by Jane Henry
“Everything okay?” she asked, her brows furrowing as she placed her fabric napkin in her lap. He glanced again at the door, then the windows, then the couple.
“Yeah,” he said. “For now.” His eyes met hers again briefly, before he began scanning the room again and finally settled on his menu.
She leaned in closer to him. “Seriously, Diego. No one followed us. You don’t always have to be on the lookout.”
He placed the menu down, reached for her hand and squeezed. “But I do, Nora. I do.”
Chapter 5
“Here’s the deal,” Diego told Nora, once they were back in the car. “I’m taking you to Centered because I know you have a job to do, and because I know Slay guards the place like Fort Knox. But you need to take extra precautions, because things have changed…”
She sighed. “You mean because of what we did last night?”
“Partly,” he said, feeling his serious expression twist into a self-satisfied one, and not giving a damn. “But also because of what you did last night, just coming to see me.”
She pursed her lips like she wanted to argue. “Diego, isn’t it possible that you’re overreacting just a little bit? I mean, yes, in retrospect it was a stupid thing for me to come looking for you last night. I don’t really know what I thought I’d accomplish,” she admitted. “Maybe it was just the shock of seeing Camila draw your face, of knowing you were involved with this girl somehow. And I wanted to make sure that you were okay.”
He started the engine and backed out of the parking spot without glancing in her direction, though her words settled warmly in his stomach. How long had it been since someone wanted to make sure he was okay? Slay worried about him—he’d said as much the other day—but that was more about Diego’s ability to do the job without losing his soul in the process. Diego couldn’t remember someone worrying about whether he was upset or unhappy. And while he was perfectly capable of taking care of his own shit, it was still nice to think that someone—specifically his Nora—cared.
Still, it seemed that even after two spankings in less than twenty-four hours, his woman didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation.
“Coming to find me was a stupid thing to do. But I’m not overreacting,” he told her flatly, navigating his car through the narrow, crowded streets with practiced ease.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her eyes narrow at his quick agreement. She licked her lips like she was weighing her next words carefully. He nearly chuckled.
“I’m just saying, you have to admit that it’s extremely unlikely that I’ve somehow gotten my picture on somebody’s hit list just because I went to see you. People do walk in that neighborhood occasionally, and park there too. You got me out of there before any of your guys saw me. You took me back to your mom’s house for the night, and you said you’d take care of moving my car. I think you’re being just a little bit paranoid.”
He darted a glance in her direction, one eyebrow raised, and she hastily tacked on a respectful, “Daddy.”
He blew out a breath. “Nora, baby, I find myself in a shitty position here. I can’t tell you about the things that I’m involved in. Once again, not just won’t, but can’t, okay? You knowing that I’m undercover already means that my life is in your hands,” he reminded her, and he heard her suck in a breath at his words. “Beyond that, investigations are ongoing, for one thing, and for another, the less you know, the less jeopardy you’re in. But you’re smart enough to realize, I think, that I am not the highest guy on the food chain, yeah? There are bigger predators in the waters than me?”
She nodded slowly.
“Okay. Then you need to understand that the person I work for—the organization I’m investigating—they have spies everywhere. Eyes watching everywhere. Ears fucking listening everywhere. I sweep this car twice a day for bugs and tracking devices. The house you were in earlier? My mother’s house? I own it, but it’s not in my own name and nobody knows it’s mine. And still, Nora? Still, Slay or one of his guys sweeps the place every couple of days.”
“But why?” she demanded, as they made their way out of the older, homier Italian neighborhood and through the bustling downtown, where late-lunching professionals thronged the sidewalks, enjoying the fall sunshine. “Daddy, you can’t live in fear every day. I had to learn that myself, after what happened with Roger. I was jumpy for a long while, startling at every shadow or loud noise. I didn’t want to leave the house, didn’t want to see my friends. I did nothing but study. Tony loved it at first,” she said, rolling her eyes as she thought of her loving but overprotective brother-in-law. “My grades were better than ever. But then he and Tess realized it wasn’t healthy for me to be so worried. They took me to a therapist who helped me develop some coping strategies, and—”
“It’s not the same thing, baby,” Diego interrupted gently. “I’m glad you got the help you needed. I’m grateful that your sister and Tony got that for you, but this isn’t the same thing. Back then, you were on high-alert and you didn’t need to be. You needed to figure out how to convince your mind that it wasn’t fight-or-flight time anymore.”
“Right,” she agreed.
“But for me? Nora, for me, it is always fight-or-flight time,” he told her, and the words came out sadder than he’d imagined they would. “There are literally dozens of people in Boston who want me dead right now, or who would if they had any idea that I was undercover. So I have to be cautious always. And now that you’re with me?” He reached over and grabbed her hand from where it rested against her thigh, pulling it atop the center console so she was anchored to him. “That means you’re in danger, too. Just having you physically with me puts you in danger. But if they were ever to figure out what you mean to me? Even people I consider friendly wouldn’t hesitate to use you to get to me.”
Her fingers tightened on his momentarily.
“I might take chances with my own life, but I would never, ever risk yours.”
“Diego… I—”
“Hush, baby,” he told her firmly, brooking no resistance. “You had a question… a concern… and I’ve answered it. We aren’t going to discuss it again. That’s how this works, understand?”
She sucked in a breath, and he could almost hear the wheels in her head spinning as she thought of a suitable argument. But in the end, she surprised him by saying, “Yes, Daddy.”
He brought their joined hands towards his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Thank you, baby. I need to know that you’ll do exactly what I tell you and take every precaution when I leave you at Centered.” The very thought of something happening to her was paralyzing.
He could sense her lingering hesitation and he smiled briefly. “I get that we are new at this. I get that this time yesterday, you wondered if I was a criminal… and maybe some part of you still has concerns,” he added.
The blush on her cheeks confirmed his suspicion, and she darted a quick glance at him, as if to see if he was mad. But he wasn’t, not at all. He believed that she trusted him to lead her, to never hurt her, and that was the most important thing. As for the rest? He’d rather have her cautious—and yes, fine, as suspicious of everyone as he was—than have her blindly following anyone.
“The fact that you are still going to do what I say, even if some part of you thinks I’m paranoid and crazy, that says a lot,” he said quietly, and met her big, solemn brown eyes with his for a moment.
“I trust you,” she told him. And even though she was only confirming his thoughts, he felt a knot loosen in his chest. He thought, once again, of how lost he’d felt yesterday. Now, holding her trust and being worthy of it was his anchor.
“Okay, so here’s what’s going to happen. I know you’re gonna talk to your sister and your friends, but play it cool. There’s no reason for you to mention me at all just yet. And definitely don’t mention where you’re going to be sleeping.” She nodded, and he continued. “Slay and his team are going to be doing security at Centered, as usual. But today, th
ey’re also going to monitor inside the facility.”
“Inside?” Nora repeated. “Diego, so many of our clients are domestic violence victims, and having a bunch of big, beefy guys…”
“Slay’s doing it himself,” Diego interrupted. “He’s a known presence there, thanks to Allie, so the women are familiar with him. And the kids absolutely love him. Plus, Slay’s got two women on his team who both volunteered.”
“Women? Slay has women on his team?” Nora sounded skeptical, and Diego had no hesitation in setting her straight.
“Hell yes. Why wouldn’t he? Slay only cares they’re good at their jobs, and Nakima and Faith are both Krav Maga-trained badasses with law enforcement backgrounds. Besides, sometimes having someone who doesn’t look like a scary badass gives us a competitive advantage. Nobody suspects just how scary they can be.”
“I just thought…. He’s always so protective of… I mean, because of Allie…” she stammered.
“Yeah, I know exactly what you thought,” Diego teased. “That because Alice is submissive to him, clearly he must be a chest-beating caveman who wouldn’t value women on his team? Slay has a protective streak a mile wide. So do I. But that doesn’t mean I believe that every woman needs protecting in every situation.”
She shook her head. “I know better. I mean, he’s hyper-protective of me and the rest of the family, but I know Slay’s not a caveman.” She looked at Diego thoughtfully, and once again he could practically hear her thinking. He bit his cheek to keep from smiling. Even if he’d ever allowed himself to fantasize about a future where they were together, he would never have imagined something this fun.
“Spit it out,” he told her, as he turned down the street that led to Centered.
She seemed startled that he’d read her thoughts. “Well, I was just thinking I’ve always wanted to learn Krav Maga. And if I put in some effort and became proficient, then you wouldn’t have to be as protective of me.”
He snorted, then laughed out loud. “Yeah, no.”
“No? But you just said not every woman needs protecting! And if I know self-defense—”
“I don’t care if you become the world’s greatest Krav Maga master, and wear body armor from head to toe while locked in a hermetically sealed bubble on a tiny, uncharted island in the middle of the ocean. I’m still going to worry about you. I’m still going to need to protect you. And it’s not because you’re weak, Nora. I know you’re not. Fuck, in some ways you’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. It’s for my own sanity.” He reached over and grabbed her hand. Emotion was making his throat tight and he wondered for a second if he was saying too much, but she needed to hear it. She needed to understand. “You are infinitely precious to me. You always have been. I gave up a lot of things to do this job, and I always figured that having you in my life was one of them. Now that you’re with me, I can’t not protect you.”
He deftly maneuvered the car into an empty spot just down the street from the bench where he’d watched her last night—shit, how was it only last night?—then killed the engine and shifted in his seat to face her. “It’s my job now, baby. And it’s also my joy. Taking care of you, knowing that I am the guy who gets to make sure you have every single thing you need and most of the things you want, that’s about the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Letting me do that, helping me do that, even when you think I’m being overly cautious, is the greatest gift that you can give me.”
Her eyes were soft and warm as they locked on his. “Okay, baby?” he asked softly.
She bit her lip, but couldn’t keep the smile from lighting up her face and stealing his breath.
“Okay, Daddy.”
“Fuck. This is bad, Padre,” Juan whispered, his wide brown eyes shifting quickly from Diego to Tomás and back again. “El Jefe knows the girl left, and that means he’s gonna come for us if we don’t get her back?”
Diego leaned back in his chair and stared at the dozen faces gathered around the flimsy table his men had set up in the center of the warehouse. Most of the faces were held carefully blank, revealing nothing. Others, like Tomás, glared at him angrily. And a couple, like Ricky and Juan, looked like they were ready to piss themselves in fear.
He’d been reluctant to call the meeting for this very reason, wanting to take care of the situation without riling half his crew. But this morning, when he’d left Nora at his house and come to the warehouse to check on Ricky, he’d found Tomás waiting for him, demanding answers. It had become clear that if Diego didn’t call the meeting, Tomás would do so himself, which showed exactly how strained Tomás’s loyalty to him had become.
Diego squelched a pang of regret. There had been times when Tomás had felt like a brother to him over the years, and Diego still felt an almost fraternal pull to protect and guide the younger man. But he now recognized just how fucked up his loyalties had become, and knew he should be grateful for Tomás’s animosity. It would only make it easier for Diego to make a clean break, easier to bring down the whole fucking organization.
He sighed. “It’s not gonna blow back on you, Juancho,” he promised, holding the other man’s gaze.
“Yeah?” Juan said nervously. His eyes darted around again like a scared rabbit, and Diego briefly wondered what the fuck the man was high on and how much of it he’d taken. “How can you be sure?”
Diego opened his mouth to reply, but Tomás responded before he could.
“He can’t,” Tomás challenged bitterly. “Padre doesn’t know what El Jefe will do, and there ain’t nothin’ we can do to stop him, except get the girl back.”
The grinding of Diego’s molars was nearly audible in the silence that descended after that, as all eyes turned to him to gauge his response to the blatant challenge. A week ago… fuck, even a day ago, the need to maintain his position and his cover would have required Diego to make a demonstration, to make Tomás cower in fear and remind him that Diego was absolutely the strongest motherfucker in the room. But the ticking clock in the back of his head—one week, no longer—made that unnecessary. His only goal now was to bring down this group with as little bloodshed as possible. It was a liberating feeling.
He found himself genuinely smiling as he replied, “I’m gonna take care of this. El Jefe gave me a lead on where to find her. Consider it done.” He looked at the men around the table again, and found that most of them had relaxed as they noticed his calm demeanor, a couple even leaning back in their chairs.
But Tomás was unconvinced. “Yeah? You gonna share your brilliant plan with the class?” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared Diego down.
“Fuck no,” Diego told him mildly, refusing to be goaded into an angry response despite his overwhelming desire to run Tomás’s smug face through the table and remind him to show respect. “The fewer people who know what’s going on here, the fewer people can mess this shit up with their impulsive behavior.” He looked pointedly at Ricky, who blinked his one good eye and flushed guiltily. “I’ll get her.”
“You don’t need to get her, you need to kill her.” Tomás challenged, and Diego’s eyes flashed to his as the men around the table nodded in agreement.
You need to kill her. As simple as that? Since when had Tomás been able to discuss the cold-blooded killing of an innocent girl in such bold and unrepentant terms? Since when did the rest of the men agree so easily?
Suddenly, Diego didn’t feel like he knew Tomás or the crew at all anymore. And that made it easier for him to lie through his teeth.
“I have a plan, but it’s gonna require some preparation. If we don’t want blowback, we don’t go stalking up to her in broad daylight with guns blazing.” He looked around at the men. “Jesus. Forget El Jefe’s shitlist, we’d all be arrested for fucking murder. Verdad, Tomás?” The other man scowled and looked daggers at Diego, but nodded once. “Banyon, the police still haven’t had any reports, right?”
“Si, Padre. My contact in the PD says it’s all good. Wherever the girl ended up, she
was smart enough not to go reporting us to anyone. If there is a report, my contact will tip us off in plenty of time to take action.”
Diego nodded. The girl—Camila, he reminded himself. She had a name, and he would use it, at least in his own mind—wouldn’t report it. Not for a little while, at least. Diego, via Slay, had made sure of that. Slay had arranged a temporary home for her with his guy Donnie and Donnie’s wife, Grace, who worked at Centered, because they needed to ensure that Camila was placed with someone who was able to adequately protect her from El Jefe. Diego had also tipped Slay off that, although Camila still needed to receive the services and counseling she could get through Centered, she needed to be there as infrequently as possible and to vary her arrival and departure times, so she was a difficult target.
“That’s good. That gives us time. No shipments until next weekend,” he told the men, their nods confirming they understood that meant no new girls should be arriving. “So in the meantime, we keep our heads down and conduct business as usual. Banyon, you and your crew keep unloading the legit merch at the warehouse, and take care of delivering it to our buyers.” The souvenirs and novelty items they imported as a front for the darker side of their business still needed to be taken care of, after all.
Banyon and several others nodded.
“Ricky, you and the boys keep to your usual haunts—the pool hall and bars in and around here. Gather some intel, see what the other guys have to say. Last fucking thing we need is another crew looking into our shit while we’re trying to deal with things internally, you feel me?”
“You got it, Padre,” Ricky said, his voice subdued and respectful.
Diego smirked. “Meanwhile, I’m gonna handle this other project,” he told them. “And, as I said, I’ll do it alone.”
Tomás sat forward, forearms on the table, and shifted his jaw to the side as he looked at Diego. “No, I still don’t like it. You don’t wanna tell everyone, fine. But you need to tell some of us what your plan is.”