There was also the issue of shedding the name of my father. I wanted to cut anything that tied me to him, yet Carlos Calderón was who I'd been for forty years. Changing my name wouldn't erase that.
Daniel watched me expectantly. Stone ate his lunch like it might get away if he let up the pace. “Would it make it easier?” I asked.
“There's no difference. I wanted you to be aware you had the option.”
“Changing my name would probably only delay the inevitable. Anyone who wants to find me will.”
“You made sure Muriella appeared to be dead, and I did whatever I could to support that. Is there any way you could do the same?” Daniel asked carefully.
I hadn't considered that. I’d torched the entire compound. It wouldn't be that difficult to prove I'd gone down with it.
I’d dealt with people all over the globe under the guise of expanding our operation. What I'd really wanted to know was who I needed to take out when the time was right. Slowly, I'd squeezed the necks of the smaller cartels, but I'd barely begun to work on the bigger ones. My priority had been dismantling my own and eliminating my father. There was still much to be done.
“It's possible.” The more I tossed around the idea, the better I warmed to it. I'd planned on flying under the radar. Eduardo was overseeing the quinoa project. We'd already agreed that when questions were raised, he'd say he'd been contacted anonymously to do the work. It would be nothing for him to find my remains while prepping the land. If all my business associates believed me dead, it would be easier to operate without signing my own death warrant.
Daniel set his fork down, pushing his salad away. He leaned his forearms on the table. “I made it my job to know everything I could about your family's business. You're a target. There's already a lot of speculation about who took your father out or if he's really dead. I know your motivation, but I sense there's more. What can I do to help?”
“I'd like to take out all the cartels, but that's a pipe dream. Even if I could, for every one I eliminated, another two would pop up in their place. But there is one that needs to go down. They aren't only involved in narcotics but arms as well. Of the nuclear variety. They are ruthless and dangerous. I had to do some fucked-up shit to gain their trust, and I thought I'd already seen everything.” Nicanor Rosca had me torture a man and watched the entire ordeal like it was a spectator sport. If I hadn't done it, that would have been me on that concrete floor. Yet another precarious situation my father had gotten me into. He'd wanted to form an alliance with the Roscas. Stupidly, he believed we could take them over, but these people were bigger, and there was nothing they wouldn’t do, including making the heir to a large cartel kill an alleged double-crosser to prove his loyalty.
Even if he'd deserved it, I hadn't wanted to do it. That was the most vile and disgusting thing I'd ever experienced, and it took everything I had not to vomit. The stench of his piss and shit hadn't covered up the rank smell of his insides, but once I'd done it, my reputation as the most ruthless motherfucker in Central America had been solidified. Not many men in my position got their hands dirty, but when the men at the top weren't afraid to soil their designer clothes, it elicited fear. My father had gotten off on the torture and was well-known for the inventive ways he’d dealt with his enemies, though he’d been nothing compared to Nicanor Rosca.
Rosca was untouchable. He was a phantom on the most-wanted lists all over the world, yet no one knew how to get to him. But I did.
“Make me someone else on paper. I don't care who it is.”
Daniel nodded. “What do you need from me to make you dead?”
“Have either of you ever pulled out a tooth with pliers?” They stared at me as I took a bite of bread. I stared back. This was my world. I had a pair of pliers in my bag for this very reason. Well, not my own teeth, but if that was what was necessary. “I have a gold molar. My father had it plated without Novocain when I was seven.”
Stone shuddered. I continued eating like it was nothing. That had been the start of building my tolerance for pain. I had a pretty high threshold.
“I have a dentist we can use,” Daniel said, picking up his phone. His fingers moved swiftly over the screen, and then he placed it on the table, eyes turning hard. “How much danger is Muriella in?” If I hadn't already fully respected the man, I would have at that moment. She was more important to him than I was. I couldn't ask for any more than that.
“I believe anyone who had a clue she's alive is no longer able to speak.” I'd made those deaths as quick and painless as possible. “But it's impossible for me to know for certain.”
“Who knows where you are?” Daniel was as intimidating as any man I'd ever come across. He had a quiet demeanor that demanded attention, but I wasn't afraid of him. He wasn't my enemy.
“Only all of you. I left a man to do cleanup at the compound, but he doesn't know where I am. That's for his own good as much as mine. He's the one we can trust to prove my death.”
“We'll use him if we need to, but I'd prefer we handle everything on our own,” Daniel said as if he were in this with me. I'd use his help on some things—like a new identity—but he had a wife and my sister to protect.
“It's best you stay out of this,” I said resolutely. “I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to pursue at this point. Things have changed in the past few days.” Understanding flashed on his face. “The man helping me is Eduardo Sandoval. Do you have resources that can protect him? He's a sitting duck, though he knows the risk. When my father's rivals come for answers, they will use whatever means necessary to get them. I have plans for that land, and the last thing I will allow is for it to be stolen. Though I will never return to it, I will ensure some good comes from that place.”
“I have a friend who can help if you're willing to take it. He's trustworthy, though I suppose my word doesn't mean much to you at this point.” Daniel's expression was impassive. He was a difficult man to read.
“You've taken care of my sister for over twenty years. There is no one on this earth I trust more than you. I am forever in your debt,” I said earnestly. He had taken Muriella in as if she were family and given her this life. I could never repay that.
“The only thing I ask is you not bring trouble to our doorstep. I've done enough of that on my own over the years, but I believe we're through the worst of it. What I need to know is, who is the biggest threat to Muriella? Who will come after you and use her to do it?”
The man's instincts were eerily accurate. Or perhaps it was experience guiding him. Either way, I wouldn't lie to him. “Nicanor Rosca.”
His brows lifted. “Do you know him personally?”
“Unfortunately, I do. Until I arrived here, I had every intention of taking him down.”
“And now?” Daniel prompted, jaw tight and body rigid.
“I'm delusional enough to think if we convince the world I'm dead, maybe he'll forget I existed,” I returned.
“What do you owe him?”
“Nothing. The only man I'm indebted to is you. But I supplied him with a high-quality product. Our business together was lucrative, and I've essentially cut off that entire supply. I guarantee when he realizes it, he won't be happy,” I admitted. I hadn't swindled or done wrong by him. In fact, I'd filled his order just the previous week.
“I can't guarantee I can protect you from him,” Daniel said, drumming his fingers on the table. “That fucker is dangerous, and he's a damn ghost. It's rumored he doesn't exist.”
“I can assure you he does, and whatever you think you know about him, it's only the tip of the iceberg. If he were merely dangerous, there would be nothing to worry about,” I said soberly, crossing my arms.
Stone pushed to his feet, the chair scraping on the floor. “Is he looking for you?” he asked, glaring at me.
“Not yet. He doesn't know how to contact me anymore, though that won't stop him. The question now is whether to take down the beast or lie low and see what his next move is. Either one is a risk.”
/>
Daniel ran a hand through his thick hair in frustration. “Can you keep supplying him? Would that keep him placated?”
I'd gathered Daniel lived on the fringes of the law, but I'd never in a million years believed he would have suggested I continue running cocaine. I wanted out of that shit. I'd never wanted to be in it in the first place. But out might mean six feet under, and I didn't want that either.
“I could have if I hadn't destroyed the coca crop.” I'd been on such a crusade to punish my father that I hadn't thought things all the way through, and with Rosca, it wasn't as simple as him finding another supplier and leaving me alone. He would expect me to find it and deliver product to him.
“Fuck.”
“Exactly,” I said, the gravity of the situation leaving a pit in my stomach.
“How long before he comes calling?” Stone asked, hands braced on the table.
“A few weeks, a month at most. The last supply was enough to hold him a while.”
“Can you get him what he needs from somewhere else?” Daniel asked, leaning back. Stone paced between the island and the table. He'd always seemed easygoing. Even the other night, when I’d almost shot out his mirror, he’d kept his cool. But when it came to Muriella, it unraveled him.
“I might be able to use some of my contacts,” I said, already running through a list of possibilities in my mind. I'd forged a few alliances, some of them by imposing my will on weaker cartels. I wasn't a man they wanted to piss off, and I'd arranged it so they became dependent on me. If their survival depended on me, they wouldn't want me dead. Now I was afraid I'd cut off my nose to spite my face.
“You'll speak with Donato. I'll make the arrangements,” Daniel said firmly, and I nodded, though I didn't know who Donato was. I wasn't really in a place to argue, plus it was kind of nice to have people working with me instead of against me.
“We'll do what has to be done to keep that motherfucker happy until we can figure out how to take him out,” Stone said, extending his hand. I blinked at him in surprise and then shook it.
“One shipment. One deal. That’s all we’re giving this. I need my family safe, and that includes every person in this building,” Daniel said. He pointed at Stone. “You better not let your wife hear that language come out of your mouth.”
Stone shivered in mock fear. “That woman can be downright scary.”
“Camila—Muriella was that way from the time she was born. She would boss me around like I was half her age.” I smiled.
Daniel snickered. “Even when she couldn't speak a word of English, she could put me in my place,” he confessed, and I didn't doubt it.
I steered the conversation in a serious direction once more. “Could we keep this conversation between us? For her own good. It's not like she doesn't know what I do, but I'd prefer to keep her as far away from it as possible.”
“I won't volunteer any information, but I won't lie to her either,” Stone said. Daniel agreed.
“Of course not.” I stood. “When can I see this dentist?”
Chapter Eighteen
Holly
“I’m sorry to bother you at work.”
I clutched the phone at the sound of Muriella’s apologetic voice.
“Gabriel?” A thousand worst-case scenario thoughts zipped through my head at once.
“He’s fine. We went to the park for lunch and had a wonderful time.” I could hear her smile, and I instantly relaxed, but she grew somber. “Miss Ruby was life-flighted to a hospital in Austin.”
I touched the cross on my neck. Mulaney’s grandmother meant the world to her. “I haven’t seen Miss Jacobs in a couple of hours, but I’ll try to reach her.”
I dreaded having to deliver the bad news, but it was more important to be there for her in any way I could, the same as she’d always been for me.
“She’s on her way to the airport. Daniel’s arranged a flight for everyone to go as soon as possible. We’re getting ready to leave to meet Mulaney now. Carlos will look after Gabriel until you get home.”
In the wake of the emergency, it hadn’t occurred to me Miss Ruby was Stone’s grandmother too, so of course they’d be going to Austin. I closed my laptop and gathered a few files on my desk.
“I’ll come get him now.” There was so much work to do, but my son came first. I’d developed a trust with Muriella and her ability to care for Gabriel, but Carlos was a completely different story. I was willing to risk my body with him. Nothing further.
“Take your time.” She spoke with a calm authority. “They’re talking about planes. Gabriel’s fascinated. He’ll be more than fine until you’re off work for the day.”
I hesitated, uncertain. Maybe I was a crazy helicopter mom, but I had to be. I wanted to control every situation he was in to make sure he never ended up in an environment like I had. One of my greatest fears was that I’d end up being like my own parents. I refused to let that happen even if it meant I was overboard on the protectiveness.
“I don’t know how long we’ll be away,” she continued. “Miss Ruby’s condition is serious, and Stone won’t want to leave her.” I certainly didn’t blame him. If anything, I was a bit jealous at how close they all were. “I’m sorry for having to rush away when you’re depending on me for Gabriel’s care, but Carlos is a good substitute in my absence.”
“Emergencies happen,” I said as if I weren’t in a panic.
“School starts back tomorrow. I’ll make sure the teachers look out for him.”
“Thank you.” My stomach knotted at the idea of Gabriel in a new place. I’d been much more comfortable with him going to Saint Pius when her familiar face would be there with him.
“If you need anything, we’re only a phone call away.” Her reassurance did little to settle my nerves.
“You’ve already done too much,” I said. “And the same goes both ways. Have a safe trip and please give Miss Ruby my best.”
I stared at the phone for a minute after I’d hung up. “It’s just a little curve in the road,” I said to myself. “You can get through this.”
For the first time since we’d left Houston, I wondered if I’d made a mistake by packing up our lives on a whim. We’d had a routine, a structure in place. Then I thought about the trouble that couldn’t find us in New York. I’d made the right decision. Gabriel and I would survive anything we had to face.
Only one? I think we can do better than that.
I tucked the note I’d discovered packed in my lunch back in my purse and leaned against the mirrored elevator wall. Even his masculine scrawl turned me on. As much as I ached to feel Carlos inside me, what I wanted more at that moment was to crawl into his arms and just be held. The thought of that made me feel a little less weary, but I only allowed myself a moment to daydream. It could only be sex between us, and it was dangerous territory to think of depending on him for something emotional. That had gotten me into trouble before. I couldn't make mistakes like that now, not when it wasn't only my heart on the line.
But could we have a casual relationship since it appeared for the immediate future that Gabriel’s care was in his hands? Was this a line we shouldn’t cross? I’d only been prepared to rely on him for my own needs, not my son’s.
I didn't bother stopping by my apartment but went straight to Muriella and Stone's place. I stepped off the elevator, and the door to the stairwell opened behind me. A familiar giggle filled my ears. Gabriel carried a soccer ball with Carlos right behind him.
“Mama,” Gabriel said, dropping the ball and rushing to hug me.
“Hey, baby. Did you have a good day?” His hair felt cold when I brushed it back from his forehead.
“Yes, ma'am. Mr. Carlos taught me how to play soccer.” My eyes drifted past him to Carlos, who was casually tossing the ball in the air.
“Good evening, Holly.”
“Hi.” The words of his note came back with a vengeance, and my face flamed. I turned back to my son in an attempt to mask my embarrassment. “Let's go wa
sh up for dinner.”
Carlos already had my tote bag and purse in his hand, skirting us to open the door to the apartment. “I'll put your things in the closet,” he said as he ushered us inside.
“Thanks.” I hung back for a second. “I appreciate you watching him today.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Gabriel and I went to the half bath off the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Carlos crowded the doorway, watching us with guarded eyes.
“I scored a goal, Mama,” Gabriel said as he lathered his hands.
“Did you?” I asked, impressed.
He nodded emphatically. “I'm a natural,” he said proudly, without an ounce of boastfulness. Gabriel was only repeating what Carlos had no doubt told him. I shot Carlos a grateful look.
“He is. I showed him a few things, and he was running circles around me.” Carlos held out a hand towel for Gabriel.
“Probably because he's a lot younger than you,” I said playfully, drying my hands. We shuffled, trading places with Carlos, who was now at the sink.
His eyes met mine in the mirror. “Does my age bother you?”
It had never occurred to me. Looking at him, it was impossible to tell for sure how old he was. His physique was that of someone my age, in their mid-twenties, but it was his eyes that made him seem older, more experienced.
“No,” I said.
“I'll be six in June,” Gabriel volunteered.
“That old?” Carlos said, taking the hand towel I offered.
“Yep. When's your birthday?”
“October.”
“How old will you be?”
“Gabriel,” I admonished.
“Forty-one,” Carlos answered before I had a chance to tell Gabriel it was rude to ask people their age. Gabriel's eyes bulged, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Carlos's dark eyes danced. “That sounds ancient, huh?”
Gabriel blinked, uncertain how to answer. “Mama's birthday is in May,” he said, somehow knowing to avoid the question.
“Is it?”
Dangerous Redemption: A Single Parent Forbidden Romance Novel (Paths To Love Book 4) Page 9