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Worse. Ha. “She plans on dangling herself out there like a worm on a hook.”
“Oh?”
“Domínguez. He’s after her. He knows that we’ve been gunning for him and wants the upper hand; take us out before we can take him down. If he gets Greta, he knows we’ll be coming after her, giving him the opportunity he’s looking for.”
Leo pressed his lips together, staring at the water, the wheels clearly turning behind his eyes. “If you’re aware of it ahead of time, it doesn’t actually sound like a bad plan.”
“Would you want Ella serving herself up as bait?”
“No,” he said, conceding quickly. “But I’m damn proud of her for what she did to Avalone.”
I nodded. I was proud of her too. After that man had tormented her for years, she’d gotten in a little piece of revenge before we killed him.
“But this is more than revenge to Greta, isn’t it?” he asked.
I nodded. “It’s who she is.”
And that was the truth of it. If I was younger, wrapped up in myself like all young men tend to be, maybe I’d be stupid enough to think I could make her change without losing the woman I’d fallen in love with. But I was older, wiser now.
“It’s difficult,” Leo said, “caring about someone in a way you never thought you’d care about another human being.”
I nodded. “Damn hard. I’m afraid I’m too old for this shit.”
He clapped me on the back, shaking his head. “Hindsight’s twenty-twenty, but don’t worry; It’ll be a long time before you’re old,amico.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“This plan with Domínguez, do you need any help,amico?” he asked.
I didn’t want to drag the Lucas into it, but if there was any chance it could help me get Greta back safely… “I can’t ask you for it, but I can’t say I’d turn you down either.”
He shrugged. “You’re not asking; I’m offering. Just let me know when and where. And when it comes to helping you and Raven, I bet Dominic would be on board too.”
“I appreciate it, my friend.” There was no denying that having the eldest brother of the Luca family on board would be an asset.
Leo looked down at the water, at the miniature school of fish swimming beneath the surface. “So, if you didn’t even bring a fishing rod, are you planning on shooting any of these fish?”
I shook my head. “Not today, my friend. No reason they need to have a bad day too.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Greta
“I can’t… believe it,” Raven said, leaning back in one of the Costas’ patio chairs out back, laughing so hard she was running out of breath.
I shrugged, but let’s face it, I’d pretty much just given her a play-by-play of how Brute and I had gone from strangers to where we were now. This was no laughing matter. Love? The stupid word hadn’t even crossed my mind until he’d dropped it right there, in the middle of an argument.
She took a deep breath, then another, trying to rein herself in.
“Okay, you’re not looking nearly as amused as I am,” she said. She at least had the decency to look chagrined. “But haven’t you wanted him from the moment you laid eyes on him?—I clearly recall something along those lines.”
“Si, I wanted to ride the rollercoaster, not buy a permanent seat.”
Raven shrugged. “Permanent isn’t so bad, you know?”
“Really? Because none of my one-night stands would have given me a hard time about what I’m planning to do here.”
She leaned forward in her seat, hands flat on the table. Her blue eyes were suddenly dead serious. “But that’s because none of those men ever got to know you—you never let them. Brute’s a pain in the ass because he cares. The same way Nico’s a pain in my ass… because he cares.”
