Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Nick
“This is what you want, no?” Jano asked as Liliana, Mia, and Jorge walked back into the house.
I watched Liliana walk away, my gaze lingering a bit too long on her round ass. I turned back to el Patrón. “I want the marriage very much. It’s weird because it isn’t like I just met Liliana. It’s more that I finally saw her for who she is. I opened my fucking eyes.”
“Your parents are onboard?”
“My mother. I haven’t told my father. I was waiting for the final word from you.”
Jano nodded. “Tu padre’s attitude is…”
Bad.
Upsetting.
Not specifically loyal.
There were many possible ways to finish that sentence. I replied, “He’s hurt. He thinks he still belongs in charge of Wanderland and the territory. He’s not ready to take orders from his son.”
“He takes orders from me and Reinaldo, Jorge Roríguez’s sons.”
I nodded. Reinaldo was Jano’s brother who oversaw Northern California.
“My decisions are not negotiable,” he said.
“I stand by your decisions, el Patrón. Liliana does as well. It’s why we came here first, instead of to my father.”
“We still can use Nicolas, if he can accept his new role.”
Asking what the alternative would be wasn’t something I planned to do.
My father raised me to respect the order of the cartel and the word of our leader.
Change was difficult—the loss of Jorge and committing to Aléjandro.
My father taught me that the alternative was death as a traitor.
Uncle Gerardo met that fate. I hoped my father wouldn’t choose the same end.
“Come to my office,” Jano said. “Em’s on his way over, and we need to discuss Cabez?n’s men. Em’s been persuasive, yet they’re still not talking. I want to know how they learned about the apartments.” He turned to me. “Will Liliana still work with the residents?”
“She cares too much about them to even suggest she stop.”
His lips curled. “The Roríguez cartel needed new thinkers. Now let’s figure out how to keep our wives safe as they do the work they enjoy.”
As we stepped into the living room, I saw Liliana and Mia sitting at the kitchen breakfast bar and walked toward them. They were discussing a menu with Viviana.
“…I don’t want anyone to do too much work,” Liliana said.
Mia saw me and sat taller. “Nick, a wedding is a special occasion. Who do you want to have present?”
My hand went to Liliana’s slender shoulder. “My bride.”
Mia exhaled. “You’re not being helpful.”
Liliana craned her neck to look up at me. “We haven’t talked about it. Do you want a big celebration?”
“I want you to be my wife. If it’s only the two of us and Father Gallo, I’m okay with that.”
Liliana nibbled her lip. “I’d like to ask Em and Izzy to stand up with us.” She reached out to Mia. “And for you and el Patrón to be present.” She sighed. “Nicolas, Maria, and Mireya should be invited.”
“We can invite Joséfina, Rei, and Jasmine,” Mia said, “but with the holidays, current cartel emergencies, and Jasmine’s pregnancy, I’m not sure they can make it down from Sacramento by tomorrow.” She looked at Liliana. “What about Sofia?”
“Same thing,” Liliana replied. “She’s in Sacramento. I’m not sure if her semester is finished.”
“Do you want to invite her?” Mia asked.
My fiancée shrugged. “I don’t know how she’ll feel.”
“Your parents?” Mia asked.
“Would you contact them?” Liliana asked. “Let them know it’s happening. The choice to attend is theirs.”
“Nick,” el Patrón called.
I leaned down and kissed Liliana’s cheek and whispered. “Don’t forget my rule. I love you.”
Her soft brown eyes sparkled as she smiled my direction. “I love you, too.”
For a moment, I simply stared at Liliana’s beauty, understated and regal.
Her delicate features and petite frame were her disguise.
Liliana wasn’t fragile or weak. She was a phoenix who had risen from the ashes, now a magnificent creature, capable of anything she set out to do.
Her thick crown of long dark hair framed her lovely face.
I imagined the scene a few days ago in her apartment when she was nearly nude, and her hair was flowing over her shoulders.
The wedding couldn’t happen soon enough.
I made my way down the hallway. Pushing Jano’s office door open, I was met by Em’s snarky smile. “Hola.”
He came my way, wrapping an arm over my head and pulling me down. “You proposed without telling me you did it.” He released me and laughed.
“I told you I wanted to ask her.” I scoffed. “I don’t recall you telling me before you proposed to Isabella.”
“Oh fuck, she’s going to be so excited. I should call her.”
“Or maybe you could let Liliana do that. She’d like to ask if the two of you will stand up with us.”
“Of course.”
El Patrón cleared his throat. “Now that the vital information is shared, maybe we can talk about more important things.” He held up his hand. “No offense, Nick. We have a budding war happening.”
“No offense.” There was always the prospect of war, war, or war recovery. It was a vicious cycle.
Em and I sat in the chairs opposite Jano’s desk.
“Rei volunteered to speak with Cabez?n’s men.” He lifted his eyebrows. “Em, you’re good, but Rei is one of the best at interrogation. I spoke with Dario Luciano…” el Patrón began.
Dario Luciano, the boss of the Kansas City Famiglia and el Patrón’s brother-in-law, was the person who first pursued an alliance between his organization and the Roríguez cartel.
Those negotiations began with Dario’s father, Vincent, and Jano’s father, Jorge.
Over the years the alliance has grown, despite the two original leaders no longer being around.
Aléjandro and Dario were determined to keep it going for the betterment of both organizations.