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For a moment, there was silence on the line, but Tomas’s fury was like a living, breathing thing. Time to push him even further.
“Tomas.” I was back in control. “What would you be willing to give up to make all this stop?"
“I knew you were behind this, Guerrero,” he snarled.
"I never said that. I just want to know the price you'd be willing to pay to make it stop."
"Are you suggesting I drop the custody suit?" He practically spat the words out. "That's not happening."
I grinned. He thought he knew what we were after, but he was short-sighted to think it only went as far as Sofia. Even better, I knew now that I didn’t even need him to do it. All I had to do was keep our end of the deal with Rosalind. We had Tomas exactly where we wanted him, and he didn’t even know it.
I stayed neutral, though, not letting my satisfaction shine through just yet. “Here’s what I want. There are several employees working under your thumb, desperate to get out. Let them out of their contracts."
He didn’t speak for a moment as he considered my words. No doubt he didn’t see the bigger game at play. “Names,” he said at last, seething.
Sebastian stepped in, listing off a few upper-level team members, including Porter. They’d been carefully selected so he wouldn’t make the connection. I held my breath, waiting for Tomas's response.
“I’ll release two of them,” he growled. “But not Porter."
My fists clenched, and I fought to keep my emotions in check. "That isn't the deal, Tomas. All or nothing."
The silence that followed was heavy with tension, the seconds ticking by as Sebastian and I stared at each other. This was it, the moment we’d been working for. If we pulled this off, the custody case would be as good as over.
Tomas finally spoke, his words dripping with venom as if he were speaking through his fangs. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was. “Fine. Have it your way, but mark my words, this isn’t over. Both of you will pay for this."
The call ended abruptly, and I exhaled, hardly daring to believe it. We'd pushed Tomas to the edge and forced him to agree to our terms.
"Let's not get too excited just yet," Sebastian warned, as if sensing my thoughts. "We still need to ensure Porter's safety. Tomas is a vicious beast, and he could very well have the boy killed. That would make getting Rosalind on our side dead in the water."
He was right, of course. The last thing we needed was for Tomas to catch on to our true intentions and thwart our efforts in one fell swoop.
“I’m going to make some calls,” Sebastian said. “We need our security team on Porter at all times.”
I watched as Sebastian worked, marveling at how calm and in control he was. He handled the situation expertly, giving the team explicit details on Porter and stressing that his safety was top priority.
“I want a team on him constantly,” Sebastian said. “Keep us updated on any developments, especially anything that seems suspicious."
When he hung up the phone, I felt a surge of gratitude for Sebastian. He’d done so much for me—for my entire life. He’d taken me in when I was just a young boy, raised me as part of his own family, and now he was risking so much to help me protect mine. It was humbling, and I didn’t know how to express just how much it meant to me.
"Thank you, Sebastian," I said quietly. “For everything.”
He simply clapped a hand on my shoulder. "We're in this together, son. Always."
“We’ve really put ourselves in some trouble," I said, sighing. There was no going back now.
He shrugged. "This mess with Tomas had to come to a head. I have no regrets about stepping in and helping you. That’s what family does.”
I swallowed, unable to speak as I held his gaze.
“When will you accept that I'd do anything for you, Evan?"
His words resonated deep within me, strengthening the bond we shared. We were one step closer to having the lawsuit dropped, and my heart swelled with relief, knowing my baby girl wouldn't be taken from me. But there was still much to do, and danger remained ever-present.
After I left Sebastian’s office, I leaned against the wall in the hallway for a moment, closing my eyes as I drew in a deep breath. For Sofia, for Mariah, I had to stay strong. I had to be the one they could depend on.
I quietly made my way downstairs, listening to see if Sofia was up from her nap yet. I entered our bedroom, the door creaking imperceptibly as it opened. Mariah and Sofia lay together on the bed, the afternoon sunlight pouring through the windows, bathing them in a warm, golden glow. My heart nearly burst with the love I felt for them.
Mariah's eyes glanced toward me from where she was watching a comatose Sofia, holding a finger to her lips. Sofia’s chest rose and fell, her auburn hair a contrast on the white pillow. As I looked at the precious, innocent baby who relied on me, I silently vowed to protect both her and Mariah at all costs.
