Page 105 of Raul

Luis nodded. “We all owe you a debt of gratitude for silencing Odette. She kept her promise not to drag Gabriel through his ordeal in the media.”

“At least for now,” Raul said before he waved a hand in dismissal of his father’s appreciation. “You know that I would do anything to spare Gabriel pain. No thanks are necessary.”

His father put his glass on the coffee table and sat back, his hands resting on the upholstered arms of his chair. “You have spared me pain as well. Every time Odette attacks someone in our family, I know that it is my fault because I am her real target. And having to face her…” Luis’s mouth twisted in a grimace of disgust and anguish. “It drives a dagger into my gut.”

He had never seen his father so naked in his emotions. Raul vaulted out of his chair to kneel beside him and lay his hand on Luis’s.

“Pater, you never have to see her again, I swear.” He couldn’t bear the pain on his father’s face. “I will handle thatbrujafrom now on. She holds no terrors for me.”

Strangely, that was true. Erica had shown him how pathetic Odette was in her quest for attention. Although he hated the clinging miasma of the prison, he no longer feared his father’s nemesis.

“Gracias, hijo mío,”Luis said, placing his other hand on top of Raul’s. “Your courage surpasses mine.”

“Never,” Raul said, squeezing his father’s hand. “I have the advantage of a different relationship with Odette. I can barely remember that I used to call hertante.”

“Incredible to think that we considered her part of our family,” Luis said.

“Psychopaths are often charming.” Raul returned to his chair. “They have to be, or people would recognize what they are.”

Luis shook his head. “I will never forgive myself.”

“Pater—”

His father lifted his hand, palm outward. “No more talk of thebrujawhen we have just had such a brilliant celebration of two people’s love.” He picked up his water again. “You promised to tell me why you left Gabriel and Quinn’s party for so long.” There was a tiny note of censure in his tone.

“I guess Mikel didn’t fill you in,” Raul said, taking a large gulp of the Scotch.

“You know that I never ask Mikel about you,” Luis said.

In this case, it might have been easier for Raul if Mikel had relayed the story.

“Since it involved the Guardia Maritima, I thought he might have felt obligated to report on that,” Raul said.

“The Guardia Maritima?” Luis’s eyebrows rose. “Now I am truly intrigued.”

Raul gave a barebones account of the night’s adventures. Although he tried to downplay the drama, his father’s expression told him that he wasn’t succeeding.

He concluded with, “The dragon is safely back in the mountains, and the eggs are being incubated at the Centro del Dragón.”

His father pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture generally reserved for importunate ministers. “You had a helicopter, a foreign dignitary’s yacht, and a Guardia Maritima cutter involved in this rescue effort, as well as dragging in Gabriel’s pilot. All while you were supposed to be attending your cousin’s wedding reception.”

“Yes, Pater.” Raul braced himself for the reprimand.

His father lowered his hand as the corners of his mouth began to twitch. He chuckled, and then he threw back his head and guffawed in a very unregal way.

Raul allowed himself to smile, and then he, too, chuckled as he realized how crazy it all sounded.

Soon, they were both laughing, although Raul knew that on his side, it was partly from relief that his father wasn’t pissed off.

“I shall call you Raul Bond from now on,” his father said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “I can’t believe your insane plan worked.” He sobered. “You’re lucky that al-Buya had the dragon and her eggs. You could have provoked an international incident.”

“I didn’t accuse him of anything until Dario and Pascal actually found the dragon,” Raul pointed out. “He thought I was showing off his yacht for my girlfriend.”

“Cabrón,”Luis muttered. “I’m tempted to prosecute him for trafficking endangered wildlife.”

“I promised him we wouldn’t,” Raul said. “That’s how I got all of us off the yacht.”

“It was a promise made under duress,” his father pointed out. “However, I will honor your word.”