you . . . you know, for understanding.”

I pursed my lips, my jaw clenching as I shoved my hands in my pocket. I was standing on the stoop of this massive mansion behind me while Ember waited just outside the large gates.

“About Ember,” I began. “I just wanted you to know how much I really care about her.”

“I know,” Walsh added quickly. “I see it. I think Ash saw it, too.”

“It didn’t start until she came back to school, but there is just something about her.” I looked out at the distance, watching her jet-black hair fly in the wind.

“She’s special,” Walsh agreed. “I know you don’t need it or anything, but you have my permission to fall in love with her. To be with her forever.” He chuffed.

“You know about the house, Walsh.”

He shook his head, a smile creeping on his face. “Come on, of course I know.”

I gave him a quick twist of my lips. “Thank you. For the permission. I do love her.” I gave him a quick handshake before walking toward the bike where Ember was standing.

“Is everything okay?” she asked as soon as I’d gotten past the large wrought iron gates.

“Perfect, mi pareja.” I dropped a kiss onto her lips. “Let’s go home?”

She laughed one of those beautiful melodic laughs where her entire body shook. “Which one?”

The corners of my lips twisted up. “Very funny, princesa.”

We’d decided to go to Ember’s apartment.

“It’s not even five p.m.” She whined, and I looked at the clock for confirmation and laughed.

“It feels like it’s freaking two a.m.” Her weary smile was so bright, even in the dimly lit apartment.

“I like you here,” she said, standing on the other side of the apartment where the small kitchen was. I was over by the windows watching as the rain lightly hit the window. The sound was something that existed in one of those sleep machine sounds to help people sleep. The tap-tap-tap from the rain hitting the cold glass was soothing.

“I like being here,” I whispered, “but there’s nowhere for you to run here.” I gave her a little wink before she rolled her eyes at me.

“Unlike at our house.” Fuck, the way she said our made me so fucking hard and desperate to taste her sweet little cunt.

“Come here,” I demanded, and she stalked toward me.

“Take off your shirt,” I growled back at her. She stopped midstep, about halfway to me before she looked down and pulled her sweater off her head.

“It is pretty dirty,” she mused.

“So are your pants.” My lips were slick with anticipation as I rolled my tongue across my bottom lip while watching her step out of them. “That’s it. That’s my good girl.”

She was standing in the middle of the living room in a matching dainty lingerie set with all her curves on display. Every nook and cranny, perfect places for my hands to grab.

“Fuck,” I moaned, thinking all the ways I could fuck her in this room. I needed her.

I crossed the room in two large steps, and my hand went to her neck, lifting her up, with a little pressure so she was forced to look in my eyes.

“So fucking beautiful,” I mused. “Show me what a good little slut you are for Daddy.”

The shock in her eyes was so apparent, but I think that’s the part I loved most about Ember. “Don’t act surprised, princesa. You know you want my dirty tongue all over you.”

“Yes,” she groaned as I let go of her throat and dropped down into the big armchair in the corner of the room.

“Get on your hands and knees.” She dropped to the floor. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders as her lips puffed in anticipation. How she could stir up every emotion inside me was incredible. But I mostly loved how she let me play this game with her. Let me be the predator for her.

“Crawl to me,” I demanded as I splayed out in the chair. Even though my jeans were still on, my cock was throbbing. It was so hard I could have fucking come just watching her tits bounce as she happily obliged like the good little slut she was.

“Come on, my little princesa. Ven aquí.” Her eyes enraptured me as they sparkled at the Spanish tongue that rolled out so easily in the bedroom.

My entire body pulsed with need as she crawled toward me. I bent down, looking at her from where I was sitting.

“Tell me, what do you want?” I demanded from her.

“You.”

“And who am I to you?” I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at me.

“Mine.” It rolled off her tongue with such ease that even I believed it was true.

“Yes, you are.” I whispered. “Stand up. Take off my pants.” I loved barking out rules to her.

She got up and helped me remove my jeans. Her little fingers toyed with the hem of my shirt as she slowly lifted it over my head. There I sat, displayed in all my glory for her to see. She let out this sweet little sound from her little fucking dirty mouth like she always did when she saw me naked. As if I was some god she watched, undressed. It was such a sweet and delicate little noise that rattled me to my absolute core.

“Can I suck your cock?” she asked. That was it. The head of my cock twitched as it leaked pre-cum. It would probably turn into me coming all over myself if she continued talking like that.

I looked down at my aching dick and then locked eyes with her deep-brown ones before she dropped back down to her knees, and I scooted toward the edge of the chair.

“Open up, really wide.” I encouraged. Her big, beautiful round eyes looked up at me, clouded in a haze of carnal pleasure right before she took me into her mouth. Her jaw relaxed, pulling me in. The tip of my cock touched the back of her throat, and the warm sensation washed through me.

“You are doing such a good job.” I moaned as she bobbed up and down, wrapping me up with an indescribable salacious sensation that only pressed me closer to exploding in her sweet, little mouth.

“Yeah? Am I doing good?” she asked, looking up at me with that same doe-eyed expression I wanted to fuck off her sweet face.

“Such a good girl. You know how to make Daddy feel so good. Keep going, princesa,” I encouraged as she continued to take me deep down her throat. She massaged my balls, and I let out a noise that was a cross between a moan and a growl. It was not at all sexy, but it was felt deep down inside of me—something so primal.

She sucked me off until I almost exploded into a pure state of bliss. I leaned back in the chair, like the fucking king I felt, and closed my eyes while her sweet little mouth and tongue explored my needy cock.

The cool air blasted on me, and the immediate sensation of being released from her moist mouth shocked me back into reality.

“What the—” I exclaimed, looking to where she was supposed to be but instead she stood in front of me.

“Don’t like being edged on the brink of an orgasm, huh?”

Oh, that little fucking minx was giving me a little taste of my own medicine. Well, if that’s how she wanted to play the game—

“Come here.” I grabbed her waist and hoisted her onto me.

“No.” She tsked. “Watch me.” One side of my mouth lifted as I leaned back in the chair.

She unclipped her lace bra, then shimmied out of it. Her voluptuous tits bounced freely, and her nipples pebbled in her cool apartment, although everything on my body was hot and bothered.

“So fucking beautiful. A work of art in human form.”

The corner of her lip twisted in a smile, but only for a second before the fevered desire pooled in her eyes, getting hazy as her hands languidly trailed down her creamy skin.

They stopped at the top of her panties just as she leaned in toward me so her tits were falling in my face. I grabbed her nipple, quickly rolling it between my forefinger and thumb.

The noise that came from me touching her sensitive nipples was so carnal that my cock couldn’t get inside her fast enough. She was working me up—knowing exactly what she was doing by giving me a performance.

“Tsk, tsk,” she mused before pulling back and slipping out of her panties.

“Goddamn woman, I think you are trying to kill me.” I was not beneath begging.

She turned around and then dropped down to her hands and knees again.

“Hold my legs,” she demanded as she hoisted her legs up. It looked almost like I was about to wheelbarrow her with her ass in my face.

Her ass shook as it got into position, and I couldn’t help but give it a little slap, letting the resounding noise echo in the quiet apartment.

“You like that?” she asked from the ground, and I responded by grabbing her hips and thrusting her onto my cock.

She was up on her hands in a modified handstand as I held onto most of her weight and slowly slid inside of her.

When I said I hated fucking in the same missionary way over and over again, this was what I meant by needing excitement. It was a combination of Ember being fucking perfection for me and her curiosity to explore. The fact she found a haven in me—in us.

“I love you, mi pareja,” I whispered before I gave her ass a few little slaps, loving the way my hands left red hand outlines on her as my precum dripped into her opening.

“Ohh, fuckkk me.”

I laughed. “That is the intention, princesa.” My cock was twitching, a desperate little fucker, who needed to feel her tight little cunt wrapped around it. I pushed in deeper and was welcomed by the familiar tight, warmth and knew I would not last long.

She was losing balance as her body gave into her pleasure, but I gripped tighter into the dips right by her hips and let her ass slap against my stomach.

“Breathe. Go slow,” I instructed, and her body responded to my demands. She propped herself up on her elbows for a little more stability as I slammed inside of her.

“Yes. Yes. Yes ,” she cried, the last one came out a strangled sob as she bounced on my cock, slamming over and over into her tight, little cunt.

“Fuck me, princesa,” I demanded, and held onto her as she thrust up and down on me, moving her hips in sync with my body.

Each thrust was followed by a moan, and at a certain point, sweat beaded down her head, as she was upside down still fucking me.

“Rain,” she cried before my own explosion crept up onto me.

“Rain,” she moaned.

“Rain,” she wailed over and over again.

“Yours,” I replied right before exploding inside of her. My entire body released everything that was stress and tense.

She fell onto the floor, and I carefully dropped her legs before lifting her up and walking her over to the bathroom.

“No,” she groaned. “Too tired.”

I chuckled. “Come on, Em.” I stood her up in the bathroom while I turned on the water, waiting for it to get warm before I lifted her into the shower and joined her.

“I have never sweat more in my life.” Her eyes met mine, and we broke out in a laugh that exploded throughout the small bathroom.

“Ouch.” She touched her red butt cheeks.

“You okay?”

“Just a little sore,” she mumbled before grabbing some soap and rubbing it all over her and then jumping out. I hurried, too, so I could follow her.

“I am so tired,” she mumbled before throwing on one of my shirts that I left tucked in the corner of the bathroom since she liked to wear them after she got out of the hot shower. She always took a shower before bed, claiming she hated to get into her bed feeling dirty from the day. She also liked the warmth of the shower and savoring each second in the humid air, so she liked putting on her pajamas inside the bathroom instead of going to her room.

It was the little things that I’d learned about her over the last few months. Things I pieced together that added to the entire picture of who she was.

She hobbled over to the bed before collapsing.

“So. Tired.” She rolled over and grabbed the sheets before escaping into a deep slumber.

This was what I would love about our future—Ember would always be there at the end of the day. I’d get to fuck her all I wanted, feed her, cherish her like the damned queen she was.

Porque ella no era una princesa, era mi reina. And I was a humble servant to her kingdom, bowing down to my true ruler.

I tucked in next to her as I pulled the covers tightly over her.

“Turn around,” I instructed, and she mumbled something that made little sense in her sleep-induced postcoital haze, but obliged by shifting her body to the other side. I lifted the shirt and slowly warmed up the lotion I found in her bathroom in my hands before running it over the parts that I’d slapped earlier.

“Mm-hm,” she groaned out in pleasure. “That feels good. Thank you.”

The smile that came afterward nourished me. It fed my soul. Because hearing her breath inside our bed, watching her want me, care for me, was something I wished I could write about. But between the words, the emotion that came out of the quiet moments were more powerful than all the ways I could describe how and why I loved Ember.

“I love you,” I whispered before pulling her back tightly to my chest. I gave her a kiss by the shell of her ear as she murmured in pleasure.

“I love you, so much. Thank you for being there for me.”