Page 95 of Till Death Do Us Part

“You’re not leaving me.”

My lips curled. “I’m not. When I accepted Dario’s decree, I didn’t do it with the hopes of our marriage ending. I just didn’t want it to ever start.”

Aléjandro grinned. “Maybe if you’d said something.”

“Yeah, I tried that.” I relaxed against the seat. “Many of the cartel think less of me because I’m famiglia.”

“You’re now cartel.”

“I am. But I’ll always be famiglia. I don’t want to leave you or for the cartel to fail or have Wanderland raided, but don’t you see?”

“Someone wants me back inMéxico, and one way to do it is to end our marriage.”

I nodded.

Again, Aléjandro laid his hand palm up on the table. This time, I willingly placed my hand in his. Warmth filled my circulation as he closed his fingers, encasing mine. “They won’t succeed.”

“They won’t.”

“I just need to find out who is behind this.”

The next few weeks flew by as the calendar changed and I concentrated on furnishing our home. While I’d decorated Aléjandro’s office with the idea of him working from there, Silas used the room more than my husband. Other than Rei and sometimes Emiliano and Nick, no cartel soldiers came to our home.

Viviana and I scoured the hill where Silas found the jewelry box, but no more jewelry was found. Honestly, it could be right under our noses. As new vegetation came to life our chances of ever finding my grandmother’s ring decreased.

I spoke almost daily with Giorgia and at least once or twice a week to my mom. I’d even added calling Catalina to my list of to-dos. She was feeling huge as her pregnancy progressed. She’d also given me some advice on reputable art dealers in the San Diego area. Silas and I visited a studio that offered her an internship after she graduated from college.

If there were any threats to our home or property, I wasn’t informed. The new patio furniture turned our pool area into a resort, and I enjoyed spending my free time relaxing near the water with a book in my hand. I even convinced Viviana to allow me to help with the housework to give her time to relax. Slowly, she was finding her way out to the pool.

The other day she came out wearing shorts, a tank top, and a sheepish smile. “I don’t own a bathing suit.”

“We need to get you one.”

She hesitated near a lounge chair. “I have things I should be doing.”

“Por favor?” I asked with pleading eyes.

Viviana smiled and nodded before settling on the long chair. She didn’t stay all afternoon, but I took even a short stay as a win.

Aléjandro spent his days and some nights doing whatever he did. He didn’t hide what his work involved, but he also wasn’t a big sharer. I knew a large shipment of drugs made it successfully to Kansas City, making both my husband and my brother happy.

I also knew Rei was often at his side as well as Felipe and Diego. Not since we were first married had he come home wounded. There were times when he was in a darker mood—days that didn’t go as he’d planned. I’d come to recognize those as times he needed me, and with each passing day, I wanted to be there. During those darker states, my husband earned my trust. He could be passionate without crossing the line.

I continued to worry about Liliana. Periodically, she’d come to mind. However, I had no way of contacting her, and there was nothing I could do from five hundred miles away. Truthfully, I wasn’t certain what I could do if we were in the same city.

The most surprising event was that Aléjandro followed through on his offer to teach me to drive. We’d only been out a few times—the first time was in an open parking lot—but I’d actually driven. It was much more nerve-racking than I anticipated. My fingers ached from holding so tightly to the steering wheel. The last drive originated from our garage. Thank goodness for the backup cameras. I wasn’t certain how anyone went in reverse before those existed. As far as accidents were concerned, none had occurred. Both Aléjandro and I considered that a win.

We were into the month of July when one night as Aléjandro came to bed with his dark mane freshly washed and still damp, he announced, “We bought an apartment building today.”

I laid my book down on the bedside stand. “Why?”

He sported a smug expression as he climbed under the blankets wearing only a pair of basketball shorts. “It has twenty units.”

“Where is it?” I thought I’d try with a different question.

“Mission Valley.”

“Not far from Wanderland?”