Chapter 18 – Mari
The night of the raid was our last night in the Celestine. Making moves against Cash was always going to be dangerous, but the added instability of my own family made it even more necessary for us to have a place to disappear to. A place that no one knew about.
We moved around here and there for a week, staying in safe houses Greyson had set up so we didn’t shine a spotlight on our new place. It was only because of luck, a shit-ton of money, and Greyson’s extraordinary multitasking skills that one of the new houses we’d bought was finished in time. I knew how stressful it’d been for him, but honestly, he was the only person I trusted with the project—and for good reason.
He’d absolutely nailed it.
The outside of our new home looked like a massive Craftsman, but the inside was a completely different story.
“There’s a gym at the far end of the first floor, an indoor and outdoor pool so we have all-weather access to the water and hot tubs to soak our muscles away.”
I could get behind a nightly hot-tub routine, and Dominic’s waggling eyebrows said he was down for completely different reasons.
Grey led us to the garage. The place was big enough for all of our cars and then some, but I knew his smile was for something else entirely. He took us to the far wall, where a massive cabinet loomed.
“Are you getting interested in car restoration? Because I’m not sure I need to see all the tools required.” I eyed the metal monstrosity like it was going to fall and crush us, even knowing Grey would never let that happen.
“I’ll leave that to Dominic.” With the handle in his palm, Grey slid his finger across the metal, revealing a hinge lever where the lock should’ve been. He pressed his thumb down, and a flash of green preceded a faint click. I watched in awe as the cabinet doors opened.
“Why do you have a fingerprint scanner in the garage cabinet?” I asked, only to get the answer when Grey stepped inside the cabinet and, after another scan of his thumb, shoved the back open. “A rabbit hole?”
He nodded. “It’s an escape route first and foremost, but there’s something else I think you’ll like more.”
Grey held out his hand, helping me down the stairs even though I was perfectly capable of doing it myself. I had a feeling he just wanted me close. When we hit the bottom, he flipped a switch, and light surrounded us, showing me a?—
Oh my God. “Is that what I think it is?” There was no hiding how excited I was.
“If you think it’s an indoor shooting range, then yes.” Grey’s grin was so pleased, I couldn’t help but smile back.
“How the fuck did you manage that?” Nate asked as he stepped farther into the basement.
“This place was built by rich preppers, so it already had the bones of what we needed.”
I didn’t remember anything in the real estate listings about preppers, but I’d been distracted and angry. They could’ve said Willy Wonka built the place, and I wouldn’t have batted an eye.
“We renovated some of their bolt-holes and created plenty of places to hide weapons caches and even disappear, if needed. I can’t tell you how many panic rooms I found before we came across the second basement, but the moment I saw it, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.”
Grey moved along the walls, showing off hidden cabinets and running his hand lovingly over the surfaces. “We reinforced the walls and soundproofed them, so we can shoot whenever we want without worrying about the cops showing up. Plus, we know we won’t shoot a pipe or something by mistake. The far wall has an extra escape hatch for emergencies, too.”
He showed it to us, though I hoped we’d never have to use it. Nate immediately agreed it was a good idea, but Dominic frowned. “Why so many ways out?”
“In case we get infiltrated,” Grey said easily. When Dominic kept staring at him, he sighed. “The fire got to me. I want to be sure Mari can get out easily.”
“Even if it means adding extra entry points to staff?”
Grey shook his head. “There’s no way into the house without being in the system, and I coded the damn thing myself. No one’s getting in or out without my say-so.”
“Okay, Big Brother. Take it down a notch,” Dominic joked. Grey ribbed him right back as we made our way back inside the house.
Even though I’d already seen it, the shock was still present. I’d lived in luxury my whole life, but that was my family’s home. My father’s design choices were everywhere. Beyond the Celestine, this was the first home that was ever truly mine—ours—and it showed.
Grey had taken the same color scheme as Gilded—the burnished gold and dark reds mixed with black and charcoal—and made the house inviting and sensual. It looked like a place the queen of the underworld would live with her devoted guards.
Staring at the sunken living room with couches I knew we’d be living on one day, I leaned up to kiss his jaw. “This is perfect, baby. Thank you.”
Grey didn’t gloat often, but he was firmly in gloating territory now. “Anything for you, reina.”
“This is definitely not a kid-friendly house,” Dominic muttered as he pulled open one of the gun vaults behind a massive painting of flowers and four ethereal figures twined together in bliss, and he surveyed the machines with a whistle.
I raised a single eyebrow in his direction, even if he wasn’t looking at me. “We aren’t a kid-friendly family.”
Anxiety snaked through my belly fast and hot as I worried if that was going to be a deal-breaker for Dominic. He knew I didn’t want kids; they all did. We’d talked about it, so why the fuck was he bringing them up?
Dominic’s head jerked up, and he winced at whatever he found on my face. In a heartbeat, he had me bundled up in his arms, face buried in my neck. When he spoke, his breath warmed my skin. “I wasn’t saying it because I want them myself, mariposa. It was just an observation.”
“So, you don’t want them?” I had to be sure. We could get through a lot, but a disagreement over whether we had kids was absolutely not one of them.
Thankfully, Dominic’s voice was firm and honest. “No. I only want you.”
“Good. Let’s keep it that way.”
“You got it.” He pressed a hot kiss to my mouth and smacked my ass before darting away from me and up the stairs. “Show me my room, Jeeves.”
Greyson rolled his eyes, but his smile was broader than it had been in a while. He liked having all of us under one roof, and he especially liked that he’d been the one to make it happen.
Nate held a hand out to me, wiggling his fingers, but I shook my head. I wanted to go up on my own, take in the sights and smells of the house in peace.
And God, did it feel peaceful.
When all this is over, this will be our home. What a good incentive to get rid of Cash.
My dawdling meant I was the last to make it upstairs, so I’d lost my men. The house was big, but not unnecessarily so. I eventually found them, only to see Dominic darting around, digging in drawers and peeking in closets, while Nate and Grey talked quietly to each other in the hallway. I followed behind, enjoying the curved edge of the house, and found four identical bedrooms leading to a massive window in the hallway. It was all beautifully done in tasteful colors so perfect for each of us that it wasn’t hard to see whose was whose.
Dominic poked his head out of the room in the middle with a grin. “I want this one.”
“That’s Mari’s.” Greyson’s voice held no room for argument, and it made me smile. I’d bet money it was the biggest, too.
Unexpectedly, Dominic nodded. “Now the orgy-sized bed makes sense.”
Wait, what?
I stepped closer to see, only for Nate to grab me around the shoulders and haul me into a hug. Other than a kiss on the head, he didn’t seem inclined to do anything now that he had me, and I wondered if he was feeling a little unmoored here. We’d bought this home without him in mind. Did he worry he’d been forgotten in the mayhem?
Grey lifted a finger and pointed to the rooms in order. “Me, Dominic, Mari, and Nate.”
“Why are you on the end?” Nate asked. “I assumed you’d want to be closest to Mari.”
“I’m the first line of defense. I figure I’ll be in her room more often than not, but if something happens, I want to be between it and her.”
“And me?”
I knew what Nate was asking, and I clung to his arm, giving him whatever strength I could.
Greyson watched him steadily. “You’re the last line of defense. If we go down, I know you’ll get her out.”
Dominic nodded, and I held my breath as I felt Nate’s heart pounding behind me. When he swallowed, it was thick enough to hear. “I don’t take this for granted.”
This.Our family. Their trust.
Grey softened, coming over to clap Nate on the shoulder. “I know.”
Dominic rolled his eyes like the giant teenager he truly felt like sometimes. “We get it. You’re happy to be home. Can we move on already?”
Nate laughed, squeezing me once before he hauled me over his shoulder so fast I lost my breath. I lost it even more when his hand slipped between my legs. “I want to see this orgy-sized bed.”
Boosting myself up, I could see how excited the other two were as they stalked behind us. Dominic crept closer, holding my chin in his hand while he laid another kiss against me.
“We’re going to make you scream our names, mariposa. It’s the only way to christen these walls.”
Twisting my fingers into his hair, I bit his bottom lip. “I can get behind that.”
It was dark by the time the doorbell rang. All my men looked as deliciously mussed as I felt, their hair in that just-fucked tangle that always appeared more artful on them than the rat’s nest I ended up with.
“Put a shirt on!” I snapped when Dominic slipped on his jeans and went off to get our dinner without even bothering to button them. All it would take was one slight adjustment and his dick would be hanging out for anyone to see.
Oh, hell no. That’s my cock.
He turned back, eyes full of mischief when I growled. “And if I don’t?”
“I’ll superglue the fucking thing on you.”
The longer he stood there, the more I realized he was going to do it anyway, and I did not want whoever was out there ogling his half-naked body.The jealousy I thought I’d kicked reared up, but it was tempered by a fuck-ton of possession. These men were mine. They each had a tattoo to prove it. I wouldn’t allow him to flaunt himself to some random bitch on my porch.
“Put on the fucking shirt before I have to gouge the poor delivery driver’s eyes out for looking at what’s mine.”
He grinned, sauntering closer to brush his lips against mine. “Am I yours, Mari?”
“That tattoo on your skin says yes. Don’t fight me on this, Dominic.”
“But it’s so much fun.” He snatched the shirt Nate threw at him out of the air and slipped it on, winking at me when he was covered. “I like it when you’re possessive, mariposa. Keep it up.”
“You won’t like it as much when I chain your ass to my side.”
“Oh, kinky.”
I tried to throw something at him, but he was too far away. Asshole definitely had a bounce to his step when he left too.
I was grumbling when the others closed ranks around me.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get some food.” Nate wrapped an arm around my shoulders, while Greyson grabbed my hand, his fingers playing over my wedding ring as we walked downstairs together. By the time we made it to the spacious kitchen, Dominic had unloaded our order.
Dominic, Grey, and I had been fine with eating whatever we had, but apparently, Nate had a tradition he wouldn’t budge on. Hence the insane number of pizza boxes on our counter.
He slapped the island beside him, and I jumped up, watching their eyes darken as Grey’s T-shirt stretched across my thighs. He sidled up to me, twisting the hem in his fingers.
“Gotta say, I like you in my clothes, reina.”
Considering it was all I was wearing, he’d better. Smiling coyly, I wrapped my hand around his neck and drew his mouth down to me. “I like being in them.”
“You just proved you’re a possessive wife, mariposa. Can we eat now? Someonemade me work hard earlier, and I’m starved.”
I brushed my lips over Greyson’s and twisted to glare at Dominic. Smart man that he was, he held out a slice of pizza as a peace offering, though we both knew I’d heard what he’d said.
“You’re lucky you’re cute and I’m in a good mood.”
“I know.” He grinned and hopped up on my other side, leaving me boxed in between my men. Exactly how I liked it.
We ate in relative peace. Smiling, laughing, poking fun at one another. It was nice. Restful, even.
How often did we get a moment to just exist with one another? Hardly ever.
Even when things with Cash were slow, we had businesses like Gilded and Wicked to run. The world didn’t stop turning just because we were in a war. Honestly, without Shara, we would’ve been fucked. She deserved two raises for everything she’d done to keep us afloat while the boys and I were occupied. Still, this was nice.
As always, the real world had a way of intruding on our peaceful existence.
I was halfway through my third slice—foursomes burned a shit-ton of calories—when Nate’s phone rang. My food stilled in midair.
“Cash?”
He shook his head. “Paez.”
Well, shit. Lunging for a napkin, I wiped off my fingers and answered the call but said nothing. He’d called me; he could start the conversation.
When he finally spoke, I got the impression that my silence amused him. “Interesting picture you sent. It certainly got my attention.”
“Good. I hoped it would provide context for the request I’m about to make.”
“What is that, little queen?”
I let the nickname go. I’d started it by calling myself Queenie. Besides, men with as much power as Victor Paez got off on making other people feel small. They needed the ego boost to feel alive, and I wasn’t concerned enough about my ego to worry about his attempts to squash it.
“Slow your supply.”
My men slid closer but didn’t try to add anything or involve themselves in the conversation. They knew I’d tell them later.
Paez paused, and I got the impression I’d surprised him, though I doubted he’d show it. “Why would I do that?”
“Because your mule is about to die.”
“I have others who could take his place in a heartbeat. There wouldn’t even be an interruption in the flow of things.”
At first, I thought he could be just as terrible as Cash, but something about the way he said it didn’t feel genuine. It felt like he was testing me.
“Maybe, but with all the attention this one’s garnering, I’m not sure it’s a great idea to start over in my city right now.”
The words were a warning and a claim. This is my territory.
There was a beat of silence, then low laughter. Oh, goodie. I loved amusing men.
“You know, I heard about the hidden Osorio. The little princess they allowed to live out of the roost. I thought about finding you more than once, but I wasn’t sure if it would end the war between your grandfather and me or make things worse.”
Whether he would’ve killed me or kept me he didn’t say, and I wondered what he’d think if he knew there was a lost prince out there, too. Would he feel the same about Two-Bit?
“There’s no love lost between Emmanuel and me,” I said. Grey’s brow ticked in annoyance, and I grinned, knowing he hated being out of the loop for even a second.
Paez grunted an agreement. “Maybe not, but I doubt he’d have let me live if I’d come for you. Family is the most important thing to Emmanuel.”
I played with the hem of my shirt absently as I spoke. “You know him better than I do, but let’s agree to disagree. Besides, we’re not talking about my grandfather.”
“No, we aren’t.” Paez sighed, and it was an oddly vulnerable sound. “I’ll admit, I’m a little leery to continue sending product, considering how much publicity your city is getting right now. It’s certainly not doing me any favors.”
“It’s only going to get worse,” I said.
“No doubt. I’ve never known someone as headstrong and psychotic as Cash.”
“Then why work with him?” It didn’t make any sense to me. The second a pusher got hooked on the product they were supposed to sell, they were useless to the person pulling the strings. If they loved the high more than they feared for their life or respected you, they were too unpredictable to live.
Cash had far surpassed that level in his addiction, so why was he still alive?
“He’s good at what he does.”
“And money talks,” I guessed.
“Exactly.”
“Will money get you to agree?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I won’t take yours when I’m not sure you have enough to afford me.”
I could never work another day in my life and still die with enough money to make my imaginary great-grandkids trust-fund babies. No way I didn’t have enough to pay off Paez. He just wanted something else. “What will you take?”
“For starters, I want the drugs you stole back.”
Easy enough. “Only if you sell them somewhere else.”
“Are you negotiating with me about my own product?”
“Yes. We both know that in our world, possession is the law. If I had the balls and ability to steal it, it’s mine.”
“True enough.” He laughed again, and I was woman enough to know it was a good laugh. Low and slow and easy on the ears. Like he knew what I was thinking, Dominic dropped a possessive hand on my thigh. Now who’s a possessive husband? “Fine, I’ll move it somewhere else.”
“Thank you,” I said. I even meant it.
“Don’t thank me yet. I want a deal.”
Yes! Sitting up straight, I shoved Dominic’s hand off and refocused. “What are the terms?”
“I will help you with your little problem if you allow me to use your city as a funnel when it’s all over.”
I stiffened. I wanted to get rid of coke; he wanted to add it. Despite how much I wanted Cash out of the picture, I knew I couldn’t agree. Not when I wasn’t sure if I was trading a cockroach for a dragon.
“With the eyes on my city, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“What if I gave you a year’s reprieve as a good-faith measure?”
It was certainly better, but not great. I didn’t want drugs anywhere near Seattle, but I wasn’t sure I could keep them out. Not when I hadn’t eradicated them in the first place. I looked at each of my men, and the loyalty that stared back at me gave me the courage to do what had to be done.
They trust you, Mari. Don’t let them down.
“It’s a good offer, but I can’t accept. Our ambitions don’t align when it comes to our positions on drugs.”
My men smiled back at me, pride evident in each of their faces, and it solidified that I’d done the right thing.
“You love your city. I respect that. My offer stands.”
Shocked, I reared back. I’d expected anger, outrage, threats, and blackmail, not acceptance. It was too good to be true, and I’d learned that meant it would probably kill me down the line. “Why?”
“Because you seem like a good ally to have.”
I didn’t even try to hide my snort. “More like, because you’re at war with my grandfather and I’m good collateral.”
“He’s at war with me.”
The distinction was so clear, I was surprised I hadn’t noticed it before. What had put them at war with each other? Was it something like the battle with my father, where Victor Paez had taken something that Emmanuel Osorio thought of as his, or did Paez have something that Emmanuel wanted?
“You know how to reach me if you change your mind. For now, I’ll slow my supply to your city. You have two weeks to sort out our little friend before it’s back to business as usual.”
It wasn’t much, but I had to hope it would be enough. “I appreciate it.”
“You should. Keep in touch, little queen. I’m curious to see where you go from here. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
The line went dead before I could answer. Good thing too, since all I could think was, God, I hope not.