“Only in the office. One under the lip of her father’s desk, and the other in the sitting area.”
“I’ll activate them now.”
“She’s adamant about not selling the property. I don’t get it. From what we know, she appears to be leaving the country—indefinitely. She’s gone to a lot of trouble to cover her tracks. Why hold onto something that’s going to be that kind of albatross?”Because she doesn’t really want to leave. Because this is her home.
“She’s inexperienced,” Cristiano says, quietly, “and probably driven more by emotion than practicality. Sounds pretty normal for someone her age.”
Maybe.
Although it wasn’t my idea, I’m not unhappy she’s leaving. If I was, she wouldn’t be going. It’s that simple.
“Who’s she planning to leave in charge of the estate while she’s away?” Cristiano asks.
“She trusts the vineyard manager to take care of business. I’m sure her father told her to lean on him.”
David is trustworthy, and she can lean on him all she wants, but he works for me now. That was settled long before Manuel died.
“Did you learn anything that would have us deviate from any aspect of our plan to deal with her?”
“No,” I reply, firmly. “We’re sticking with the original plan.”
I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from them.
With D’Sousa gone, every asshole is going to make some kind of power play to test my resolve.Let them.It’s our chance to see if the loyalty in the valley is to me, or to my uncle, or to someone else.
“We’re prepared for whatever the bastards throw at us, but it’s not going to be easy. I can’t afford distractions.”
And Daniela is one huge fucking distraction. She proved that today.
Thiago stops at the traffic light, and I glance at the car idling beside us. We’re in an armored Mercedes, and Thiago is as capable a soldier as he is a driver, but this is a precarious time. An assassination attempt in the middle of the day would be bold, even for my most brazen enemies, but stranger things have happened.
“Where are we with the apartment in the US?”
“I rerouted some emails, and connected her with our Realtor in Fall River. She sent some pictures of the apartment, and Daniela agreed to take it furnished. Our team will occupy the first and second floors of the three-decker. They’ll live on the third.”
“What about the guy who forged the travel documents?”
“Leo,” Cristiano replies. “I sent Alvarez to talk to him this morning. Apparently, he’s a little prick with a big mouth. He essentially confirmed everything we know about her travel plans. Alvarez said that he didn’t have to push to get the information.Leocouldn’t keep his mouth shut about how he set the D’Sousaprincesaup with fake passports, ID cards, and everything else she needed to set up residency in the US.”
I’ve heard enough. “Eliminate that fucker, before he talks to anyone else. Make sure you get everything you need before he takes his last breath.”
This whole thing is a clusterfuck, not to mention a huge time suck.But Daniela needs to grow up, and I need to deal with the shitstorm here. While I do, it’s better for all of us if she’s tucked away in a corner of the world where no one will find her—until I’m ready to bring her home.
“Lucas, is it going to screw things up, or can you work around it ifLeoisn’t in the picture?”
“I’ll reroute the server, and if she contacts him for anything else, I’ll provide it.”
“Good. Get rid of him. I don’t want to share the earth with that fucker for one more day.”
“I’ll make sure there’s not a trace of her at his place,” Cristiano answers, before I can say anything else about it.
“I’m getting off, so you can get back to work. We’re almost at the helipad. I have a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture in my office, and then I’ll be down.”
After I hang up, I sit back and take a swig of water, gazing at the turbulent river below. There’s a storm brewing inside me too.
14
Antonio