Page 21 of Death

“Magic touch,” I say, grinning at her. Walking to the little space they’ve set up for Thiago, I lay him down so I can change his diaper. “I’ll take him for the morning so the two of you can bathe and get some sleep.”

“You’re a godsend,” Catalina whimpers before bursting out in tears. “His colic has been really bad this week.”

They’ve only been here for ten months and are still dealing with the hell they were put through. Thiago is the product of Carmen being raped, but since he was born, mother and grandmother have loved him dearly.

Everyone sees him as a miracle that was given to Carmen as a gift for the trauma she was forced to endure.

When I’m done changing the diaper, I pick Thiago up and smile at him. “Your tummy feels all better, right?”

I let him lie face down over my forearm, and almost instantly, he falls asleep. “This position puts a little pressure on his stomach, which seems to make him feel better,” I tell the woman, while Carmen prepares a bag with diapers, bottles, and milk.

Marc takes the bag from her, and as I leave the cottage with a sleeping Thiago’s head nestled safely in the crook of my arm,I hear Catalina say, “You can bathe first, Carmen. I’m going to sleep. I can’t keep my eyes open anymore.”

The two-hour walk through the rest of the village is relaxing, but I avoid going into the clinic because I have Thiago with me.

Heading back to my villa, I check which areas on the property would be best suited for building the apartment building. I want to start with a four-story building. Maybe eight apartments. Twelve at most.

When I get back to the villa, I walk to the kitchen where Astrid, my housekeeper, is busy rolling out dough.

“Look who I have,” I say, my tone playful.

She glances in my direction, and when she lays eyes on Thiago, she quickly rinses her hands before drying them.

“Give him to me,” she orders with a laser focus on the sleeping baby.

I carefully pass him to her before walking to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

“Catalina and Carmen were dead on their feet. Will you keep an eye on them and bring Thiago here so they can get some rest every other day?”

“Of course,” Astrid coos, her eyes glued on the bundle of joy in her arms, who’s still fast asleep.

“Where do you want this?” Marc holds up the bag.

“Over there.” I point at the kitchen table, then say, “Can you ask Ramona to get a bed and a changing table for Thiago that we can keep here for when we babysit him?”

“We still have the ones we used for Enrico. You can have them.”

“Thanks.”

Marc and Romana’s boy is already five, and out of curiosity, I ask, “You’re not planning on having more kids?”

“Enrico keeps us busy enough,” he mutters before leaving the kitchen.

I glance at Thiago and wonder if I’ll ever have children of my own.

Fuck, I hope so.

Astrid brings the sleeping baby back to me. “Lunch is almost ready.”

Cradling Thiago in my arms, I walk toward the doorway, saying, “I’ll be out on the veranda.”

The villa is quiet, and when I step outside, I head straight for my lounge chair. Sitting down, I get comfortable, gently positioning Thiago over my chest, his head resting beneath my neck.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, and using my thumbprint to unlock it, I check the app I had created on the dark web. Besides dismantling the cartels, I offer protected extractions and create new identities for those willing to pay the high fee I charge. It’s a lucrative business that allows me to provide for my people.

Seeing a new request for extraction, I check the details. It’s in Ireland. A man is looking for safe passage for his family, who are being targeted by the Irish mafia.

Moving an entire family of four takes much more work than extracting a single person, which means I’ll have to postpone attacking the sex club in Bolivia.