Page 26 of Puma's Pride

I find the kids in the playroom. Showtime is on the couch with her eyes closed. I squat down to watch the kids sleeping inside the tent. Their little hands lay next to each other, barely touching. At that moment, I see my future. Whether they just stay friends or become more, these two are a big part of my future. I leave them to dream as I make my way to the common room.

Rush greets me with a tip of his beer bottle as I take a seat next to him at the bar. “I put together some numbers along with some listings for nearby property. The lot across the street is for sale. Thirty-five acres and the price is reasonable. The information is on your desk.”

The surprise must show on my face because he shrugs. “When I heard what Dante was doing, I thought it was a solid plan. I started gathering information in case you or one of the other executives brought it up.”

“Why didn’t you bring it up?” I ask him. “You’re an executive.”

“If I found myself an Old Lady, I might have.”

“Have you spoken to Sal?” Wildcard asks from behind me. I turn to see him sitting with Chill.

“No. I had to take care of my Old Lady.” I say with a grin. “Besides, I want to talk to Diego first. Alisa thinks her mom may be the key.”

“You think her mom is what Juan meant about birthright?” Chill asks and I nod.

“When he gets back, bring him to my office.” I tell Wildcard.

Rush’s folder sits on top of my desk. I pull it towards me and review the contents. As usual, he’s done a thorough job. It’s obvious he has been working on this for some time. He even has notes from our Spock, our Secretary, and from Carver, a member of the San Diego club. Spock listed all the permits we’d need to build homes on the current property and Carver provided costs and lot configurations. We’d only be able to build a handful of homes near the clubhouse, which doesn’t meet my expectations. I just start reviewing the information for the property across the road when Wildcard knocks on my door before opening it. I can see Diego behind him.

“Is now a good time?” Wildcard asks and I nod as I shove all the papers back into the folder before tucking it into a drawer.

Once they take their seats, I turn to Diego. “Did you hear about Juan approaching Alisa, Corinne and the kids today at Bed, Bath, and Beyond?”

“Are they alright?” Diego asks as he moves to stand.

I gesture for him to sit back down. “They’re fine. Thanks to Showtime’s quick thinking, we got a recording of his discussion with Alisa.” I nod at Wildcard, who plays the recording for Diego. I watch Diego’s face and, mostly, the only emotion he shows is one of concentration, but I see the flicker of fear when Juan talks about Alisa’s birthright. “You know what he means, don’t you?” I ask Diego.

Diego looks at Wildcard and then me before slouching back into his chair and rubbing his hands over his face. He then leans forward and rubs the back of his neck. I’ve known Diego for several weeks and I’ve never seen him this agitated. Not even after we rescued him from his brother. “I knew this day would come. Sal’s going to kill me.”

I lean forward at his comment. “What does Sal have to do with this? Is he the reason Juan is after Alisa? If you know anything, you better fucking tell me.”

“Sal wouldn’t know why Juan is after Alisa, because he would never suspect who her mother was.” Diego says. “Even I don’t know who she was.”

“You’re not making any sense.” I snap at him. “What the fuck are you talking about? How do you not know who Alisa’s mother is? I thought you two were married. Was that a lie?”

Diego shakes his head. “This is going to take a while. Can I get a shot of tequila?”

I nod at Wildcard, who leaves and comes back with a bottle of Don Julio and three shot glasses. After he pours out a shot for each of us, we down them. Diego obviously needing the liquid courage, me needing something to keep me from strangling the father of the woman I love. “Now speak.” I growl and try not to roll my eyes when he flinches.

“My father used to work for Sal’s father, which is how I got involved in the cartel. I came to the attention of Sal one night when I beat the shit out of one of his men. I caught him trying to drag a woman out of a bar. When Sal had me brought before him, I thought I was a dead man. But instead of killing me, Sal thanked me and offered me a position under him. I can’t say we were ever great friends, but he trusted me.”

“What does this…” I start, but Diego holds his hand up to stop me.

“I’m getting there. I promise. One day Sal came to me with a request. He wanted me to smuggle a young woman over the border and find her a new identity in the States. While he didn’t tell me her name or why he wanted her out of the country, he told me that her life was in danger. He agreed to smuggle her out and provide her protection. She was sixteen. I became her ward. I found someone who created her a new identity, and we bought a home in Yuma. She studied, took her GED, and went off to college. I kept in contact, but I didn’t see her again until after she graduated.”

“What was her name before she changed it? Didn’t she ever tell you?” Wildcard asks.

“No.” When I raise my eyebrows, he continues. “I know that may seem odd to you, but I knew what was at stake. She was smart and well-educated. This means she came from a family of wealth. So she was either the daughter of a high-ranking government official or…”

“The daughter of a cartel leader.” I finish and he nods.

“If I had tried to find out who she was on my own, it would have put her at risk. She understood the need to keep her identity a secret, so she worked hard to put her past behind her and become Carmella.”

“Was the plan always for you two to marry?” Wildcard asks.

Diego snorts. “Fuck no. If Sal ever found out, he would have killed me.”

“You mean he doesn’t know?” I ask in surprise.

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