“Meaning what?”

  “Meaning, once they kill your men, they will take you and your sister because you will be grade-A property and make them a pretty penny. They’ll use your kidnapping as a way of keeping others to come after them. It’s just something for you to keep in mind.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks and her eyes flashed so I knew she heard me, but whether or not what I’d said was enough to help her make the only decent decision I couldn’t determine.

  She tapped her finger on the rim of her mug, staring at me more intently than she had the night before. “A full contract.”

  “Just like you demand, princess.”

  “Very funny. I think you know by now I’m not a princess.”

  The woman could irritate me like no other, but she’d enticed a part of me that I’d ignored. Maybe that’s why the thought wasn’t reprehensible to me. Plus, I could keep control over her while also protecting her.

  “Make no mistake that you are in danger, Genevieve. By now you’ve received threats. Haven’t you? They’ve been subtle, more like overtures than anything else.”

  “You mean like that way you handled a required meeting with me?”

  “I assure you my invitation was more like one to a party than what will happen if you ignore the requests for a meeting.”

  “Whatever,” she scoffed. “I won’t be intimidated into this or anything else.”

  I took another sip of now lukewarm coffee. I’d never been in the business to waste time threatening anyone. If a business arrangement needed to get to that point, the man should already be dead. However, I felt it prudent to provide her with a gentle reminder we’d already had a verbal agreement even if the details had yet to be worked out.

  “What about sharing a bed? Would this marriage be in name only or are we expected to consummate our wedding vows?” There was a slight glimmer of lust in her eyes that shouldn’t have been unexpected.

  “We need to make certain our story is believable including to our soldiers. I assure you their loyalty will be pushed to the limit.”

  Her laugh sounded so bitter. “Of course. Fringe benefits. What about heirs?”

  Fuck. Where the hell had that come from? Was she serious? The thought hadn’t crossed my mind.

  “I guess we’ll need to see how well we tolerate each other.” A rarity if I was being honest.

  “I won’t be your fuck buddy without expectations firmly laid in place. As far as being the mother of your children? I’d be fearful you’d eventually boil them in oil.”

  At that moment, all I could think about was ripping the robe from her body, fucking her on the kitchen island. I looked away instead, shutting down my raging libido.

  “Don’t take too long,” I told her. “I’m not a patient man; the rats are already scuttling from the toxic waste where they live and besides, you owe me.”

  She was a highly intelligent woman and could easily read between the lines. Her eyes never leaving mine, she walked directly to the kitchen island, placing her cup of coffee on the edge, then headed to the door. When she stopped, she took a deep breath before angling her body enough she could look me squarely in the face.

  “As I said, I’ll need time to think about this. While I prepare my list of demands for the possibility, you’ll need to provide me with a full list of what you expect with regard to money, percentages, territory, and personnel. I won’t make a final decision until I see what you have proposed.”

  “Very well. I’ll have my attorney send you something by tomorrow.”

  “That will do. Now, please take me home.”

  When she walked out, my cock decided to remind me why I craved the woman in the first place.

  Genevieve

  Marriage.

  Was the asshole kidding me?

  Did he honestly think I could stand being permanently attached to him under any circumstances? I was frustrated. I was furious. I was incensed.

  But none of that mattered.

  I needed to think like a professional. If there was such a thing in the world of evil cartels. That’s what I’d been embroiled in my entire life. While my father had protected me the best he could by mandating private schools and normal family life, I’d been the one to perpetuate the thought that I could keep that life in a box and walk away any time I wanted. I’d turned a blind eye to the truth.

  My reality was more dangerous than I’d wanted to admit to anyone, including myself.

  “You’re pacing. What’s wrong?” Emiliano asked.

  I’d asked him to sit in with me, counseling me as he’d done since I was a teenager. Only up to this point, he’d been more of a surrogate father than a powerful commander who knew the ins and outs of a multimillion-dollar empire. Maybe my father’s orders to keep me safe had done him a significant disservice.

  He’d been out of the scene for far too long, the majority of soldiers also seeing him as a weak link. I had no idea how to counter that other than with violence and bloodshed. But was I capable of acting on that monthly? Weekly?

  Daily?

  A wave of embarrassment forced me to look away. He hadn’t asked what had occurred the night before and I certainly hadn’t volunteered other than to tell him Jago and I had talked. Anything more and I’d prefer sliding under the rug.

  “Did you know the corporate offices are nothing more than a front for organized crime?” I asked, although I wasn’t certain why it mattered.

  Emiliano frowned but then lifted his eyebrows.

  “Of course I realized that a long time ago but seeing it up close and personal is entirely different. How can I run a business that way? I’m not some bigtime criminal.” The only way to make things work was to create a legal entity.

  The man sat right where he was, unflinching.

  “Damn it, Emiliano. I don’t know what to do,” I admitted, which was something I wouldn’t do with anyone else, including Antonio.

  “It would help if I knew the real issue, other than Jago needs to be killed.”

  I laughed, the sound almost maniacal. “Oh, I’d love to drive a blade through his heart. If he has one. However, I think that time has passed. What do you know about the Turks and the Moroccans?”

  He snickered and leaned forward in his seat. “They’re animals. They care nothing about anyone, including their own families. While they originally specialized in slave trade, they’ve made significant inroads into the cocaine distribution cycle, mostly in Europe, but given their location, they could easily shift to other countries as well.”

  “Is there a real indication the two groups might be considering working together?”

  “Let’s put it this way, Madame Morales. If they are, God help us. They have enough soldiers and an uncanny ability to attract more. Is that what you were told?”

  I nodded, perhaps more times than necessary. My hands were shaking, my stomach nauseous, and Jago’s idea weighed heavily on my mind. “Yes. He’s certain they’re after our territory.”

  “Which makes logical sense. Does the great Jago Torres have a decent business opportunity worth considering or is he nothing but a blowhard?”

  At least I could still laugh. “You did learn something while living in New York.”

  “Hey, I go with the flow.” He was grinning and I was thankful I could trust him and call him a friend. He gulped his drink while still watching me. Always watching me. It’s what he’d done best over the years. He’d never allowed me to get into harm’s way even when I’d been a brat and had tried to escape his measures of security.

  “He proposed marriage.”

  Emiliano spit out his drink, coughing several times. After wiping his mouth, he cursed in Spanish. “What the fuck?”

  “Yeah, I know. That’s basically what I said. But he insists my role as a drug lord won’t be taken seriously. Do you think that’s true?”

  He took a deep breath. “I think you have a long road ahead of you, but you’ve made great strides.”

  The man had also managed to learn diplomacy over the years. Before we’d left for the United States, he’d been nothing but a crude, brutal bastard. Although he’d always been a sweetheart with me. “Translation. At this point our hitmen have decided against killing me in my sleep. Right? But all bets are off for the future of my health and happiness.” My eyes slanted in his direction.

  His grin gave his answer away. “You’re learning.”

  “Not fast enough, which could be damning. I don’t know if I could stomach being married to Jago, even by contract only. Yes, I do think our alliance would at least give the Turks and Moroccans pause, but could we actually work together? Even worse. Could we pretend we give a damn about each other?”

  “Only you know that answer, but it’s worth considering. Your marriage will send a message if nothing else. That could alert the other mafia leaders and cartels in Spain and the surrounding countries that they need to tighten their security.”

  “I guess. I just don’t know.” Groaning, I slapped my fist against my head, maybe hoping to jar some sense into myself. Everything seemed to be spinning out of control.

  “Take some time with your family, Madame Morales. You need to ground yourself. At that point you’ll know what to do. I have no doubt.”

  “When we’re in private, Emiliano, you can call me Genevieve.”

  “Can’t do, Madame Morales. You are the drug lord of a powerful cartel. Everyone needs to recognize and accept that. So you’ve told me.”

  “Ugh. Throwing my words back at me again.” I smiled at him, even more grateful I had him in my life. “You’re right about my family. Marco hates me. Bella is so lost. I wouldn’t make a good parent. That’s something I know for certain. What if Jago wants heirs?”

  “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. One step at a time. Remember?”

  “I told him I expected he’d burn them in oil,” I said absently.

  “I think you meant you’d burn him in it.”

  My glare toward him was harsh, but I also smiled. “You learned that from Papa.”

  “He was a great teacher. Try and remember that. He’ll whisper in your ear, but you also need to trust your judgment. You know what you can handle and what you’re good at.”

  “What the hell am I good at?”

  “I’ve seen you take on a male opponent in a boxing ring and knock him out in less than a minute. I’ve watched you standing in front of a crowd of three hundred students arguing a case and winning when all the odds were against you. And I’d watched you successfully fending off some jerk at a bar by almost breaking his hand in a flash before I could get to him. You can do any damn thing you want to do if you set your mind to it.”

  I stuck out my lower lip. “You were watching me in the classroom?”

  He stood, taking his drink with him as he rolled his eyes. “I’ll check on what Antonio knows about this unholy alliance with the Turks. We need to get a handle on what they’re doing. We have too many deals that need handling in the next few weeks.”

  “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “How about a raise?”

  I waved him off, laughing more bitterly this time. What I was engaged in wasn’t a typical business. Not by a long shot. At this rate, I could lose everything my father had worked for.

  As I thought about Marco, I knew I had to find a way to make him an ally if nothing else. Very little appeased him. But I had to try before I lost him forever.

  My brother had always been a dark soul, preferring to play video games versus spending any time with family. I couldn’t blame him since he’d had few friends, but the violent games had whetted his appetite for violence. That’s what I’d told my father years before. Sadly, Papa had been too busy to either pay attention or heed my warning. Now I feared it was too late to alter my brother’s mindset.

  That didn’t mean I’d stop trying.

  I knocked on his door, wondering if he could even hear me over the loud music. When he didn’t respond, I tried his door.

  Locked.

  This time I pounded, determined to have a single decent conversation with him. While the music wasn’t shut off, the door was jerked open and I jumped back in surprise.

  His grin indicated he was happy he’d caused my reaction. “What is it?”

  “I wanted to see how you were.”

  “You mean after being kidnapped?” he snarled at me as if I’d ordered the kidnapping.

  I stood my ground, taking a step closer and folding my arms. He knew my temperament. I wasn’t going away that easily. Finally, he opened the door, shrugging before backing away.

  “Please turn the music down,” I told him.

  “Why should I?”

  “Because I asked you to.”

  He glared at me warily but did as I asked. When he did, I took a deep breath. I could tell by his expression this was going to be even harder than before. “I’m sorry about what happened to you, Marco. I never want you hurt in any of this.”

  “My father would never have allowed me to be taken. Never!”

  My initial kneejerk reaction was to lash out at him, but I had to remind myself not only was he still a boy to a degree, he’d also gone through two ordeals in less than a week.

  “Do you think I wanted that to happen? Don’t you know how terrified I was that you were taken from right under my nose?”

  He hissed and even that sounded sarcastic. “If you were, why didn’t you come home last night? Why didn’t you kill the fuckers who did that to me?”

  I could lie to him, but maybe he needed to hear the truth. He wanted to be an adult so badly, risking his life becoming a soldier so he deserved to know everything. “Because I made a choice, your life for mine.”

  At least that caught him by surprise.

  “What does that mean?”

  God, the kid was arrogant. “I mean in order to save you, I was taken and kept overnight instead.”

  “By Jago Torres.”

  I nodded. “Yes. The same man who ordered you to be taken from the funeral.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he wants to broker a deal with me.”

  He was a highly intelligent young man whether he liked to show it or not. He knew exactly what I was getting at. “Either take our father’s empire by force or you agree to work with him.”

  “Yes.” At least I could tell by the look in his eyes he understood the gravity of the situation.

  Marco turned away, staring at nothing, but I could see his wheels churning. “You’re going to do it.”

  “I’m not certain I have another choice.”

  “You always have choices!”

  Cringing, I rubbed my eyes. “If only that were true. Yes, Papa raised us to believe that, but, in some cases, when you have your back against the wall, you must make difficult decisions. I don’t want this any more than you do.”

  “Then let me lead. I’ll kill the son of a bitch. He can’t force you to do anything.” Just the way he moved his head toward me, utter venom in his eyes let me know he cared even a little.

  Lead. The hunger to be recognized and respected was mostly what this was about.

  I moved to his bed, sitting down. He’d kept his old posters of football heroes on the wall. Football. Now, when I heard that, I thought of the Giants, not soccer. “Do you remember when you announced you were going to become a soccer star?”

  My brother seemed confused at my question, but he softened somewhat. “Yeah, but it’s football. Dad was horrified.”

  “Not in America and actually, he wasn’t. He told me later how proud he was of you.”

  His wariness continued, but I could sense how much he wanted to believe me, how much he needed to believe me.

  “He did?”

  “Yeah, he did.”

  “Papa never told me he was proud of me,” Marco said with a pained tone.

  “You know how Papa was. He wanted to make you strong. But it’s okay not to be sometimes. I don’t feel very strong right now. In fact, I feel overwhelmed.”

  He said nothing.

  “Do you have any suggestions?”

  His eyes highlighted his surprise in me asking. “All the soldiers don’t believe in you.”

  “I know.”

  “They should. You’re very capable.” He furrowed his brow. “Some respect Jago. I don’t know why.”

  “Because he’s a good leader from what I can tell.”

  He shook his head. “He’s an arrogant bastard.”

  “Yes.” I laughed. “He is that and so much more.”

  “But he does have weight in France and Germany. Papa did too. Maybe if you built something together, you could become one of the strongest cartels in Europe.”

  “Maybe. But I’d need help and support. The decision I need to make will haunt me either way. And it’s a crap shoot.”

  Reading my brother was so difficult. “I could help you. I mean… if you want.”

  “I’d like that very much.” I wasn’t about to place parameters on what that meant. Not right now.

  I was rewarded with a slight smile and breathed a sigh of relief. A small celebration when there were few to be had.

  “Just be careful of him. He’s a viper.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” I grinned.

  Conversing with Marco had never been easy and another wave of tension spiked between us.

  “Look, I got someplace to be,” he said. “I got a friend.”

  “Oh, yeah? The same friend you were with on the night of my party?” Instantly every muscle bristled, but I had to remind myself that being cooped up in the estate wasn’t good for him or his state of mind. I also reminded myself I wasn’t his mother.

  He shrugged as if it was no big deal and I was suddenly grateful he hadn’t been at the restaurant. And that he had a friend.

  “Yeah. He’s got a new video game. It’s kind of the one I wanted. He invited me over.”

  We had all the money in the world and he was pining away for a video game? I’d never been put in this position before and I didn’t like it. “It’s not a good idea.” I could tell instantly he was about to shut down again and this time, I might lose him forever. “But as long as a couple men go with you and remain outside, I’m fine with it.”