“Hello, my dear. It’s lovely to see you out and about. How are you feeling?”
“Much better,” I say, taking a seat next to her. The sun is warm and shining, the breeze gentle and cool. “Have you heard anything from Zane yet?”
“Not yet, my dear.”
I sigh sadly. She’s given me the same answer every day since he’s left. I know no news is supposed to be good news, but it’s seriously starting to fry my nerves. I can’t imagine this level of heightened stress is good for the babies.
“How can you stand it?” I ask, picking at my fingernails. “All this waiting. Doesn’t it ever drive you crazy? Don’t you want to get out there and do something?”
Renata chuckles. “Back in my heyday, I was a very hands-on leader. Believe me, my dear, I know how maddening it is to be this restless. But I’ve come to realize there are benefits to being hands off, too. I don’t need to micromanage every facet of the business; otherwise, I might have worked myself into an early grave.”
“I guess you’re right…”
“But speaking of leaders, your Zane is quite the shining example. I’ve been thinking about making him one of my lieutenants. The Marrones Cartel could benefit greatly from having someone like him working for us.”
My eyes widen, something cold churning in the pit of my stomach. “Oh, uh…”
“You don’t agree?” Renata asks, lifting an eyebrow.
“That’s not it. I think he’s a wonderful man, and an even better leader. I just… don’t think this life is for him. For either of us, actually.”
My grandmother tilts her head to the side just so, regarding me with a look I can’t quite pinpoint. Is it disappointment reflected in her eyes, or something else?
“What do you see in him?” Renata asks.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen the way you look at him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a girl more smitten.”
I can’t help but smile. “Zane is a good man. Honorable. He’s been there for me when others weren’t.”
“And what of his flaws?”
“I don’t understand.”
“You should always be aware of someone’s flaws, my dear. You can’t go about life looking at everything and everyone through rose-colored glasses.”
My jaw ticks. “Zane is…” I shake my head. “He doesn’t have any flaws.”
“Oh, my dear,” she says with a chuckle, “that can’t be true. It’s never a good idea to put someone on a pedestal.”
“I’m not putting him on a pedestal,” I insist. Annoyance licks at the nape of my neck. “I don’t understand why you’re saying these things. Are you trying to put a wedge between us?”
“I’m trying to look out for you. He intends to take you away, you know.”
I sit up a bit straighter. “I’m aware. We discussed it.”
Renata’s expression gradually flattens into something unreadable. “And is that truly what you want? To be away from your family?”
My skin crawls. Something about her tone makes me squirm in my seat. I’ve heard it used a million times before. When I hear the words coming out of her mouth, all I can see is my father. The way he manipulates, the way he frames questions to make me doubt myself. I can’t understand why Renata is doing this, why she’s trying to besmirch my image of Zane, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’m not having it.
I stand and take a deep breath. “Zane is by no means perfect, but nobody is. He can be incredibly stubborn sometimes, and there are moments where I feel he’s so trapped in his own head that I can’t reach him. But he is by far the best man I’ve ever met. He listens to me, he cares for me, he loves me.”
“Love is a fleeting thing.”
“Why are you saying all of this?”
“Because I want to prepare you for the real world.”