Chapter 41

Mia

Aléjandro ran his hand over my hair. “Yes. You. I fucking hoped I was wrong. If I couldn’t be with you today at your fucking side, I chose the one person who I could trust and who wouldn’t give away the cartel’s connection.”

I remembered that when we’d originally come up with the plan, I’d offered to do the business deal alone. I reached for my husband’s hand and intertwined our fingers. “Their plan won’t work. Jorge believes in you. I believe in you.”

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “What can I get you? Aspirin? Water?”

“Don’t bring it to my feet but the head of the mole.” I squeezed his hand. “I know you have momentous plans, and you’re capable of leading when Jorge is ready. We can’t keep living like this. We need to know who’s undermining you.”

Aléjandro nodded. “I’ve called a meeting. I want you to go to Nicolas’s house.” Before I could question, he went on, “Valentina’s in Missouri with Catalina and the baby. Nicolas and the other men will be here. All the other women will be there. Take Viviana.”

Alarm bells sounded. “Why? Who will be at the meeting? Why can’t I stay here?”

“Because watching you today, so fucking brave and beautiful, was torture. During the meeting, I need to concentrate on those around me. The only way I can do that is to know you’re safe.”

“Dante?” I asked.

“He’ll be with you. I don’t think his presence at the meeting will facilitate open disclosure.”

“Because he’s famiglia?”

There was no need to pretend Dante or I were welcomed by all of the cartel. Aléjandro’s expression was somber. “Yes.”

Later that night, Aléjandro walked with Dante, Viviana, Giovanni, and me into the garage, Dante smiled. “Mia, do you want to drive?”

“I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

Aléjandro reached for my hand, tugging me to a stop. “I probably could have chosen a more private or romantic setting to say this.”

I tilted my head.

“Mia, I love you. I think I have since you slapped me at Cat’s wedding.”

My tears were back, burning my eyes and streaming down my cheeks. “I love you, too.” I forced a smile. “I didn’t then, but I do now.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

He rubbed circles in the small of my back, his lips blowing his warm breath near my ear. “I wanted you to know that. To hear the words from me.”

I felt my pulse quicken as I pulled back and met his dark stare. “You’re scaring me.”

“That’s not my intention.”

“This meeting is with the Ruizes. How is that dangerous?”

“It’s not.” He brushed my lips with his. “I’ll see you once the meeting is over.”

Swallowing my fear, I nodded as Dante led me to the car.

Viviana and I rode in the back seat as Giovanni drove and Dante rode shotgun. Instead of the famiglia’s car, we were in one of Aléjandro’s bulletproof cars. The doors were extra thick and heavy. The windows were dark except for the windshield.

I closed my eyes, wishing I’d accepted a painkiller earlier in the day. My temples throbbed. While Viviana had convinced me to eat a little, nothing tasted right. And now we were headed to Maria’s home where I would be expected to be polite and talkative. Those weren’t qualities I currently wanted to display.

The gate to Nicolas and Maria’s property opened after Giovanni said my name into a small box. By the time we made it up the driveway to the house, Mireya and Camila were standing on the steps. I gave Viviana one last glance, wishing we could avoid this evening’s gathering, and knowing we couldn’t.

I tried to convince myself that this was for Aléjandro. He could concentrate on his meeting and not worry about my safety.

“Hola,” Mireya said as we approached.

“Hi,” Camila said softly, her cheeks pinkening before my eyes.

It didn’t take me long to figure out who had her attention. I wanted to jab Dante in the stomach and make a wisecrack about him breaking children’s hearts. Camila wasn’t exactly a child. I think she was near twenty, still a decade younger than my brother.

“Come in,” Mireya opened the door. “Mi madre isn’t home. I guess I’m hosting.” She giggled. “I know where she keeps the wine.”

“She isn’t home?” I questioned as we crossed the threshold. “I thought Aléjandro said all the women would be here.”

Camila spoke, “He probably didn’t know. At the last minute, Aunt Maria decided to travel with mi madre to Kansas City.”

I nodded. “Ariadna Gia.”

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Camila said. “Isn’t she just perfect in the pictures?”

“She is,” I concurred. I gestured toward Dante. “Mireya and Camila, this is my brother Dante.”

“We’ve met,” he said, his deep voice more of a purr.

I looked his direction, but honestly, my mind was too cluttered to decipher whatever secret discussion was occurring in my presence.

“I’m going to have a talk with your bodyguards,” Dante said as he walked toward the man stationed by the front door.

“This feels very weird,” Mireya said, taking my arm. “Do you know what’s happening?”

Camila’s lips parted as she stared in a trance, watching Dante walk away.

I wanted to tell her that he was too old for her, but instead, I responded to Mireya, “Only some of it.”

Viviana left us to help the Ruizes’ cook in the kitchen.

“We’ve been sitting out back,” Mireya said. “Sofia and Liliana are here.”

“Really?” I asked. “Gerardo brought them all the way here for a meeting?”

“Sofia said Aléjandro demanded they come.” She shrugged. “Like I said, it feels weird.”

Stepping out onto the back deck, I was enthralled by the kaleidoscope of colors: reds, purples, and pinks filling the sky above the distant mountains. As it was the last time I was here, the patio was lit like daytime in the twilight. The two young ladies were seated on a sofa that was situated around a firepit. Liliana looked up as we approached. Her expression was as lifeless as it had been during our visit to Sacramento.

“It’s nice to see you again,” I said. “I’ve been trying to reach you.” I took a seat on the other side of the flames.

“I must have missed your call.”

“It was a couple of calls. Your voicemail box is full.”

Her eyes went to Sofia and back to her lap.

Sofia sat back and pressed her lips together as Mireya and Camila joined us.

“It’s not a big deal,” I went on. “Aléjandro and I have our house decorated, and we’d like to invite you, Sofia, and Gerardo to a housewarming party.”

Liliana looked at Sofia.

Part of me wanted to walk over and shake Liliana. Another part of me wanted to wrap her in a hug. By the doe-in-the-headlights expression she was giving her stepdaughter-slash-friend, either of those actions could send her spiraling.

“Mi madre told me about the party,” Camila said, her smile growing. “Will your family be there?”

“Yes. I’m not sure about Dario and Catalina. That will depend on Ariadna Gia.”

For a few minutes the conversation went to the new baby. Camila had new pictures on her phone from Valentina. She handed me her phone. Ariadna was wrapped in a pink blanket and held by a different person in each picture. I came to a picture of Catalina. “Catalina looks amazing,” I said.

“Oh, I didn’t see her picture,” Liliana said.

“Here,” I handed her Camila’s phone.

As she reached for it, my breathing stopped, and my stomach twisted. It was the sight of the large ruby ring on her right hand. The nearly two-carat ruby on yellow-gold prongs had always been too small for me, but Liliana was more petite.

No, it couldn’t be my ring.

“What a lovely ring,” I said, reaching for her hand. “Where did you get it?”

“Gerardo. It’s my birthstone.”