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“Yes.” His grin returns. This one is deranged. “Unless you’re interested in your lovely fiancée’s family learning about your secret.”
My temper rises at the threat, but I’ve had years of practice at hiding my emotions. “You forget that revealing my secret will also reveal yours.” And of the two of us, his secret is much more despicable and damaging.
“I’m not sure Salvatore Furnari would care. Nor would his lovely daughter. Which reminds me, I hear congratulations are in order. It seems Catarina has moved back in with you after spending a week at her old apartment.”
It’s a feat, but I somehow manage to hide my visceral reaction to his words. I suspected Luis Diaz had people watching Catarina after our engagement party. By ordering her ex-boyfriend’s death, I’d revealed that she meant something to me. And Luis is many things, but he’s not dumb. He knew it would be in his best interest to capitalize on that potential weakness. But hearing it confirmed makes me want to grab the gun tucked in my waistband and shoot him dead for even insinuating hurting Catarina.
But I don’t.
I keep my cool.
Jane isn’t so composed. “Stop wasting our time, Diaz. Make your point and be done with it.” She and Catarina have grown close these past months, and my cousin knows how much my fiancée means to me even if I resist admitting it aloud. Jane is nothing if not protective of those she cares about.
Luis’s dark eyes turn to my cousin. They gleam as they run over her from head to toe. His disrespect is intentional. If it were possible to think any less of the man, his subtle sexism would do the trick. As it is, he’s worth less than the pigeon shit staining the railing of the bridge up ahead.
“I’ve heard you are a lively one.”
“And I’ve heard you’re a bastard,” she retorts. Considering what she knows of Luis and his illicit dealings with Antony Salvatore, that’s putting it mildly.
Before he can respond, I interrupt, “Speak plainly, Luis. What is it you want, specifically?”
“I’ve already told you. I expect your family to uphold the business agreements you made with Salvatore.”
“And if we don’t, you plan to slither your way to my future father-in-law to tattle on me?” I click my tongue in judgment. “I didn’t take you for a rat.”
“And I didn’t take you for a fool,” he replies, not rising to the bait. “You know what I know.”
“And I can say the same to you.” I shake my head. “This back and forth of threatening to expose one another is pointless. Neither of us would benefit from Furnari learning anything about either of us. Saying anything would be mutually assured destruction.”
“Ah, but you have much more to lose by making an enemy of Salvatore.”
“How do you figure?”
“Your fiancée for one.” His lips curl. “Or am I wrong to believe you actually care for the girl?”
“Of course I care about my fiancée.” I keep my tone even. He may suspect my feelings for Catarina extend beyond appreciation for what our marriage will provide my family, but he has no proof. And I have no intention of giving him any.
“Then it would be a shame if something happened to her.”
I see Nolan, Liam, and Jane stiffen from the corner of my eye, but I manage to keep my cool. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s an observation.” He crosses his arms, looking far too calm for a man who is one more wrong word away from being on the receiving end of my fist. “One I hope does not come to pass.”
My teeth grind together. “My family will not be backing your claim to the gang until you are accepted by the rest of the members. We are not interested in involving ourselves in your civil war.” Because there’s no doubt in my mind that’s exactly what’s going to go down.
There’s no way Santiago’s family is going to accept Luis’s claim without a fight.
He dips his chin. “Then I expect you not to aide my rivals either. Or else I will have to send Furnari a folder of information he will find incredibly enlightening.”
“Agreed,” I say even though every fiber of my being urges me to help undermine Luis Diaz’s efforts. Nothing good will come from the unhinged man taking over in Harlem.
But there’s nothing I can do to stop him.
Not yet.
For now, I’ll play his game and pray that he keeps his word to not destroy my tenuous alliance with the Furnari family.
At least until I can find a way to undermine him without Catarina’s family learning of my involvement in her brother’s untimely death all those years ago.
