Page 107 of Jetmir

“I’ve been keeping my wife safe,” I corrected him.

“You say tomato, I say tomahto.” His expression darkened. “Why are they targeting Anya?”

“They wanted a free business deal.”

“So it is your fault,” he accused.

I ignored him and continued, “When they received my product, they tried to kill me and everyone around me so they wouldn’t have to pay for it. They failed, but since that explosion in Albania, I’ve started to eliminate members of the Triad one by one. The problem is that they’re like a hydra.”

Anya’s breath caught while Raphael stared at me with an unreadable expression.

“I want the people responsible for blinding Gabriel to pay for what they did.”

“They will,” I said.

Sailor frowned. “How? You just said they are like a hydra.”

“Elira has infiltrated the Triad.” Raphael’s head snapped up. “She’s inside,” I continued. “She’s working on earning their trust. We’ll take them apart from the inside with her help.”

Anya stared at me.

“You put Elira in there?”

“I didn’t put her anywhere.” My voice hardened. “She chose this. Just like I did.”

Raphael studied me, never looking away. Maybe he was looking for a sign of deceit, but he wouldn’t find any.

“So what exactly are you offering me?”

I stepped closer. “A partnership.”

He laughed without humor. “You think I’m going to join forces with you?”

“We want the same thing.”

“Do we?”

I nodded.

“We want their complete destruction. It was their explosion that left Gabriel without his sight and they almost killed Amara and Anya,” I said quietly.

“And you,” Sailor added softly.

“I don’t matter in this equation,” I continued. “With our combined resources, we can help Elira when the time is right.” I held out my hand. “Let’s go after the real enemy. I swear to you, I’m not a danger to you or your family, and I’d rather die than let anything happen to my wife.”

Raphael stared at my hand. “I wish you would stop calling my daughter your wife.”

“But she is,” I said firmly. “That annulment never went through. I made sure of it.”

He let out a frustrated breath. “You’re an annoying little shit.”

I scoffed. “I imagine no less annoying than you were when it came to winning your wife.”

Sailor chuckled. “You’re absolutely right.”

“My reina, we don’t like him,” Raphael grumbled, his gaze instantly softening when he looked at his wife. “Remember?”

My mother-in-law didn’t look at him. She didn’t even look at me. She was watching her daughter.