“I’m glad that bastard is dead,” she seethes.
“I haven’t lost a wink of sleep over it. The world is a better place without him in it.”
“One less monster is always a good thing,” she agrees.
“After Dom’s death, I wasn’t sure if Cesco knew about Leandro or if Dom had made provisions to harm my son in the event of his untimely death. It’s still a concern, but I should have confided in Fiero. I didn’t because I was terrified he’d leave me if he knew about Cruz and the baby. It’s all interconnected, and I couldn’t mention certain things without it becoming obvious, so I kept my mouth shut. I was selfish because I didn’t want Fiero to know. I didn’t want him to push me away.”
“Babe, that man couldn’t even handle a couple of hours of separation yesterday. He’d never survive without you, and none of it is your fault. You are completely blameless.”
“I know that now, but in my messed-up head, it was a real threat.”
“It’s not easy to see things logically if you’re stressed or under severe trauma. It’s understandable, and Fiero will forgive you.”
“He asked me if I knew about the warehouse, and I lied. I have eavesdropped on Dom’s conversations for years. My daddy always said knowledge is power, so I absorbed every bit of information I could get my hands on.” I drink a large gulp of coffee before I get down to the nitty-gritty
“Cruz showed up in Miami wanting an introduction to the cartel. He cozied up to Vitto first until he realized Vitto had no in and he was of no use to him. Dom had just lost big to one of the cartel leaders in a card game. Fuentes had orchestrated the loss because he wanted Dom under this thumb.”
“I can guess why.”
“They want to take over the territory fully. I’m guessing Dom’s reputation preceded him, and that was their way in. Cruz happened to show up at the opportune time.”
“Of course, he did.” Her eyes narrow. “He had a knack for that.”
“Cruz, as you know, had plans to take over as president of The Commission and ruleLa Cosa Nostrain the US. He needed allies, and he wanted some outsidela famigliabecause he feared his Italian American partners in crime might turn on him.”
“You found all this out by eavesdropping?”
I shake my head. “Cruz loved the sound of his own voice, and he talked incessantly while he was assaulting me. I was able to piece it all together from what I’d overhead and the things he told me.”
“That sounds like him,” she scoffs. “Go on.”
“So, Cruz made a deal with Dom. He’d pay off his debt to the cartel if he made an introduction. Dom set it up, and Cruz made a deal with Fuentes whereby he’d fly their supplies in from Vegas. They paid him well for the trips, but the major part of the deal was they would assist Cruz when the time came to stage his coup and take the presidency. In return, he offered them Florida and agreed they could take over supplyingLaCosa Nostrain the US.”
“I’m not buying that.” Cat gets up, taking our empty mugs over to the coffee pot in the kitchen. “Cruz wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t give them that much control.”
“Of course not. I suspect the cartel knew that too, but it served them to enter into an alliance. I’m sure they were plotting to take him out just like he was plotting to take them out after they’d helped him take the crown.”
“Where does Dominic factor in all of this?” she asks, refilling our mugs.
“Cruz needed help on the ground, and he knew Vitto wouldn’t get his hands dirty.”
“But Dominic would.” She hands me a fresh mug of coffee along with a bottle of water.
“Thanks, and yes, he would, and he did.” I pause to uncap my water and quench my thirst. “Dom transported the supplies from the plane to the warehouses, and yes, there is more than one. I’ll write out the names and coordinates for you to give to Massimo before I go. Dom was the go-between for Cruz with the cartel during the week when he was in Vegas. Cruz promised Dom Florida. He told him he could kill Vitto and install himself as don. Dom was thrilled and readily handed me over as part of the deal when Cruz demanded I be reserved for him exclusively at the weekly parties. Dom had no idea Cruz had promised Fuentes the territory. I was going to tell him. I knew he’d put a stop to Cruz coming to the house except then Cruz told me he was planning to kill Dom, Cesco, and Vitto and he’d be installing a man of his choosing to the state, like he planned to do with all states. I wasn’t sure if he was playing me to keep my silence or maybe to test my loyalty to him, but either way, I chose not to tell Dom what I knew. I wanted him dead even if a part of me feared Cruz would try to keep me for himself.”
“He planned to install my sister as his queen, parading Bettina’s stolen baby as her own.” Pain mixes with disgust on Cat’s face.
I’m not sure if I should say this, but I’ve learned my lesson about keeping secrets. “That wasn’t his plan,” I quietly say.
Her eyes swing to mine. “Tell me.”
“He needed Anais to execute his plan, but as soon as the presidency was in the bag, he was going to kill her and take a more suitable wife.”
Her face pales.
From the things he said about his younger wife, it seemed they had a codependent, toxic relationship. “Cruz was aware of how she was perceived by others, and he said she would only drag him down.”
“I always knew that was a possibility with him, but to hear he intended to go through with it.” She shakes her head, averting her eyes.
