“A business matter?” my dad asks incredulously as soon as Rosa is out of earshot. “At ten-thirty at night?”
I shrug. “Julian deals with people in different timezones. It’s ten in the morning somewhere.”
I can see that my dad wants to question me further, but thankfully, my mom jumps in. “Your friend is really nice,” she says, nodding toward the hallway where Rosa went. “It’s hard to believe she grew up like that.” She lowers her voice. “With criminals, I mean.”
“Yes, I know.” I wonder what my parents would think if they knew that Rosa had killed two men. “She’s wonderful.”
“Nora, honey . . .” My mom casts a furtive glance around the empty room, then leans forward, lowering her voice further. “I know we don’t have much time right now, but tell us one thing. Are you truly happy with him? Because now that you’re both on US soil, the FBI might be able to—”
“Mom, I can’t live without him. If anything happened to him, I’d want to die.” The stark truth escapes my lips before I can think of a gentler way to say it. I soften my tone. “I don’t expect you to understand, but he’s everything to me now. I truly love him.”
“And does he love you back?” my dad asks quietly. He looks older in this moment, aged by the sorrowful pity I see in his eyes. “Is someone like that even capable of loving you, honey?”
I open my mouth to reassure him, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to say the words. I want to believe that in his own way Julian does love me, but there is a tiny kernel of doubt that’s always present with me.
My dad hit the nail on the head.
Is Julian capable of love?
Truthfully, I still don’t know.
Chapter 16
Julian
The black Lincoln is already waiting when I step outside.
“I told them you were busy, but they insisted on this meeting,” Lucas says, melting out of the shadows near the house. “I figured it was best to let you know.”
I nod and walk over to the car.
The window in the back rolls down. “Let’s take a ride,” Frank says, unlocking the door. “We need to talk.”
I give him a hard look. “I don’t think so. If you want to talk, we’re going to do it right here.”
Frank studies me, likely wondering how much he can push me, and I see the exact moment he decides not to annoy me further.
“All right.” He climbs out of the car, his gray suit stretching across his round stomach. “If you don’t mind the nosy neighbors, sure.”
I scope out our surroundings with a practiced glance. Unfortunately, he’s right. There’s already a curtain twitching across the street.
We’re beginning to attract attention.
“There is a small park around the block,” I say, reaching a decision. “Why don’t we walk in that direction? You have exactly fifteen minutes.”
Frank nods, and the black Lincoln pulls away, likely to circle the block. I have no doubt there is additional security staying out of sight, just like my men. There is no way the CIA would leave one of their own with me without protection.
“All right, talk,” I say as we start in the direction of the park. I gesture for Lucas to follow at some distance. “Why are you here?”
“The better question is: why are you?” Frank’s voice is edged with frustration. “Do you know how much trouble your presence is causing us? The FBI knows you’re in their jurisdiction, and they’re going apeshit—”
“I thought you took care of that.”
“I did, but Wilson refuses to let it drop. He and Bosovsky are sniffing around, trying to dig up a cover-up. It’s a fucking mess, and your visit isn’t helping.”
“How is this my problem?”
“We don’t want you in this country, Esguerra,” Frank says as we round the corner. “You have no reason to be here.”
“No?” I quirk an eyebrow. “My wife’s parents are here.”
“Your wife?” Frank snorts. “You mean that eighteen-year-old you kidnapped?”
Nora is twenty now—or will be in a couple of days—but I don’t correct him. Her age is hardly the main issue. “That’s the one,” I say coolly. “As you know full well, since you dragged me from dinner with her parents . . . my in-laws.”
Frank gives me an incredulous stare. “Are you fucking serious? Where do you get the balls to look these people in the eye? You abducted their daughter—”
“Who is now my wife.” My tone sharpens. “My relationship with her parents is none of your fucking business, so stay out of it.”
“I will—if you stay out of this country.” Frank stops, breathing heavily from keeping up with my longer stride. “I’m not kidding about this, Esguerra. We can delete files and records, but we can’t erase people. Not in this matter.”
“You’re telling me the CIA can’t silence two nosy FBI agents?” I give him a cold look. “Because if they’re the only issue—”
“They’re not,” Frank interrupts, quickly realizing where I’m going with this. “It’s not just the FBI, Esguerra.” He reaches up to wipe the sweat off his forehead. “There are higher-ups who are nervous about your presence here. They don’t know what to expect.”
“Tell them to expect me to visit with my in-laws and leave.” For once, I’m being entirely truthful with Frank. “I’m not here to conduct business, so your higher-ups don’t need to worry.”