Page 33 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

“That’s quite rude,” I whispered.

Diego burst out laughing. “That’sMamá.You’ll learn to love it.”

I highly doubted that. I didn’t plan on being here long enough to build a close relationship with the woman.

We followed Diego to a beautiful den that consisted of wall-to-wall books. A full library from floor to ceiling. A large cedar desk sat in the center. A single leather chair befitting a king sat on one side, two smaller leather chairs directly across from it.

“Have a seat,” Diego said as he slumped into his own chair, kicking his feet up on one end of the desk.

Christophe held on to the back of one chair as I sat, then took the remaining seat.

Diego opened a wooden box and pulled out two cigars, passing one to Christophe, who took the item with glee. He offered me the other, but I shook my head. He shrugged and clipped the tip, then lit his stogie before passing both the cutter and the lighter to my husband, who repeated the process.

For a full thirty seconds, the two men puffed their cigars as though they didn’t have a care in the world, while my insides were bursting with the desire to find a way out of our predicament with Angus. Still, I sat quietly. Having worked with powerful men from all walks of life, I learned quickly to be patient. Things were never solved with heightened emotions and knee-jerk reactions.

“Drink?” Diego lifted his chin toward a bar cart in the corner.

“Oui, thank you. I’ll get it,” I offered, needing to do something.

I went to the cart and poured three glasses of top shelf whiskey, passing out the two before I slammed my first glass in one go, hissing at the burn that scalded my throat. It wasn’tthe most ladylike thing to do, and something I normally would detest, but I needed the liquid courage more than I needed my next breath. I filled the glass with another two fingers of the glorious alcohol and went back to my seat.

Diego lifted his glass. “To taking down the enemy,” he toasted.

We didn’t clink his glass in cheers; this wasn’t a party or a celebration. This was two people needing to figure out a way to survive, while the third laid out what he could offer by way of assistance. I just hoped the cost wouldn’t be too high or something I wasn’t willing to give.

“SeñorSalazar…” I started, unable to delay the inevitable any longer. Fear was like a rash I had no ointment for, itching and twitching along my skin, with no relief in sight.

“Diego,” he corrected. “I think after what we’ve shared, we can go by first names…Alana.”

I let out a long, tortured breath. “Diego, we need your help.”

“Have I not already fulfilled my marker by getting you out of a very sticky situation and bringing you to the safest home possible?”

I licked my lips. “Oui, and we are very grateful, but Angus will not stop. And you have yet to share all you know about the woman who hired you originally to destroy Maia’s home and threaten her.”

He puffed on his cigar, watching the smoke rise and waft around the ceiling.

“She is his daughter.”

“The child he mentioned to me?” I recalled what he’d said during my kidnapping. That he’d lost ten years of his daughter’s life when he went to jail for his part in Celine’s death.

Diego nodded but gave no more.

“She would be around thirty now?” I tapped my chin.

“Sí,and she is a viper. She charms her prey while circling around them, cutting off their air before striking with her venomous bite,” Diego grunted.

“She sounds awful.” I bit down on my lip.

“Worse, she lies in wait for you, her hatred far surpassing that of her father’s.”

“But I don’t even know her.”

Diego’s eyes flashed with something I couldn’t name.

“Ah, but you do know her. She’s been slinking around your extended family for quite a while, finding just the right moment to hurt you most, to take the killing bite.”

“Who?”

---