Page 94 of The Umarova Crime Family

“By turning the tides completely.” I look up one last time in the rearview mirror, knowing very well that Santos’ only option to marry me will be dictated by who he chooses to be loyal to. He can choose his father, or he can choose us. Whatever he decides will be his fate, and he’ll have to live with that choice for the rest of eternity. The point is, I can be his greatest ally or his worst enemy.

Goran continues driving the car for another ten minutes until we pull in front of a pub in Kensington. It’s neutral ground and where I agreed to meet Santos on this cloudy, rainy day. The rain picks up and practically sounds like bullets as it hits the windshield.

Goran gets out of the vehicle first and opens an umbrella, then comes to my door and opens it for me. I step outside under the safety of the umbrella, and Goran shuts the door. He walks with me to the front of the pub, and the two of us head inside.

I’m met with the distinct scent of cigars and Guinness. The pub is about halfway full, and I glance around the space looking for Santos. Sure enough, I find him tucked away in a booth in the back corner of the pub.

I walk on the black and white checkerboard tile and make my way to his booth. He already has a pint in front of him, with half of it drained. Goran is hot on my heels, and I take a seat across from Santos while Goran heads to an open seat at the bar a few feet away.

He’s more handsome than the photos I’ve seen of him, which helps since I’ll likely be here with him for the next hour at least. His hair is well-kept, a mixture of black with deep brown. It looks like something a hairdresser would’ve done to a woman to freshen her up for the fall, but I highly doubt Santos Ramirez gets his hair dyed.

His bone structure is out of this world, with high cheekbones and a distinct jawline, while his eyes blow me away. Instead of being brown like I assumed, they’re the lightest crystal blue I’ve ever seen. His fashion choice isn’t even bad. It’s so good that it makes me think he might be playing for the other team. A deep cerulean blue suit with a light blue dress shirt and a polka dot tie. I haven’t seen any man wear a polka dot tie in my family, and this guy is cartel royalty?

“Eset, you’re late. I didn’t expect that from you of all people, especially with what I’ve heard.” Santos’ voice is deeper than I thought, and his appeal is growing more by the minute.

“I was testing you. You’re the one who wanted to meet with me, remember? If you stuck around, then I know you’re taking this seriously, and from the looks of it, your desperation is oozing out of that pretty little head of yours.” I cock my head to the side, and a waitress comes up to me.

“Evening, Miss. Would you care for a drink?”

“Yes, a pint of Guinness would be grand,” I tell her, and she nods, smiling as she walks off to fulfill my order.

“I heard rumors about how cunning you are, but there’s nothing like experiencing it in the flesh.” Santos leans back in his chair and smirks at me, and damn, this man is even more handsome when he smiles. It would be easier to have more of my walls up if he were ugly, but I’m not going easy on him in the slightest. “I assume you have questions prepared for me,” Santos speaks up again, this time getting down to business.

I snicker at him, and the waitress comes back with my Guinness. “Would you like to order any food?” she questions us.

“I’ll take a fish and chips, please,” I answer.

“I’ll have one of the same,” Santos replies.

“Sounds good. I’ll put the order in with the chef, and I’ll be back to check on you both in a bit.” Our waitress walks away, leaving Santos and me alone.

“I want to know more about who you are. I know enough about your father, but if I agree to this, I’m marrying you. Not daddy dearest. So, what are your opinions about everything he’s aiming to achieve?”

Santos inhales deeply through his nose and licks his lips. “You’re going straight for the jugular, aren’t you?”

I pick up my pint of Guinness and take a sip. “I only know how to go in for the kill.”

“Good to know. When it comes to my father’s ambitions, they are his own.”

Interesting. “So, are you trying to tell me you don’t care as much as he does about taking over his uncle’s position?”

Santos smiles and then swallows hard. “I’m sure you know how difficult it is for me to speak about this. It would essentially destroy any bit of leverage I have for the proposal in the first place.”

There’s my answer. “You don’t care about his ambitions, so why even agree to this proposal nonsense?”

“You think I have a choice? I don’t. He’s made it very clear that unless I fall in line behind him, he won’t stand a chance against his uncle. My father isn’t the best person on the planet, but I do want him to be happy. This seems to be giving him some sort of happiness, chasing this dream and all.”

“Does it seem worth it to you?”

“What?” Santos asks me in return, taking another sip of his drink.

“Is shaking up the entire hierarchy in Mexico worth it for your father’s happiness? Alejandro has been great to your people, and your father’s reputation is… dark.”

“He is his father’s son.” Santos’ comment blows me away. His statement should startle him. It should show him how his father isn’t fit to lead, yet he’s still on the ride his father threw him on.

“Then why support him?” I place my elbows on the table and get a bit closer to him. “Why blindly follow a man who will only cause mayhem?”

“Because right now, it’s my only choice. I could be convinced to alter my loyalty, given the right situation… presents itself.” I have a hard time keeping my lips pressed together because my jaw wants to drop so badly. Santos isn’t sold on his father taking over the cartel. If I’m reading the situation correctly right now, and I know for a fucking fact I am… he doesn’t want his father to lead. He knows it would bring bloodshed and chaos to Mexico, and they’ve been through enough of that already.

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