Loving a Bad Boy (41 page)

“
He will be moved to
another operation where I will personally oversee his work. Perhaps
he needs re-direction. I have solved this problem, si?” he asked,
eyes crinkling.

“
Yes.” He paused, more
than ready to steer the conversation down the path leading to his
heart’s desire. “I think Ghost’s operation has someone doing to him
what we just went through. Hard to believe he’d miss a job when
he’s never done that before.”

“
Or Manuel never contacted
him. What if he made that up?” Francisco countered.

Julio rubbed his chin. “That’s a
possibility.” He looked at Francisco. “What’d Ghost say?”

“
Say?”

“
When you told him what
happened.”

“
I have not yet spoken to
him.” He met Julio’s stare. “I could not accuse him without more
information. Now I will contact him and tell him what I have
discovered.” He pointed at Julio. “Never talk to someone about
their home when you don’t know everything about yours. Seek
answers, be sure in your gut what you do. Everything has
consequences.”

Julio smothered a smile. His mentor sounded
like Gerald. Francisco would not be pleased with the comparison.
“Makes sense. But if there is a similar problem in his
organization, he might not want anyone local to know. We could
offer assistance. Do the hit. In and out, he’s clean in front of
his people.”

“
Or he might want to make
an example of what happens when one betrays him.” Francisco’s eyes
flicked in Julio’s direction. “That sends a strong message to those
being recruited, and offers security to those who have spoken the
oath. A good leader makes sure both groups are aware of the price
they pay to join.”

“
I agree.”

After a short pause, Francisco spoke. “I’ll
make contact and propose your offer of assistance. Why do you want
to get involved? I know you have a team on the island, has there
been some offense?”

Julio told him about Boots.

“
So the nurse. Is she the
reason you offer your services?”

Unsure he wanted to discuss his relationship
about Pam, Julio ignored the question. “I don’t trust him. Even if
he’s not the traitor, I’ll eventually take him out. If he is, then
that’ll make this sweeter.”

Francisco’s brow rose. “The nurse?”

Pursing his lips, his eyes locked with his
mentor’s. “I love her.” He ignored Francisco’s raised brows and
continued. “I haven’t told her about my job yet. Lucky for me,
she’s away on assignments four, five and sometimes six days at a
time. She hasn’t noticed anything odd about my life.”

“
But you will tell
her?”

“
Yes.” Now that he knew he
loved her, he itched to be completely honest with her.

“
That is why you reminded
everyone of Benito’s decree.” He wagged his finger at Julio
smiling. “That was clever. It will give you a chance to have a
family. Benito always wanted that for your mother, and now
you.”

Releasing a breath, Julio glanced at him,
accepting the compliment. “I hope it’s enough.”

“
You joined us based on a
decision to save your friends. That was a choice you made even
though you were not interested in working in the organization. But
for them, you made the deal and have never reneged. You are a man
of honor who’ll go to great lengths to keep those important to you
safe. That’s one of the reasons you’re the best choice as my
replacement.” He paused.

“
If she becomes your wife,
she will be protected by the organization and I will accept her as
my daughter. That will help. Of course your mother will add another
layer of security. She is still highly regarded. Families and
friends can be either assets or a noose around your neck, that’s
why you must choose each carefully. Your woman’s life will change
and she must agree to our rules.”

Julio was touched by Francisco’s words but
he needed to talk with Pam first. “Whoa, I haven’t talked to her
about this yet. She may not accept me.” He wanted to be on firmer
ground before talking about Pam changing anything and his mom
adding protection.

The older man tapped the table to make his
point. “Be honest with her. If she cannot understand this part of
you, then you will need to make other decisions.”

Julio’s stomach dropped. There was no way
anyone would do anything to hurt her. “Decisions?”

“
Yes. You cannot leave the
organization. Not even I can make that happen, you are too
valuable. But there may be other things that we can do.”

“
Okay,” he said, his
doubts rising to the surface.

“
Surround your family with
those loyal to you. Benito did this and lived long with his
wife.”

Obviously Francisco referred to his
grandfather’s second wife.

Julio nodded. “I’m going to Cat Island to
find her. She’s been missing for a few days. Tex said she didn’t
take clothes or her phone charger. I have to believe she is alive
and searching for clues for her mother.”

“
She seeks her
mother?”

Julio explained Pam’s quest. “The background
check reported her mother was deceased. I need to be with her when
she learns the truth.”

Francisco nodded. “I see.” He slapped his
knee and stood. “I will make the call. Go pack.”

Chapter 26

“I appreciate the information. I confess, I
have been busy and turned over a few t’ings to my assistant. I know
he wouldn’t do this so he must’a shared his responsibilities with
another. I’ll look into it.”

“If you need any assistance, let me
know.”

“I handle my own. But if I had known this
before, your men wouldn’t have been treated the way they were. A
lot of t’ings making sense now.”

Francisco wondered what Julio hadn’t told
him. “Julio Cardenas was not granted courtesy?” Although he was
pleased this was the longest conversation he’d ever had with the
elusive Ghost, he would not permit the man to mistreat his
protégé.

“I didn’t know who he was, not at first. But
I did allow him to come and go. How much longer will his men be on
the island?”

“I’m not sure. One man is recuperating from
an injury. Plus there is a nurse who is from the area, she’s
completing some type of research. Everything should be wrapped up
in another two weeks.” Francisco wasn’t sure why he mentioned the
nurse, but it seemed the right thing to say. He hoped it didn’t
bite him on the ass.

“Nurse, eh? Research? What do you know about
it?”

Bingo. Francisco smiled as things knitted
together in his mind. Julio was too close to the situation. One of
the first things done when a person wants to disappear is to make
sure they are legally dead.

“Nothing. Cardenas persists on helping her
and won’t insist she leaves before she’s ready.”

“What’s she to him?”

“His wife if he has his way.” Francisco
paused and went out on a limb. “She your relative?”

Silence greeted his question.

“Cardenas has arrived. I’ll have someone
talk to him. T’anks for the information.” He clicked off.

“Gotcha,” Francisco murmured looking at the
phone. Please at what he’d learned. Julio’s fiancé was important to
the most mysterious organized crime leader in the world. He’d bet
his Rolex that Pam had no idea who or what Ghost was. He frowned.
She didn’t know about Julio either.

For a moment he toyed with the idea of
giving Julio a warning but discarded it, confident he could handle
it. Julio had travelled alone hoping that would make it easier to
gain entry for his unsanctioned return to the island. But after the
conversation with Ghost, Francisco decided to even the odds. He
called Hog, Miguel, and Pete. Within the hour, they were on their
way to the Bahamas.

Stretching, he stood and glanced out the
window over his estate. He’d worked hard, but the mantle of
leadership never fit his shoulders just right. He’d served Benito
Cardenas, Julio’s grandfather, faithfully until he died. It was by
Benito’s request that he’d taken over the Cartel and agreed to hold
it for Julio. For many years he’d thought his friend’s request was
in vain, until Julio contacted him on behalf of somebody else. He’d
been overjoyed, and had moved quickly to snare the young man’s
allegiance to his birthright.

“Ahhh, Benito my friend, if you could see
your grandson now. He is a fine young man. Loyal, smart, and meaner
than you when crossed.” He chuckled as he remembered Julio’s wrath
against the men who’d kidnapped his friend. No one had been safe,
not even those in prison. It had been glorious and short-lived.
Today, he showed he could be just as ruthless as his grandfather,
but with different methods. Julio handled the situation with strong
determination and never lost sight of the goal.

The incestual relationship between Maria and
Manuel had surprised Francisco. The fact that she’d lost a baby
fathered by her brother saddened him. Poor Maderas, no one should
face that type of disappointment.

“I hope you saw him today, he was
magnifico.” He continued talking to his best friend. “For the first
time I have hope and faith that he will be fine when he takes over.
His heart is warming to the idea. I watched his eyes as he ferreted
out the truth and passed judgement. He never hesitated, not once.
You would be so proud. Ahhh…it was sweet.” His smile widened as he
revealed the last nugget of information to his departed boss.

“He is in love. I have never met the woman,
but she is special. I don’t think either of them knows just how
special she is. Somehow Julio’s connection with her will expand the
business, something that may upset him when he finds out.” He waved
his arms. “I do not know exactly, just my feelings. The feelings of
an old man who wants to retire,” he whispered.

****

Julio stepped off the plane onto the tarmac.
The moment his foot touched the pavement, three police officers
surrounded him.

“
Place your hands in the
air,” one of the officers ordered.

Julio complied.

They patted him down one side and up the
next. “Come.”

Surprised they hadn’t
taken his gun; he fell behind them as they escorted him to a patrol
car.
Interesting
.
One of the officers motioned for him to get in.

“
I have alternate
transportation,” he said, looking at Tex who stood beside a dark
small car on the other side of airstrip. Two more security men
stood next to a car behind Tex.

“
Get in,” the officer
repeated, holding the door open.

He accommodated the officer’s demand and
slid into the rear seat. Within seconds the car pulled out. Julio
glanced back and was pleased to see Tex and the other car
following.

Feeling somewhat better, he sat back into
the seat and watched the changing scenery. Of late, whenever he had
a free moment, his thoughts flew to Pam. Tex had not been
successful in locating her. It had been days since he’d spoken to
her.

The car jolted to a stop. Julio looked
around and was surprised the police had taken him to Tex’s cottage.
He slid out from the back seat and waited for Tex as one of the
security men opened the front door.

Tex slapped him on the back and they
embraced lightly. “Glad they brought you here; I thought I was
going to have to blow one of their tires a ways back.”

Julio smiled as they strolled to the door.
“Yeah, that threw me a curve. Don’t know what the old man did, but
I appreciate it.”

They walked to the wicker chairs in the
living area and sat. Tex’s arms hung between his legs as they
waited for the security men to leave the room and resume their
posts outside. When the last team member strode outside, Tex leaned
forward.

“
I have something for you
to see in a minute. After you told me to find Pam, I sent a couple
of the guys over to her house and had them install some small
cameras so we would know if she or someone else came
inside.”

Julio nodded. That was a good plan. Tex
picked up his laptop from the coffee table and flipped up the lid.
A few seconds later, Julio saw the inside of Pam’s family home.
Each camera displayed a room awash with color. He warmed inside,
feeling a tepid connection to her through the lens of the
cameras.

“
Two days ago,” Tex
clicked a few buttons, “this guy showed up, installing cameras as
well.”

The euphoria came to an abrupt halt as Julio
leaned forward. “Boots! I'ma kill that bastard. What’s he doing in
her house?”

“
I think he’s trying to
find Pam. By the way, we control his cameras, and have them on a
loop. We can send his picture to Francisco, see what he can find
out about this guy, and then take care of him.”