Page 57 of Till Death Do Us Part

With my hand in the small of her back, my wife and I arrived in the dining area at a minute before ten.Mi padreandmi madrewere present, standing with drinks in their hands.Mi padrehad tequila. Codigo 1530 XII Extra Anejo Tequila was one of his favorites.Mi madrehad a glass of wine. I believed Andrés Ruiz made a point of gifting multiple cases from his wife’s winery in SoCal.

Madre’ssmile grew as she came toward us. “I’m so happy you’re all here and safe.”

She was making a point of speaking English for Mia, and I appreciated it. Releasing my wife, I leaned closer and kissedMadre’scheek.“Gracias.”

Rei entered, also looking freshly showered asMadregestured toward the set table. “We don’t always eat so late. When we learned you were coming, I was afraid you wouldn’t have eaten.”

“We’ve been a little busy killing Russians,” Rei said.

I shot my brother a scowl. Before I could tell him to shut up,Madrewaved him off.

“No talk of that here.” Her gold bracelets jingled as she lifted her hand. A server appeared from the kitchen door.

“Señora?”

She spoke in Spanish. “Fill drinks for our children and now, it’s time for us to eat.”

I turned to Mia. “Would you like a drink with dinner?Mi padrehas the best tequila money can buy.”

“It was a gift,”mi padresaid with a grin.

Yes, in his line of work, he received many gifts.

“Wine with dinner,” Mia said. “I’ve had my quota of tequila for one night.”

“You’re still standing,” Rei said. “That means you haven’t reached the limit.”

“Vino,”I said to the waiter,“para mi esposa. Tequila para mí.”

As anxious as I was to get Mia back to our bedroom following the dinner, I held no illusion that our suite would be my next stop. AsMadreasked Mia about the wedding and our new home, it was painfully clear that ourpadrewanted time with Rei and me alone to learn what the fuck was happening.

We all took seats around the table.Padresat at the head,mi madreto his left, me to his right, Mia beside me and across from Rei. One end of the room was open, looking out over the dark ocean. A warm breeze kept the temperature comfortable as the staff began serving our meal.

After the first course was taken away, I laid my hand on Mia’s thigh. When she turned my direction, I lifted my eyebrows, hoping she remembered what I’d said and what would be on my mind. The pink hue filling her cheeks was the answer I was looking for.

Madre’swarning kept our conversation light, at least the part that was spoken in English. Once we were all filled,mi padretold Rei and me to follow him to his office. I laid my hand in the small of Mia’s back. “Rei and I need to talk toPadreabout what happened today. Can you find your way back to the suite?”

Her body tensed beneath my touch.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She scanned from me toPadreand back with only her nervous eyes. “Okay. I’ll wait up.”

We remained quiet asPadre, Rei, and I walked out into the night and up the stairs to the next level. As far as home offices go, the one on Bella was smaller than his office at home. For safety reasons, the room was interior. The ceiling was high, yet without windows, it was as if we entered a golden box. Rei and I dutifully took the chairs across fromPadre’sdesk as he sat in the large leather seat.

He leaned back, resting his elbows on the chair’s arms, and templed his fingers. “We have the Russians’ phones.”

My brother and I both sat forward. “Any connection to Herrera?” I asked.

He nodded. “It seems we are at war.” He looked at me. “Not a good way for a marriage to begin.”

ChapterFifteen

Mia

Leaving the dining room, I headed toward our suite. Walking around to the outside, I chose to follow the catwalk along the deck. I lifted my face, feeling the salty sea breeze. The black sky high above was filled with stars. Our peaceful bubble was a contrast to my thoughts.

“Mia.”

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