Page 90 of Beautiful Dangerous

“So, why doyouneed to go over there? She can handle the bikers.”

He looks at me, and there’s a darkness in his eyes that I don’t remember seeing there in a long time. “I know she can.”

“So, why are you checking up on her? You do realize she was the one who kept this business going while you were away?”

“I’m well aware of that, Lucca, but how I choose to run things now I’m back is my decision, not yours. Not Olivia’s.”

I narrow my eyes, fixing him with a look that tells him I’m not getting this. “I thought you and her were running things as a team now? Together?”

He drags a hand back through his black hair, his gaze darting around the casino floor again, almost as if he’s looking for someone. “I tell Olivia what she wants to hear, Lucca. She needs to feel important. Valued. I’ll allow her to feel that, for a little while longer.” He turns his focus back to me, his dark eyes cold. “But she needs to learn that her role is changing. I’m grateful for everything she’s done, but it’s time for me to take back the reins, she’ll have a new role soon enough. That of a mother.”

I feel my stomach drop to the floor so quickly it’s all I can do not to gasp out loud, I swear, it’s like someone just kicked me hard in the gut.

Olivia doesn’t want his kids, she told you that.

It doesn’t matter what Olivia wants. Not anymore.

“Now, let’s get this meeting over with. Once I know everything is in order here we’ll make our way to Beach Bay.”

He strides off in the direction of the back room where Merv and Laurel – one of our accountants – are ready and waiting to let Javier go over the books. He’s on a mission right now to visit every one of our businesses here in San Diego, make sure everything’s going to plan, see with his own eyes what he already knows, but is loath to admit – that Olivia handled everything. She didn’t need his help, she didn’t really need mine, even though I was there to offer it, should the opportunity have arisen. She handled it all by herself. And that’s why he wants to put her back in her box; turn her into a wife and a mother when that isn’t what she wants anymore, if she ever wanted it at all.Heisn’t what she wants, anymore.

You are.

Yeah.

I am…

Eighteen

Olivia

“Do you want to stay for a drink?” Eddie asks as we leave the chapel and head back into the clubhouse. I came to talk to him about the next weapons shipment, which is due next week, but it’s all in hand. Just like he promised it would be. “We’re having a barbecue.”

I smile at him as I lean back against the bar. “Is that supposed to entice me? I’ve seen what you lot keep in that fridge, remember?”

“Well, we could get one of the prospects to stop by the butchers. Pick up some top quality meat for the cartel queen, seeing as she’s too good to touch our dodgy burgers.”

He says that with a smirk on his face and his tongue in his cheek and I laugh as Angel appears with a whiskey and a beer, both for me.

“Dodgy burgers will be just fine,” I reply, mouthing“thank you”at Angel.

I’m in no hurry to go back home. No hurry to talk about babies and vow renewals, because when Javier gets home that’s exactly what he told me we’d do. Talk about it. So I’m grateful for another couple of hours of avoiding that conversation.

“So, how’s it all going?” Eddie asks, leaning back against the bar, crossing his arms as he stares out ahead of him at a game of darts going on at the back of the clubhouse. “Everything must still seem a bit strange, huh?”

“That doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

I’m aware of Angel hovering behind the bar, listening to this.

“I’m not sure it’s completely sunk in yet, that he’s actually here. That he’s alive.” I down the whiskey shot in one, and I don’t know what else to say, really. I don’t want to talk about Javier, I came here to try and forget about him for a little while, even though I know that’s impossible. I can’t do that. I can’t forget about him.

“How’s Lucca?”

I look at Eddie, frowning slightly. “He’s fine. You know he is, why do you ask?”

I don’t miss the look that passes between Eddie and Angel, and now I’m confused.

“Is there something you guys want to tell me? Because it feels like I’m missing something here.”

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