Page 112 of Devil's Property

Not a single damn thing.

I exited my vehicle, immediately shoving my sunglasses in my suit jacket pocket.

The housekeeper opened the door on the second knock, ushering me inside. I didn’t need to ask where Rafael was waiting. He enjoyed his small patio garden more than anyone had believed possible.

I made my way through the house, other memories surfacing. Rafael had held lavish parties during his tenure, creating an atmosphere of wealth and control, which had been pivotal after the war had crippled him and his organization.

Now, with the alliance with the Morales Cartel firmly in place, no one would dare attempt a strike against us. Not unless they had a death warrant. Rafael had been the one who’d suggested the marriage between Jago and Genevieve. He’d also been supportive of the relationship between Kruz and his wife Christine, whose importance in the diamond industry had increased our wealth to new heights.

The man had crafted the most powerful regime in the entire world.

And I knew what he would recommend, which was exactly what Jago had suggested.

That I should marry Fallon because she was from another dynasty. Imagine the combined kingdom.

I would marry her, but not for reasons of financial gain.

What had stripped the air from my lungs was that I honestly didn’t feel as much rage toward Rafael as I’d thought I would. He’d been used like everyone else. But he’d kept a secret or perhaps a lie. Both he and Valentino Aldero had allowed amonster into their midst and once the beast had been freed, they’d been unable to return him to his cage.

Admitting his part in the demise of the two families even to his son would mean dishonor. In the world of crime syndicates, that was akin to a death sentence.

“Navarro. It’s good to see you.” Rafael had his back turned to me, tending to a hanging basket of flowers. In his hand was a watering pitcher.

“I see you’re still enjoying your hobby.”

His laugh was deep, the baritone losing little of its authority even at his age. “Every man needs one. I finally realized that. Something I hope to pass down to my son. You as well.”

Me as well. A reminder that even though he’d told me I was family, I wasn’t blood. “I enjoy time away from work.”

After finishing the task, he placed the pitcher on a table, wiped his hands on a towel, and finally turned to face me. “That’s right. You tinker with car engines.”

“From time to time.”

He headed toward a pitcher and two glasses. “Lemonade? Freshly made this morning.”

“Sure. Why not.” I stood where I was with my hands in my pockets while he prepared two glasses. He took his time and the furrow in his brow indicated he was deep in thought. I’d seen the look many times during the last twenty years.

I accepted the drink, curious where he was going to start.

“I know you have some questions about what happened with Valentino.”

“I do.”

“You’re curious if I knew something was wrong and our alliance was about to be broken.”

“Yes. While I wasn’t working for you at the time, Lucian would tell me how all knowing and ruthless you were. You never allowed anything to go unnoticed.”

He rubbed his jaw, his eyes twinkling from the compliment. “I was a cocky SOB back then. Still am. Just ask my wife. However, I tried to keep a tight hold on every aspect of the operations both internally and externally. I had a feeling something was going on long before Valentino betrayed me.”

“Which is why you convinced my brother to work on your behalf to try and determine how deep the betrayal went.”

He seemed surprised, his eyes opened wide, but only briefly. “Lucian was a damn good soldier, someone I could count on.”

“Yet you assumed he was a traitor.”

“Looks can be deceiving, son. I needed for word to get out that I believed the treachery was coming from within.”

My laugh was stilted. “Because someone within the organization could have been working with Valentino to defy the alliance.”