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Alma grimaces but says nothing more on the matter.
Gunn steps in behind them and slides the doors shut, then comes to stand with me behind the desk. Leaning in, he whispers, “Noah and Gavin have offered their support.”
“I thought Gavin went back to Vegas.”
“Not yet. He’s got a few guys with him. Not that he’d need them if his reputation of kill first, screw the questions, is right,” Gunn says with a grin. “I like the guy.”
“All right. Have them be ready to move on my orders.”
He nods and leaves. When he does, I turn my attention back to the shit in the room.
“Sit,” I tell them.
Both Gregorio and Alma drop into the chairs across from me.
“Luca, it wasn’t my idea to trick you. I swear it. It’s just that Alma was scared. She’s not used to men like you!” Gregorio exclaims.
Alma’s neck disappears into her shoulders as she listens to her father prattling on. Her wide eyes grow wider with each word that comes out of his mouth until I fear they may pop out of her head.
“Instead of coming to you,” the man continues, “Carina decides she’s going to take her place. I should have pushed harder to convince her the plan was folly, but she’s so stubborn, I’m not sure she would have listened. She insisted that if she didn’t try, you might kill us all!”
“I would have,” I say in the most monotone voice I can muster. “Enough with your bullshit excuses. That’s not why you’re here. The Ferryman’s son, Gideon Black, has Carina. He doesn’t want her; he wants you. Why the fuck is that?”
He runs his palm over his face, his arm shaking. “I was just…” He pinches the bridge of his nose.
“Daddy?” Alma reaches over and grasps his arm. “What is it?”
“I was approached by Stephen Black with a contract. He wanted to expand his business into New York and knew I already did business with Nico. Well, I wouldn’t call it so much a contract as a demand. Give him the manifesto of everything the Sinacores shipped through Persia Freight.”
“Did you give it to him?”
He nods. “I talked to Nico about it first. He had me create false documents. But whatever it was Black intended on doing in New York never came to fruition.”
“Why?” I’m aware that he’s holding back the important information.
“Tadesco. I owed him a favor. It seemed like telling him that one of his own men was attempting to expand to—”
“His own men?” I sit up straighter, my mind reeling. “Did Stephen Black work for Tadesco?”
“Yes. But by the time I alerted him, Black had already branched out to different cities under the name Ferryman. He was even attempting a contract with the Diablos del Sur that would allow him smuggling rights out of the States.”
“Tadesco stopped him.”
“He prevented one man from controlling everything,” he states almost proudly. “But allIdid was alert Tadesco. Surely that wouldn’t be enough to warrant a death sentence?” His voice rises toward the end in a frightened question. “I mean, if I go, he won’t want to kill me, right?”
“If you don’t go,Iwill kill you.” I stare at him intensely so that he can see the truth in my words.
He swallows hard and shrinks into his seat. “Jesus.”
“It’s time to stop being a coward, Gregorio. You have expected Carina to take care of your mistakes. Now it’s your turn to prove you’re not actually the shitty father I believe you to be.”
Alma clears her throat, calling my attention to her. It’s incredible how small and fragile she seems. Like a terrified doe. She’s identical in every way to Carina, the same size and features, but without the fire inside to light them up, she looks so different.
I’ve always liked Alma. Her sweet, docile disposition seemed the perfect answer to my need. That, and her resemblance to Carina. The woman I wouldn’t be able to control the way I wanted to. But Alma… She’s the weaker of the two. That’s why I chose her to begin with.
Now that I have her in front of me, trembling, her eyes red-rimmed as if she’s a second away from bursting into tears, I become aware of something. I would have grown tired of Alma in a day. Had she been brave enough to go through with the wedding, I would have wished she hadn’t.
“I want my wife back, dammit!” I slam my fist onto the desk.
