Page 22 of Charity's Redemption

“I want to hear your plan.” I sunk into the leather couch, feeling more comfortable by the moment.

“I’ll put a bounty on Elias.”

“And that’s where you lost me.” He had to be joking. My gaze collided with his. “Oh my God, you’re not joking.”

“I’ve thought about it—”

“Well, think harder, Luca. You want me to kill El Jefe of the Sabinas Cartel just so I don’t kill a US Senator?” I frowned. I thought he’d come up with some next-level chessboard shit that would have me wondering how he’d concocted that plan, but instead, he boggled my mind and not in a good way.

My finger tapped against my thigh. I brought my ticking hand to my lip and played with it as I mulled this over.

“I don’t want you to do it. I’ll hire it out.”

“That is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard you come up with. What happened to the man who was three steps ahead?”

“Mind your tongue, Charity.”

I laughed a full-bellied laugh. This was a dream. I had to be in a dream.

“What’s so funny?”

My laughter died down, and I wiped the tears from my eyes. “You and I both know that it’s harder to kill Elias Hernandez than it would be for me to kill a Senator on the senate floor in broad daylight.”

“I will call him to a meeting.”

“And what then?Huh? You kill him and we go on our merry way? You know that’s not likely.” I shook my head and sucked in a deep breath, calming the anger rising to the surface. This couldn’t be happening. “You cut off the head, and it multiplies. Someone will take his place and when, not if, they do, they’ll come for us.”

“So we make sure that doesn’t happen?”

“And how do you propose we make sure they don’t come back for revenge?”

“Okay, let’s calm down for a second, here,” Nico said, cutting through the tension between us.

Cartels had a reputation for perfecting the art of revenge. They thought I was bad? They must not have seen what the Mexicans or Columbians do to people who betray them.

“We’ll form an alliance with his right-hand man. He is already having issues with loyalty.”

“You want to get Pooch to be on your side?” I leaned forward and placed my hands on my chest. “He hates me, Luca, and I hate him. We’d kill each other before we sat down and negotiated terms.”

I cannot believe I spent the better part of three weeks waiting for him to devise a plan to get me out of this. This was why I’d planned it on my own. Why I never rely on anyone to keep me alive.

“And what do you propose?”

“I thought that would be obvious… I kill the fucking senator.”

He shook his head and rose from his chair. “We cannot afford the heat that would bring down on us if they were to find out who killed him.” He strode to the liquor plate and poured himself a hearty glass.

“And we cannot afford a war with the cartel.”

Nico raised his two fingers resting on the armrest. “Anyone want my opinion?”

“As my brother?”

“As your Consigliere.”

Luca exhaled and nodded, then took a sip of his glass, his back towards us.

“I think Charity has a point.”

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