Page 56 of The Devil's Daughter

“The man wants a drink,” I say by way of explanation.

“The good stuff’s down below,” Drake says, gesturing at the bar. “His favorite is the Lagavulin. Take the bottle. Maybe if you get him wasted, he’ll go easy on us.”

I chuckle and wink. “My thoughts exactly. You two staying sober too?”

“One shot of whiskey was enough for me,” Elle says.

“Yeah, for now anyway,” Drake says.

“Mazel tov,” I say, lifting the bottle and grabbing three fresh glasses to carry back out to face my imminent doom.

28

Baz

I remain at the rail,arms crossed, while my brother retrieves a bottle of Scotch. Papá sits down and crosses one ankle over his opposite knee, regarding me.

“Whose idea was it to come here?” he asks.

“Drake’s.”

He nods, appraising his surroundings. “Stavros has always had a good head on his shoulders. Unlike his father.”

“You couldn’t keep his old man under your thumb, could you? What pissed you off more, that you couldn’t control him, or what he actually did?”

His gaze hardens just as Ben returns with a bottle of Scotch. He pours a glass for each of us, then sits, sniffing his, but not drinking. Arturo takes a whiff and closes his eyes in enjoyment.

“Gregor wouldn’t have offered me this, that’s for sure. His son has much better manners, and he’s kind to women. But you two are the bigger reason I came all the way out here tonight.”

He drops his foot to the ground and sits up straighter, looking at us both. “Baltasar, please sit.”

I begrudgingly oblige, parking myself in the chair and glaring at him. I pick up my glass and take a swallow, absently realizing that this is some good-ass whiskey, so I probably shouldn’t just pound it, as tempted as I am to dull the edge of my anger. On the plus side, he doesn’t seem to have caught on that anything’s going on with Elle—or if he has, it’s not his first priority.

He looks between each of us, takes a drink, then nods as he says, “You two have a right to be upset with me. I had my reasons for keeping you in the dark, mostly because I didn’t believe it affected you. Antonia was the one who stood to suffer the most from knowing the truth, not either of you. But I didn’t consider that you might be hurt by the truth too. I’m sorry for that, and I beg your forgiveness.”

I’m not sure what to say. His earnest, direct apology catches me off-guard, so I only nod.

Ben doesn’t seem so easily swayed. He leans forward, looking Papá directly in his eyes. “How long did it go on? You andMami. Did you love her at all, or was she just an outlet?”

“Hermano, we don’t need to know the details,” I say.

Papá sighs and shakes his head. “It was only once. Your mother has always been a kindhearted, nurturing woman. I was lost, lonely. She comforted me. As to your other question, I cared deeply for her then, which was why I wouldn’t let her quit working for me after it happened. She feared for her honor because I was a married man. She didn’t stop worrying until Lola came home and talked to her, made her understand that there was no jealousy, that she and I had kept this arrangement for some time by then.”

He trails off, pain ghosting across his features. “When Elena learned she was pregnant, it was only a few weeks after Lola found out she was too. Lola was the one who chose Hector Quiñones from among my closest lieutenants. She orchestrated the match for the two of them, made sure your mother was happy with it, and that they were married before the baby came.”

Spreading his hands palms-down on the tabletop, he looks at us both again. “Your mother was like family to us almost from the beginning, and even closer than that, once your sister was born. Even though you are not mine by blood, I love you like sons. I only want happiness for you both, so I had to come here tonight. To clear the air, because this distance you keep is only hurting Elena. It’s bad enough that it’s still too dangerous for Antonia to visit. Losing both of you at the same time when we’re all still under threat from Amador…”

He shakes his head and sighs, leaning back and finally taking a slow sip of his Scotch, savoring it before saying, “You don’t have to forgive me, but at least call your mother and forgive her.”

It’s so alien, sitting here while the man I looked up to most in the world, believed was infallible, bares his soul to us. Even though it’s just the tiniest peek, the level of vulnerability he shows leaves me at a loss.

Across from me, Ben leans over his drink, staring into the glass. Then he clears his throat and looks at Papá, glassy-eyed. “I can’t speak for Baz, but I think I can manage that.”

Papá’s expression softens and he looks at me, hopeful.

“Fuck,” I mutter, emotion clogging my throat. “Fine, but I hope you realize I willneverthink of Elle Santos as my sister.”

Ben gives me a look of horror, and it hits me what I just gave away by saying what I did. But it’s too late. Arturo’s eyes narrow and he leans forward. “Is there something I should know?”

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