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He’d told her to get ready because he couldn’t guarantee her safety anymore.
Fuck.
Emmanuel didn’t care what we’d done, but Christian looked ready to burn us to ash.
“Let her go, cousin,” he said with quiet menace. To the side, Two-Bit straightened, and I wondered if he’d intervene if his brother came for me.
“When I know she’s safe,” I promised. Nate moved behind me, so Shara was pinned between our bodies, giving her a human shield. I didn’t give a fuck if that made her a target right now. If Emmanuel tried to use her as leverage, I’d kill him and deal with the consequences later. All being cautious had gotten me was a city in chaos and my friends disappearing before my eyes.
Shara leaned into me for a moment before her hand squeezed mine twice.
Trust me.
We’d come up with the nonverbal sign ages ago, when Shara had just figured out who Antoni was—who we all were. She hadn’t been born into this life, and it had taken some adjusting for her to learn the right kind of self-preservation when confronted with Mario’s versions of testing her and the unfortunate situations that being in the underworld brought.
I squeezed back, promising not to fly off the handle, but I was still tense.
Was this a trick? Did they plan it ahead of time? What did she know that I didn’t? Because she knew something. Whatever it was, it would come with time. For now, she was safe, and that was what mattered.
Christian glanced at Shara again before stepping forward, waving his big arms toward my couches like he owned them. “Why don’t we sit?”
“I don’t need to sit,” Emmanuel huffed, though I noticed he was still favoring the knee I’d kicked. A vicious smile lit my face, and he glowered at me.
Christian turned back to him with a congenial smile. “Grandfather, there are things that you should know about this war of Mari’s before you turn her down again.”
I wasn’t planning to ask Emmanuel to join me again. Not when I’d given him the chance to help already. Especially not when I’d made other arrangements. I wasn’t sure if Paez would work with him, regardless, even if the Wolf agreed, so what else was there to discuss?
“By all means, have a seat. That knee looks bad.”
Christian’s look of admonishment was easy to read. I’m trying to help. Don’t make things worse.
I wasn’t entirely sure they could get worse at this point.
The Wolf sat next to his newest heir, with Adrien standing sentinel behind his friend. Shara nudged me in the back, pushing until she and I were seated on the final love seat, my men spread around us.
“There, now we can have a conversation like civilized adults,” Adrien said with a smile. Shara rolled her eyes next to me, but I could tell she was amused.
Again, she squeezed my hand. Trust me. Trust us.
Well, my cousin hadn’t earned my trust beyond keeping her safe, but Shara had earned it in droves.
“Why am I really here?” I asked. “Because if it was just to see Rafael’s downfall, I could have stayed home for that.”
Emmanuel opened his mouth, probably to snap at me, but Christian cut him off. “I’ve had word that you’re working with the Paez cartel to get rid of your little problem. Is that true?”
Two-Bit froze, and I realized that having him here while I discussed this was a really bad idea. I’d just made a deal with the Feds, and now he had proof that I wasn’t going to follow through with it. Fuck, what a mess. “It is. We’ve come to an arrangement.”
Apparently, this was also news to our grandfather because the Wolf stiffened and turned a look of betrayal so much fiercer than anything he’d ever given Rafael on me. “You would partner with my rivals? Is there no family loyalty?”
Images of the compound filtered through my head, and I had to let go of Shara for fear of breaking her fingers as I clenched my fists. “We did show loyalty, remember? We came to you first. We asked for help, and you spat in our faces. You made it clear that I wasn’t an Osorio, not by blood or claim, and my war wasn’t yours. So, what’s stopping me from working with Paez when he’s willing to give me what you never will?”
“Blood is bullshit. Family is what matters, and you’ve made it clear you’re not our family.” Dominic rested a hand on my shoulder, and I could almost feel Nate and Grey nodding.
“She’s right. We haven’t shown her our loyalty, so how can we expect hers?” Emmanuel turned away, whispering fiercely to Christian, who took it all in stride.
I could see a hint of the leader he would become. Formidable, fair, calm under pressure. I felt a strange sort of pride in my chest that I refused to acknowledge as I watched him own his birthright. If he could get rid of Emmanuel, I had no doubt the cartel would flourish under his leadership.
Emmanuel was grinding his teeth loud enough for us to hear when he begrudgingly asked, “What kind of arrangement did you make?”
