“Only the usual. It’s always the same with Quinn. Any reason you’ve not told your brother we’re already married? It might help him accept me if he knows I’m your wife.” He just smiles at me, revealing his dimple, and chuckles a little. “Hey, this isn’t the time to tell me that minister was a fraud and we’re not actually married.”
“Not a fucking chance, Mrs Cane.” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me in close. The name makes me smile into his chest, comforted by it regardless of no one else knowing. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”
“Only a few times.” I shake myself down in his hold, pushing the irritations away and smiling. It’s a good day. A lovely one. We can celebrate our marriage another day, let the world know some other time. “How do you like my necklace?” It’s the piece from Antwerp, the first piece I showed him from my collection.
“So, they arrived?”
“Yes. Earlier this week. I’ve been desperate to fill the safe. It’s been lonely all these months.” It’s taken far too long, but all of my possessions from Antwerp and Miami are now with me in Costa Rica, including all of my own pieces.
Going back to any of my properties, especially those, is apparently too risky. No one knows I’m here, not even Christophe. It’s surprising how much I miss him now I’m not able to see him. The loose communication we’ve maintained isn’t the same. Our business wasn’t just in the shadows, and although I know I can’t jeopardize either of us, I long for the day where I can return without looking over my shoulder. Sit in a cafe and chat about work, about diamonds. Another frown descends before I can stop it.
“Hey.” Nate tips my chin so he can search my eyes under the brim of my hat. He’s learnt to read me so well these last few months.
“When, Nate?”
“I don’t know. Quinn’s working on it.”
“He’s been working on it for six months. I thought Cane didn’t hide or run. Wasn’t that the point when you painted the warehouse red with blood?”
The muscles in his jaw ripple as he tenses. “What do you want me to say, Gabby?” He leads me further away from the guests. “Look around you. This is Quinn still working.” I glance around the space, seeing nothing but happy guests. “There’s barely ten people here who actually mean anything to him other than work.” He points at two guys. “Raphael Denago and his cousin, Matias. Colombian drug barons.” He moves his hand towards two women over on the terrace. “Their wives. You think Quinn wants them at the most important day of his life?” Emily walks towards the two women, the smile on her face enough to charm anyone into friendship. “Or any of the others here? He doesn’t. But he needs them to think he does. For us. He’s picking our allies. Crafting the route. It takes time.” I frown at the thought, annoyed that I’m still in the dark about the plots at play in our own lives.
“Well, why didn’t you tell me? I need to know, Nate.” He nods and walks us to a table and chairs before the sand, pulling the seat out for me.
“Alright. Yakuza now run everything your brother had. If our sources are right, he’s even moved up within the company. Seems the lure of bigger and better still works for him and he’s not bothered who he works for. I’ve been trying to find a way of telling you about him.” He sighs and looks over at his own brother. “Quinn’s all but turning back the clock on our business. And Andreas is going to be in the direct line of fire when the time comes.”
“What does that even mean, though.” My frustration is clear.
“It means the clean, legitimate world I worked so hard to build is buried. Long fucking gone.”
“Because of me.” I finish for him.
“No, not because of you.” He reaches over the table and takes my hand. “Never. It was heading that way even if I didn’t know it. Hell, it was the reason I was even in Bora in the first place. Yakuza had a target slapped on our backs before I met you. Now it’s just a lot fucking bigger. Quinn will not, under any circumstances, bow to them. And this is the consequence.”
I look back towards the gardens and watch Emily still speaking to the two women, Quinn hovering around her protectively as he speaks to the husbands. Joe and Den are within eyesight, guns under their suits. There are another six men around the property, too, and a fair few more that I’ve never seen before. Presumably they are bodyguards for the other mob bosses I now know are here. It might be a paradise, but it’s beginning to feel like a prison; the walls are just a lot prettier.
“Hey, is that Mortoni?” My brows knit together as I squint through the people bustling around.
“Yes.”
“Why? Why is he here?”
“He’s a partner with Cane. With Quinn.”
“Is that why I’ve not heard anything about repaying the other half of the diamonds he lost?”
“Let’s just say Quinn had a few words for him. He’s not worried about diamonds anymore. He’s picking his side, too.”
As if he senses us talking about him, Marco looks up and spots us before proceeding to wander over and join us.
“Gabriella, how lovely to see you again.” The charm drips from his tongue but has the reverse effect on me. Both Nate and I stand, his arm snaking tighter around me to pull me close into him.
“Hello, Marco,” I reply.
“Marco.” Nate’s tone is frosty.
“This is where you’ve been all these months.” He directs his question to Nate.
“Yeah. Something we can help you with?” Nate’s polite, but there’s an underlying edge that makes Marco shift on the spot.
