Page 36 of Lured By the Cartel

They didn't have families at all?

"Call them," I ordered, proud that my voice didn't shake. "Put them on speaker."

Antonio hesitated only briefly before dialing. The phone rang three times before a heavily accented voice answered.

"We are waiting for the answer."

I took a deep breath. "This is Lucas. I'm handling this matter for my mate."

There was a pause, then a laugh. "We do not deal with omegas."

"Then you don't deal with the Rossi family at all," I replied coldly, my protective instincts flaring. "The manifests don't lie. You received exactly what you paid for. If you want to break ouragreement because you lied, that's your choice. But remember—other buyers would be happy to take your place. You're not really necessary."

Another pause, longer this time. I could hear murmured Russian in the background. I couldn't understand anything, but could still hear it.

"You threaten us?"

"No," I said, thinking of Marco, of our sons, of everything we had to protect. I would never be so reckless. "I'm stating facts. You have one hour to confirm you received the correct shipment, or we'll consider our agreement void. And believe me, you don't want that. Don't make me do something I don't want to do."

The line went dead. I let out a shaky breath, finally allowing myself to check on the twins. They were still sleeping, blissfully unaware of the dangerous world they'd been born into.

They had to stay nearby. I was far too paranoid to leave them alone in their room.

"Lucas," Antonio said quietly, "that was... impressive."

"Was it the right call?" I asked, suddenly uncertain. "Marco-"

"Would be proud," he assured me. "You protected our interests without escalating the situation. That's exactly what was needed."

His reassurance helped me. I was always constantly doubting myself.

My phone buzzed—a message from Marco:Everything okay?

Handling it,I replied, then added,The twins are fine. Be safe.

Forty-five minutes later, my phone rang. Antonio answered, listened briefly, then smiled.

"The Russians apologize for the misunderstanding," he reported. "They've confirmed the shipment was correct and want to ensure our continued partnership. You really did well."

Relief flooded through me, making my knees weak. I'd done it. I'd protected our interests, protected our family. I never thought I could pull something like that off.

Matteo chose that moment to wake up, his cry quickly rousing his brother. The spell was broken—I was no longer the tough negotiator, just a father who needed to tend to his children, and that was all I wanted to be.

"I'll handle the paperwork," Antonio said, already gathering the documents. "You take care of them."

I smiled gratefully, moving to lift Matteo from his carrier. "Thank you, Antonio. And... this stays between us, yes? Let Marco hear it from me."

He nodded, understanding. "Of course. But Lucas?" He paused at the door. "You did well today. Very well. Anyone would be impressed."

As I settled into Marco's chair with both babies, I realized something: because Marco was in the cartel, my life would always be complicated and dangerous. But for my family, I would learn to 'navigate' it. I had to. Otherwise, I would never forgive myself.

"Your papa is going to be so mad he missed this," I whispered to the twins. "But don't worry—I'll tell him I learned from the best."

Alessandro grabbed my finger, squeezing tight, while Matteo nuzzled against my chest. In that moment, I knew I'd do anything to protect them—even if it meant becoming someone I never expected to be.

The office door opened, and Marco strode in, his expression softening at the sight of us. "Everything okay here?"

I smiled, thinking of the Russians, the negotiation, the strength I'd found within myself. "Everything's perfect, amore. Just perfect."

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