Pablo’s dad is our mutualTíoEnrique’s younger brother, and my mom’s older brother.TíoLuis’s in Colombia—again—dealing with anothercabrónwho thinks he doesn’t have to pay his taxes on time. Alejandro does a lot of business down there for us, butTíoLuis is the one who slips in and out of prisons down there like he’s best friends with the wardens. They pretty much are for how much each of them has made in hush money.
“I don’t care if you put me in a two-by-two hole in the wall of a twelve thousand square foot mansion. Just stay with me, please.”
There’s genuine nervousness in Maddy’s tone, and I don’t like it.
“Maddy, I willneverabandon you. I will never dump you somewhere and not explain as much as I can. I’ll be evasive, and sometimes that’s me being a Dom, and sometimes it’s me protecting everyone in my life. But I won’t wage psychological warfare on you. I’m not interested in you being with me because I gave you Stockholm Syndrome.”
“I know all that. I didn’t think you planned to fuck with my head. I told you when we got here, I only feel safe with you. It’s being clingy and needy, but I’m scared, and the only person I’m comfortable with is you. I don’t want to be left somewhere with just your men to guard me. I don’t know them even if I trust them as an extension of you. I’m fine with everything we’ve talked about, with what you just said, because it’s all based upon you being with me.”
My left arm wraps around her again as my right hand cups her jaw. I lift her so she can sit on the desk before I step between her legs. She tilts her head back to look up at me.
“Chica, I’m going nowhere unless you tell me this is over. I’ll fight for you and for us. I won’t walk away the first time you tell me to go. We knew the moment we saw each other, neither of us was done with the other. The moment you got in my car, we both knew an ‘us’ is our fate. You belong to me now, Maddy. I protect what’s mine. I cherish it.” I sweep my thumb over her cheekbone. “Let me be yours.”
“Daddy, I’ve wanted that since high school. If you’re offering, then I’m accepting. I’ve always believed we belonged together. I just didn’t think it would ever happen.”
Before I can respond, there’s a knock.
“Javier?”
“Sí.”
All our men here are native bilingual speakers, but I don’t know what the guard on the other side of the door’s going to say. He’ll know to speak Spanish.
“Pablo necesita hablar contigo. Dijo que está de camino.” Pablo needs to speak to you. He said he’s on his way up.
“Pablo’s coming.”
I lift Maddy off the desk as I speak. She looks toward the door and nods. She’s less than thrilled. I’m uncertain whether it’s the interruption or whether it’s Pablo. Maybe both. I walk to the door and unlock it. I open it as Pablo raises his fist to knock. I step aside and let my cousin in before shutting and locking the door again.
“La llevaré al castillo.” I’m taking her to the castle.
It’s an estate our family owns on the Long Island Sound in Connecticut. She wasn’t wrong about the twelve thousand square foot mansion, even though I’m certain she knows nothing about this place. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in our family. My father bought it for my mother as a wedding present. If ever we needed to flee Bogotá, it was where we were to go.
It’s on a private island with woods that meet the water. There are plenty of places to hide in the house, and no one approaches without the occupants knowing. It’s where we all go now when we want people to believe we’re vacationing together in the Med or South Pacific. Sometimes we really go to those places, but if most of the family is traveling together, it’s not abroad. That’s too predictable. Too easy a target.
My announcement shocks Pablo. He says nothing as his gaze darts to Maddy. He looks back at me, and his expression hasn’t changed. At least, not in a way Maddy could tell. I can, though. He’ll have plenty to say about me taking anyone—especially a woman—extra especially Maddy—to our family haven.
I don’t give a shit.
“¿Lo sabe?” Does he know?
Pablo doesn’t want to say uncle or Enrique because Maddy will know who we’re talking about. I don’t know if her Spanish is better than it was in high school, which was mediocre on agood day. She studied French instead because she wanted to do a semester abroad once she got to college. Damn. I haven’t thought about that in over a decade. It surprises me I remember.
“Todavía no. ¿Vas a chismear o me vas a dar tiempo para explicar?” Not yet. Are you going to tattle or give me time to explain?
That was an asshole thing to say.
“No actúes como un culo. Yo iba a encargarme de ello por ti, para que puedas concentrarte en ella.” Don’t act like an ass. I was going to handle it for you, so you can focus on her.
“Gracias. Ya te imaginarás por qué estoy un poco tenso ahora mismo. Quiero llevarla al lugar más seguro que tengamos, aparte de la bodega.” Thank you. You can imagine why I’m a little tense right now. I want to get her to the safest place we have short of the bodega.
The bodega is the place our family uses to handle our most unsavory business, so I’m definitely not taking Maddy there. We may sterilize the place after every time we use it, but I swear the place is fucking haunted. Lord knows there’ve been enough dead bodies in there to fill a cemetery. I refuse to go onDia de los Muertos. Day of the Dead. We all avoid the place on November first and second.
Pablo nods, and we continue our conversation in Spanish. But I want us to hurry because we’re being rude to Maddy, and I want to get her out of here before it gets dark.
“Don’t worry. I’ll explain what’s going on and where you’re taking her. He’ll agree since it’s her.”
TíoEnrique’s still extremely protective of Maddy and Laura, even if Laura doesn’t believe it. There’s a shit ton that’s happened behind the scenes to thwart crap aimed at the bratva simply so Laura doesn’t have to worry about Maks’s safety. We don’t need to brag, but we’re prepared to call in a favor if we need to. Nothing in life is free.
