Devil's Claim: A Dark Mafia Romance (Devil's Syndicate Book 2), page 30
We’d put into place an action plan in case someone figured out her identity early on, but I didn’t like playing games with her life. At least with assurances made, I didn’t feel as concerned Oh, what the hell was I trying to prove to myself? If I could forbid her from going, I would.
Equals.
Fifty-fifty.
Damn it.
“You had better tell me or so help me God.” Her authoritarian voice brought a giggle from Maverick.
“Oh, you think that’s funny, huh?” I asked and spun him around in the air.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Navarro said under his breath, but another first. The man smiled. I hadn’t been certain that was possible.
“Well, shi… Shoot. I have my dress on,” Christine huffed. “Bad luck for the rest of our marriage.”
“I think I can handle it.” My statement was met with laughs from the men and a swagger of the woman as she walked closer. When she threw her hands on her hips, the flash of her ring drew my attention.
The choice was much better. A perfect creation for a stunning yet formidable woman. To think she’d made me work for her answer the second time when I’d given her the ring. She wasn’t just formidable. She was treacherous.
Another reason I adored her.
Suddenly, I felt a little hand tugging on my lapel.
With an eyebrow raised, I looked into Maverick’s soulful eyes. “What is it?”
“Mommy says we’re going to be a family.”
I quickly glanced in her direction, and she nodded. “That’s right. How do you feel about that?”
He pulled far enough away to be able to cross his arms across his chest. With an intense look in his eyes, he studied me for a solid twenty seconds. “It’s cool.”
“Cool, huh?” Would it always be this tough to keep from laughing? The kid was just too adorable.
“Yep.”
His intense expression didn’t change. “Then what’s wrong?”
“Are you going to be my new daddy?”
The question wasn’t one I’d been prepared to hear. Or to answer. I faltered, breaking eye contact for long enough he placed his little hand on my cheek. I could feel the others in the room holding their breath.
Of course he couldn’t truly understand all of what was happening. I closed my eyes briefly, long enough to find my voice. “Would you like that?”
He nodded several times. “You’re scarwy but nice.”
Christine moved closer, her hand firmly pressed over her mouth. There were tears in her eyes. “I told him his other daddy was in heaven, but that you might want the job.” Sniffing, she rubbed her eyes, giving me a look that set a fire burning deep within. She was trusting me with her son. Not just with his safety, but also with his heart.
I made a promise right then and there I’d ensure the sweet little boy had the best life.
“Here’s the thing, little man. No one can ever replace your real dad, but if you don’t mind, I’d love the chance to spoil you rotten.” I tickled his tummy and he flew into a fit of giggles. When he threw his arms around my neck, I felt weak in the knees.
Christine touched my arm, the touch so gentle that in doing so, she took my breath away.
“Can I have a puppy?”
The question restored the room to laughter. “We’ll see about that.” My answer was met with a frown and he wiggled enough to let me know he was ready to get down.
As soon as his feet were on the floor, he stood staring up at us, giggling as all happy boys were supposed to do.
I took her hands, rubbing my finger across the ring I’d given her.
She licked her lips, throwing the other two men a sassy look. “Did Kruz tell you he got down on one knee and proposed to me?”
Jago huffed like he was shocked. “Oh, really? Tell us how that happened.”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” I said through clenched teeth, throwing her a death glare as she winked.
“I’d love to hear it,” Navarro threw out.
“Get out. Now,” I commanded.
The two men laughed together, but headed toward the door, Navarro stopping long enough to take Maverick’s hand.
When we were completely alone, I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the sweet scent of her perfume.
“Are you ready for this?” I asked.
“You mean marrying you? I think I can handle it.”
“Somehow, I think you can handle anything. That’s what scares me to death.”
She punched my chest. “Very funny.”
“I want to make you a promise.”
“Okay.” She rolled her arms around my neck. “What’s that?”
“That I will do my best to make you a happy woman.”
“Hmm…” The way Christine dragged her tongue across her bottom lip made my cock twitch. As always.
The little vixen.
“Then I might have a new list of demands.”
I opened my eyes wide before throwing out my leg and tossing her across my thigh. When I brought my hand down, she burst into laughter. “You are one bad girl. I can see you’ll need constant supervision and discipline.”
“Ouch. I will get you for this.”
Unable to stop, I smacked her bottom several more times. She wiggled and moaned, but I knew we were both enjoying the moment. How the woman had changed my life.
When I righted her, the sight of her flushed face brought a series of emotions into my mind and my heart. “I never want to lose you, Christine.”
She blew hair from her face and proceeded to fix my bowtie. “Then don’t.”
Slipping my finger under her chin, I lifted her head. “Why do I have a feeling you’ve been up to something?”
She gave me the rebellious look I’d come to know and… love. “Who, me?”
“Yes, you.”
Exhaling, she slipped her arms under mine, placing her hands on my shoulder blades. “Just trying to hold my own in a company of experts.”
“I think you’re doing just fine.” I lowered my head, brushing my lips across hers. The slight taste only fueled the fire. “Would you like your wedding present? It’s a little different than what you might expect.”
“What? No furs? No condominium in Cancun?”
“Maybe for our first anniversary. Today it’s something more practical, even though I know women hate practical gifts.”
“I’m not just any woman. Remember?” she purred.
“No,” I said as I brushed my hand through her hair. “You’re very special. You’re free, Christine.”
“What do you mean free?”
“Jago knows some people in Miami who owe him a favor. The DA has no intention of filing charges. Malcolm’s death was ruled a home invasion gone terribly wrong and with Maverick, it came to light the lengths Malcolm’s attorney went to try and please his client, including the large sums of money from bribery. The attorney will be disbarred and there will be no further child custody cases allowed coming from Malcolm’s family.” I felt the smile spreading across my face, wide enough my face hurt.
She didn’t react at first, merely blinking several times. “What?”
I laughed softly, but in no way was making light of the situation or the horrible emotions she must have suffered. “You’re free, baby, to go anywhere in the world you want to. Including away from me.”
Her eyebrow shot up. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“On the contrary. I’d like to keep you shackled to the bed, but you’d find a way to escape. I know you too well.”
“What if I told you I’d like that?”
Inhaling, I pulled her even closer, capturing her mouth. The feel of having her in my arms was something that I never wanted to take for granted. Just tasting her was a reminder of how much time I’d lost. No more. I planned on enjoying every moment.
When I pulled away, she took a scattered breath. “Would you like your wedding gift? It’s also a little avant garde, but I think you can handle it. In fact, I think you’re going to be very happy.”
Leaning back, I laughed seeing her smirk. “You have been up to something.”
She shrugged and pushed me away, slipping her fingers into the bodice of her dress.
“What are you doing, my beautiful fiancée?”
“You can never be too careful, Kruz. You should know that better than anyone.”
“Hmmm… Does that mean you don’t trust me?” I watched as she pulled something free, squeezing it in the palm of her hand.
Her expression changed, no longer highlighting whimsy, instead a more solemn look. “To be honest with you, I needed time to process everything and to see if I could really trust you. Seeing the way you’ve been with my son, hearing the laughter and watching his eyes light up any time you give him attention allowed me to see the true man you are. A good man. Now, you can deny it all you want, but you are a decent person. When you stop acting like a brute.”
“A signature of mine, my little special treat.”
“Not with me?” Her slight smiled faded again and she looked down at her hand. “I love my parents. Including my father. But I don’t respect him. I haven’t for years. He’s a criminal. That’s something I ignored for far too long.”
“How so?”
“I have proof he and Skyler Worthington were blackmailing various officials, bribing others. They sold conflict diamonds, brought in shipments from illegal mining sites. With the help of several public officials, they blacklisted the competition. The list goes on.”
“Very extensive accusations and not to be tossed around lightly,” I told her, dropping my gaze to her hand.
She finally lifted her head and took my hand, forcing open my fingers and placing whatever she held into the center, curling them once again. “You underestimated me, my darling soon to be husband.”
Taking another step away, she wrinkled her nose on purpose.
I opened my hand to find a jump drive. “What’s this, you wicked woman?”
“All the proof we need. Paperwork. Recordings of conversations. Copies of emails and financial transactions. A few photographs I managed to take. The question is how do we use them?”
“You were a busy girl when you worked there.”
She shrugged. “A girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do. I was going to use it years ago and time passed; I had a new life and I simply didn’t think about the information I’d uploaded to a cloud account.”
“Why now?” I slipped it into my jacket.
“Because I don’t want there to be any secrets between us,” she answered, inching closer. “And because I plan on enjoying my new life. With my husband.”
I grabbed her hand, pulling her close, cupping the back of her head. “You have no idea what you do to me, woman.”
“Oh, I think I do. And I plan on keeping you on your toes. Forever.”
CHAPTER 33
“Anger is just anger. It isn’t good. It isn’t bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It’s like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice.” —Jim Butcher
Christine
Anger wasn’t an emotion I’d cultivated well in life. I’d come to fostering bitterness after graduating high school and learning of my father’s foray into crime. After enduring years of his insults and demeaning words. After overhearing horrible arguments and seeing bruises on my mother’s face. Even then, I’d tried to separate one part of my life from another, doing everything in my power to see the best in people. Meanwhile, I’d suffered inside. I’d grown a shell that had hardened over time, allowing me to secure thick armor as a protective device and a shield against the truth.
That was no longer possible.
So much had changed since Maverick had entered my life.
The sweetest and most perfect little boy in the world. He’d reawakened my soul, allowing joy to return to my life. But even that had been short-lived.
I’d thought myself happy, content until my world had been turned upside down for a second time. Also orchestrated by my father. In doing so, he’d almost taken the most precious thing in the world from me. My son. I wasn’t used to bouts of rage and the longing for revenge.
No one had been in my corner.
No one had been there to champion me.
Until Kruz.
My brutal, rugged, sexy husband. He’d not just crashed into my life. He’d taken possession of every aspect. I’d thought the man horrible at first. I’d believed I’d lost my marbles. I’d wanted to escape, to run far away. At first. Now, all I wanted to do was to bask in his warmth while sharing another round of intense passion. My God, the man looked like sin and danger on the beautiful sunny morning. I bit back a sigh as I finally stopped pacing. Okay. So I was nervous, like a kitty cat forced to face a group of lions.
Only Kruz would feed the lions to Satan and his hounds if necessary.
I shuddered as he approached.
“Do you know how incredible you look?” Kruz murmured in my ear. There was nothing like the feel of his hands on me or the way his breath tingled my skin.
“Not nearly as handsome as my boy toy in training.”
His laugh sent a wave of tremors dancing to my toes. “We’ll see about the training aspect later tonight.”
“Promises. Promises.”
“No, my darling wife. You can call that a warning.”
Even in the face of the unknown, and the danger surrounding us, he could still make me laugh. I glanced out the window, studying the impressive skyline.
New York City.
The Big Apple.
A lively city at all hours of the day and night.
Somewhere I’d both thought and hoped I’d never be forced to see again.
Now here I was. A new name. A new job. A new life. An entirely different future than I’d expected.
Everything I’d ever wanted was falling into place.
Just one more aspect from my past that needed to be swept into the trash.
There was nothing like having an entourage supporting you. Protecting you. That’s exactly what the burly soldiers and the three powerful men of the Torres organization as well as Genevieve’s second in command were doing. Twelve men in all surrounded Genevieve and me as we’d headed toward the skyscraper at 50 West 47th Street. To me, the number of men felt like an army. To Kruz, it wasn’t enough. But we’d filled the jet, the soldiers using the time to plan their offense while I’d stared out the window.
Maybe I’d had feelings of remorse and guilt, but after only allowing a few unwanted memories to shine across my muddled thoughts, I’d felt more confident of providing the damning information.
Fuck my father. He’d known he had a grandson and not once had the man acknowledged Maverick’s existence. Not once. No birthday card. No present for Christmas. Nothing. I’d never forgive him.
The moment we’d walked into the International Gem Tower, all eyes had been on us. Thousands of people were expected in and out of the building. Whether attending or participating in the international trade show, attending the meetings, or doing nothing more than rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, the building was teeming with activity.
I certainly wouldn’t call this a romantic honeymoon, yet everything surrounding the event was encrusted in glamor and wealth, the Diamond Dealers Club going all out for the event.
The building was crawling with security guards, their weapons in plain sight. If I wasn’t mistaken, there were also plainclothes detectives milling around. They stuck out like a sore thumb.
“Are they expecting an attack?” I asked absently.
“Maybe so. We’ve scoped out the entrances. We’ll be able to track their attempt at leaving the party early,” Kruz told me.
As we stood outside the meeting room waiting for the quarterly board meeting to begin, I scanned the huge corridor in search of any sign of my father. While I had doubts he’d even recognize me, a trickle of apprehension kept my stomach in knots.
No one liked confrontation.
Even if the anger was outweighing my nerves. I knew exactly what I wanted to say if given the opportunity. Maybe I’d make one happen.
Genevieve glanced in my direction, offering her typical glamorous smile. She was perfectly calm, comfortable in all surroundings. I was certain by the end of the day my nails would be chewed to the cuticle. Just then, I noticed she received a phone call. Maybe all the hard work I’d put in would come to fruition.
“What is it?” Kruz asked.
“Just a little something I’ve been working on. Call it a lure on steroids.”
“Why do I have the feeling you’re not going to tell me what that is?”
“I don’t want to jinx it.”
“But you will tell me at some point. We’re almost ready for the beginning of the end. I don’t want any surprises,” Kruz said in a brusque voice. He wore a mischievous smile, which he’d maintained since just before the wedding.
“Stop worrying. Trust me.”
I smoothed my hands down my suit, opting for a pencil thin skirt and blazer in a bold statement. Blood red. Why the hell not? The color meant power and control.
“You’re also up to something,” I said to him. “Aren’t you? Confess your sins or be damned.”
The smile on Kruz’s face was huge. “I’m already damned, sweetheart.”
“That I can believe. What exactly did you decide to do with the information I gave you?” I asked, noticing Emiliano had headed back to the group beside Navarro. They’d been gone for a little while. Meanwhile, Jago remained with Genevieve, the other soldiers combing the floor in search of any sign Jamal Fassi was in attendance. So far, there’d been no indication he’d arrived.
“You’ll see, my lovely wife,” he offered with a wink. “We’re putting your father in his place. Along with his sidekick of course. Plus, you’ll have your… day in court. Isn’t that what important to all attorneys?” He tossed a look toward Jago and the two shared a special look, one that I’d seen before. While I wasn’t entirely thrilled Kruz hadn’t been upfront about the cartel’s plans in dealing with Skyler and my father, I was exhausted from the heightened level of anxiety.
