Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Bruno
“So you want me to set up a secure line to call your grandfather in Cuba? Seriously? I thought we were going to take over the world! I could have gotten my grandson to do this from school.” I want to ring his fucking neck, but he’s holding my daughter.
“We’ll use her uncle’s phone. We just need it not to be traced.” I rub my temples as Abel coos at Willow.
“Oh, Jose will think you’re in Tabeti when I’m done.” He says that all in an annoying baby voice, and I rethink choking him.
“Bruno?” I glance at Rosario and wave her off.
“I’m fine. This is just my normal Abel reaction. I’m allergic to the asshole.” She raises an eyebrow at me.
“Oh, you love me, you old fart. Anyho, should we get your dear old grandfather on the phone? I imagine he gets to bed early at his age. Drug running is a young man’s game. Not sure how he’s keeping up.” That’s it, I stand up and take my daughter from him.
“Why must you be such a prick?” He raises his hand and tilts his head like the shrug emoji.
“It’s a gift. Now let’s reach out and touch the head of the cartel.” I grind my teeth and catch Rosario hiding a giggle.
“I’ll beat your ass. Don’t encourage him.” She laughs harder.
“I like her. Not afraid of him at all.” Abel slaps my shoulder like we’re the best of friends sharing in a joke.
“I will shoot you fucker. Don’t think this baby has made me soft.” Abel looks at me sadly, as if I know nothing.
“Keep telling yourself that. I’m going to grab a burner to clone the archbishop’s phone. I should be ready in ten minutes. You grab your uncle and meet me in the livingroom.” Rosario thanks him and then closes the door with a look of amusement on her face.
“You enjoyed that?” I ask to confirm my suspicions.
“It’s not often I see you rattled, and he pushes all your buttons. You say you’ll hurt him, but I don’t believe you would. Neither does he, by the way. So I guess I’m wondering why?” She crossed her arms and leaned up against the door to watch me.
“He saved my life. I owe him, but he’ll never call in the favor. He enjoys holding it over my head way too much.” She laughs and comes to stand in front of me.
“Oh, I can see that. I’ll grab a blanket while you change her. She’s gonna wake up starving again.” She kisses the back of Willow’s head and then my lips before leaving us in the sitting room of our suite.
“How are you liking your crazy little family?” I ask as I undo her clothes to get to her diaper.
I get her cleaned up and hand her to her mother to feed before walking down the stairs to the main living room.
Lucas, Darius, and his Grace Archbishop Armando Ortego are all huddled together talking quietly while Abel sits on the couch with a smug look that screams he knows what the other men are discussing, even though he’s not involved in the conversation.
“Why are you all trying to hide anything from him?” Abel sits up like a dog when he hears the word threat.
“We aren’t hiding shit. Just coming up with a strategy if this phone call goes to shit.” Lucas keeps his arms crossed and rubs his thumb across his bottom lip in thought.
“Is there a reason why I shouldn’t ask my grandfather why I was kept from you all my whole life just to be delivered back into the fold, gift wrapped?” She glances my way to check on my reaction to the memory of her half frozen, wrapped in rope.
“Can we just get this over with, please. We have an appointment at the church soon.” She puts her hand out to Abel, who hands her the phone he’s been holding in his hands.
He stands and flips the black device in the air and then shows her both hands empty before reaching up and pulling it from her curls behind her ear.
“You’re a magiacan now? Fantastic,” I roll my eyes as he finallyhands her the phone.
“Oh, I’ve always been good with my hands.” He winks at Rosario, and I grab him by the neck and squeeze.
“Relax, Uncle Bruno. Here I’ll hold Willow.” Lucas takes the baby from Rosario as I drop my hand from Abel’s neck.
“So fucking touchy. Alright sweetheart. Keep the call short. Don’t answer any questions at all, just ask yours. I’ll be monitoring from here. If I see anything strange, I’ll cut the call.” She takes a deep breath and nods.
She dials the number and holds the phone up to her ear.
The room grows so quiet that the sound seems to echo as if the phone is on speaker. It rings and rings, then finally goes quiet.
“He didn’t answer. He always answers. This is his private line. Only I and his closest member even have the number. He told me once that the only reason he wouldn’t answer was death itself. Oh God, is he gone?” She backs up until she falls into a love seat, where she grabs her head and sobs.
“No. If Jose had died, we’d know. The world would know.” I’m certain of it.
“I’ll figure it out. I’ll find him. I swear.” Abel says from his computer, his eyes fixed on me with a look of determination I haven’t seen in years.
He might be retired, but he still knows his shit. If anyone can get his job done, it’s him.
It was a beautiful baptism.
We watch Willow with her new godparents as soft music plays in the livingroom where the family has gathered to celebrate our daughter. Rosario is sitting in my lap, half asleep, as I sip on a bourbon Lucas placed in my hand.
“She’ll never feel alone or isolated. They’ll always have her back, won’t they?” I grin behind the tumbler as she sighs happily in my arms.
“Never. She’s offically a legacy of the club.
She’ll have an entire brotherhood of bikers at her back should she need it, but honestly, she already had all the protection she needed being our daughter.
She might not be able to take over the Familigia, but no one would dare come after the great-granddaughter of Luis Miguel Battle.
It would be suicide.” She hums her agreement.
“I hope she never needs any of them.” I lift my glass.
“I’ll drink to that.” The doorbell rings as I sip the amber liquid.
“Shit, Bruno,” Lucas calls from the doorway.
“Oh, presents!” Dom says, running up to his father, who scoops him up before he can touch the white bow with a red bow.
FUCK.
I slowly move Rosario off my lap and stand to meet him at the door. I look the box over before I pick it up and bring it to Rosario. The card on the top is addressed to her and Willow. She takes a deep breath and opens the card.
I have and will always love you.
Live well.
Protect eachother.
“He’s not a man of many words, is he?” I muse as she opens the box.
Her wedding dress is lying inside with a letter for Willow and a date written underneath.
Willow Sofia Romano
August 5, 2045
“That’s her eightenth birthdate.” Rosario clutches her chest and lets out a small sob.
“We have time. He gave us the gift of knowledge. We’ll figure it out.” I soothe her, but she shakes her head.
“Safe her from what?”
I wish I knew, and I won’t rest until I find out.