Page 137 of Devil's Claim

The moment we’d walked into the International Gem Tower, all eyes had been on us. Thousands of people were expected in and out of the building. Whether attending or participating in the international trade show, attending the meetings, or doing nothing more than rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, the building was teeming with activity.

I certainly wouldn’t call this a romantic honeymoon, yet everything surrounding the event was encrusted in glamor and wealth, the Diamond Dealers Club going all out for the event.

The building was crawling with security guards, their weapons in plain sight. If I wasn’t mistaken, there were also plainclothes detectives milling around. They stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Are they expecting an attack?” I asked absently.

“Maybe so. We’ve scoped out the entrances. We’ll be able to track their attempt at leaving the party early,” Kruz told me.

As we stood outside the meeting room waiting for the quarterly board meeting to begin, I scanned the huge corridor in search of any sign of my father. While I had doubts he’d even recognize me, a trickle of apprehension kept my stomach in knots.

No one liked confrontation.

Even if the anger was outweighing my nerves. I knew exactly what I wanted to say if given the opportunity. Maybe I’d make one happen.

Genevieve glanced in my direction, offering her typical glamorous smile. She was perfectly calm, comfortable in all surroundings. I was certain by the end of the day my nails would be chewed to the cuticle. Just then, I noticed she received a phone call. Maybe all the hard work I’d put in would come to fruition.

“What is it?” Kruz asked.

“Just a little something I’ve been working on. Call it a lure on steroids.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’re not going to tell me what that is?”

“I don’t want to jinx it.”

“But you will tell me at some point. We’re almost ready for the beginning of the end. I don’t want any surprises,” Kruz said in a brusque voice. He wore a mischievous smile, which he’d maintained since just before the wedding.

“Stop worrying. Trust me.”

I smoothed my hands down my suit, opting for a pencil thin skirt and blazer in a bold statement. Blood red. Why the hell not? The color meant power and control.

“You’re also up to something,” I said to him. “Aren’t you? Confess your sins or be damned.”

The smile on Kruz’s face was huge. “I’m already damned, sweetheart.”

“That I can believe. What exactly did you decide to do with the information I gave you?” I asked, noticing Emiliano had headed back to the group beside Navarro. They’d been gone for a little while. Meanwhile, Jago remained with Genevieve, the other soldiers combing the floor in search of any sign Jamal Fassi was in attendance. So far, there’d been no indication he’d arrived.

“You’ll see, my lovely wife,” he offered with a wink. “We’re putting your father in his place. Along with his sidekick of course. Plus, you’ll have your… day in court. Isn’t that what important to all attorneys?” He tossed a look toward Jago and the two shared a special look, one that I’d seen before. While I wasn’t entirely thrilled Kruz hadn’t been upfront about the cartel’s plans in dealing with Skyler and my father, I was exhausted from the heightened level of anxiety.

“Very funny.”

He squeezed my arm. “This is your show, Christine. What your father has done and how he used you is disgusting. It’s up to you how you intend to use the information you collected. We’re not forcing anything on you. You’re certain you want to go through with this?”

I tilted my head, allowing my nose to twitch on purpose. “One thousand percent. I’m not only doing this for myself. I’m doing it for my son.”

He rubbed his palm down my back, daring to squeeze my behind. “My bad girl.”

“Be careful. You’ll make others jealous.”

He laughed even as he continually scanned the corridor. Hundreds of people had passed, one too many tossing looks in our direction. I hated to admit it, but my skin was crawling.

“What if Fassi doesn’t show? That will screw up everything.”

“Not everything, my sweet wife. At least you’ll have your revenge.”

I looked up at him, the rush of feelings nothing I’d believed I’d want. Yet here we were and all I could think about was how I was falling in love with him. “You want me to believe that you’ve spent thousands of dollars getting here, let alone what you’ll spend in room and board, using significant employee resources and facing God knows what kind of danger, but you won’t care if your mission isn’t accomplished?”

His eyes narrowed as he took my hand in his, pulling my palm to his lips. “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’d do anything for you and for Maverick.”

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