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The memory is enough to make me bristle. “I’m familiar with it.”
“We could always alert the police to it. Or go in and clean it out. Or set fire to the whole damn thing. There are so many choices.”
“I won’t clip your wings by telling you to move one way or another. I’ll leave it up to you. I’m sure you and yours could come up with a creative solution to this problem.”
“I think we could come up with something if we put our minds to it. Now, what is in it for us?” And now she smiles, though there’s very little warmth behind it.
“You mean to tell me the absence of Josef Alvarez wouldn’t be enough?”
“Please, Mr. De Luca—”
“Call me Enzo.”
“Mr. De Luca,” she insists. “We’re not children, and this is no fantasy. Yes, it would be very nice to pretend the absence of the Alvarez cartel would be enough, but let me ask you: would it be for you if our positions were reversed? I think we both know the answer to that.”
“With all due respect, you shouldn’t speak for me.”
“Very well, then I’ll speak for myself. That isn’t enough. My family will want a piece of the pie, so to speak.”
“Naturally. And we can arrange for that, you have my word. I’m not an unreasonable man, nor am I greedy. I would be happy to share a piece of the pie—but a small one,” I add. “One of his transport lanes, for instance, and the merchandise that travels it. I’d be glad to hand that over to you once the smoke clears, and we’ve claimed the spoils.”
“And I can take you at your word?”
“Ms. Martinez, if there is one thing you can be sure of, it is my dedication to my word. Yes, we’ll meet again and solidify the terms of our arrangement. So long as you can accept those terms rather than demand more.”
“Speaking frankly, if I end up losing men over this, I will want more. I will want repayment in kind.”
“And I suppose we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it—if we do,” I add. “Because speaking frankly, as you said, there’s no inherent reason you should lose men over a hijacking or the burning down of a warehouse, is there?” I glance away from her, toward her guards. In other words, if they’re half as good as they should be, there shouldn’t be any danger involved.
She knows it, too, and her lips twitch again. “I like to keep all possibilities open, just in case. People in our position can’t afford to ignore any possibility.”
“I understand that, and I respect it.” Time to get down to it. I lean in, hands folded on the desk. “Do we have an agreement?”
She purses her lips, brows drawing together. I have her, I know I do, no matter how much she tries to pretend otherwise. Of course, she wouldn’t jump at the offer. She’d appear too eager and might as well expose her throat if she did that.
“Very well,” she murmurs, nodding slowly. “It’s a deal.”
“Excellent.” Now it’s my turn to downplay my reaction, tampering my glee. I need someone with a shrewd mind in my corner now, as Alvarez is as shrewd and cunning as they come. An animal solely interested in its own survival. He won’t know what hit him. “Thank you so much for your willingness. I know this will benefit our families immensely.”
“And it will grant you what you deserve. Vengeance for your grandfather.” I nod in agreement, even if the truth is much larger and more complicated than she makes it sound. The less anyone outside the family understands about my marriage and how it came to be, the better.
“Shall we shake on it?” I stand, prepared to do just that, but instead of extending a hand when she stands, she glances toward the bar set up in the corner.
“I would rather drink on it. Join me?” I incline my head before crossing the room, and she murmurs her assent when I offer whiskey. I pour us both a generous amount before turning toward her, handing her one of the glasses, and lifting my own in a silent toast.
“To our mutually beneficial involvement.” She touches her glass to mine, then bolts the contents back all at once without so much as flinching. A very interesting woman.
She then straightens out her suit with a soft sigh. “I hope you don’t think me terribly rude, but I must be on my way. There are always so many things to manage, but then I guess you know that all too well.”
“I’m beginning to get the idea, yes.”
For the first time since her arrival, she offers a genuine smile. “If there’s anything you need, and I mean this sincerely, don’t hesitate to ask. A sudden change in leadership can be construed as an opportunity for those who’d rather steal what they want than earn it. Ask me how I know.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.” I hold back the rest of my thoughts on the matter rather than remind her of the grasping, greedy men in her family. Mine isn’t like that—Grandfather would never allow it, for one thing. For another, my position is uncontested. Still, I have no doubt there are plenty of assholes out there who would like to take advantage. Something I only thought I understood when Grandfather was in power. I now know it’s impossible to fully comprehend unless you’re the one sitting behind the desk, calling the shots.
As I walk her to the door, there’s one thought I can’t help but give voice to. “I hope I’m not speaking out of turn by saying this, but I believe we could work together in the future. Our values seem to be in alignment.”
“One thing at a time, Mr. De Luca,” she reminds me with a bit of a teasing note in her voice. “Let’s do the world a favor by getting rid of Alvarez first.”
