Page 93 of The Strength Of A Woman

“Do you know anything about Leilani Gallo?”

“I know enough that I don’t want you to touch her.”

“This is not about me touching her. I’m bringing her to you.”

Now I wonder if it was dark enough outside when Leilani and I shared that kiss.

The place was empty as his men must’ve been positioned to attack my place.

The fisherman’s son was far from us, and probably didn’t know what he was looking at, anyway.

I doubt Varela had tasked him with gathering information about us.

Could he have people follow us around today as we were out shopping? Sure, he could have.

But there was nothing unusual about what we did. We browsed shops, had lunch, and took a stroll.

“Do you have any idea how the Gallos have raised their granddaughter?” I ask.

“I don’t care.”

Of course he doesn’t.

“Why her?” I ask, unable to stifle my irritation.

“Why not her?”

“This is not about getting a new wife,” I toss back at him before taking a sip of hard liquor and welcoming the warmth in my throat.

“You don’t know that,” he says. “Someone young like her might get me going again. You can never underestimate these women.”

Imagining him with her creeps me out.

“I know what this is all about,” I say. “And since we’re here, talking about it, I might just reiterate what you might know from Giorgio Gallo already. I’ll trade Leilani Gallo for my freedom. I know you want Gallo’s empire. He’s too dumb to see it, or maybe he knows what you’re after and he has no choice but to say yes to you, hoping that you’ll spare his life. You’re not getting married for the sake of getting married. It’s a bold move with a huge payoff. With that being said, I won’t be the sacrificed king. You and he better settle things between yourselves and keep me out of this.”

Silence comes from him.

“Got that, Varela?”

He hangs up on me.

Good.

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.

I swipe my phone again and call Giorgio.

“Your call to him didn’t render the expected results,” I say before he has the chance to greet me. “She’s still with me, and I just talked to him. Let’s keep it civil for the next two weeks, shall we? I talked to Leilani, and she agreed to my terms. She’ll say yesto his marriage proposal. She wants a quick wedding, too. You’ll fulfill your end of the deal sooner than expected. I just need both of you to back off before I finish my job and depart. That’s it.”

A pause ensues.

“If I were you, I’d figure out a way to keep him in check before someone other than his men gets killed,” I drop in the middle of the awkward silence.

He’s still not talking, so I just hang up.

In one move, I empty my glass and rise.

I shed my suit jacket and set the glass down before I walk outside and enter the second house, stepping over dead bodies.