Page 59 of Beautiful Dangerous

“She’s a very smart woman. She knows how to live this life now.”

“Thanks to you.”

He smiles again, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I played my part. But so did you, Lucca.”

I lean back against the car and light up a cigarette. “So, that’s it? She no longer plays a part in the running of the cartel?”

“I don’t know.” Javier drops his head for a moment, as if mulling some idea over, and then he raises it; looks around at the perfectly neat grounds that surround this sprawling estate; the gardeners hard at work maintaining the vast outdoor spaces. “I’ve missed this place,” he sighs, taking a deep breath before turning his attention back to me. “I don’t want Olivia put in any more danger.”

“She can handle herself.”

“I’ve no doubt she can. But she doesn’t need to be front and center anymore, not now I’m back. It’s my duty to keep her safe, until we’re sure the threat from the Pino cartel is over. With me back, she’ll be an even bigger target than she was before.”

He’s right. She will be.

“Come on. Let’s go. I’m sure Eddie is desperate to see for himself what a dead man risen looks like.”

He climbs into the car and I take one final drag on my cigarette before tossing it onto the ground, grinding it into the gravel with the heel of my boot.

The journey to the Devil’s Creed clubhouse is spent in silence, and I’m glad of that. Javier stares out of the window, and I use the time to get my head together, to get used to the fact that he’s back, where he belongs, at the head of this cartel. For him, life is returning to normal, but for the rest of us too much has changed, and for the first time in my life I’m nervous. Scared of what the future might hold, but I can never show that. Never.

As soon as we pull up outside the clubhouse, Eddie’s out and hugging Javier like they’re long-lost brothers or something. But they’ve always been close, just, not close enough for Eddie to have been included in his secret.

“Eddie! It’s so good to see you!” Javier exclaims, planting a series of friendly slaps on Eddie’s shoulder.

“Javier, Jesus, brother, what are you doing to me?”

Eddie Calito is one of the few men Javier would trust with his life, and I know that if he could’ve done, he would’ve kept Eddie in the loop, but for his – and Olivia’s – safety it was best as few people as possible knew the truth. And now, there’s this huge part of me that wishes I hadn’t known either. Then I’d have an excuse. A reason for doing what I did, for sleeping with Olivia. Whereas now, if Javier ever found out what happened…

“I trust Lucca has explained everything to you?”

Javier’s voice yanks me back from those thoughts as we walk through the clubhouse to the chapel, where Eddie indicates to Javier to take a seat at the table, Eddie taking his usual place at the helm.

“He did. We’re up to speed.”

“And I also trust Olivia looked after you all in my absence?”

“She’s a very special woman, your wife.”

“Yes. She is.” Javier casts a quick glance in my direction, meeting my gaze with his usual steely expression, he’s good at hiding his true feelings. Because letting that mask slip makes him weak, that’s the kind of man he is. The kind of man we all are. Stoic. Hard. Emotionless.

“So, where does your return leave Olivia now?” Eddie asks, sitting back in his seat. Everyone seems very concerned about Olivia’s fate, with good reason. She doesn’t deserve to just be cast aside, after everything she’s done for that man.

“I’m still working that out.”

“A lot of people liked doing business with her.”

That’s true. They did. And why was that, huh? Was it because she was good at running a major cartel? Or was it because she’s beautiful? Maybe it was both, I don’t know. But Javier should be proud of her, for making sure the Delgado name is still respected. Still feared. Still trusted.

“I’m sure they did,” Javier says, smiling slightly. It’s almost like he doesn’t want to know what a great job she did. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s the feeling I’m getting. And I know this man.

“Some of those contacts may want to continue to do business with her.” Eddie leans forward, clasping his hands together on the table. “I know you’re back in charge now, Javier, but she did good, in your absence. She took up the reins in a heartbeat and she kept everything running, while she dealt with a grief she knew she had to keep hidden.”

I know it isn’t Eddie’s intention to make Javier feel guilty, about what he had to do, but it seems like his words have unsettled Javier a little; made him realize just what it was he put Olivia through – a grief she didn’t need to feel. Pain she didn’t have to experience. There isn’t a lot in this world that causes him to feel guilty, but knowing his wife had to go through unnecessary pain, that’s something that’ll cut deep with him, no matter how necessary it was, because he loves her. Olivia. He loves her.

“Then maybe I need to think hard about how Olivia remains an integral part of the running of this cartel.”

He should do that. Together, they’d make one hell of a powerful couple.

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