Page 43 of Reign

“I don’t care whose line it is, I just want it to happen. I don’t want to live my life without you.”

He pulls back to look at me, brutal honesty written all over his face. “I’ll do my best to make sure you won’t have to.”

Eighteen

Casper/Dominic/Casandro

“DOM, WE’VE GOT A problem.”

Diego, Nikita, and I have been outside by the pool for the last hour while Diego makes some calls. We gave him forty-eight hours to settle in and for us to solidify a plan – that is still fuzzy around the edges due to the unknowns – before we had him call Mateo. He’s the only one of us Mateo would consider showing up for.

“It feels like all we’ve got is problems. What’s one more?” I tell Diego, trying to brace myself to hear more bad news.

“Mateo’s not in Venezuela.”

“The fuck you mean? Where is he?” I practically flip the table over when my forearms come crashing down just as Nikita snaps his blonde head up, also waiting for answers. Nikita and I are seated around the coated aluminum table while Diego paces alongside the pool. It feels oddly casual given what we’re discussing. Diego and I are both shirtless in gym shorts, coffee in hand. Nikita, of course, is in a suit but his jacket is thrown over the back of the chair which is about as casual as I’ve ever seen the man get.

I bet he murders people in a suit. Maybe that’s a Russian thing. Or a mafia thing. Maybe he just really likes James Bond.

“The guys don’t know. Said he loaded up the jet and took off a couple days ago.”

“Mateo has ajet?” I don’t know how knowing that could have helped anything, but it seems like I should have had that information.

“Two, actually.”

I wipe a hand down my face. “Jesus, fuck. How did we ever think he made this kind of money from drugs?”

Diego shakes his head, understanding my thoughts and feelings, disappointed in himself as well. Of course, it’s easy to see the flags once they’re raised for you.

The sky overhead is a dusky gray, the sun trying its hardest to shine through, but the clouds will not allow it. A tropical storm has kicked up somewhere southeast of us and it feels like the impending storm is a warning of what’s coming.

“Let’s hope he’s in route to Miami and makes all of our lives a little easier,” Nikita says somehow managing to stay calm.

“If he shows up in Miami, how will we know? It seems like it would be easier for him to get lost in the crowd and therefore harder for us to find.”

“Not if we have eyes on the airport,” Nikita says, pulling out his own phone. He gets up from his chair and moves to the other side of the pool. It seems none of us can sit and talk on the phone at the same time.

“What do we do now?” Diego asks, his eyes on Nikita.

“We prepare for war.”

“War?”

I turn to see Camila come out to join us on the patio. Nikita’s back is to her but I have no doubt another glimpse of her is the reason he’s he showed up at eight o’clock this morning to “discuss the next step”. I could just as easily have put him on speakerphone.

“Where’s Libby?” It’s my automatic response when I don’t see her with Camila and she isn’t with me.

“Relax, Kujo. She’s in the shower.” I snarl at her response but she keeps talking anyway – not like I expected anything different. “Now, tell me more about this war.” When I get done updating her, she says, “Hm, will this affect my date at all?”

Nikita has ended his call and is right behind her.

“What date?” he asks. I fold my lips together so I don’t let out a smile when I see Nikita’s hands ball into fists.

“Adam asked me out,” she says it so nonchalantly as she pops a cherry tomato into her mouth from the bowl on the table. If she’s trying to drive a controlled killer into losing his mind, I think she’s doing a good job.

“Who the fuck is Adam?” Nikita says with possession in his voice.

Camila answers, “A friend,” at the same time I mutter, “Our gardener.” While Nikita excuses himself to take an incoming call, I keep talking. “I hope you told him no.” It’s not that I care if Camila dates. It’s that were in the middle of trying to end some of the baddest players on the planet and she’s unfortunately stuck in the middle. It’s too dangerous right now.

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