Ever since that night where Krista and Gabriel had dined, things at the Estate had been a lot smoother. Whatever animosity and defeatist attitude that Krista had carried with her those first few days were seemingly gone now that her and Gabriel had come to their understanding. A new kind of normal had settled for her at the Estate. She had basically the run of the place, with accompaniment from Maria, she found herself enjoying the commodities and luxuries with a much more open mind. She found herself enjoying herself much more than the hotel prior to her capture.
She happened to have been bought at a moment where Gabriel had become suddenly busy with matters of his criminal activities. Constant traveling, paperwork, accounting, and meetings held precedent over the enjoyment of his whores and Estate. As such, there happened to be very little time for himself the last few days. This left ample time for Krista to have enjoyed herself and explore. She would frequently visit the large botanical garden, both in and outdoors for the vast variety of plants that were grown. It had quickly become a favorite spot of hers. She found the ambiance of all the colors and sweet scents a marvel to be surrounded by. Maria would accompany her for both security and under orders by Gabriel until told to otherwise.
They hadn't had much to talk about. Aside from a few language barriers, the difference between their positions, and the fact that they weren't friends didn't help. Krista viewed her as one would the valet, or a maid. Be respectful, thank them, but they had a job to do, so let them do it. She was a great help, reminding her which areas she could be in and which ones she couldn't. Always putting herself between her and the often lingering eyes of lustful guards. Krista would find her harsh Spanish words a delight when they were directed at those who weren't supposed to be looking. Perhaps she could learn this foreign language through Maria and use it to her advantage.
In regards to Gabriel, Krista, though glad to get some semblance of time to herself, felt a type of strangeness for his absences. She didn't exactly miss him, although his sexual abilities still lingered in her mind and between her thighs. It was moreso the expectation of what she imagined being a 24/7 sex slave would be like. She really thought that after their reached agreement, she would find herself at the mercy of his strong hands. She'd be lying to herself again if such fantasies weren't her expectations, to the point that she had begun to anticipate them. And it wasn't like Gabriel was always away from the Estate, he was very much within range of her presences, but he was just doing something else at the moment. She had yet to approach him willingly again, but on occasions when they were in near vicinity of the other, they'd exchange glances. It was rather silly, she thought. She recalled seeing him talking to what she assumed to be business associates, and when the glance was returned, she stupidly gave a shy wave before blushing and rushing out of his sight. He thought it was absolutely adorable.
Krista literally had to throw cold water at her face after that interaction from the embarrassment and to shock her out of these schoolgirl acts. Maria couldn't help but find the whole situation a little funny. Here was this white girl who, not long ago, had the reasonable reaction of wanting to do nothing more than leave. And now, she was bearing witness to one of the most ridiculous crushes she'd ever seen.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Krista asked. Mostly to herself rather than Maria.
"I think you know." Maria quipped, earning a glare from Krista.
"It's like I can't get him out of my mind. He's already tried me and promised me my freedom at some point. He hasn't come to seek me out. I should happy, ecstatic even!" She tried to reason with herself. "I don't have to demean myself for his attention! I asked him if I needed to fuck him to earn my freedom and I could without it."
"It's not just that he sampled, its that you also sampled him too. And maybe, you want to 'earn' it too. You can't do that if he's busy." Countered Maria. Krista weighed what she said. "What did you do before you were brought here?" She asked. Krista grimaced for a moment, but proudly turned to Maria.
"I was a manager for a marketing firm. I worked hard since starting as an intern." She took a deep breath for the memory of her previous life. "I actually got promoted before being taken." She tapped her fingers against her forearm. Perhaps Maria was onto something. As she analyzed the situation, Krista saw it as a simple as wanting to earn her freedom by getting into Gabriel's bed to quicken the process. A thought even crossed her mind that this was simply an excuse to have him in her once again. After all, it didn't matter how many times they fucked if her freedom was all but guaranteed. Right?
"Maria, where's his office again?" She asked.
Meanwhile, Gabriel had just finished his negotiations with lesser cartel lords. In exchange for security, man power, and access to his routes, their product, contacts and a very generous portion of their profit margin would be his. The real issue with these kinds of dealings, were the enemies that he would inevitably make. Never one to waste time or opportunity, the Sicarios assigned to these new territories were specially trained by him to enact a specific set of steps to ensure smooth transitions of power.
First, his business partners' had to be dealt with. Within 24 hours, wherever these non-allies conducted business, these killers would storm known enemy spaces in surprise attacks with near military grade firepower, followed by the seizing of their assets, workers, and territory. It sent a message to non affiliated lords that Gabriel was no in charge of what was theirs.
Soon, propaganda campaigns were rolled out. These were put in place to not only to secure the local populations support and silence, but to also inform them that as long as they were in Gabriel's, he would leave them to their own devices, put the police departments in his pocket and actually have them do their job in these communities. Often times, this turned out to be good not just for the towns he controlled, but it served as an example of just how much better it could be with him in charge behind the scenes.
It would become an unspoken rule that he were in charge, but not wanting to make waves or get on his bad side, no one really opposed these changes. Rinse and repeat, before expanding. It had taken him a long time to perfect this process and even still, it took a lot of resources to make sure it worked. It ensured what he was working towards in the end.
Understandably, such processes took a lot out of him, on top of the other responsibilities that many knew nothing about. As such, he surrounded himself with beautiful women who's only purpose was to be objects of pleasure. Such stressful undertakings required a very niche outlet for him to take out a bit of everything on. Frustrations, build up, relaxation, rest.
His mind and eyes often found themselves towards Krista whenever they were in approximation of the other. More than twice now, he'd caught her glancing at him. He'd always send her a knowing smirk before she went off in a hurry, likely blushing at their minor interaction. He figured he'd pay her a visit. He knew when one of his women wanted him. And he'd be all too happy to give her what she wanted, because in truth, he wanted the same.
