Angela watched her with a shrewd expression. "I don't know why it bothers you, it's not like you've ever attempted to win him over."
Vee laughed. "You’ve never been one to sugarcoat things."
Angela shrugged. "What's the point in sugarcoating. The truth will come out anyway."
“Regardless, I don’t think Mateo and I will become besties any time soon. Friendly maybe, but not more.”
Vee had earned Mateo’s ire by helping her daughter leave Venezuela after he made his intentions clear. He believed that Vee’s actions constituted a betrayal to the Sotza cartel. Luckily, Sotza had seen it otherwise and hadn't punished his wife. Vee didn't think that she and Mateo would ever be close, but she respected him and for her daughter’s sake she would try to be civil.
"Were you looking for something?" Angela asked, prodding Vee on her reason for seeking out the mansion security.
"Yes, I'd like to look at some security footage if you have it handy." Vee’s voice was clipped and cool, back to business.
Angela hesitated and then nodded. "I don't think it should be a problem."
Vee understood Angela's dilemma. Angela and Vee had always gotten along well, two powerful women in a male-dominated cartel. Both had attitude in spades and could take care of themselves. Over the years of Vee’s marriage, the two women had developed a friendship. They were stronger and more powerful together than apart.
Vee followed Angela down the hallway, her 4-inch black Louis Vuitton heels tapping against the marble as she walked. Angela showed her to a back room that had been turned into a security office. She ushered Vee inside and waved her toward a chair then took the other chair behind the desk, sinking down and tapping the keyboard to wake up the monitor.
Vee looked at Angela shrewdly. "I think Miami suits you."
Angela’s eyes narrowed in thought. "I've always enjoyed America. There's a certain kind of… freedom… that I don't necessarily experience in Venezuela. More opportunity maybe." She finished with a shrug.
"I know what you mean," Vee assured her. "Misogyny runs aplenty in the world of organized crime. Here, you’re far more likely to rise up the ranks than you would in a place like Venezuela. Though Sotza appreciates hard work, whether that work is coming from a man or a woman, his organization isn’t that far out of the dark ages. Regardless, enjoy your time here. I'm sure you can make it permanent if that’s what you want."
Angela treated Vee to a half smile and then focused her attention on the computer in front of her. She turned the monitor so that they could both see it. "What are we looking for?"
"The interior designer. I want to know what she looks like."
Angela nodded sharply and said, her voice hard, "I never trusted her. Worst customer service I've ever seen. She was rude to everyone, including your daughter. It was a miracle Raina didn't fire her."
Vee chuckled. "Raina sees the best in everyone."
"Okay, so the moment Mateo realized Daniela wasn’t on the up and up, he had us pouring through this footage. I can tell you now, she's clever. Never once showed her face." Angela quickly found the file on the desktop, opened it and played the first video.
Vee watched as a tall slender dark-haired woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat walked past the front entrance camera at a fast clip. She brought her hand up to her face as though to brush hair out of her eyes. The move obscured her features.
"Clever indeed," Vee said darkly.
"She does that every single time she walks past a camera, whether it's the camera at the front entrance, the back entrance, or the offices, where we also had cameras installed. She knows exactly what she's doing."
Vee frowned thoughtfully. "But what exactly was she doing? And did she accomplish what she set out to do? I assume she's been in the wind since suspicions were raised?"
"Si, yes," Angela nodded, using both English and Spanish as she spoke rapidly. "Raina was careful when speaking to Daniela, but it was clear that she was suspicious. And the woman is skittish. Probably from the moment she was caught in Mateo's bedroom, she decided her time here was done. As for her intentions? We don't know. We need to determine her identity first."
"Replay the footage for me, different angles please." Vee leaned in closer to the monitor and watched as Daniela walked past the camera over and over and over.
There was a familiarity about her. The way she walked, elegant but purposeful. The way she looked over her shoulder and surveyed her surroundings. The woman's posture. Her clothes, her shoes, her jewelry. Everything seemed to be carefully coordinated. The woman was almost militaristic with a side of elegance. Raina would bet the Venezuelan compound that she knew this woman personally. But how? And when?
"Thank you for showing me this. If you get in trouble with Mateo, let me know. I’ll set him straight.”
Angela shook her head and gave Vee a reassuring smile. "You were kind to me in Venezuela. You showed me how powerful a woman could become. You showed me that a woman could embrace her femininity and still be a total badass. I've always looked up to you and I don't agree with the way Mateo treats you. But that’s between you and him. As far as I'm concerned, you and I are friends."
Vee smiled a heartfelt genuine smile. "Thank you. I will treasure our friendship. If you’re ever in need of help, you come to me."
Chapter Thirty-Five
It was the night before Vee’s and Diane's departure. They had been in Miami for four days helping Raina with her wedding plans. Diane was eager to get back to Joe and the farm. She talked about helping with the seeding and doing some gardening before summer arrived.
Vee, on the other hand, didn’t seem eager to leave at all. "I'm not comfortable leaving Miami before you hunt down the imposter." She directed her comment to Mateo who was sitting at the head of the table, presiding over their dinner meal.
"Daniela Velasquez is not your problem," he said dismissively, forking a bite of roasted chicken and vegetables into his mouth.
"She preyed on Raina and anything that has to do with my daughter is, in fact, my problem," Vee said sharply, narrowing her eyes at Mateo in a glare.
"Can we not do this?" Raina huffed from her seat on Mateo’s right-hand side. She was sitting across from Vee, with Diane on her left side.
Vee and Mateo had been arguing all week and it was getting on Raina's last nerve. She understood their hostility, but she didn't condone it. Both of them were grown-ups, both of them had been bosses in the Miami underground, and both loved Sotza and Raina. That should be plenty enough in common for them to bury the hatchet. But rather than burying it, that they'd spent the entire week swinging it at each other, making nasty comments and undermining the others authority.
Raina turned her ire on her mother. "While I appreciate your concern, I am capable of taking care of myself." When Vee open her mouth to speak, Raina interrupted, "And I trust my future husband to keep me safe. He cared for your husband for over two decades; he's proved himself. You need to let this go and trust us to take care of it." Then Raina turned her gaze toward Mateo. "And you need to start getting along with my mother. I intend to have her here as often as I can get her. Deal with whatever grudge you have against her and then let it go. For my sake."
The mighty Mateo actually flinched at her last sentence, more than likely because he would do anything for Raina's sake, including treating her mother with respect. He set his fork and knife down on his plate and lifted his napkin to his lips before setting it on the table.
He turned to face Vee, his expression one of stiff resignation. "Forgive me, you will always be welcome in our home."
It became clear that Vee was struggling with what she would say next. Diane hid a smirk in her napkin and winked at Raina, while Raina covered a laugh with a cough. Vee was not one to let old grudges go. If a person was going to hate Vee, she was going to hate them back ten times worse. But ultimately, she knew that it was in her daughter's best interest to have Vee get along with her future son-in-law.
Finally, after enough
time had passed that even Mateo was amused, Vee managed to say stiffly, "You’re forgiven. And, of course, you must forgive me for any harm I may have caused you." She seemed to chew on the inside of her cheek before bursting out with, "Except for helping Raina escape. I don't regret that."
Before Mateo could get angry, both Raina and Diane burst out laughing. Diane put her hand on top of Raina's and squeezed, then directed her comment to Mateo, "I think that that's as good as it's going to get. Consider yourselves no longer at war."
"Indeed," Mateo drawled, his dark eyes still lingering on Vee with speculation. He directed his next comment toward her. "I hope that you know we’re doing everything we can to track down the imposter. You’ll receive any and all information regarding this matter. However, Sotza wants you back in Venezuela, and it’s my duty to obey his wishes."
Vee grumbled something about how Mateo was no longer working for Sotza therefore he didn't owe the man anything, but no one paid much attention to her. It was obvious that it was going to take her longer to let go of their little war.
Later, in Mateo's bedroom, as Raina and Mateo were getting ready for bed, Raina turned to him. "Thank you for what you said to my mother at the dinner table."
"Diane is extremely easy to get along with. It will always be my pleasure to host her." He turned his back on Raina and pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it on a nearby chair. She held her breath as muscles rippled across his back, looking extra fine in the lamplight.
"You know that's not the mother I'm talking about," she said dryly. While his back was turned, she quickly stripped out of her clothing and pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and a cami top.
She continued to watch him as he unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants down his legs, bearing the nicest male ass she'd ever seen. Granted, she hadn't come in contact with very many male asses, but she was positive that those perfectly curved globes were highly unusual. Over the course of the past week, they had gradually gotten used to each other's presence in the bedroom. It had been more of a learning curve for Raina who had never shared her space before. Even in university, she’d used some of her forgery money to upgrade to a single bed suite.
Mateo eased into their new living situation as though nothing had changed. As though there had always been a space for Raina right next to him, waiting for her to fill it.
"You were right." He turned to Raina, giving her a piercing look that melted her heart and her panties. His serious mob boss look, but also sexy as hell. "Allies are stronger when united. Our marriage will create an even stronger alliance between the east coast hub and South America. It would be stupid of me to continue arguing with someone in Vee's position."
Raina tried desperately not to drop her eyes. She didn't need to glance at his penis. She really didn't. She dropped her eyes. Every thought in her head fled. For the most part Mateo's body was enveloped in shadows, but she could see enough to see a very large, very erect, very veined cock. He flipped back the covers on the bed, and slid underneath.
"I… I…" Raina stammered and blinked and then shook her head. Finally, she remembered what she wanted to yell at him about. "Our marriage is not about an alliance. If that's all you want from me, you can go find yourself another mob princess sacrifice."
Mateo flipped the blankets back, slid out of bed with the ease of a jungle cat and strode toward her. Raina's eyes flared wide and she took a couple of quick steps back, but she wasn't fast enough, he was on top of her in seconds. He stopped her, his hands on her arms, his dark angry eyes glaring down at her. The heat from his big body enveloped her in a warm hug.
"Our marriage will forge a strong alliance. This is a fact." His voice was hard, matching his stance and the angry energy coming from him. He meant every word. He wanted her to know exactly where she stood with him. “But you are much more to me than an alliance. If you had been born in a back alley on a distant continent, I still would have found you, and I still would have loved you. You are my queen, nothing less and nothing more."
Raina stared up at him, her heart hammering so hard that it felt like it would burst from her chest. Her skin felt prickly, like it belonged to someone else. The moment, the man, everything about the two of them was so significant that it felt like fate. Just as Mateo suggested. Maybe they were destined to be together, no matter who they were or where they came from.
Mateo slid his hand down her arm until he was clasping her hand. He tugged her toward the bed. "Come lay down with me, I want to read."
They snuggled under the covers together, Mateo's arm around Raina, her head on his chest. Together, they read his newest paperback romance, Rosemary Rogers’ Sweet Savage Love, each waiting for the other to finish before Mateo turned the pages.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The next day, after spending most of the morning working on a new commission for papers for an American diplomat whose lover was a foreign national spy, Raina decided to go for a relaxing swim. Between hosting both of her mothers and engaging in a weird mating dance with Mateo, Raina was ready for some down time.
She loved Vee and Diane, but both women, each in their own way, were exhausting. All Diane had wanted to do was talk wedding, wedding, wedding. Raina was not a wedding person. Though her own wedding engaged her more than other people's, she still wasn't willing to put in a lot of effort. Raina was a hardcore introvert, she had little desire to be around crowds of people that she barely knew, especially as the center of attention.
Vee had been exhausting in a different way. Vee was born and bred to the mafia, which created a kind of edge. She expected the worst and she was cynical, almost to a fault. She was always looking for conspiracies and angles.
Raina admired her birth mother, and in some ways, they were very much alike. Both mother and daughter were shrewd, sharp and intelligent. They also had big hearts. It was a strange combination that was likely what got both women into trouble time and time again. They were sneaky, worked on the wrong side of the law, but they were also loyal and compassionate.
That’s where the similarities ended. Vee’s experiences had made her cynical and distrusting. She was suspicious of most everyone, especially men and she didn't keep her thoughts to herself. Sometimes Raina thought that when Vee looked at Mateo, she was seeing her first husband, Tony Montana. The man who had beaten, degraded, and nearly killed her.
Raina decided she wanted a swim and headed to her room to change. Ten minutes later, she emerged wearing a white bathing suit with a gold clasp between the breasts and one on each hip, a light blue bathing suit robe and flip-flops. She made her way back through the mansion, admiring some of the changes along the way. It was starting to feel like home.
After finding out about Daniela, Raina had re-renovated many of the styles that Daniela had chosen. Raina's new interior designer was on board with this, even if he found it strange that they were repainting freshly painted rooms. He favoured a bolder style over the modern whites and creams that Daniela had been choosing for Raina. Raina found that she enjoyed some of the brighter accents more than she would have thought.
At the pool, she dropped her robe and tossed it carelessly across a lounge chair. She kicked off her sandals, stepped up to the edge of the pool and dove into the clear blue water. The pool was heated so the water temperature was perfect; not too hot, not too cold. Raina powered through twenty laps, counting them in her head as she touched the edge of the pool. Each lap helped to ease some of the tension from her body. Her mothers were gone and the imposter interior designer was no longer in the mansion. Her forgery work was taking off and things with Mateo were going well. Raina had nothing to worry about.
After finishing her laps, Raina rolled over onto her back and floated, staring up at the clear blue sky dotted with fluffy, cotton ball clouds.
Because her ears were half underwater, she didn't hear Mateo approach and didn't know how long he'd been standing watching her before she spotted him. She rolled her head to the side and saw his big body blotting out the sun. S
he swam lazily over to him a happy smile on her face. He watched her, the gleam of a predator in his eyes.
"You're home early," she said huskily as she approached the edge of the pool where he was standing. "Break your quota of kneecaps for the day, gangster?"
He flashed her a quick grin, unable to help himself. Raina noticed that Mateo and most of the criminal type guys she'd been around rarely smiled. As though their go-to expression was deadly, serious, frozen in stone. Although Mateo seemed to have nailed the expression, he still showed his softer side once in a while.
"Something like that," he said, crouching next to the edge of the pool.
Raina had an immature impulse to yank him into the water, expensive suit and all. She was relatively certain he wouldn't get overly angry with her and might even find humour in the situation. But she reined in the urge. Maybe one day she’d give it a try.
He ran his finger down her cheek and tilted her chin. He lazily scanned her features and then dipped his gaze to her small breasts where they were tightly encased in the low-cut bathing suit. "Wanted to see you."
Raina grinned up at him. "Yeah? Why?"
"Want to show you something." He reached down for her, making it obvious that he was going to pull her out of the pool.
Raina clutched the sleeves of his suit jacket as he gripped her underneath her arms and pulled her straight up from the pool, going from his crouch to standing position and setting her on her feet in front of him. Water poured off her, wetting the front of his suit and shoes. Maybe she should've pulled him into the pool; apparently he didn’t mind getting wet.
"What do you want to show me?" she asked with a lift of her brow. "New puppy? Diamonds? The head of imposter Daniela on a platter?"
She almost regretted her last sentence when darkness replaced his pleasant expression. He shook his head. "We haven't been able to locate her yet."
Born a Queen (The Queens Book 3) Page 19