Page 70 of Queens and Monsters

My eyes opened wide. “Good advice.”

As we waited for them to stop, five peoplein white uniforms appeared, all standing like soldiers with their hands clasped behind their backs. I looked at my watch to see that it was nearly four in the morning—six back in Kansas City. “This is crazy that the whole staff is meeting us in the middle of the night.”

“That’s not the whole staff.”

Well, shit. My life was on a roller coaster, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to find the exit.

Lingering whirling from the propellers echoed in my ears as one of the men in white came forward and opened the door. As he offered his hand, I glanced at Rei, who nodded. Hesitantly, I took the man’s hand and stepped down. My blouse and hair fluttered in the ocean wind.

From our vantage point, I saw into a beautifully illuminated white living room and dining area. Up above, millions of stars shone in the velvet black sky.

This boat was insane, reminding me of news articles I’d read about oligarchs’ superyachts. My inadequate acting skills were unable to hide my astonishment. In no way had Rei prepared me for this.

By the time Rei and our luggage were out of the helicopter, another man had joined the greeting committee, causing my nerves to set in. I recognized him from the few times I’d seen him. This was the renowned drug lord himself, Jorge Roríguez.

Rei guided me toward his father.

El Patr?n’ssmile grew as he spread his arms. “Jasmine.” His pronunciation was similar to Rei’s. “Welcome to Bella.”

Wearily, I stepped into his embrace. Spice and cigarsinfiltrated my senses as his arms surrounded me. Releasing me from his hug, he said, “Congratulations,SeñoraRoríguez,” and patted Rei on the shoulder. “You’ve made my son a happy man. And that makes Josefina and me happy too.”

His accent was thicker than Rei’s, but I could still understand his English.

My father-in-law was more gregarious than I anticipated. I hadn’t known what to expect. “Thank you for welcoming me.” I looked around. “This is truly amazing.”

“Tomorrow when you two wake, Rei can give you a tour. There’s food waiting for you in your cabin. No rush. You need to rest after your busy day.” Jorge then said something to Rei I couldn’t understand.

Rei responded with a nod. He returned his hand to the small of my back. “Let me show you to our stateroom.”

Our.

My nights of sleeping alone were over.

“What about our luggage?” I asked, looking back toward the helicopter.

“They’re probably already in our room.”

“You really understated thisbig boat,” I emphasized his previous description.

Despite the late or maybe early hour, the common areas of the yacht glowed with golden lighting. I tried to look in every direction at once, but there wasn’t time as Rei led me to a staircase. The ocean breeze disappeared as we went down the stairs to a lower deck with multiple doors. “Will I be able to find my way out of here?”

Rei’s eyebrows danced. “I don’t plan on letting you out of here.”

He opened one of the doors, and I couldn’t help but open my mouth in awe. Our suitcases were sitting near the bed—a king-sized bed that was already turned down. The sound of the locking mechanism in the door echoed throughout the cabin.

I shuddered as a chill scurried over my flesh. Curiously, I wandered to the far wall. “Are these windows?” I cupped my eyes to see through the opaque pane.

Rei came up beside me, pressed a button, and the glass cleared, revealing a balcony. There was a table with two chairs and two lounge chairs outside.

“That’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It’s magic.” He scoffed. “Jano and I used to say it was magic when we were young. The sun can be intense out on the ocean. That keeps the sunshine out so we can sleep until noon.” He pointed to an armoire. “There’s a refrigerator in there with water and juice.” He opened the cabinet and removed a crystal decanter with clear liquid. “Tequila?”

I shook my head. “After those margaritas, I may never drink again.” Turning a complete circle, I took in the scope of the room, including the mini living room with chairs and a sofa. A basket with fresh fruit was on the coffee table. “This could be our honeymoon.”

Rei poured himself some tequila, swirled the liquid, and drank it without so much as a wince. “We’re here atmí padre’scommand. With what happened in Culiacán, this is about keeping his family safe.”

I sat on the edge of the bed. “Does that include me?”

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