Page 6 of Savage Assassin

My father is behind his long mahogany desk, looking as if he’s aged even more than he had in the time since Isabella was taken. His forehead is lined, his mouth turned down, his eyes shadowed, and I could swear that there’s more grey at his temples and in his close-trimmed beard than there was before.

I walk to one of the leather seats in front of the desk and sink into it, feeling a wave of anxiety. My father’s office used to feel like a safe place for me, with the huge windows behind the desk that open out onto the garden with sunlight streaming through, the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stuffed with books of all kinds, and the warm scents of leather and wood and vanilla tobacco suffusing every part of it. But now, all I feel is a heavy sense of foreboding, as if the oncoming storm has centered here, and I’m about to be swept up in it.

“I need to tell you something.” My father rubs his hand over his mouth, more exhausted than I’ve ever seen him.

“Is it about Diego?” I try not to let my voice tremble, but I can’t help it.

“In a way.” He lets out a sigh. “You were eavesdropping at the door last night, Elena. You heard what I was talking to your mother about. We spoke about it on the way upstairs.”

“Diego wants me as his wife, to make up for Isabella.” The words come out rote and numb. “AndMamawants you to give me to him, so he stops harassing and attacking our family and shipments and home.”

“That’s the sum of it.” He sits back in his chair, looking at me tiredly. “I’m sorry that you have to hear about these things at all, Elena. I’m sorry–”

“That I’m having to grow up so fast.” I parrot his words from last night back at him. “I know. And you know that I’m twenty years old. I can handle it. Just tell me what’s happening.”

My father nods, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he swallows hard. “There was a deal made, when that Irishman–Niall–went after your sister. We made an alliance with some of the mob families in the States for trade, and in exchange, they said they’d send us backup. Men, to help defend our position here.”

A cold feeling drifts through my veins at that. “And they’ve backed out?”

“No, actually.” My father’s mouth twitches. “Though I thought they might. They’re sending the men, as promised. And they’re sending someone else with them–to get you out of here.”

I stare at him, startled. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll be going back to Boston with him. To stay with Isabella and her husband until all of this blows over–or for as long as you want.”

“I’m leaving you?Mama?” My throat tightens instantly with emotion, and my stomach knots. The idea of going so far away sends a different kind of panic through me, especially knowing the danger that my home and family are facing right now.What if I never see them again?

“You’ll be with Isabella. You’ll be safe, and I know you’ve missed your sister–”

“Well, yes, but–”

I can feel tears welling up in my eyes, my chest constricting with grief. The thought of seeing Isabella again is a happy one–Ihavemissed her, more than I could ever possibly express with words. But I don’t want to leave my family. Even when I’d thought of who I’d marry one day, I’d always assumed I’d be close enough that I could see them often. I’d never imagined that I’d end up going so far away–and that I might not come back or that they might not still be alive when I do.

That the danger could be so great that they’d have to send me away.

“Can’t I stay here? With the others they’re sending, it’ll be safer–” The tremor in my voice is stronger now, and I’m trying desperately not to burst into tears.

“Not safe enough.” He looks at me, his expression sad. “Elena,querida, it’s for the best. We’ll see each other again, I promise.”

He stands up then, walking around the desk to put his hands on my shoulders reassuringly. “Dealing with Diego Gonzalez, putting an end to this threat, Elena, is not going to be easy. If I know you’re safe, far away from where he can get ahold of you and use you against me, I’ll be able to better focus on the fight that’s coming.”

I can feel the tears starting to spill down my face as my father reaches for my arm, gently tugging me up out of the chair so he can wrap his arms around me in a hug. I lean into his chest, breathing in the scents of smoke and cologne, wishing more than anything that I could be a small child again, when he could hold me close, and I could believe that nothing bad would ever happen so long as he was there.

But I’m not a child any longer. I know what’s coming for me–for all of us–and I know that none of it is good. I also know that as much as I hate it, as much as it frightens me, my father is right.

If I’m out of harm’s way, it’s one less thing for him to worry about. One less thing keeping him up at night.

“Don’t cry,querida,” he murmurs, brushing the tears away from my cheeks. “I know you’re scared, Elena. But I’ve been promised that the man who is coming to get you is the best at what he does. He’ll get you to Boston, and he’ll make sure you’re safe. And this will all be over before we know it, and then, if you still want to, you can home,niña.”

I know the decision has been made. It’s even clearer that it’s been made that night at dinner, when my mother sits next to my father at the table with a sour, angry expression that tells me he’s filled her in on the plan.

“It’s a bad idea to send Elena to Isabella,” she hisses at him as we sit there, me picking anxiously at my food as she sips her wine. “If Isabella had done her duty instead of running away and then running off with that man, we wouldn’t be in this position. Isabella will be a bad influence on her.”

“Niall is the reason that we have backup coming at all,” my father says crisply. “So while yes, their elopement caused some–problems–it hasn’t been all for nothing. Aside from the fact that, as far as I’ve been told, Isabella is happy. We have a grandchild, Lupé. Another one on the way, apparently, I was told when I spoke with them today.”

“A son-in-law who barely brings anything to the table and two grandchildren far away from us. Hardly the illustrious match that we’d hoped to make for our oldest daughter.” My mother wrinkles her nose. “However you try to dress it up, Ricardo, Isabella damaged this family. Now you want to send Elena to learn from her example?”

“I want to send Elena where she’ll be safe.”

---