Fierce Monarch (Gilded Empire Book 3)

Chapter 10 – Mari

If I was a queen, Emmanuel Osorio was an emperor, which meant only the best of the best for him. Lil Sal’s was always my first choice when it came to lunches, even for business, but no way in hell was I bringing a potentially hostile entity there.

Over my dead body would I let the Wolf darken their door.

Instead, we sat high above the water in a fine dining establishment so pretentious, I was getting hives, and I owned the place. Everything was bright walls and bright metal. Sterile and boring.

I missed chipped tables and waitstaff who knew me by name. Maybe I’d convince the boys to stop off at Sal’s on the way home. I could use a pick-me-up.

Dominic and Greyson sat on either side of me in beautiful chairs that hurt my spine around a table that was covered in a tablecloth with a higher thread count than most people’s sheets. Tennessee and Moore stood against the wall behind us, playing the silent sentinels. We’d shut the whole restaurant down—hell, we’d shut down the block—because I didn’t trust anyone beyond us to know who was coming. I hadn’t even told Cameron what we were doing.

My empire was already on thin ice. Inviting a man who was practically a god into my city without letting the other leaders know?Yeah, that would go over well. The only person I’d told was one of the chefs, Justine, who was in the kitchen and would play server for our meal.

“Incoming,” Greyson muttered, eyes glued to his phone where we had a live feed of the security cameras.

“Emmanuel?” If so, he was early.

“Worse. Rafael.”

Ah.

I hadn’t seen my uncle since the news came out, but it struck me last night that a man who’d worked with Nate in the past would’ve known who he was when I introduced them. Had he kept the secret to save his own skin or to protect Nate’s?

That was if what Nate said about his history was true.

Operate as if everything was a lie, I reminded myself.

“Tesorita.” Rafael’s gaze was warm and wary, and that alone told me everything.

He knew. He knew the whole fucking time who Nate was, and he said nothing. Just like Two-Bit.

And just like with Two-Bit, I couldn’t afford to war with him about it.

Rafael fidgeted uncomfortably, likely because my glare was so hot I could melt metal. Too bad that wasn’t one of my party tricks. “You seem to keep finding yourself on my shit list, Uncle.”

He grimaced. “I can explain.”

“He can explain!” I crowed with thick sarcasm, enjoying Dominic’s brutal grin. Even Greyson looked ready to unleash his inner psychopath. “Explain then, Uncle. Tell me how you let me get involved with my enemy. Or how you helped him hide the truth so he could gather information right under our noses. Tell me how you gave me an entire file of lies. Go on. I dare you.”

“I gave you what I was permitted to give you.”

I wanted more than that. I wanted him on his knees begging for forgiveness, but I was also smart enough to know it would never happen. Just like I was smart enough to know he’d burned the fragile bridge we’d been building between us to ash.

Brushing off the ache of his betrayal—because, really, what was one more? —I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why are you here so early anyway?”

The meeting with the Wolf was almost an hour away. My paranoia refused to allow the building to stand empty, so we’d been holed up working inside since dawn, much to Dominic’s disappointment. He hated waking up early.

“Checking your security,” Rafael answered.

“Well, go on, then,” Dominic drolled with that lazy wave of his that made him look like an arrogant king. “Have a look around.”

Rafael looked at me for confirmation, but I said nothing. Finally, he made himself busy, getting close to every camera he could see—and some he shouldn’t have—and inspecting them. I could feel Tennessee’s irritation almost as heavily as I could feel Greyson’s. Neither liked their toys played with.

Finally, Rafael nodded to himself and took a seat across from us to send a text. With that done, he turned his attention back to me. “Don’t say no.”

“To what?” The sudden conversation switch was probably to throw me off, but if so, he’d have to try harder than that.

“If the Wolf offers you aid, don’t outright tell him no.” I opened my mouth to answer, but Rafael held up a hand. “Please just listen. We don’t have time to argue. Emmanuel will ask for something outrageous, and you’ll be tempted to deny him immediately. Don’t. You may not be willing to accept his terms now, but keep the option open for later.”

“Tell him I’ll think on the terms he’s offering, when he didn’t uphold his end of the bargain?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Rafael sighed. “Technically, we did uphold our end of the bargain. You asked for information on Nate Black, and you were given what we had. Had you asked for Nate Beckstrom, you would’ve gotten something different.”

The world stilled, and that red haze from yesterday crept over me.

A loophole. He’d fucked me over with a loophole,and the only thing keeping me from wringing his neck with it was his father’s presence looming over us. The Wolf would not take kindly to his heir’s death.

“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” I growled.

Rafael laughed, brittle and broken. “We’re not exactly honorable men, tesorita.”

“Funny, I thought you were.”

The barb struck home and he flinched, but it didn’t make me feel better.

I had almost no family I could trust and taking Rafael’s name off that short list hurt, but I had to do it. His priority would always be the Osorios, never me. I had to accept that.

Rafael would always be blood, but he was no longer family.

“How likely is the Wolf to offer aid anyway?” Dominic asked, balancing his chair on two legs and twirling a steak knife in one hand.

“Why are you acting like a five-year-old with sharp objects?” I asked.

He grinned, wide and a little on edge. “It’s fun.”

Which meant he wanted to mess with Emmanuel or possibly Rafael. I could’ve put a stop to it, but honestly, I didn’t care to. I wasn’t going to babysit Dominic today. If he wanted to fuck with the cartel, that was his business, as long as it didn’t blow back on me. “Whatever.”

I rolled my eyes, and he blew me a cheeky kiss. “Love you, mariposa.”

I didn’t respond, and he smiled bigger. At least Greyson cleared his throat. “Well? Is he going to help?”

There was something in how Rafael looked away that said how much faith he had that the Wolf would offer aid at all.

Namely, none.

“I don’t know.”

“You’re too scared to get on my bad side by telling me the truth,” I corrected because, frankly, we didn’t have time for this shit.

Rafael stared at me, a whole host of emotions in his eyes, before he looked away. A muscle in his jaw clenched as he nodded. “You’re right. I doubt he’ll offer aid at all.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because I don’t care about you or your father’s city.”

Dominic’s chair legs hit the floor with a loud thump as all four of us stood. The playful smile on his face was gone, replaced by the serious look of a true underboss as the door closed behind the Wolf. Suddenly, I was grateful to have Dominic and Grey at my side, stabilizing me for a meeting I never thought I’d have.

Emmanuel Osorio looked nothing like Rafael. It was almost shocking how different he looked from his son and how much he looked like me. Same eyes, same nose, same fierce gaze. Though he was obviously older—close to eighty, if I had to guess—he’d kept himself strong, even with the slight paunch that said he enjoyed the fruits of having a billion-dollar empire. But there was no way to mistake the look on his face.

This was a man who had no problem doing his own dirty work.

He swept through the room like a tidal wave and, when he was close enough, held his hand out to me. I took it immediately, giving him a proper shake. His fingers were bare except for two heavy gold rings, and when his callused palm met mine, I knew I was right.

Emmanuel Osorio was death made flesh.

“Marianna Marcosa. My long-lost granddaughter.”

“Emmanuel Osorio,” I replied. “My not-so-lost grandfather. Welcome to my city.”

“It’s certainly something.”

My smile stayed firmly in place, despite the urge to tell him to shut up. I didn’t like people putting my city down. I also didn’t like them dissecting me like a science experiment, but Emmanuel seemed keen to do that. He took in every bit of my appearance before finally looking away with the slightest tension in his jaw.

“You look like your mother.”

That was a compliment. I didn’t tell him that I wished I’d met her or that I wanted to know more about who she was before Mario got ahold of her. I just accepted the compliment with a grateful nod. “Shall we sit?”

Emmanuel skimmed his eyes over Rafael before he sat and turned his gaze to Greyson. “Is this your husband, Marianna?”

“Which one?” Dominic muttered. I stepped on his foot under the table, gratified by the hiss that slipped from his mouth. His hand clamped down on my thigh, far higher than was decent in my grandfather’s presence.

I gave him a don’t even think about it glare before turning back to the man in front of me. “Not exactly.”

Emmanuel frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Greyson and I are together, as close as married, but there’s no certificate or rings.”

Disapproval weighed heavily in the air, most of it focused on me. I knew from Amara that my mother’s family was devoutly Catholic and premarital sex was a major sin. “I see. Any plans to get married?”

I shot a look at Greyson, begging him to keep silent as he grew stiffer and stiffer next to me. We needed calm, collected Grey today. “Not currently.”

“You’re just like your father.”

Even though my father had technically married my mother, I knew what Emmanuel meant. “That’s not a compliment.”

“It wasn’t intended to be.” Emmanuel sat back, his hands crossed over his belly, rings glinting in the rare noon sun. For a long time, he just stared at me, gaze heavy like he was judging us. I had the feeling he found us lacking. “I won’t offer you aid.”

“I haven’t asked.” We hadn’t even gotten our drinks yet.

As I thought it, Justine swooped out with the beverage cart, taking it to Emmanuel first, as was customary. “Drink?”

He didn’t spare her a glance, shooing her away with his hand like a pesky gnat. I hatedwhen people were disrespectful to servers. I was about to say as much when Grey’s hand clamped down on my other thigh, mirroring Dominic’s. They’d been doing that a lot lately, following each other’s lead. I hadn’t even realized it until they’d all but shackled me to the chair with their hands.

“And yet my answer is still no.”

Irritation rolled through me, fueled by no sleep and too much caffeine. Justine, goddess that she was, set water in front of me, and I sipped it slowly. “Why not?”

“It’s not our fight. Not yet.”

Just like Two-Bit. “Am I not your granddaughter?”

“In name only. We have no alliance, and I have no reason to protect your father’s empire.”

“My empire,” I snapped.

Emmanuel’s look was so condescending, I debated parricide for the first time ever. Dominic’s hand slid up and down my thigh, while Greyson kept his as a steady, solid pressure. Something to keep me from floating up and destroying my biggest chance at getting rid of Cash.

“Maybe so, but unless those things change…unless I have a stake in it, I’m afraid we’re at an impasse.”

Warning pulsed through my veins, and I knew this was what Rafael was talking about. “What kind of stake?”

“You’ll marry one of my underbosses and give him control of your holdings.”

I didn’t even need to hear Joaquin’s offer to know it would be the same. Marry and let a man take over, Mari. It’s what should’ve happened all along.

Were all men as fucking clueless as my family? Were they all so blind?

The city was falling before I took over.

I gave it life. I rebuilt it to last for generations. I protected it.

What the fuck had they ever done?

Smiling through gritted teeth, I had to work hard to rein in my temper. “Let me get this straight. You’ll help me save my city, but in return, I have to give it up?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck no.”

Emmanuel’s brow creased at the cursing, and he stood, buttoning his suit jacket. “Then there’s nothing to discuss.”

Rafael’s eyes were boring into my skull, but did he seriously think I’d ever give up Seattle? Did he think I was worth so little?

If he did, he was wrong. I was worth everything, and so was this city. I’d show them all.

I followed Emmanuel to my feet, holding out my hand for another shake. “I understand. Thank you for coming out, Grandfather. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

“I won’t be staying at all. I hate this fucking city.”

Emmanuel turned to Rafael, dismissing me in a move so like my father it nearly stole a laugh from me. Only knowing it would make things worse kept my mouth shut. “Your vacation is over, hijo. Return home immediately.”

Rafael glanced at me, then back. “Father, please. I can’t leave her here. Bianca?—”

“Is dead, as are her progeny.”

“Still here,” I muttered. Surprisingly, Dominic and Grey both chuckled, and warmth bloomed in my chest again at the sounds. They felt like home, like family, and seeing my last connection to my mother dismiss me like I was nothing had me craving them. Not for sex, but for comfort.

“One more week,” Rafael bargained.

“No,” Emmanuel snapped. “You will leave Seattle tonight.”

“I can’t do that.”

“You can and you will.” Emmanuel clapped a hand to Rafael’s shoulder, squeezing just short of painfully. “Come home and leave the girl to burn before there’s nothing for you to come back to.”

Rafael stilled in his father’s hold, and I knew we were all wondering the same thing. Was he threatening Rafael’s position in the family or his sons? I knew next to nothing about my Osorio cousins, only that I had them, which meant I had no way to help them. If Emmanuel decided they had to die, that was it.

Rafael’s head bowed, though I was sure it was to hide the hateful glare he tossed at the table. “I’ll leave tonight.”

“Good. In case you decide there’s more you can do, here’s proof that the Marcosa line is well and truly on its way to extinction.” Emmanuel slapped a phone into his hand and gave me a final glance. “He’s tearing the city down around your ears, girl. Better let him have it before he buries you in the rubble.”

Then he turned away, giving me nothing but his back as he walked out of my life.

The whole visit was fucked, and we hadn’t even gotten to appetizers.

The four of us were silent as the Osorio guards left the building behind their boss. Only when the last was truly gone did Rafael look at the phone. I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard swearing quite like that.

“Uncle?”

Rafael said nothing, just tossed me the phone. One glance froze my pulse, only to send it racing to the point of pain right after.

“Motherfuck.” Greyson stood fast enough to topple his chair, barking orders at Moore to stay with me while he and Tennessee did some digging.

Because the phone didn’t just have pictures of my ledgers from the docks with the overages from Porter and Cash, but all of my ledgers.

And they’d been released to the public.

A text popped up with a link to the Seattle Tribune.

“Mari,” Dominic warned, but I clicked it anyway. The world was hazy around me—shock, maybe—but I knew I had to see the damage myself.

Money Laundering Scheme Revealed

The article went on to go into detail about my business ventures and how I laundered my money, but it didn’t name names. It didn’t have to.

Anyone who was anyone in the city knew whose records those were, and they knew who’d sent them in.

Greyson rounded back to me, his hand firm on my hip. Unlike yesterday, it was grounding. Settling when I thought I was going to drift into space. The calm before the storm. “I’m already on the phone with Ronnie and Donnaghal and Sons. They’ll work together to get the article removed and your name cleared by morning.”

Our lawyers were incredible—and were paid handsomely for their talent at keeping us out of prison—so I wasn’t actually concerned about that.

Dominic’s phone went off, and one look at the screen was exactly what I was afraid of. Troy Kincaid.

Our clients had already heard, which meant our business was in danger. Revealing our secrets to the public meant police attention, federal attention. It meant that I couldn’t smuggle shit until the heat died down.

Cash had fucked with my head first and my purse strings second. He’d cut me off from my allies and made me look more unstable by the day. He didn’t even need to come after me.

A few more dominoes and the city itself would turn on me.

While Dominic and Greyson focused on their problems, I walked over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows and stared out at the water below. The waves crashing to the shore.

Which one was I? The immovable force of the water or the easily removed sand?

A throat cleared at my side. Rafael.

“I’m sorry, Mari.”

It was hard to form words when my lips felt numb. “I wish I believed you.”

“I know I have things to make up for, but I promise I will. I’ll fix this.”

“You can’t. Emmanuel said no.”

“Fuck him.” I jerked my head toward Rafael, and he stared me down. “Father’s forgotten what family really is, but I haven’t. I owe you this. I owe Bianca this. So even if the Wolf doesn’t help you, I will if you’ll let me.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted his help, but I’d have to take it. I’d take whatever I could to get Cash out.

Because he’d just turned on the countdown timer, and if he didn’t die, I would.