Page 103 of Devil's Property
“Is that so?”
“Absolutely. Why not?” She batted her long eyelashes and my balls tightened. Cause and effect.
Just because I enjoyed teasing her as much as she did with me, I popped her on the bottom as I dropped my head until our lips were almost touching. “So you’re ready to take the vows to honor and obey.”
She pushed hard against me, breaking the contact. “We’ll use the modern vows, not the ones based in ancient culture.”
While I laughed, I gathered a sense she was curious. “Now, why do you think it’s a good idea to get married?”
“Because I’m a mafia princess. My sweet, not so innocent sister reminded me of that. You didn’t seem so enthused when I suggested we work together, but if we’re married, you won’t have a choice. Call it a win-win for both of us. If you agree I am mafia royalty, so my status must bring some… clout? Is that what you’d call it? The great big Aldero family was wealthy and powerful. Correct?”
Where was she going with this? “Yes, they were very extremely well off and very powerful.” The little woman was as conniving as I’d initially believed. A smile started forming in the corners of my mouth.
“So in a way, I’m quite a power player in this world of yours,” she purred.
She had a damn good thought, which was likely what Jago had been insinuating. As one of two sole heirs, she’d be worth a fortune. “Yes, I guess you are.”
“There’s no guessing, my darling. Imagine the kind of power we could wield. You with so much power and influence, a finger on the pulse of the city. Me with… the brains.”
I laughed and fisted her hair. “Why do you want to do this?”
“Because there’s a mystery that needs solving. Why is the Torres organization being singled out? You’ve heard one side of the story about why and how your family was killed. In turn, you and other soldiers followed orders, taking the lives of what you told me was the only other powerful cartel operating in Spain at the time. What if there’s more to the story and my father knows what that is?”
“Then the person responsible for setting the game in motion twenty years ago would want to snuff out any potential issues.” My smile grew wider. “Very astute from a brilliant painter.”
“Brilliant, huh?”
“You did have a handsome model for your last painting, but I see some skill there.” I kept her close, crushing my weight against hers. There was nothing like the feel of having her in my arms.
“He wasn’t too bad. A little rough around the edges, but I can smooth those out with the subtle, very educated brushstroke. About our marriage. Of course we should have a contract.”
“A contract. All very businesslike.”
Her mischievous expression faded. “That’s what we need to a point, Navarro. We need to fix this. We need to figure out how my father is involved. In my mind, there’s only one way offlushing out the truth. I don’t think he lured me to you to kill you. He knew what would happen. He knew we would discover the truth together. He also knew you’d become protective of me.”
“To form an alliance. Fascinating.”
“Plus, we learn exactly what happened twenty years ago. There must be more to this. You know that as well as I do. I’m not suggesting my family didn’t betray the Torres syndicate, but it was all nice and easy. Your brother was used to provide what evidence? What did your brother know? Was he being used in a dangerous game that even Jago didn’t know about?”
Her ideas were good ones, the same thoughts running through my mind for the past few days. During that time, Jago had initiated a search for Fassi using all his worldwide contacts. The man had retreated, which usually meant a foe was preparing to strike. “You believe our union will bring everything out in the open.”
“I do. Maybe your father found out something he wasn’t supposed to learn. Maybe the damning information was against Rafael Torres.”
I sucked in my breath. “Those are some intense accusations with no proof.”
She caressed my chest and there wasn’t a muscle in my body that wasn’t on fire. “That’s what we need to find out. I think I know what might help. You said so yourself, Jamal Fassi had run rings around the Torres Empire for years. Why? Did he have an ulterior motive?” Her smile was as wicked as the woman herself.
While I hesitated to believe Jago’s father had betrayed his own people, everything that had occurred in the last couple of yearshad troubled me. I pulled away, enjoying the view as I processed what she was suggesting.
“If what you’re saying is true, it could ruin Jago. He lost his older brother and the first girl he loved a long time ago. It nearly broke him.”
“That’s why we need to be sure. Brooke gave me some insight into my father. He confided in her instead of me. Why? Because she had no memory of our past while I had some. And because I wasn’t around. I remember a few conversations held between my mother and father. There was something going on that troubled both. I was too young to understand, but there was trouble in the Aldero kingdom. Perhaps my uncle was pushing my father into something. Sadly, we might never know.”
“But you’re saying two heads are better than one.”
“Exactly.” She took a sip of her drink, allowing her heated gaze to linger over the rim.
“How do you suggest we put the pieces of the puzzle together?” I was warming up to the idea.
