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Chapter Sixteen

Ellie

I tap on Enrique’s office door and wait for him to tell me to come in. Instead, Joaquin opens the door for me. He strikes me as the shyest in the group. I’m certain he can have the machismo every syndicate man needs, but I don’t think it comes as naturally to him as it does for others.

Enrique’s office is far larger than I expected. It tucks back behind the building in a way the front exterior didn’t hint at. He’s seated behind his desk, much like a king on his throne, except there’s now a chair beside him I doubt usually remains there.

No one’s seated in it, and a muscular giant stands beside each of the other spots. Obviously, it’s reserved for me. That screams a pretty fucking significant commitment to have me next to the jefe de jefes as though I have my own queenly throne.

La reina . That reminds me of the TV show about the Mexican narco-queen. It was a good show.

I never thought I’d have anything in my life that could make me resemble a narco more than I already did, but I guess life just had to one-up me. I walk over to the seat, and Enrique adjusts it for me. Nobody sits until I do. Chivalry isn’t dead, I guess, after all.

Enrique sticks out his hand. At least he’s not overly obvious about it, but there’s no way the others don’t notice. As our arms lie on the armrests, his hand is at the end of my chair’s, so I don’t have to stretch.

“Ellie, I’ve filled them in, and they know most of what I know.”

That one word “most” makes me want to cringe. It screams secrets, and that’s the last thing I want, but it’s the first thing that’s inevitable.

“What else do you want to know?”

I sweep my gaze around the room, keeping my tone even, hoping I don’t sound defensive. Pablo checks with Enrique first, who nods before looking at me.

“How did you create an alias that has no records at all, not even falsified ones that match your fingerprints? There’s nothing at all.”

“I am whoever I want to be whenever I want to be. Elodie McCann is one of many identities I have. You’ve probably heard of me a dozen times over. I’m Yuliya Koritrova. I’m Elizabeth O’Donoghue. I’m Samira Abbas, Katarina Kowalski, Hanifa Soloman, and Angelina Rosati. I’ve been Maggie Sinclair, Madeline Garnier. I’m Rebekah Horowitz and Sarah Goldman. I’m plenty more people I’ve either killed off or retired over the years.”

“You’re Yuliya Koritrova?” Disbelief hangs in the air when Luis says that name.

That is my most infamous identity. It’s the one that’s done the most damage. It’s the one that stole twenty million dollars out from under the Albanian kyre’s nose a few years ago when his bag of shit son terrorized a woman who’s now a bratva wife here in New York. He was so distracted he didn’t realize what he signed over to the woman with the low-cut blouse, negotiating circles around him. To make my point at the end of the meeting, I shot each of the men he had guarding him at his house. I picked off the ones in his office with us. Then I conveniently hid around the corner from the office door and took out each additional guard as they entered.

“Yes, I am one and the same.”

“And we’re not supposed to fear you’ll kill our uncle in his sleep?”

Pablo doesn’t just have dark eyes. There’s a darkness I think life has ground into him. It wouldn’t surprise me if he and Alejandro are the chief enforcers in the family. But something tells me Pablo is the one who wages the psychological warfare that takes a toll on anyone after years at it. He’s the one I should be most wary of, but he’s also the one who needs the most patience and kindness.

What was that embroidered sign I saw once?

Children need love the most when they seem to deserve it the least.

If anyone fits that description, I think it’s Pablo.

“If no one found those aliases, I was confident no one would figure out Elodie McCann since I went to even more trouble to make her a ghost than I did anybody else. If anyone makes me, then I have what I need to disappear again and start over.”

“You hide in plain sight?”

“I suppose you could say that, but I hid out of sight so much over the years, people don’t know who to look for. They wouldn’t recognize me since I do my best not to be in those circles anymore to avoid people who might recognize me. At least until now, I did. But I don’t regret admitting to you or your uncle who I am.”

“Because you assume we’ll protect you.” Jorge is the family’s accountant, so I imagine he has the strongest grudge to hold.

“All I wanted was a quiet life away from the family I belonged to. For the past year, I’ve had no contact with anybody in the Vizzinis except for my sons and periodically my ex-husband. And that was usually when he couldn’t find something. How was I supposed to know a bossy man on a run would demand I let him clean my rain gutters? And that I’d find it endearing when my overgrown puppy wags his tail so hard he shakes every time he sees your uncle? We didn’t know the truth about either of us until neither of us had the choice but to reveal it. I think we both would’ve maintained ignorance is bliss for even longer if we could’ve. But rarely does this life allow us to get all that we want, does it?”

Everyone remains quiet for a moment, then Luis speaks up. “What do you expect us to do when Tommaso’s the one who puts a hit on you?”

I can’t help my laughter. “Tommaso Vizzini would’ve killed me years ago if he could have, but he can’t. My father is loyal to him and has been since Tommaso was a capo then the underboss. He was one of the first men to pledge his fealty to Tommaso when he killed his uncle and took control of the family. But he will be the first one to exact the worst kind of punishment on Tommaso if he ever ordered my death or approved it. That’s also assuming any of his henchmen would come near me and survive. I trained half of them how to shoot, and I’m still better than them. They know they’re more likely to die. There’s a reason I’ve lived to the age I am after the jobs I’ve done. I’m damn good at what I do.”

I look at Alejandro, and he nods when the others follow my gaze. I look back at Luis.

“I doubt Tommaso would believe Enrique would forsake me like that. Tommaso knows if he confronts me, I’ll shoot him then disappear. And if it means I run for the rest of my life, so be it. He knows my bite is far worse than my bark. I’m one of the few people he knows not to push too far. And after sending me down to Rio, that’s what he did. Honestly, if I weren’t involved with your brother, Luis, Tommaso Vizzini would have lost a shit ton more than you as potential business partners.”

I look over at Enrique, and our gazes lock.

“Once I realized you were the customers waiting offshore for the product, I changed my mind about the outcome. Since Tommaso sent nobody else down there with me except bodyguards, I wasn’t worried they would know enough to stop me. It wouldn’t have been the first time a shipment that size went missing or got resold before I could get there. I’ve fucked Tommaso over enough times to feel vindicated, but this was going to be my magnum opus, if you will. That changed once I discovered Enrique was involved. I did what I had to for Tommaso, but it was mostly for Enrique.”

“Did you do it to buy his good graces?” Luis won’t let up.

“I’d hoped when he inevitably found out, he’d look at it as a gift. But I knew discovering who I really am—especially like that—was more likely to end everything than strengthen our relationship. I see it as nothing short of a miracle that Enrique didn’t walk away.”

“And that would have bothered you?”

“Luis—” Enrique’s ready to jump to my defense, but I squeeze his hand.

“Would I have entered this house knowing how easy it is for any of you—including Enrique—to kill me and make sure nobody even knew I disappeared since I’m already a ghost? It’s not like I don’t know your family’s reputation, Luis. It’s not like I believe I’m untouchable because I’m a woman. I’m a mercenary. That means those rules don’t apply to me. So yeah, your brother means an awful lot to me if I’m willing to face a firing squad after everything I’ve done. Would I really do something so illogical and irrational for your brother if I really wanted to ensure I’d live? I’ve put targets all over myself for the sake of being with him.”

“And you didn’t put more targets on my brother?”

“Well, I guess this relationship really is a two-way street, then, isn’t it?”

“But—”

“Enough, Luis. You’ve made your point.”

“Enrique, it’s fine. Let them all say what they have to say. Today and any other day. I will always tell what I can. While I may still have plenty to hide, it’s only what’ll keep me alive and keep my sons alive. For the rest, I feel no loyalty left to the Vizzinis. Sending me to Rio was Tommaso’s ultimate betrayal, so I feel no loyalty to him.”

“What about the Omertà ?”

I shift my attention to Jorge as I shrug.

“It’s probably similar to whatever you swear in your syndicate. But I’m not a Made Woman. I’m a gun for hire. I just worked solely for the Vizzinis. I didn’t swear an oath. The men in my family did, but I didn’t. I’m not bound by that.”

“Do you think telling Tommaso’s secrets will make us believe you won’t tell ours?” Jorge is even more dogmatic than his uncle.

“I believe I’ve extended an olive branch in goodwill. I believe you’re smart enough not to ask me questions I won’t answer. And I believe you’ll never tell me anything you fear me repeating. I can tell you how I feel, knowing you won’t test me. If you did, you’d stand to lose as much as I do. Are you willing to take that chance?”

“If you have reasonable things to ask Ellie, then do. Otherwise, we’re not going to go around in circles, putting her on the spot like this.”

I look over at Enrique, then down at the chair, then up at him, and cock an eyebrow.

“Enrique, I’d say there’s not a hotter spot to sit in your office right now than the one I’m in.”

I don’t whisper because that would be pointless, but I lower my voice and offer him a smile when I finish speaking. He rubs his thumb over the back of my hand.

“Fair enough. I didn’t give you much choice about that one. I’m sorry.”

The guys look at him as though he’s sprouted a second head. I’m certain they’re not accustomed to him apologizing to anybody outside their immediate family. That alone shows them I’m more important than they wanted to believe.

“It’s fine, but it’s awfully crowded on this side of your desk. Maybe you need more space the next time I’m in here.”

I try to find the delicate balance between insinuating no one will shut me out when I don’t need to be without coming across as presumptuous that they would now include me in conversations I never should be. I look at the other men in the room.

“I may be important to him, but you’re his blood. If you can’t accept me, tell me now, and I will walk away.” I feel Enrique tense and suck a deep inhale. “No, Enrique, you won’t stop me from what I’m going to say, and I don’t need your permission to do it.”

I shifted my focus long enough to pre-emptively halt his interruption, but now I focus on the others again.

“I will walk away because of how much I’m coming to care for your uncle, your brother. I will not come between him and his family. I wouldn’t, regardless of his position, but I most certainly won’t do it to el jefe . If you won’t accept me, I’ll leave. You’ll have to make peace amongst yourselves, but if having me is just going to cause problems amongst you, then I’ll step aside.”

“Ellie, that’s not their decision to make.”

I don’t turn my head toward him. I won’t argue with him. I haven’t changed my mind about that. But I will be an equal partner.

“Yes, it is, Enrique. You may be the roots of the tree, but they’re the branches. Without their support, you’re left as just a stump. Without you, they have no roots to tie them to lands you rule. You need each other to survive, and don’t tell them otherwise when I’m not around because I will know. You can pick me before anybody who isn’t in your immediate family, but you will not pick me before them because I will not knowingly endanger your life. Even if they continue to obey and follow you, the resentment will fester, whether or not any of you realize it. It will weaken their loyalty, even if it’s subconsciously. I won’t put you at risk like that. That would be worse than anything else because it would be unpredictable. If you need to talk amongst yourselves about this, I can step out.”

“How did things go with my wife and sisters?”

Is there an edge to Luis’s voice? Does he want to find out if they chewed me up and spat me out?

“I think it went well. They know what they need to know, which is more than any of you would’ve told them. We parted on good terms. If you believe nothing else I say today, know your mothers, wife, sisters are definitely far scarier than any of you can ever be. So, when they warned me, I took heed of it.”

I look over at Enrique to ask if I need to step out, but all their phones buzz at once. I know what that means.

“Do you need me to do anything? Do you have a go bag I can get for you? Do you guys need food?”

They all pause from pulling out their phones to look at me. I didn’t drop a beat when I made the offer. Enrique cups my face and gives me a quick, hard kiss before answering.

“No, chiquita , but thank you for the offer. You know what this means. I don’t know when I’ll be back. You can stay here if you want.”

I know he’d prefer that, but I’m not ready for that yet.

“I need to get Constantine. Hunt changed his plans at the last minute to stay down here and has been teleworking out of his friend’s condo in the city. But he’s got to get back to Boston. He’s already extended his time down here for my sake.”

Enrique knows I mean so we could have our sex fest this weekend.

“All right, I want Javier to go?—”

“Enrique, if all of you got this alert, you’re not going anywhere without all of them with you. If you need to assign an extra regular guard, I’m fine. But an alert that goes off for all seven of you is serious.”

“No, Ellie, I won’t argue with you over this.”

“I know. Don’t push me on this, Enrique. This is exactly what I was talking about. You will not pick me over your family. I’ll be fine. If anything, I can ask Hunt to spend one more night here, and he can stay at my house.”

I don’t intend to do that, but I can at least offer that reassurance to Enrique. He watches me for a moment as the other guys shuffle out the door. Luis closes it behind him as Enrique and I stand. He pulls me into his arms and devours me. I return the kiss in equal measure. I don’t want to let him go, even though I have no choice. I remember going through this with Tim over the years.

In the beginning, I feared for him. By the end, there were times I prayed he wouldn’t come home. But for Enrique, I’ll do more than he can imagine to ensure he does.

“You have a habit of making me hard at the most inopportune times. Your feistiness is arousing as hell. Then a kiss like that. Nobody in my family will doubt how attracted I am to you.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not exactly thrilled you have to walk away while I’m all hot and bothered, too. So, misery loves company, Daddy.”

I head into the living room with him and join everybody else. Luis is kissing Margherita. Alejandro is hugging his mom while Jorge, Joaquin, and Javier hug theirs. Then Margherita’s wrapping her arms around Pablo, making a sandwich of him when Luis hugs them around Pablo’s back. It’s a touching family moment, especially when I watch the five adults embrace.

Well, I suppose the younger generation are adults, too. But I see them the same way I do my own kids. They’re adults, except for when they’re around their parents.

Enrique comes back to my side as he makes a call. It must only ring once, but his rapid Spanish is way too fast for me to follow. I catch Carlos’s and Andrés’s names, then three others. When he hangs up, he pulls me into his arms again, and I rest my head against his chest. I knew the significance when he left my house in the middle of the night. I know this time, too. My heart aches, fearing this could be the last time I see him. Not just alive but see him at all. If something happens, it’s unlikely whoever this is will return his body.

I wrap my arms around him, wishing I could hold him forever. But it’s only a few seconds before we pull apart. This kiss is so tender my eyes sting with tears. I refuse to shed any in front of anyone. I’ll save them for when I’m alone with Constantine.

“I have three men coming. Two are our cousins. Luis and I have gone on countless missions with all three, so, I trust your safety with them. They’ve guarded my sisters before.”

I love how he includes Margherita in that. She’s not set off to the side as an in-law. She’s as much one of them as Catalina and Luciana.

“You can stay here until the town car comes for you. My sisters know all three of them. Don’t go with anyone unless they tell you it’s safe.”

“All right, I understand. Don’t worry about me, Enrique. I’ll be fine. I’ll go home and watch some crappy reality TV. I’ll also get some writing done. I’m falling behind on my deadline because this gorgeous man who insists upon ravishing me keeps pulling me away from the computer.”

“Gorgeous, am I?”

“Absolutely. You know it, Daddy.”

I whisper the last word, ensuring nobody can hear me except Enrique. A moment later, all the men are gone, and I’m left looking at three women who still don’t know what to make of me, and I don’t know what to make of them. Luciana walks up to me and shocks me when she offers me a loose embrace.

“You care for my brother more than I think even you realize.”

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s the way you stand together. It was that kiss. You two look like you’ve been together for years, not weeks. There’s intimacy between you new couples don’t have even during the early days when everything seems perfect. Your intimacy is the kind that usually takes time to develop unless you’re with your soulmate.”

I know what I see when I look into Luciana’s eyes. She’s lost her soulmate because the pain is clearly soul deep. I remember from what Enrique told me that she’s been in America several years, but she probably wouldn’t have come if she weren’t a widow. All I do is nod and offer her a tight smile, hoping she realizes I understand, and I won’t press for a more personal explanation. She gives my upper arms a quick squeeze.

“One day I will tell you that story, but not tonight.”

That’s about as much of an official welcome to the family as I’m likely to get. She’s agreeing to tell me such a personal story, and she’s telling me it’ll be at a later date that she plans. She believes I’ll be sticking around.

It’s only a few minutes later when there’s a knock on the front door. A guard materializes who I didn’t realize was around. He checks the spyhole before opening the door. There’s security at the gate at the end of Enrique’s driveway and men patrolling the grounds in black utilities with bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and rifles. Even with all of those protections in place the guy still double checks before letting anyone into the jefe’s house.

Three men file in, and one of them goes to Catalina. I don’t hear what they say, even though they look at me while they speak. Their kiss is quick and affectionate.

“Elodie, this is my husband, Matías. He is your head guard tonight. If you need anything at all, tell him whatever it might be. Nothing’s too big or too small for our sister.”

Oh, holy shit.

I did not expect to be called that so soon. Maybe I’ll not only survive to tell the tale, but I might actually be welcome in this family after all. If the women accept me, then so will the men. When Catalina winks, I know she understands my thoughts.

Matías introduces me to the two other men, Pedro and Diego. It’s not long before I’m climbing into a town car with Diego driving and Matías in the front passenger seat. Pedro is in a car that will follow us first to Hunt, then to my place. I’ve just sat back and buckled my seatbelt when my son calls.

“Hey, honey bear. I’m just on my way over to come get Constantine.”

“Hi, Mom. I was calling you because I’m on my way to your place to drop him off. I have to go home. Cindy slipped and dislocated her shoulder in the shower. I’ve got to get back to her.”

He’s been dating this girl for three years. They need to shit or get off the pot. Not necessarily marriage, but at least admit they want to spend their lives together. When I think about them and how frustrated I’ve been with them and how ridiculous I’ve thought their relationship status has been, I realize the apple didn’t fall far from the tree since that’s all I was initially willing to agree to with Enrique.

“All right, I’ll meet you at the house if you’re still there. How close are you?”

“I’m about ten minutes out.”

“I should get there just before you. I’ll make sure the guards know. Let me let you go, so I can tell them before we head in the wrong direction. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

I hang up and lower the privacy glass.

“That was my youngest son. He’s headed to my place to drop my dog off. His girlfriend hurt herself, so he’s headed back up to Boston. We don’t need to go into the city after all. Sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize, senora McCann. We go where you tell us to go.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

I don’t raise the privacy glass before I sit back. I have second thoughts about it and feel like an idiot leaning forward again, but I realize they may want to discuss things I can’t hear, so I put the glass back up.

When I close my eyes, it feels like it’s only been a few seconds before the car shifts into park. I open them to find us in my driveway. Matías opens the door for me, and I head toward the garage, ready to enter the code. I look over my shoulder, and Matías steps next to me.

“Do you prefer me to go in through the garage or the front door?”

“The garage. You can wait in there while we sweep the house and be sure it’s clear in there without leaving you exposed.”

“Thank you.”

That’s what I expected to hear, but I question why I had to wait for him to walk over to me. He should have led the way. If I didn’t want to come in this way, I would’ve corrected him. But as my guard, I shouldn’t approach any doorway without someone ahead of me.

I cannot imagine no one trained them to do that. I’m immediately suspicious, though I tell myself to trust Enrique knows who to assign to me. However, it also makes me wonder if what Catalina said was a lie and that she put her husband up to this when they whispered together. I punch in the code, then I stand by my driver’s side door. My keys are already in my pocket in case I need to lock myself in or leave. Matías doesn’t enter my house until the garage door closes. Pedro went ahead of him, and Diego is by the garage door.

When Matías comes out and nods, I head into the house. I wait in the mud room, watching from there as the three men leave through my front door. I lock the garage door behind me out of habit and as a precaution now that I’m on edge. I hurry to lock the front door. I head into the living room and peer around a curtain as Hunt pulls into the driveway.