“I’m not sure about that. They surrendered immediately. Theythankedus for taking Arturo inside.”
I furrowed my brow, unable to stop watching Carina stand there like a warrior, like a goddess, staring down her brother with that icy coolness she could perfect in a heartbeat. “Are they attempting a coup? Ousting Arturo?”
“No. I think they are hoping that we’ll handle their dirty work for them. That he’ll be dead.”
“Itissuicide for him to come here with any expectation that he would leave.” I glanced at him for a second. “Is he that stupid? Or what?”
He shrugged. “Maybe he’s that deluded into thinking he’ll always get his way.”
Not this time.
Not ever again.
The second Carina decided she was done with him in this convoluted farewell, I would execute him without hesitation. No threat against my wife would be allowed. No obstacle to her happiness and peace would be permitted.
I imagined that some of the soldiers would question why I’d entertain her. Why I’d let her have this last chance to see and speak with him.
I had to. If I wanted her to perceive me as someone who would always respect her, I had to give her this last attempt at closure. To say whatever she wanted to let him know. To confront him and air her grievances for the final time. To hear him out and convince herself that all her suspicions and doubts about him were warranted.
“What did they do with the ones who came with him?” I asked.
“Holding them before they can transport them to Lev’s. To question them.”
“Not with Markus,” I said. “Banking on what Carina has said and explained, there might be a valid reason to believe that somemembers of the Cartel who were loyal to Miguel might take over. If anyone loyal to the memory of Miguel Garcia can pick up the pieces, then that’s a better outcome to hope for.”
“Rather than Yusef Antonov achieving any more territory to control in the absence of a leader,” he remarked. “You’re not considering lettinghertake it over, are you?”
I shook my head. “This isn’t the same as when Adrik killed Morovov.” When he did, the Morovov Financials firm was dead, too. Elena took it over—unofficially—and used all the accounting work as a means to spy on others’ accounts. Carina would not be taking over the Cartel. It wasn’t part of our territory, and it wouldn’t be sustainable or true to the legacy and empirewehad running up here in this region.
I had no desire to tax my wife with the headache of doing too much. She’d been doing that for too long as it was, ever since her parents were killed.
Carina turned and left without another word. I heard it all, every single thing they’d said. The speakers near the patio recorded their final conversation, and I couldn’t admire her any more than I did at that moment.
She walked away on her own terms.
She told him where she belonged.
And as she kept her chin up, her head held high, her eyes stony with a determination that she’d done her best, I couldn’t have been prouder of her.
Alexei and I didn’t move as we watched her enter through another door. Jeremiah was already on standby to watch her, incase she’d want to leave to see Elena as she’d planned or if she would go to the gym and vent her emotions there.
“Well, she told me.”
I watched the guards surround Arturo, ignoring his protests and threats to release him.
“Huh?” Alexei furrowed his brow.
“Carina. She told me that she wanted this done.”
He raised his brows. “She ordered her own brother’s death?”
“She didn’t say she wantedhimdone. But she realizes it was inevitable. She wants the stress of his trying to mess with us done.”
He nodded slowly. “Better listen to her, then. What’s that saying? Happy wife, happy life?”
I deadpanned at him. “Precious.”
Shrugging as he walked with me toward the door, he didn’t show any indication that he was in a worse mood.
