Chapter 18

Emiliano

Two of the residents came up to the front office after all the women went into the conference room with their lunches. Both residents had appointments out of the building that they’d scheduled. A look at Mia’s program confirmed the appointments were scheduled, but they would have to be missed. Other than here or the club, anyone connected with the Roríguez cartel was on lockdown. The news didn’t go over well. Nevertheless, they’re still safe within these walls.

When we were alone again, José asked, “What’s the word on Kozlov’s men?”

“They’re alive,” I replied. “For now.”

Horace took a bite of his lunch. When his gaze met mine, he lowered his volume. “Fucking shame they weren’t telling the truth. El Patrόn could use them to get to Volkov.”

That was the plan. It was better not to have that plan widely known. At this point, el Patrόn, Rei, Nick, Dante, Adrian, and I were the only people who would know that the two men ultimately survived Rei’s interrogation. The capo’s connection with the Ivanov bratva paid off with translation.

Tonight, after dark, the men would be moved to a safe house with their wives. They gave up valuable information about the Kozlov bratva. As long as it could be confirmed, the Roríguez cartel would protect them.

Soon, the official word would be that Kozlov’s men died. Rei was in the process of finding two bodies to pass off as the Russians after an intense car fire. With the unrest between the bratvas, even the cops wouldn’t question the authenticity of the murders. It would be obvious that Volkov was cleaning house.

I looked up as Isabella stepped from the conference room. She stopped outside the doorway with her hand over her stomach and her face down. When she looked up, her complexion was pale, and her breathing rapid, as if she’d run a race.

“What the fuck?”

She turned my way. “I’m not feeling well.” She turned and hurried toward Mia’s office.

Horace began to stand.

“No,” I said. “I’ll check on her.”

“She’s my detail.”

Standing, I changed my tone. “I said that I’ll check on her.”

He lifted his hand. “Go ahead. Emotional little girls aren’t my thing.”

“She’s an adult.” That was the last thing I said as I headed down the hall toward Mia’s office, my proclamation running on repeat.

Adult.

Adult.

A spunky, beautiful, determined adult.

The office door was shut. For a moment, I debated barging in. As a newly appointed lieutenant, I could justify the action. Then again, Isabella was frightened of me in Kansas City; there was no need to give her a reason to fear me. Taking a breath, I knocked on the door.

“Horace?”

Turning the knob, I pushed the door inward. Isabella was a vision, standing facing the window with her long golden hair cascading down her back, falling in waves to just above her slim waist and her round ass.

She stifled a cry and took a ragged breath. “I’m ready to go back to Mia’s…” Her voice faded away as she turned to face me. Her cheeks had more color, but her makeup gave away the fact she’d been crying Her irises appeared almost black. “Em.”

I closed the door behind me and took a step toward her. “You want to leave already.” I crossed my arms. “I guess Dario was right.”

It took a second before recognition of my statement showed on her beautiful face. The earlier sadness morphed before my eyes into something akin to fear and then to anger as the muscles in her temples pulsated. “Dario, my father, Dante, all of them…” Her volume rose. “They sent me here with no knowledge.” She gasped for breath and slapped her hands on each side of her hips. “They sent me to the middle of a war with no weapons or realization that there was a war.”

“The famiglia and cartel have been together in this war since the alliance formed. How did you not know?”

Panting, she shook her head.

Lowering my arms, my lips curled. “A weapon. You want a weapon? I’ll give you a weapon.” I lifted the hem of my t-shirt revealing a Beretta 22 Bobcat in my holster tucked into my jeans. “Do you want it?”

Her eyes opened wide. “No.” She sniffed and wiped the tears from her face. Even with the dark smudge under her eyes, she was stunning. “What happened at the club last night?”

I took another step toward her.

“Stop,” she demanded. “Answer my question.”

“Two Russians from the Kozlov bratva made it past our security. It could have been a deadly mistake.”

“Are they dead?” Her voice quivered. “Did Reinaldo kill them?”

Fuck, someone had told her.

The damn whores in that conference room.

I worked to keep my voice calm. “Isabella, I don’t know what you heard.”

She wrapped her arms around her midsection. “Do you kill people?”

“I have.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “And el Patrόn, Reinaldo…?”

“We live in a dangerous world. Often, it’s kill or be killed. It’s not like we go out each day and say to ourselves, I wonder how many people I can kill today.”

She scrunched her nose and lips as if she’d swallowed something sour. “And my family? Dante?”

I nodded. “The Mafia and cartel’s businesses aren’t that dissimilar. We each have our specialties.”

Letting out a breath, she dropped her arms to her side. “My father owns part of Emerald Club. He oversees the restaurants.”

I shook my head. “Your father is a dangerous man. He wouldn’t have lasted as long as he has if he wasn’t.”

“I knew he was a made man by the time Dario was born. I thought that was in the past.”

Again, I shook my head.

“Emerald Club has whores.”

“If that was a question, the answer is yes.”

Isabella spun toward the window again. “Isn’t it dangerous to have a window to the street?”

Her thoughts were obviously scattered.

“It’s reflective and bulletproof glass. You can see out, but no one can see in. If el Patrόn could, he’d have Mia in a bulletproof bubble 24/7.”

I took two steps toward her. She didn’t move. From a distance, I watched her shoulders tremble.

“Isabella, how can I help?”

She tipped her face forward. “You can’t. No one can.”

“You’re shaking.”

Gently, I reached forward lightly, gripping her shoulders. She stiffened under my touch. Slowly, I ran my hands up and down over the soft sleeves of her blouse. Over time, her muscles relaxed. “I think you’re on the verge of shock.”

She shivered. “I-I’m cold.”

“Turn around.”

When she did, she tilted her chin up, meeting my gaze. Her pupils were solid black. “Give me your hands.”

“My hands?”

I reached for them. It was as if her circulation had ceased.

“Let’s get you to the chair before you pass out.”

Instead of arguing, Isabella nodded and walked to the desk chair. I spun it to the side and crouched near her knees. “Look at me.” She did. “Your pupils are dilated. Your hands are like ice.” I held on to them again, my finger landing on her wrist. “And your pulse is rapid.”

“I don’t know... what’s happening.”

There was a water bottle on her desk. Reaching for it, I unscrewed the cap. “Drink some water.”

She took the bottle and drank before setting it back on the desk.

I continued to run my thumb back and forth over her fingers. “If I’m ever fortunate enough to have children, I wouldn’t want them to bear the burdens of the true workings of our business.”

“I’m not a child.”

“No, Isabella, you’re not. You’re a fucking gorgeous woman who just had her entire understanding of her life blown to smithereens.” I lifted my hand and caressed her cheek. “You have a pure heart, and your family didn’t want to darken it.”

“They sent me out here.”  

“You said you wanted to go back to Mia’s.”

She nodded.

“Do you want to go back to Kansas City?”

Isabella swallowed. “If I go back, Dario will have been right.”

“Fuck Dario. What do you want?”

Her eyes closed and her nostrils flared. When she opened them, a halo of the softest brown eyes I’d ever seen surrounded her shrinking pupils.

“Your pupils are better. I can see the light golden brown of your beautiful eyes.”

Her lips curled and her cheeks rose. “I’m hardly beautiful. I’m a basket case.”

“Breathe, beautiful.”

She took a ragged breath.

“Whatever you want to know, ask. I’ll never lie to you.”

“Did Reinaldo kill those men?”

“No.”

Isabella let out a long sigh. “What’s going—”

I laid my finger over her lips. “I won’t lie to you, Isabella. But there are some things I can’t elaborate on. I believe your next question was one of those things. Do you understand?” I moved my finger away.

“Yes.” She nodded. “Are the Russians the reason we couldn’t go out for lunch?”

“Yes. Volkov is looking for Kozlov’s men. If he suspects we have them, he’ll do anything to get them back.”

“Why does Volkov want them?”

“He knows they have information. He’d kill them before letting them talk.”

Isabella inhaled. “What is anything?”

“Imagine if he could get you, Liliana, Mia, or Jasmine…imagine the power over el Patrόn he’d have.”

“I get it. What about the women here?”

“Not the same, but they’re valuable to the cartel. We’ve sworn to protect them.” I stood and stretched my legs. “If you want to go back to Mia’s, I’ll take you.”

“I lied to you earlier.”

I lifted my eyebrows. “You did?”

“If you won’t lie to me, I shouldn’t lie to you.”

“What was your lie?”

“At the capo’s apartment during the birthday party, I was frightened of you.”

My lips curled. “I knew that.”

“My father has strict rules about interacting with Catalina’s family or members of the cartel.”

“Are you breaking his rules right now?”

Isabella smiled. “I am. He sent me to war. I need to identify my allies.”

“You found one in me. Liliana too.” I turned toward the door and back. “Do you want to call it a day?”

“Nope.” Isabella spun her chair toward the desk, rubbed her temples, and exhaled. “Let’s look at this program.” She forced a smile. “I don’t want you wasting your afternoon. I’m sure you have bad guys to kill.”

Damn, she was impressive.

“I’m the bad guy.”

“I’m beginning to doubt that.”

I reached for the doorknob. “I’m going to tell Liliana to get word out that we’re on lockdown, and then I’ll be back.”

“Thank you.”

“For?” I asked.

“Being honest with me.”

“Always.”