‘Oh, Sofia, Sofia.’ Cesar gave her a long, considering look. ‘I’m beginning to think that you tried to do your best—’
‘If you’re going to be patronising—’
‘Stop,’ he commanded.
She tensed at the touch of his hand on her arm.
‘Sometimes a warm heart can put you at a disadvantage.’
Cesar’s tone was gentle, but she had no intention of being treated like a child. Bringing Howard Blake down would take both of them equally.
Giving herself a moment, she refocused her mind. This wasn’t about pride or personal considerations, but getting a job done. ‘How did you stop him last time?’ she asked briskly, turning to stare Cesar in the eyes.
‘Money talks?’ He sounded faintly amused, as if he had accepted both her stand and the fact that massive wealth could be useful in a number of ways. ‘My last run-in with Blake involved a member of my family, someone else with a kind heart, falling into Blake’s clutches. It was necessary to step in to protect that family member.’
‘Your mother?’ Sofia guessed.
Cesar was too protective and too discreet to answer her question, both of which counted in his favour.
‘Howard Blake was silenced, and that’s all you need to know. He got to keep his publishing empire in a deal that suited us both.’
It was hard to imagine Blake, a man who had bullied and hectored her, turning over meekly, though coming up against Cesar would be daunting, she imagined, even for a man as unscrupulous as Howard Blake. Her brother Xander had once referred to Cesar as being the most resourceful and determined individual he’d ever met, adding that Cesar always protected those who needed him. ‘I never thought I was Blake’s first target, and I’m sure I won’t be the last. I’m strong enough to take the consequences, but what about the next person he picks on?’
‘So what’s your plan?’
‘From what you’ve told me, and from personal experience, we know Blake can’t stop himself targeting those weaker than himself. It’s like an addiction. You’ve already dealt with him successfully, and I’m lucky to have you onside. I do have you onside?’ She went on before Cesar had a chance to answer. ‘We can’t hang his future targets out to dry. We can’t turn our backs. We have to stop him. Someone has to bring him to account.’
‘You?’ Cesar interrupted with a cynical lift of his brow.
‘I can’t do this without your help,’ she said honestly.
‘So you propose co-operation between us?’
‘Is that so bad?’
Sofia’s voice was quiet and intense. Her stare remained fixed on his face. How could he remain unsympathetic when Blake had targeted both his mother and his sister? His mother had taken a lover, a conman planted by Blake, he now thought, and there was a sex tape featuring Olivia. These were Blake’s weapons of choice. Rage roared inside him as he recognised Sofia as an equally attractive target for a bully. Desperate to keep the retreat that meant so much to her going at any cost, she was exactly the type of victim Howard Blake loved to prey on. Sofia must have been a prized victim, giving Blake direct access to the Acosta brothers and his old enemy Cesar. How he must have gloated, thinking he could send them all down like a line of dominoes.
‘Cesar?’
Fury must have been written on his face. Most would shrink from it, but not Sofia. She stood to confront him and barred his way. ‘We’ll call him out,’ she said fiercely.
He raised a brow. ‘How do you propose to do that?’
‘We’ll set a trap. We’ll feed him false information and then expose it as a lie.’
‘He’ll see that coming a mile off,’ he reflected out loud. ‘The confrontation has to be face to face. So I’ll deal with him.’ He held up his hand when she started to argue. ‘I don’t want you anywhere near him. This is something I will handle alone.’
Even as he was speaking, an idea was niggling at his brain. There was no time to waste. He had investigations to make. ‘Is that it?’
Sofia reached out a hand as if to stop him, but then she withdrew it and lowered her gaze in a way that made her seem suddenly fragile. ‘You go on,’ she said. ‘I’d like to stay here for a while.’
‘Be back before dark. Remember the Apennine wolves. They roam freely in the forest.’
‘I won’t forget. I can look after myself. Remember?’
She stared up, her eyes luminous and unblinking. He didn’t move. He couldn’t move. How could he leave her alone in the forest? The light was fading, and there was more than one wolf on the prowl. Sofia had made a dangerous enemy in Howard Blake, and Cesar would take no chances. ‘You’re coming with me so I know that you’re safe.’
‘A few minutes ago you’d have liked to throw me in the stream,’ she commented with amusement.
