Page 65 of Burning Beauty

Daniel grunted. "I'm sure you'll find someone."

Nic smiled and crossed his leg over his knee, carelessly creasing his expensive suit trousers. "No one is as good as you, but you are loyal only to King. So I will have to let this idea go for now. Maybe one day you will grow bored with civilian life and contract out again. If this happens you must come back to me first."

"Undoubtedly," Daniel replied, and Maria felt like he meant it. The two deadly mobsters seemed to have some kind of connection. Definitely mutual respect. Neither was subordinate to the other that she could see.

The two men sat in companionable silence while Nic finished his cigar.

"King is well?" Nic asked, ashing his cigar in a crystal tray on the marble stand next to his chair.

Daniel nodded. "Sends his regrets. He’d be here himself, but a new merger’s keeping him occupied."

"Mmm," Nic said, giving Daniel a piercing look. "He has been many times busy recently. Let us dispense with the so-called bullshit, my friend, and call it what it is. King wants the Vegas connection cleaned up but does not want his hands dirty with Ms. Cantore in the picture. So he sends instead his man to negotiate the Miami takeover and help with the Vegas cleanup, am I wrong?"

Maria perked up when she heard Vegas. Were they talking about cleaning up Franco's mess? She wouldn't be surprised. That guy was a total fuck up and it was only a matter of time until Nic took back what Franco stole from him.

Daniel didn't respond to Nic's probing about a Ms. Cantore and a King. Maria wondered who they were and how they were involved in the Vegas stuff.

Nic tapped his thumb absently against his thigh. "You will work with me personally, yes? I have your assurance?"

Daniel nodded. "King wants eyes on everything. Wants your bid to run smooth."

Nic smiled tightly. "With you at my side, it will of course. You don't fail."

Daniel sat silently while Nic seemed to be thinking over a course of action. Finally, he said, "Miami has been uncomplicated. I've already moved more than half the city into my keeping. Thanks to you and King, once Marquez fell, his men toppled like fucking dominoes, leaving Cuba open for me."

Maria was dying to know more about Nic and his business. It sounded so complicated and interesting. She had no idea he was actively taking control of Miami and Cuba. She assumed he meant it in an underworld sense, since there was no way to legally own a city. She also wondered what Daniel and this King guy had done to help.

Daniel nodded. "Our pleasure."

Nic snorted and smiled grimly. "So I heard. Your methods never fail to impress, my friend."

"Vegas?" Daniel prompted.

Nic straightened in his chair, shadows passing over the grooves of his high cheekbones. Maria's heart fluttered, he was so beautiful to her, even when he looked grim. Maybe especially when he looked grim. He could own that serious sexy look. Not a classically handsome man, with the constant air of barely suppressed violence that settled around him like a cloak, he was nonetheless arresting with his tall, lean strength and aristocratic features. His dark, dominant features betrayed an attitude of old-world Italian mob boss combined with modern brutality that thrived in the cutthroat underworld.

"I could use help in Vegas," Nic admitted. "Franco Delgado sits high up in his tower, surrounded by some of the most expensive guns money can buy, and despite his idiotic business practices, he has somehow captured the ear of one of our Colombian allies. Colombia must be dealt with before we can take down Delgado, but it has to be done delicately. We can't leave a power vacuum behind in a country already ravaged by economic instability. I will not have starving masses on my conscience."

Daniel nodded. "I can handle the guns in Vegas, but we'll need to draw him out of the hotel or find a way in."

Nic's eyes flashed and his fists flexed with poorly contained rage. After a moment he said, "Leave it to me."

Daniel eyed him, waiting for an explanation. Nic offered none, clearly unwilling at the moment to share that part of his plan. Maria knew why. His plan involved her. It had to. As far as she knew, she was the only thing Franco might want. He had been hesitant to part with her in the first place but had been forced to give her up in the face of such a brutal opponent.

"Know a man that might be willing to go to Colombia and deal with our ally down there. I'll speak to Bastida about taking over the territory so there’s no vacuum. Good?" Daniel asked.

Maria was desperate to hear more about what was going to happen in Las Vegas. She didn't know what was happening in Columbia.

"Yes, speak to Bastida in person, if you please," Nic said. "And this other man, the one that will take care of Delgado's Colombian alliance? Who is he? Is he to be trusted?"

Daniel nodded. "Implicitly. Contracted his services before. David’s a professional. He'll take care of the problem with minimal fuss and leave whatever message we choose or make sure there’s zero connection back to you if that’s your preference."

"How do I contact your man?" Nic asked.

"You don't," Daniel replied coldly.

Nic stared back for a moment before nodding. "Where is he, this David?"

"Canada, last I heard. Looks for his missing wife between jobs."

---