“I get it, so I’ll keep a check running on her. If I see anything, I’ll let you know. So far, so good, though, so unless you have anything else for me to do, I’ll switch my focus back to El Diablo.”
“I’m good. Focus on El Diablo.” That’s where all our efforts should lie. Over the last few days, I’ve spoken to my aunts and cousins to check I didn’t have any other relations I didn’t know about. The answer was no, so now I’m stuck with the theory of the ghost and his accomplice.
I’m clearly just being paranoid and petty as fuck about Lucia, and I don’t need to be.
“Alright, I’ll report back if anything pops up, and I’ll send you the files on Lucia.”
“Thanks. Speak to you later.”
We hang up, and I sit there on the edge of my bed for a few minutes just thinking.
Lucia’s clean. That means I need to break the news to Estelle. I told her yesterday that Lucia would be starting, and she looked sad to leave me but pleased at the same time. Dare I say it a little relieved. I know that wouldn’t be because she can’t wait to get away from me. It’s because she has a life, too. She has four children and twenty grandchildren I’m sure she wants to spend her time with.
I pay her well to live in this fortress I call a home, but it gets to a time in a person’s life when money can’t buy everything.
Pushing to my feet, I get up and get ready for work then head downstairs to the toy room. I’ve already missed breakfast, but I plan to get home early for dinner to spend time with Mia and welcome my sexy new house guest.
A smile lifts my lips when I walk inside the room and see Mia. Today, she’s dressed in one of her green princess dresses, and her long black hair is in pigtails with matching ribbons. She’s chasing a little pink ball I got her last week. The thing jingles as it rolls away, and she still looks like she’s in love with it.
This room has enough toys to open a store and still, I always find something more I think she’ll like.
Estelle is sitting on the chair by the window watching her with open fascination. She starts laughing when Mia notices me and instantly diverts her focus from the ball to me and rushes to me instead. The smile on her face as she runs to me as fast as her little legs can carry her is worth everything.
“Uncle, uncle, uncle,” she chortles, giggling in the most heart-melting way.
Before she gets to me, she trips and falls, but I’m there to pick her up.
I lift her and hold her to my heart, remembering the day of the massacre when I did the same thing.
The only difference between now and then is that her little arms can wrap around my neck. My feelings and emotions are the same.
“Good morning, my Baby girl,” I tell her.
“Buenos días,” she answers in Spanish, and I nod with pride. Glad she remembered.
“I never get tired of seeing the two of you together,” Estelle states, standing with her hands clasped together. She looks the way I imagine my mother would look if she were still alive.
Mother would have loved to be a grandparent.
“You okay?” I ask her as we meet in the middle of the room.
She nods, running a hand through her lily-white hair, and sighs. The corners of her dark brown eyes crinkle as she drags in a breath.
“Did everything check out with the new nanny?”
“It did. She should be here by lunch.” Maybe before. Lucia’s first stop is the doctor to get that check of hers, but I won’t tell Estelle that part.
My private activities are exactly that. She’s not stupid, though. I think the moment she sees Lucia, she’ll suspect something more to her contract. She knows me too well.
“Well, I look forward to meeting her.”
“Good. Are you still okay to stay with us for a month to train Lucia?”
“Of course. That should be fine. I will not leave until our girl here is in the best hands.” She reaches out and touches Mia’s head, making her laugh. “I’ll still be available if you need to call on me.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“I know you do, my boy.”