Page 4 of Beautiful Dangerous

Stepping into a mint-green halter-neck dress and silver sandals, I add large, gold hooped earrings and a spray of white musk perfume – my favorite, the only reminder I have of the woman I used to be – and I’m almost ready. Tonight is my fortieth birthday party. A party I don’t really want, but in my line of work parties are good for networking; keeping an eye on those people I do business with. Making sure all is running as it should be and nobody’s stepping out of line. I get to hear things at parties I may not get to hear when everyone’s sober and in control. Sometimes secrets can be spilled, and if that’s the case, I need to hear them.

“You almost ready?”

I spin around to see Lucca leaning against the doorpost. “Is everyone here?”

“They’re starting to arrive. Celine, Rosa and Vik are making sure everyone’s being looked after.”

Did I mention I also have staff? That one really took some getting used to, but I don’t have time to look after my homes in the way they need to be looked after, I need help on that score. So, I have cooks, cleaners, gardeners, on both of my estates; people who were with Javier long before I came on the scene, so I can trust them. They’re like family to me – kind, caring, loyal people who loved Javier as much as I did. And I look after them as I would any family member. They have the best healthcare, good schools for their children, decent homes to live in and cars to get them to and from work, those who don’t live in. Because I appreciate what they do for me. There’s a mutual respect there.

“Good. Can you pass me my jewelry box, please? It’s in the closet.”

Lucca comes into the room, and into the walk-in closet, emerging seconds later with the jewelry box.

“Thank you.” I take it from him.

“I know you didn’t want this party.” He steps back into the doorway, and I can’t help but notice how handsome he looks tonight, his hair neater than usual, his strong jaw line covered in a heavy stubble. He’s even swapped jeans for smart black pants and a white shirt, the neck open, the sleeves turned up over his tattooed forearms. But he isn’t at this party to enjoy himself, he’s here to watch. Everyone.

“I didn’t, want this party. Celebrating birthdays – celebrating anything, it doesn’t feel right, without Javier.” I look down at the delicate platinum wedding band I still wear on my finger, I haven’t taken it off since the day Javier died. And I smile as I remember the exact moment he slipped it on there. “He loved parties.”

“And he taught you to use them to your advantage, remember?”

I look back up, my eyes meeting Lucca’s. “Yes. I remember.”

LuccaPérezis the Delgado cartel’s second-in-command. My lieutenant – my number two – as he was Javier’s for many years. Which is why I can trust him, he knows this business better than anyone, even me. I came into it blind, he grew up amongst it, in a small town just outside of Tijuana, Mexico; became part of a biker gang that Javier used – that the cartel still uses – to help move drugs over the border, before Javier’s then-lieutenant spotted his potential, and brought him into the cartel. He worked his way up from Falcon – the lowest rank in any cartel, the ‘eyes and ears’ on the streets – to lieutenant in just two years, becoming the closest thing Javier ever had to a brother. He’s smart, quick-thinking, and loyal, and I need him more than I’ll ever admit.

“Are you happy, Olivia?”

I frown, because I have no idea what made him ask that question, completely out of the blue.

“Whether I’m happy or not has no bearing on this business, Lucca.”

“No, but, Javier – he wanted you to be happy.”

“Even Javier knew happiness and this way of life don’t always go hand-in-hand.”

“It’s difficult, yes. But not impossible.”

I narrow my eyes slightly. “Why are we having this conversation?”

Lucca shrugs. “No reason.”

I turn away from him to look in the mirror, checking my carefully applied make-up. “Just do your job, Lucca. I don’t need analyzing.”

He lets a beat or two go by before he speaks again. “Javier wanted me to look out for you. And I promised him I would do that. He wanted me to protect you, it was his dying wish.”

“I don’t need protecting.”

“You do. Don’t be naïve, Olivia, you’re better than that. That defensive shit, it was cute, in the beginning, when you had no fucking clue what kind of world you were getting mixed up in, but now – now that world is a dangerous place, andyouneed protecting. And deep down, you know that. You know the risks. You know why Ihaveto protect you.”

I turn back around, and I look at him. But I say nothing.

“The only thing he wanted was for you to be kept safe, but sometimes – sometimes you make it so hard for me to do the job Javier begged me to do.”

I go over to him, and I straighten his collar; brush down his shoulders. “Did you want this for yourself? Hmm? Did you want to be the new King?”

He takes hold of my wrist and gently pushes my hand away. “I want to keep you safe, that’s all.”

I take a step back and turn around, checking my reflection one last time. “We should go. Everyone will be waiting.”

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