“If this could have been a text, I’m going to shoot you.” Well, his phone etiquette leaves something to be desired.
“I’m across the street. I need to see you.” Bruno looks pained to say the words.
“You missed me! Dy, love. I’m gonna go play with Bruno!” The phone goes dead, and my husband curses.
“Is he mentally stable?” The snort laugh he lets out says it all, but he still answers me.
“Not even remotely.”
Chapter Eighteen
Bruno
“So you want me to set up a secure line to call your grandfather in Cuba? Seriously? I thought we were going to take over the world! I could have gotten my grandson to do this from school.” I want to ring his fucking neck, but he’s holding my daughter.
“We’ll use her uncle’s phone. We just need it not to be traced.” I rub my temples as Abel coos at Willow.
“Oh, Jose will think you’re in Tabeti when I’m done.” He says that all in an annoying baby voice, and I rethink choking him.
“Bruno?” I glance at Rosario and wave her off.
“I’m fine. This is just my normal Abel reaction. I’m allergic to the asshole.” She raises an eyebrow at me.
“Oh, you love me, you old fart. Anyho, should we get your dear old grandfather on the phone? I imagine he gets to bed early at his age. Drug running is a young man’s game. Not sure how he’s keeping up.” That’s it, I stand up and take my daughter from him.
“Why must you be such a prick?” He raises his hand and tilts his head like the shrug emoji.
“It’s a gift. Now let’s reach out and touch the head of the cartel.” I grind my teeth and catch Rosario hiding a giggle.
“I’ll beat your ass. Don’t encourage him.” She laughs harder.
“I like her. Not afraid of him at all.” Abel slaps my shoulder like we’re the best of friends sharing in a joke.
“I will shoot you fucker. Don’t think this baby has made me soft.” Abel looks at me sadly, as if I know nothing.
“Keep telling yourself that. I’m going to grab a burner to clone the archbishop’s phone. I should be ready in ten minutes. You grab your uncle and meet me in the livingroom.” Rosario thanks him and then closes the door with a look of amusement on her face.
“You enjoyed that?” I ask to confirm my suspicions.
“It’s not often I see you rattled, and he pushes all your buttons. You say you’ll hurt him, but I don’t believe you would. Neither does he, by the way. So I guess I’m wondering why?” She crossed her arms and leaned up against the door to watch me.
“He saved my life. I owe him, but he’ll never call in the favor. He enjoys holding it over my head way too much.” She laughs and comes to stand in front of me.
“Oh, I can see that. I’ll grab a blanket while you change her. She’s gonna wake up starving again.” She kisses the back of Willow’s head and then my lips before leaving us in the sitting room of our suite.
“How are you liking your crazy little family?” I ask as I undo her clothes to get to her diaper.
I get her cleaned up and hand her to her mother to feed before walking down the stairs to the main living room. Lucas, Darius, and his Grace Archbishop Armando Ortego are all huddled together talking quietly while Abel sits on the couch with a smug look that screams he knows what the other men are discussing, even though he’s not involved in the conversation.
“Why are you all trying to hide anything from him?” Abel sits up like a dog when he hears the word threat.
“We aren’t hiding shit. Just coming up with a strategy if this phone call goes to shit.” Lucas keeps his arms crossed and rubs his thumb across his bottom lip in thought.
“Is there a reason why I shouldn’t ask my grandfather why I was kept from you all my whole life just to be delivered back into the fold, gift wrapped?” She glances my way to check on my reaction to the memory of her half frozen, wrapped in rope.
“Can we just get this over with, please. We have an appointment at the church soon.” She puts her hand out to Abel, who hands her the phone he’s been holding in his hands.
He stands and flips the black device in the air and then shows her both hands empty before reaching up and pulling it from her curls behind her ear.
