Page 83 of Raul

Raul would have been suspicious of the unexpected change, but this was Dario, whom he trusted one hundred percent.

“Why?” Raul asked, changing direction.

“Mikel’s orders,” Dario said with a shrug.

Raul didn’t question Mikel. The man always had his reasons.

Dario opened the passenger door, and Raul climbed into the dim interior to discover he had company. “Pater! What are you doing here?”

His father lifted an eyebrow and said, “I’m glad to see you as well.”

“You surprised me.” Raul settled on the seat across from his father, his back to the driver.

“I tried to get here before you went in, but my schedule…” His father waved his hand in frustration. “I came as soon as I could. How did the meeting go?”

Raul was torn between annoyance that his father thought he needed support and the comfort of being supported.

“Dupont will not ruin Quinn and Gabriel’s wedding.” Satisfaction eased some of the lingering strain of his encounter.

“Buen trabajo, hijo mío!You have done well.” His father’s face lit with pride. “But how did you do it? And how do you know she will keep her word?”

“We have so little to threaten her with that I decided to try a reward instead. One that can be withdrawn at a moment’s notice.”

The king frowned. “We do not reward criminals.”

“Call it a bribe, then.” Raul leaned forward, his forearms on his knees. “The goal is to silence Odette. As you’ve taught me, sometimes you have to bend a little to get what you want.”

“What bribe did you offer?” His father was suddenly all king. Raul always marveled at the transformation. His father uncrossed his legs, and his already perfect posture straightened even more. His chin lifted, and those pale blue eyes glowed with authority.

Raul matched the king’s posture and injected all the confidence he had into his voice. “I offered her my attention. I will visit her in prison—at my convenience—if she does not stir up trouble. If she does, the visits cease immediately and forever.”

“No!” Luis’s response was explosive. “You will not be dragged into Odette’s punishment!”

Raul had known his father would hate his solution, but the king’s anger still shook him.

“Pater, I told you I would handle the situation. I have done so. Successfully.” He hoped. Odette could change her mind. He just didn’t think she would. “I am confident in my solution.”

For a moment, their gazes locked, and the air vibrated with the contest of wills.

“Ay, hijo mío.”His father’s posture relaxed as he ran his hand over his face. “You don’t understand how evil the woman is. She will do everything in her power to torture you.”

“I have a pretty clear vision of Odette. After all, she pointed a gun at me not so long ago.” The tension in Raul’s shoulders eased as Luis returned to father mode. Then exhilaration coursed through him. He had declared his independence, and his father had accepted it.

“I brought that woman into our lives,” his father said, staring out the car window. “I cannot forgive myself for that.”

“Without Odette, I wouldn’t have a half sister,” Raul pointed out. “And you wouldn’t have Eve. The universe tends to balance good and evil.”

Luis looked startled. “Such philosophy.” He scanned Raul’s face. “Do you truly believe that?”

“I do. I’ve seen it happen over and over again, both in our family and in our country.” He looked down at the dragon claw circling his finger. “I have to think that way in order to make the tough decisions required by my position.”

His father reached across to squeeze Raul’s hand. “That’s a good belief to hold on to. We all have to find the foundation that we will rule from. I am pleased and impressed that you have discovered yours already.”

In that moment, Raul looked at his father as an equal, the two of them set apart and bound by their terrible and wonderful duty to guide their country, a heavy responsibility only they could truly understand.

“What is your foundational belief, Pater?” Raul asked.

“It’s very simple, but it never guides me wrong,” Luis said. “I ask myself, ‘Will this action make Caleva a better place for my son to rule?’”