“Then we grab Gabriel. Make Scabby give us Carmelita in exchange.” Axe strapped on a back holster and put on his shirt.
“I hate to do that,” Leanna said. “But it’s our only option. That kid knows more than he’s telling. Except if we go back, we might run into our fathers.”
“True.” Axe repacked his luggage. “We’ll have to mislead them or tell them we’re getting married. You have a missed call, by the way. What will you tell your father?”
Leanna tapped the tip of Axe’s nose. “That I have you captured and will trade you for Carmelita, of course.”
Axe roped her in and held her, his light-brown eyes glowing with undisguised lust. “Can’t you keep us both?”
“As long as you keep me safe.” She batted her eyelashes. “And yes, I accept your proposal. Our fathers will have to bury the hatchet.”
“It’ll be hard for mine since yours killed his brother. But for the sake of me and Soledad, who’s named after my mother, he’d have to.”
“I didn’t know you were part Mexican.” Leanna teased. “What’s with the long nose?”
“She had a lot of Spanish in her. Guess it’s a good thing I brought her engagement ring.”
“You’re serious?” Leanna’s heart bubbled over, light and airy, while her mind fluttered between blue skies and dark clouds. “We barely know each other.”
“Oh, I know you well enough.” Axe pecked her lips, and she could feel him smiling through the kisses. “You’re the woman of my dreams. I wanted this to be more romantic than this hole in the wall room with the cracked stucco, floppy bed, and icky carpet. I won’t go back on my knees again, but I want to marry you. Soledad and Carmelita can be best friends, and our fathers will have to protect them both. I’ll make him swear on my mother’s grave.”
“My father will protect family,” Leanna said. “Joshua ordered the hit on your uncle. I’m sorry about it.”
“Will he retire or stop working for the Canos? Do they have something on him?”
“They have everything on him. He committed murder.” Leanna shuddered. “They have evidence that’ll put him away for good. He made one mistake, or maybe all he did was what I did to El Bardo. You saw me kill him. Couldn’t you hold that over me? Blackmail me?”
“What I saw was self-defense.” Axe made a lip-zipping motion. “This is our secret. The bigger problem is how to get your father free from Joshua’s influence.”
“He can’t run or hide from the Canos,” Leanna said. “Their reach is long, and there’s fighting going on since Joshua has no male heir. I’m afraid Carmelita will be used as a pawn, maybe groomed as the Mafia princess. Believe me, if my father knew Joshua hid her from us all these years, he’ll want to kill him, too.”
Axe leaned his forehead against hers, rubbing her back and holding her, comforting and reassuring her of his support. They were about to embark on a frightening and risky course of action. There were no guarantees their fathers would fall in line.
For the sake of their daughters, they had to stay together—united, and defy both families.
She closed her eyes as he kissed the tears trailing down her cheeks, and when she opened them again, he slipped an ornate opal ring encircled with sparkling diamonds on a rose-gold band onto her ring finger. The center stone was mostly white with flashes of iridescent colors, green, pink, and light blue when moved in the light.
“My mother would have liked you,” he said, watching her reaction intently.
Her cheeks warmed, and her inner thoughts warred in her head. Her heart, however, bounded like an overexuberant puppy.
“It’s exquisite. But it’s way too much to give to me,” she exclaimed. Even though she knew it was a ruse for the fathers, she allowed herself to indulge in the moment and smiled up at him, blinking like a blushing bride to be.
“My father won’t believe us if you don’t wear it.” He stroked her fingers. “I know it’s soon, but I’ll spend the rest of my life proving my feelings for you.”
“I want the chance to show you, too, how I feel.” She held his hands and lowered her gaze. “Let’s pray our fathers will find peace.”
