King’s Demands by Piper Stone

Chapter 7

Dante

Frustration.

Everything about Julieta left me frustrated as hell. She was feisty and determined, spiteful and conniving. And damn it if I couldn’t seem to get her out of my mind.

Sighing, I stared down at the glass in my hand, the scotch doing nothing for me. I plopped another ice cube into the thick crystal, shifting my gaze toward the door. She’d taken her sweet time in dressing, although that was to be expected. After all, I’d fucked her like some wild animal.

Again.

And I’d enjoyed every second of it. Her scent lingered on my skin, the taste of her in my mouth. I hadn’t planned on touching her, maybe even until after the unholy wedding, but she always managed to push every button. I rubbed the glass across my forehead, enjoying the cool sensations. However, it did little to ease the heat or appease the hunger that had yet to abate. I would take her again.

Soon.

My thoughts drifted to what needed to happen during the next several hours. While Cristiano had placed his utmost trust in my decisions, I was well aware that I had to choose my next actions wisely. We needed to keep our sudden advantage for as long as possible. I also knew that while Joseph would attempt to keep the wolves at bay, at some point, they’d come asking. That’s why the issue with Julieta would need to continue moving forward.

If she was legally my wife, there would be certain additional protections if necessary. Granted, very few members of law enforcement dared to fuck with us. Still, given the recent shift in some local and congressional seats after the recent election, I had a feeling that one or more would attempt to make their mark by taking down our family.

Marriage.

I almost laughed at the thought.

I allowed my mind to drift to Cristiano and the babies. Another pang shifted into my gut. The man was almost pushed to his limits. Thank God Emily and the babies had survived the delivery. Sadly, they faced a long road ahead. I couldn’t imagine being in his position.

I stood in front of the same window as before, staring out at the city lights as the darkness fell. A heightened level of anxiety ripped through me, but not all of it based on the crash or the decisions that needed to be made.

A memory that I hated more than any of the others shifted into the forefront of my mind. I’d done everything to shove it aside, perhaps attempting to pretend as if the events had never occurred. Exhaling, I closed my eyes, palming the glass as images rolled past my periphery of vision, one coming after the other.

“We’re not going to make it out of here.”

Pop! Pop! Boom!

I yanked my buddy into the foxhole, both of us crouching down into the muck. Brad had been assigned to our company only six weeks before, but we’d become friends. He’d had no idea about my past life or the family I came from, but I’d delighted in learning about his family. A wife and newborn baby living in Shreveport. He’d never even had a chance to see his baby girl. That had weighed heavily on my mind since he’d told me.

“Don’t say that shit, Brad. We are getting out of here. You just need to follow my lead. No matter what happens, keep firing but only when I give you the order.” I scanned the perimeter of the area, the night vision goggles providing a clear view. It was hot as fuck, sweat pouring down both sides of my face. I wiped my arm across my forehead, taking several deep breaths.

“No, man. I got a real bad feeling.” His southern drawl was pronounced, Brad just a good ole boy to other members of the team.

“I do every time we’re faced with this shit. That means nothing. Concentrate.”

“I want you to do me a favor. Okay?”

I shot him a look, able to hear noise from the distance. The fuckers were coming. We’d been pinned in a location, the other soldiers blocked by heavy artillery. We had one chance of getting out of the shitstorm, but I wasn’t prepared to tell him that. I didn’t like his premonitions. They almost always came true. “What is it?”

Brad rolled onto his back, dropping his weapon. In the darkness, I couldn’t tell what the hell he was doing.

“What the fuck are you doing? Stay in position,” I barked under my breath.

“I gotta do this, Dante. It’s important to me. I got something for you.”

“Okay, whatever it is, just give it to me.” Time was running out.

“If anything happens, you gotta give this to Sheila. That’s my wife. It’s just something I wrote for her. So you know it’s her, I got a picture too.”

I could tell he was trying to hand them to me. A cold, harsh feeling swept through me. “Nothing’s going to happen.” I grabbed the items anyway, shoving them into my pocket. “You’re a trained soldier. We are getting out of here.”

“You don’t understand, Dante. You’re strong. You don’t care what’s comin’ at you. You fight like there’s no tomorrow. I just… Well, anyway. Sheila Martin in Shreveport. I’m sure you can find her.”

His words would forever haunt me, especially since they’d been the last ones he’d spoken. I moved toward the coffee table, placing the drink on the surface then grabbing my wallet. I’d looked at the picture only once, unable to do so after that. For some crazy reason, it was important tonight to honor the man’s family once again. As I pulled the photograph into the light, I could tell just how many times Brad had looked at it. The beautiful photo brought so much sadness from the depths of my being.

I noticed the edge of the folded note, the one I’d carried with me since leaving. I hadn’t done what he’d asked. There was no reason why, other than I couldn’t face his death for a second time. Maybe it was time to let go of ghosts. Maybe it was time to do the right thing for once.

There was no noise, but I knew she’d walked into the room. I held back a hiss and shoved the picture back into my wallet. When I turned around, I could tell Julieta was studying me intently, a look of concern in her eyes.

I’d felt it my responsibility to buy her some clothes. I knew nothing about women’s fashion. The thought alone brought another bad memory. She looked beautiful, the simple dress something I’d grabbed off the rack. Even entering the store had felt out of place, although at least it was one I’d been to before. Fuck. I was suddenly far too emotional, which couldn’t be allowed. I looked away briefly, shaking my head. “You look lovely.”

“Thank you,” she said almost curtly as she walked closer. “I’m surprised you’d select something like this.”

“If you don’t like it, toss it. We’ll get something else.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. What I meant was… You did a nice job. The dress fits me perfectly.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that.” I could hear the edge returning in my voice, the same anger as before.

Only this time, I was furious with myself.

The quiet settling between us wasn’t helping a damn thing. “Would you like a drink?”

“Sure. I won’t lie; I could use one.”

“What would you like?” Every word coming out of my mouth was perfunctory. I’d just fucked the woman, yet I couldn’t manage to look her in the eyes. That wasn’t like me on any level.

“Whatever you’re having is fine.”

I almost laughed as I poured her a scotch, adding ice and taking my time before I walked in her direction. She hesitated before taking it from my hand, inhaling the moment our fingers touched. The shot of electricity was similar as before, driving another round of hunger into my system.

Julieta backed away almost immediately, as if the single touch had seared her skin. She took a sip, keeping her gaze shifted in the other direction. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, curious as to her reaction to the liquor I’d selected. She didn’t react in any way, taking another sip within seconds. Then she headed for the window, staring out at the festive atmosphere.

“This is beautiful. Everything about the city is.” The slight Spanish lilt in her voice seemed more pronounced than before. She’d obviously been educated in another country, her diction and use of the English language flawless.

“Well, not everything. There are some ugly parts.”

She laughed. “You obviously haven’t spent enough time in places like Columbia. There are areas where there’s no running water or electricity, trash lining the streets. Those are the kind of places people can’t survive.” There was a haunting tone to her words, pushing me back to the experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I continued to grow more curious about the woman, especially given her brazen attempt to get away from her father. Then again, it could have been nothing more than an act.

“How did you get away?” I asked quietly as I moved to the single leather chair, easing down and crossing one leg over the other.

“From my father?” she asked. When I didn’t answer, she chuckled. “I guess you’ve never heard of a woman using their feminine wiles?” She darted a glance in my direction, frowning almost immediately.

I cocked my head, swirling my drink.

“Fine. I sweet-talked one of the soldiers who’d been guarding me for five years. I coerced him into letting me out of the house. I already had a plan in motion. I’d stored some items in a protected area. A change of clothes. The weapons you found. I was a mile away before the man likely realized I was gone.”

“And how did you find where the camp was located? The area was not marked on any map.” I was curious to hear her answer.

She rolled her eyes. “You must be joking. There isn’t a single thing that goes on in the entire country my father doesn’t know about. While I had privy to almost nothing regarding my father’s organization, I’m not a stupid woman. I’d observed, listening in on conversations whenever possible. You see, my father enjoys boasting to anyone who will listen to him. I’d heard about your family on several occasions. He laughed about the fact you were coming into town, telling his guards to send you a message just like he had to your brothers. Then he issued the location where to find you and when. That’s all I needed.”

“A long trek through the jungle.”

“I do have friends. One of them dropped me within a half mile. I hid until you arrived. It’s as simple as that. And before you ask, I wouldn’t dare ask my friend to risk her life to help me any further. You know what would happen to her. As it is, I’m worried my father figured out she might have helped me.”

I took a swig of my drink, watching her behavior. I was also an observant man, usually never wrong about when people were lying. Oddly enough and given her level of bravado, I believed she was telling the truth. “Did you know I’d be there?”

She took her time answering. “No, I didn’t know. I just knew that my best chance was hiding in a vehicle since I knew they were your soldiers and would eventually leave the area.”

“Why did you decide to ask for my help?”

She moved closer, swaying her hips back and forth in a far too provocative manner. “Because I know how much your entire family hates my father. Because you’re ruthless and dirty, refusing to back down to anyone. And because I knew you’d take a risk, anything to make certain my father never entered your territory.” Smiling coyly, she held up her glass. “I guess I was right.”

“You took a significant risk, not knowing whether or not I’d give a damn.”

“Yes, but some things are worth the risk, including freedom.” Her face clouded as she continued to stare at me. “Everything was perfectly planned except I didn’t count on being forced into another marriage. Shame on me. I just thought you’d revel in taking something away from my father.”

I took my time, enjoying the rich scotch as I continued studying her. After a few seconds, it was obvious just how uncomfortable she was, finally moving away from me and turning her back.

“Tell me about New Orleans. It’s beautiful.”

The shift in topics was perhaps for the best. “New Orleans is a vibrant and electric, the kind of city where you want to share in the festivities. It’s also dark and dangerous, certain streets not ones a woman should ever be caught alone on.”

“Are you trying to scare me?” she asked as she placed her fingers on the glass, her body remaining tense.

“I’m helping you understand that once you are recognized as being a part of the King Empire, you will always have a target over your head. However, on the flip side, you will always be protected.”

“As if I didn’t have a target my entire life. Are you trying to tell me that I’m going to be locked in this beautiful yet suffocating condo for the rest of my life, only allowed to visit the outside world when I’m paraded around on your arm like a Barbie doll? That’s all I’ve had my entire life. I’d rather die than continue being held a prisoner.”

There was such animosity in her tone, but at this moment, it wasn’t directed toward me. I eased forward on the seat, taking my time before answering. “What I’m telling you is that danger lurks around every corner. Your father isn’t the only entity considered an enemy. The King Empire has several, although the majority aren’t nearly as brazen as your father.”

“Empire. You say that as if you own the entire city.”

“A good portion of it, as well as other areas in the country. That’s who we are and yes, we operate a large organization.”

“All illegal I assume.” She switched her tone, her words said in a singsong manner.

“No.” The single word seemed to surprise her. As she whispered something I didn’t catch in her native language, I couldn’t fight the fact I was attracted to her. However, just her presence alone would remain a liability on several levels. I wasn’t equipped to protect her in the manner a wife should be. Jesus. I’d fully embraced what had been asked of me.

“No eres mas que una vibora,” she whispered.

“You’re right, I am a viper, princesa, but this venomous snake might be able to keep you alive, but only if you obey my commands.”

She remained quiet for a few seconds, still touching the glass and staring out into the night. “Please don’t call me that. My two brothers were the only thing that mattered to my father. When Antonio was murdered, my father became even more aggressive, refusing to acknowledge his wife and daughter. I don’t know why. I was only eleven when he shut down, but that changed my world. Instead of being South American royalty, I became nothing more than a servant, a possession that he could use to his benefit. That’s why he had no issue marrying me off to a brutal monster who abused the people who worked with him. I’m just a girl who wishes she’d been born into another family.”

The power of words. My mother used to tell me that winning a fight wasn’t always about violence but about using my intelligence. She’d been the only member of the family to berate me for joining the Marines. She’d actually believed that I could manage to get away from the family business, but not by use of violence. She’d barely spoken to me since my return home. I didn’t know why it bothered me now.

Julieta’s words struck me entirely differently than anything else she’d said before. However, that didn’t change anything about the situation. She would be required to obey me at all times. “I will honor your request.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Maybe you aren’t such an asshole after all.”

“No, you can be certain I am. It’s time to start the process.”

She jerked around to face me, darting her eyes back and forth. “Meaning what? Please don’t tell me we’re going to some chapel to be married like tramps.”

“First of all, New Orleans isn’t Las Vegas,” I stated as I rose to my feet. “And second, I will honor your Catholic faith. You will have the wedding of your choice, although unfortunately, it must be done quickly.”

“The wedding of my choice. How about not to you?”

“You don’t have a say in the matter. Come with me.” I put my drink on the table then waited for her to react. When she remained where she was, I took a deep breath. “Julieta, come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“To have a conversation with your father.”

She shrank back, shaking her head. “You can’t do that. That will mean my certain death.”

“He tried and he failed. You’re going to need to trust me. There are no other options.”

As she inched closer, the venom in her eyes was even stronger than before. “You know for a few seconds, a part of me wanted to get to know you. Maybe even a little portion thought I could tolerate this… arrangement, but you’re nothing but an asshole. I don’t know what happened in your life to make you such a horrible man, but honestly, I don’t care at this point. I put myself in this position and trust me, one day I will get myself out. Only you’re not going to like what I do to you or your family.”

“Duly noted, Julieta. Now, you’re going to play nice. I’m going to do most of the talking. That is, unless you’d like to give your father a piece of your mind.”

She continued to hesitate, her lower lip quivering. I was surprised just how fearful she was of her father. Whatever he’d done to her would further fuel my desire to kill him.

Maybe I’d do so with my bare hands.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“I will protect you. The entire King family will.”

“Why would you want to? When you’ve gotten what you want, you’ll do nothing more than toss me away like garbage.”

I took a deep breath. “That’s not what I’m going to do. While you might not believe this, I am an honorable man. I will hold our vows as sacred.”

“Until death do us part.”

“Yes.”

After a few seconds, she exhaled. “Fine. I’ll play the part just like you command. Sir.”

My cock stirred all over again, the longing for her only intensifying. Even the sadistic man inside was more driven.

To use her.

To fuck her.

To shatter her.

I rubbed my eyes and led her out of the room toward my office. As I moved toward my desk, turning on a single light, I glanced in her direction.

“Do you need his private number?”

I laughed softly as I opened my laptop, navigating to Zoom. “You really do underestimate me, don’t you?”

“I guess nothing should surprise me any longer.” She moved by my side, standing over me as I dialed the asshole’s number. The kinetic energy flowing between us was palpable.

“He doesn’t like to be bothered at night,” she said in a hushed whisper. “I found that out the hard way.”

When she jerked out of the line of sight of the computer, I could hear her ragged breathing.

“Well, in case you haven’t figured it out yet. I couldn’t give a shit what he does or doesn’t like.” I sat back, keeping my body language relaxed. It was entirely possible that Carlos wouldn’t answer the phone, although the fact someone was calling from the United States might pique his curiosity.

I was right.

When he glared into the screen, I could easily see the two seconds of anger as well as surprise on his face. He’d definitely hoped I’d died in the crash. Then he positioned himself in much the same way as I had, lifting a drink in his hand.

“Good evening. Do I have the pleasure of speaking with Dante King?” he asked, now trying to act as if he was amused.

“You know exactly who I am, Carlos. And if I was a betting man, I’d gamble that you know exactly why I’m calling.”

“To lament the loss of your men. From what I heard from my men, you’d already taken two of them to task. What a shame when you are required to discipline soldiers in such a harsh manner.”

He was doing nothing more than trying to get under my skin. The man obviously had no idea what I was made of. “Yes, I do agree; however, at times it’s necessary to set an example. Now, as you might imagine, I don’t enjoy taking a part of my evening in order to handle business. I suggest we get to the point of my call.”

“Absolutely.” He pulled a cigar to his mouth, purposely blowing the smoke in the direction of his computer screen.

I had to smile. The man certainly knew how to grandstand. “As you might imagine, I’m well aware of your attempt on my life. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. Sadly, I can’t say the same about the Gulfstream you destroyed, but things can be replaced easily.”

I waited to see if there’d be any reaction. He simply puffed away, as if my call was nothing more than an annoyance.

“However, there are items that are much more precious in life. Wouldn’t you agree, Carlos?”

“Yes. Yes. Human possessions are equally as important. What are you getting at, Dante?”

“What I’m getting at is that you crossed a line. You made a deal with the King family and you decided not to uphold it. That certainly makes me think you’re not a man of honor.”

He shifted forward, this time allowing me to hear his savage snarl. “Honor. You speak of honor when you continue to come into my country as if it was merely a portion of your playground.”

“You were very well aware of our continued business in South America. Oh, the last I heard, the country wasn’t owned by anyone.” Laughing, I reached out, taking Julieta’s hand into mine. “However, we were discussing precious items. I have one here that might be of interest to you.”

After taking a deep breath, she leaned down. “Hello, Father. Your efforts at erasing me from your world didn’t seem to work. From what I can tell, you are losing your touch. At least I have the comfort of knowing you will always be a horrible fucker.”

I squeezed her hand, kissing her fingers lightly as I enjoyed his reaction.

“She is to be released immediately. Julieta belongs to me.”

“No,” I said, offering him another smile. “Julieta now belongs to me. You see, we’re going to be married. I thought you’d like to be the first to know.”

“She would never marry a pig like you.”

“Instead, you would prefer her to marry a sick bastard like Casillas Ricardo? Interesting.”

“Me digusta, Padre,” she huffed. I could understand why her father disgusted her.

I was able to tell he was shaking from rage. Good. I’d managed to make my point. “Now, my call isn’t simply to announce our lovely upcoming wedding. It’s certainly not to invite you to the festivities. My call is to give you one final warning. Any additional attempts at either destroying our work in South America or to enter this country will be met with the full force of our power. The King power. Do I make myself clear?”

“Your threats mean nothing to me, Dante. I have something for you to take to Cristiano. I will crush you like a bug. As far as my daughter, she is now dead to me. You can have her. She was worthless anyway. And I will warn you. If you make an attempt to enter my country again, you will face my wrath.”

When he switched off the call, I took a deep breath.

Yes, the man would die by my hands.

After shutting my laptop, I sat back in my seat, thinking about his words. The man had been more rattled than I would have thought. That meant the contract he’d signed regarding Julieta had been very important to him. As Julieta walked away from my desk, studying my bookshelves, several thoughts entered my mind, all of them filled with revenge.

However, my bride to be had been forced to endure a life that was horrible in comparison to mine. I wasn’t the kind of man who knew how to offer comfort. That ability had been stripped away after years in the military. I wasn’t entirely certain why, but I’d been forced to realize that I would never make a good companion for anyone. Hell, even a dog.

“I’m sorry you were forced to hear that,” I managed.

She laughed softly, shifting her head in my direction. “I assure you that I’ve heard much worse over the years. He used to berate my mother for anything he considered unacceptable. Trust me, that was almost everything. I have no idea why she stayed with him, other than her family had given her away.”

The life of organized crime. How glorious.

Unfortunately, there was still business to attend to, questions that required answers. “Tell me about the black opals.”

“You already seem to know quite a bit about the trade. What do you want to know?”

“Does your father own this new vein you mentioned?”

“Yes. He owns the land for hundreds of acres surrounding it. I’m no geological expert, but if I had to guess, I’d say this particular vein could rival the one in Australia.”

“Interesting,” I huffed, realizing he could corner the market. If that was the case, she’d been correct in that he was covering all his bases in his desire to enter the States.

“However, he doesn’t own all the land.” She had a sly smile on her face.

“Meaning?”

“Why do you think you found some of your soldiers at that particular cave? I’m only guessing, but what if that’s the most lucrative section of the entire vein?”

That didn’t make any sense. From what I’d been able to tell, there were no new signs of mining. “Some of my soldiers found the camp a couple of months ago. It was within close proximity to the river and to certain drop-off points. Nothing more.”

“Are you certain about that?” she rebutted as she held her gaze.

“Actually, no. But if even if you’re right, then why wouldn’t your father simply take the land?”

She walked closer, placing her hands on my desk and leaning over. When she did so, I was able to catch a beautiful view of the tops of her breasts. I almost hated the fact my cock immediately started throbbing. Right now wasn’t the time to think about ravaging her.

“Because it’s owned by a very wealthy family out of the United States.”

There was something about the way she issued the words that both confused and pissed me off. “Are you trying to insinuate that the King family owns that portion of land?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. At least according to my father. He groused about it one day during lunch. I really didn’t pay that much attention, but I knew he was angry.”

If that were the case, why the hell wouldn’t Cristiano provide that information? What in God’s name was my brother trying to hide? Hissing, I rose from my desk, reaching for my phone. When there was a blip on the security system, I immediately switched my hand to my weapon. “Stay here.”

Julieta narrowed her eyes before snapping her head in the direction of the door. “What’s happening?”

“That’s what I’m going to find out. Do not leave this room.”

“I know. Or else.”

I took long strides into the hallway, huffing and immediately shoving my gun into my waistband when Michael walked into the foyer. In tow were my niece and nephew. I gave him a stern look before slapping on a wide smile. The last thing any of us ever wanted to do was to place the children in harm’s way or to expose a portion of our merciless world. They’d already been through enough after losing their mother and being threatened during a family getaway. Michael had even been forced to flee the country in order to protect the beautiful woman he now had in his life.

“Michael. What are you doing here?” I asked before crouching down. “And how are my special babies?”

Isabella raced into my open arms, hugging my neck tightly. “Unkie Dante.”

“We’re not babies any longer,” Alessandro insisted, his usual ‘attitude’ shining through. The eight-year-old was going to be a carbon copy of his father far too soon.

“Oh, yes. That’s right. You’re a young man. When are you going to start working to earn your keep?” I lifted a single eyebrow before beckoning for him.

Alessandro huffed, rolling his eyes then couldn’t resist my invitation, although he took solid and very slow steps in my direction. After giving them both a hug, I glanced up at my brother. His face was pensive. He was obviously here for a reason and not just a family visit.

I kissed them both on the forehead before rising to my feet. “This is unexpected.”

“I’m sorry I had to bring the twins with me. Daniella had a planned outing with some friends.” Michael appeared tired.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just wanted you to know that one of the twins has to undergo heart surgery.”

Exhaling, I shook my head. “How are Emily and the other baby?”

“They’re okay. In fact, the doctors are surprised how well Emily is doing. Cristiano, on the other hand, is a mess. Anyway, I didn’t want to give you the news over the phone.” When his gaze shifted over my shoulder, I bristled and turned, eyeing Julieta.

She was watching us intently but remained quiet.

“Unkie has a girlfriend!” Isabella squealed as she raced toward Julieta.

I opened my mouth to correct her but realized that I would be required to introduce my lovely fiancée soon enough. “She’s actually my fiancée, baby girl. Do you know what that means?”

Julieta didn’t seem startled. I was the one surprised when she dropped to her knees, grinning like a kid herself. “My, my. Aren’t you gorgeous? What’s your name?”

“Isabella. Isabella King. What’s yours?”

“Julieta.”

“I love your accent. Where do you live?” my niece continued.

“Well, I live here now, but I’m from South America. Do you know where that is?” Julieta gave me a quick look then shifted her gaze toward Michael.

“That’s where drugs are grown,” Alessandro answered.

Michael and I both coughed at the same time. My nephew was a spitfire who was no doubt going to go into the family business. For dozens of reasons that bothered me.

Julieta didn’t seem fazed, laughing as she twirled Isabella’s curls. “Actually, South America is a beautiful country known for many amazing products including coffee beans. We have some of the most incredible flowers and tropical plants in the entire world.”

“Oh, I’d love to go there one day. Can I, Daddy?” Isabella asked as she turned slightly toward Michael.

“We shall see.” Michael lowered his voice before addressing me. “We should talk. I’m not sure—”

“Hey, guys,” she interrupted. “How would you like to grab a little snack?” Julieta held out both her arms.

Now I was shocked.

“I mean, if that’s okay with your father?” Julieta asked, offering Michael one of her signature smiles.

“Well, maybe something very small. That is if your uncle even has any food in the house. Remember, guys. We’re going to dinner.” Michael huffed then his eyes lit up. “Why don’t you guys come with us? We can talk at the restaurant.”

“Yay! You have to come, Julieta. Daddy promised us pizza!” Isabella insisted, grabbing Julieta’s hand.

Growling, I gave my brother a hard look. “Tell you what. If you guys go with Julieta for just a few minutes, then we’d love to go to dinner with you. Is that acceptable?”

Alessandro sauntered closer, the swagger reminding me exactly of his father’s actions. I almost burst into laughter. “The deal is you will buy us ice cream for dessert.”

Michael couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

“Well, young man. You are a tough negotiator, but deal accepted.” I held out my hand. When my nephew shook it, all I could do was smile. The kid was growing up before my eyes. He’d grown a solid four inches in the last few months. If I had to guess, I’d say he was going to be taller than his dad.

I gave Julieta a respectful nod and waited until after they’d left before turning my full attention to Michael.

“Were you aware that the family owns an expansive amount of land in South America and not just a few acres surrounding the house that we’ve owned for years?”

Michael shrank back. “Never heard that. Why would it matter?”

“Because it’s possible that the mine located on the property is holding a vast amount of black opals. Morales wants to get his hands on it, just like he already has the rest of the vein.”

“Fascinating, but I’m not making the connection to the fact he’s planning an attack.”

“Yeah, neither have I, but I will. In the meantime, the fucker was put on notice. He wasn’t pleased with my call.”

“You work fast,” Michael said quietly. “I’m surprised you made the decision to go through with the marriage.”

“Both Cristiano and Lucian had good points. As far as putting Morales on notice, I think it’s necessary, especially with Cristiano being out of commission. Goddamn it, if anything happens to that baby.”

Michael sighed. “I know. Just think positively. The baby’s surgery is set for in the morning. It could take hours, but at least we’ll know something tomorrow.”

I could hear gleeful sounds coming from the other room. “Dinner, huh? This should be interesting. I’m not certain it’s a good idea, especially if we need to talk.”

“For God’s sake, why don’t you enjoy an evening with your niece and nephew? They’ve been asking about you. Maybe some family time will do you some good.”

“Family. I’m not certain about that.”

“Dante, I get that you have demons remaining from your time spent in the military. You need to find a way to let it go before the past eats you alive.”

“You’re being a big brother now?” I teased, although a part of me knew he was right.

“As someone close to us told me on more than one occasion, it’s time to get your head out of your ass. She’s beautiful, by the way,” Michael said before grinning. Damn if the man’s eyes weren’t twinkling.

“Don’t start.”

He threw up his hands. “I’m not starting anything, but I know you better than you think. You like this girl already.”

“I said, don’t start. I’m not in the mood.”

Laughing gregariously, he patted me on the shoulder. “Welcome to the club, brother. Women have a way of digging through our armor and when they do, there is no letting go. Maybe that arranged marriage just might be the best thing in your life.”

As I took a deep breath, I realized my cock was still twitching.

However, I refused to care about her. That wasn’t in my nature.

Besides, she didn’t deserve a monster like me.