Page 50 of Ranch's Resolve

“And you don’t know the name of the cartel or the person they’re after?”

Selena shakes her head. “No, he’s never mentioned a name to me. I only heard of his plan because of his conversations with Cruz and with his men who were staying at the place where he kept us. Angelica might know more.”

“You gave us much,” Dante says. “Thank you. I promise we’ll find you somewhere safe until we can deal with Carlos.”

“Will you hurt him?” Santina asks.

Dante opens and closes his mouth, unsure of what to say. He doesn’t want to tell this little girl that he has every intention of doing more than hurt her father. Carlos is a dead man walking.

“He’s going to kill him,” Santiago says. “He betrayed Ranch. I heard the men at the ranch talking. They said Daddy had already betrayed the club once. If he did it again, they’d kill him.”

Santina studied Dante. “Is that true?”

Unable to take the scrutiny and likely feeling guilty about the upcoming death of her father, Dante speaks. “How about I promise that you will never have to see him again?”

The two children nod before snuggling into their mother.

Dante shakes his head as he turns his attention to Angelica. She looks scared, but she straightens her spine as Kingsley speaks to her.

“I told her that you had questions about Cruz and their vendetta,” Kingsley explains.

“Can you ask her if she knows who they plan to attack. We need a name if she has one.”

Kingsley translates Dante’s question. Angelica responds with intense emotions. She’s waving her free hand around as she responds to Kingsley. She darts her eyes to Dante and Selena as she talks. Selena nods a few times and adds to the conversation. Dante shifts from one foot to the other. Kingsley must notice Dante’s growing impatience because she breaks off the conversation to give Dante some information.

“She knows the name, but she wants to explain a few things before she gives it. She’s afraid.”

Dante sighs. “She’s afraid of us?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so,” Kingsley says. “Angelica is afraid for Cruz. She’s worried that what she tells us will get him killed.”

Dante runs his hand over his hair. “I don’t know what to tell her. I can’t promise his safety if he’s helping Carlos.”

“He isn’t helping Carlos,” Serena chimes in. “At least that’s what Angelica believes, and I think she might be right.”

“You said Carlos and Cruz were working together.”

“That’s what I believed, but what Angelica said makes me believe I was wrong.”

“What did she say?”

Selena glances at Kingsley, who nods. “Angelica said that Cruz sent her here with a message for the person Carlos plans to attack. She was supposed to cross the border and ask around. Cruz heard that their target has many people loyal to her living in San Diego. That if she told someone in the established Mexican community, they would get the information to her.”

“Her?” Dante asks. “Their target is a woman? Who?”

Kingsley repeats the question to Angelica, but Angelica shakes her head as she answers.

Kingsley sighs as she turns back to Dante. “She wants your word that you won’t harm Cruz. Cruz has been pretending to work with his father and brother to locate the target and planthe attack against her. Instead, he’s been verifying that she’s protected and safe from attack.”

Dante stares at Kingsley for one long moment. The vein on his forehead throbs as he clenches his jaw in frustration. Finally, he nods. “Okay, tell her Cruz will remain safe as long as he can prove that he isn’t involved. We need the name.”

Kingsley repeats Dante’s words, and they are enough to have Angelica relax.

Dante tenses when he hears Angelica say "Ángel de la Muerte" and then again when she says "Ángel Vengador."

“She has two names. Her enemies, like Carlos, call her the Angel of Death because she has a reputation for killing men who threaten her. Those whom she protects call her the Avenging Angel.”

“Oh my god,” Tally says, looking at her husband. “Your mother.”

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