"It's Daniela, I don't trust her. There's something wrong, but I can't put my finger on what it is."
"The designer?" he asked with a frown. Raina remembered that he hadn’t actually met Daniela yet. For some reason they were never in the mansion at the same time.
She nodded. "Yes, she's helping with the renovations. I don't know what it is about her, I don't even know if I have a legitimate complaint, but I don't trust her. I found her in your room yesterday, looking at your desk. I reminded her that she wasn't allowed in this room without permission, but she came up with a perfectly legitimate excuse. She said she forgot and she wanted to take measurements. If it had been any other room, I wouldn't have questioned her. But…"
"You don't trust her." Mateo crossed his arms over his chest, and dipped his head forward, as though thinking.
"I don't know why I don't trust her, it's not really anything she did, besides coming in your room when she shouldn't have. And anyone could've made that mistake. It was weeks ago that I told her to stay out of here. She could have genuinely forgotten."
Mateo lifted his head, his dark eyes piercing hers. "But you don't think she forgot."
"No, I don't believe it for a minute. She’s sharp, pays attention to every detail. She's really good at her job and she's hypervigilant, almost to a fault. I don't think she’d be one to forget the house rules."
Mateo nodded. "Good enough for me."
He strode over to the night table beside the bed and grabbed his phone. He hit one of the contacts and then put the phone on speaker. Angela answered with a groggy, “Hello?”
Mateo skipped the pleasantries. "Angela. Raina doesn't trust the decorator, Daniela…" He looked up at Raina with a raised eyebrow.
"Velasquez," Raina supplied Daniela's last name.
"Thinks she's up to something," Mateo continued. "Check her out. I want to know everything. Family, friends, connections, clients. I want to know where she's from, where she's going and how long she's been here. Don't leave a single stone unturned. Satisfy me that this woman is on the up and up. If you flag anything as problematic, come to me immediately."
"Of course, boss," Angela said in a clipped voice.
They hung up and Mateo set his phone back down.
"Thank you," Raina said quietly, fidgeting. Now that the drama was over, she was back to feeling awkward. She really wished he would finish zipping up his pants. Her eyes kept straying to where she was positive she could see a hint of man stem. "Thank you for believing me and doing something about it."
Mateo inclined his dark hair head. "At best, you’re wrong about this Velazquez woman and she's simply an interior designer. I would rather you come to me with your worries than ignore your instincts and get hurt. Thank you for trusting me enough to come to me with this.”
Raina's heart ached at his words. He could be so wonderful sometimes. So heartfelt, that she wanted to grab hold of him and never let go. But it was the other times, the terrifying Mateo times that she didn't know how to deal with.
"I should go back to my room," she said in a near whisper, backing slowly away from Mateo's bed, toward the door.
"Stay with me." His words halted her in her tracks.
Why did he want her to stay? Did he want sex? Did he want to talk to her about Daniela? Her heart thumped in both anticipation and fear, though her good sense told her she needed to leave the room and leave quickly, because the heat was beginning to ratchet up.
He took a step toward her and she retreated a step. He didn't reach for her as she half feared, but he held her still with nothing more than his voice. "If you stay, I promise to be a perfect gentleman. I won't demand anything of you, but that you sleep next to me where I can see you."
It said a lot that Raina was beyond tempted. She was slowly trying to feel this new relationship out, and she sensed the thinning of Mateo's patience over their days and weeks together. He wanted her to warm up to him faster. She knew that it was only a matter of time before he lost patience completely. But when he asked her like this, telling her that he would respect her boundaries, her heart melted. She couldn't protect herself from this side of Mateo.
"Why?" she whispered.
What would he gain by having her in his bed when he couldn't touch her? Wouldn't that be torture for both of them? Because truthfully, Raina wanted him as badly as he seemed to want her. She was just more cautious, less experienced.
Mateo stepped up to her as though approaching a wild animal. He tucked the hair behind her ear and then touched his finger to the edge of her glasses. There was a strange expression on his face. She realized it was tenderness, not something she'd seen from him before.
"I want to see what you look like when you sleep. I want to lay next to you, inhaling your scent. I want you to rest your head on my pillow, inhaling my scent in return. I want you to wake up in the morning knowing that you spent the night next to the man that will become your husband. I want you to get used to me."
Her mouth was dry and her hands were sweating. She didn't know what to do. Go to her own room and spend a restless night alone or give in to the undercurrents of dark desire that were permeating the air around them? Though he wasn’t asking for sex, sexual tension vibrated through both of them.
"Will you stay?" His voice was husky and his eyes smouldering.
"Yes."
Chapter Thirty-Three
The next morning, Raina ran into Mateo as she was coming down the stairs and he was coming in the front door. They both stopped to look at each other. Once again, Raina felt self-conscious. The look Mateo was giving her told her she shouldn't.
Their night together had been just as he described; he hadn't touched her other than to pull the blanket up to her neck, kiss her cheek and tell her good night. Then he rolled over to his side of the bed and fell asleep so fast Raina realized he must be completely exhausted.
When she woke up in the morning, she was alone, sprawled out in the warm bed beneath the soft sheets. She stretched an arm out to Mateo's side of the bed, but it was cool. He'd left a while ago. She'd made her way back to her room for a shower and a change.
Even though she felt awkward about seeing him again, she was also happy. She tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a shy smile.
"You slept well?" He eyed her outfit of skinny jeans with a short purple T-shirt that bared part of her stomach.
"Very well, thank you," she answered politely.
They stood a few feet apart. She watched him warily as he continued to look at her. Had he come back to see her? She wasn't used to seeing him at any other time of day except for mealtimes. She thought that he was probably out negotiating his takeover. He usually returned to the mansion tired, but generally pleased about his success. He rarely spoke about the specifics of the takeover, except for the night he took her out into the yard to spar, but she sensed that things were going well for him. Which meant, she supposed, that things were going well for her too.
"I have news about your interior decorator. Come, let's go outside to talk." He jerked his head toward the back door and turned to walk away, expecting her to follow.
This was probably the reason he came back to the house, to update her on her hunch about Daniela Velazquez. Raina was dying to know what he'd found out, so she rushed after him as he strode toward the back of the house.
He called out to Lydia as they passed the kitchen, "Grab us a couple of lemonades and bring them out to the pool patio, will you?"
“Please and thank you," Raina was quick to add.
That was one of the differences between Raina and Mateo. Though he’d spent his childhood in poor conditions, he’d spent most of his adult years surrounded by servants. And though he was still an employee on Sotza's estate, he was high-ranking enough that he'd gotten used to the presence of paid staff. Raina, on the other hand, had grown up on a farm. She learned how to fend for herself; how to pour her own lemonade and use her manners if she had to ask for something. If she hadn't, her mother would've smack
ed her on the butt with a wooden spoon.
"Have a seat." Mateo waved his hand toward the patio table.
She sank into the seat and looked at him expectantly.
Mateo didn’t leave her in suspense. "We found the body of Daniela Velasquez."
“What?” Raina's mouth fell open in shock. Had she somehow managed to kill the interior decorator through her suspicions? Had Mateo murdered her, rather than looking into her background?
Before Raina could start demanding answers, Mateo continued, "The woman that you've been meeting with is not Daniela Velasquez. She's an imposter. From what Angela has managed to discover, Velasquez was killed weeks ago, after we moved in and started putting out feelers for an interior decorator. Whoever this mysterious woman is, she moved quickly. She knew exactly who we were. She found out what we needed and set herself up to be in a position to provide it."
Raina was stunned. She honestly didn't even know where to begin with this information. "But she was a really good interior decorator," Raina said, bewildered. "How does a person learn to become an interior decorator so quickly?"
She could tell by the look on Mateo's face that she'd amused him with her comment. She supposed it wasn't very badass of her to dwell on how good the imposter was at decorating. So she asked the next most important question. "If the woman I've been meeting with isn't the real Daniela Velasquez, then who is she?"
"And that's the million-dollar question." Mateo shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants, a serious look wrinkling his brow. "It’s not an easy process, getting into my inner circle. Whoever she is, she did her research, she worked quickly, and she disappeared just as quickly."
"Disappeared?" Raina asked.
Mateo nodded. "She must've realized that you were suspicious yesterday after you found her in my room. We haven't been able to track her down. I have a couple of men out trying to follow her movements, but if she's a professional, I doubt she'll be back. Not until she’s ready to show her hand."
A shiver ran through Raina. Ready for what? The possibilities were chilling. "What do you think she wants?"
Mateo accepted a frosted glass of lemonade from Lydia who walked out to them with a tray. Raina murmured her thanks, accepting a glass. She smiled her amusement when Lydia placed a bowl of grapes next to the drink. Lydia was forever trying to feed her healthy snacks, probably on Mateo’s orders.
When Lydia left, Mateo continued, "I don't want to speculate on the imposter’s intentions. First, we need to establish her identity before we find a motive behind her deception." Mateo walked over to Raina and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing and then running his hand through the loose hair at her ear. "The important thing is that you recognized her for what she was. She won't be bothering you again."
Mateo's words made her feel safer. She was comforted by his solid presence and his promise to protect her. She reached up, took hold of his hand and kissed the knuckles before letting go. She blushed at her own actions, though they were heartfelt.
"Thank you,” she said, smiling at him. "Thank you for taking me seriously on this and for acting so quickly. It means a lot to me."
His shrewd eyes stayed on her for a moment. "You know I would do anything for you."
"Even the things I don't want you to do." She quietly echoed the words he'd spoken to her weeks ago.
Mateo leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Exactly." He left his empty glass on the table and strode back to the house.
Mateo and Raina spent the next week settling into a new normal. Raina hired a new interior decorator who came with a plethora of recommendations and awards. He also passed an extremely thorough background check and interrogation style interview with Danny, Angela and Mateo. Once Mateo was satisfied the new designer was on the up and up, Raina was back to renovation planning.
The biggest change in routine the past week had brought was Mateo's presence at her door every night at around 11 PM, asking her to join him in bed. He was always polite, almost distant, and he never touched Raina without her permission. She was lulled into a sense of security to the point that she willingly took his hand and followed him to his room, spending each night in bed beside him. The routine had become such a pleasant one that she would’ve been disappointed if he hadn't come for her.
Raina felt happy and ready to start planning her wedding. She was excited for the arrival of both of her mothers within the next few days. They would know what she should do and how she should act when it came to both the mafia and a big wedding.
Diane Duncan arrived first. She brought with her a giant ray of sunshine, homemade baking, Raina's favourite stuffed unicorn and a warm heartfelt hug. She gathered Raina in her arms and held her close. Raina melted into her mother, wrapping her arms around Diane's ample waist.
"You look so beautiful, Raina." Diane tipped Raina's chin up to look at her face. She clucked her tongue and ruffled Raina's hair. "You'll need a haircut before the wedding."
They toured the mansion arm in arm, Raina showing off her new home to her mother. Raina was particularly proud of the renovations and lingered in the rooms that had been under construction. She was proud to show her mother to a bedroom that Raina had a personal hand in decorating.
The two women spent most of the day talking and discussing wedding particulars. Diane was especially interested in the food and had ideas about catering. Diane was generally easy-going; she wasn't one to shove her ideas down another person's throat. That is, except when it came to the wedding; Raina had never seen her mother so pushy. It was almost amusing to watch Diane lay out all of her catering plans and show Raina a plethora of menus she gathered online from local Miami caterers.
Mateo joined the two women for supper and received a warm hug and kiss from his future mother-in-law. Raina was reminded that the two had been in cahoots together for the past few years. She wanted to be pissed off about the subterfuge, but she was happy to see that her mother and Mateo getting along. It was like they skipped the awkward in-law phase and jumped right into years long friendship. They had a pleasant meal together, one of the easiest that Raina’d had since arriving in the house. The tension that always simmered between Raina and Mateo eased off with the arrival of her mother.
Unfortunately, a different kind of tension vibrated through the mansion with the arrival of Elvira Sotza the next morning. Vee was the epitome of calm cool sophistication. She gathered her daughter against her and held her close. Both women were the same height and build and could have been sisters. Once Vee assured herself that Raina was being well taken care of, she turned to greet Diane, accepting a warm hug.
"Oh, it does my heart such good to see you two together," Diane said of Vee and Raina, brushing a tear from her cheek.
Raina felt truly blessed with having two such mothers. The two women were complete opposites, yet respectful and loving of each other. There was no jealousy, no competition for Raina's attention.
To Raina's disappointment, Vee wanted little to do with the wedding. She shrugged it off as not her thing but listened carefully to whatever plans the other two made. Occasionally she would drop a comment, but mostly kept her thoughts to herself on Raina's upcoming nuptials. The only time she offered her two cents was when it came to Miami's local businesses. Vee knew where to find the best of everything and wasn't afraid to interrupt and tell Raina and Diane.
The one thing that Vee did want to discuss at length was Raina's contact with the imposter interior designer. She seemed deeply concerned by Raina's description of events.
"How old would you say she is?"
Raina shrugged. "Hard to tell. Definitely older than me, maybe around your age? But not older."
"Hmmm, interesting." Vee lapsed into thoughtful silence, then asked, "You say she's Latina?"
Again, Raina shrugged. "I assume so. She was definitely posing as Latina when she stole Daniela Velasquez's identity. But who knows if she actually is."
Diane shook her head. "It gives me the shivers to think th
at you were in such close contact with that woman. She could’ve done anything to you and no one would've stopped her."
Raina's smiled affectionately. "I can take care of myself, mom. And there are usually bodyguards close by, even in the house. It would've taken real effort for her to harm me here."
"Well, that's a relief," Diana said, hand over her heart.
"I don't like it." Vee frowned and reached for her water, taking a long drink. “This isn’t over, whatever it is.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
"You," Vee snapped, striding purposefully towards her prey, one of the mansion security personnel.
Vee was pleasantly surprised when Angela turned around to face her. A wide grin split Angela's face as she was quick to greet her former employer. "Señora Sotza, awesome to see you again!"
The two women hugged. "I suppose I should’ve realized that you would be here with Mateo."
Angela nodded. "He prefers to have his own team around him during the takeover.”
"I was sad to see you and Thomas leave, but you’re right. Mateo works best when he’s with his team. That is one thing I'll give him; he values those that are loyal to him. And you, my dear Angela, have always been loyal, whether he deserves it or not."
Angela shrugged. "Mateo is an easy person to give loyalty to. He’s loyal to a fault himself."
"Yes," Vee drawled. "Loyal to a fault. It’s difficult to earn that man's loyalty, but I see that those of you that have it will have it forever. It’s why I haven’t objected more stringently to this marriage between him and my daughter. I know that he’ll protect her with his life."
Angela reached out to touch Vee's arm. "He’s loyal to you as well," she said earnestly.
Vee smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "He’s loyal to my husband, which means his loyalty automatically extends to me. He’s never warmed up to me as a person."
Born a Queen (The Queens Book 3) Page 18