Inferno : Ensenada Heat Book 1

by Tess Summers

  “We need to get your new identity documents, stat, so I can marry you.”

  She bit her bottom lip.

  “I know it’s silly, and it’s just a name, but do you think we could have two sets of paperwork? I want one with my real name, even if it just sits in your safe. I want it to be real, you know? The second set with my fake name can be recorded, but I want one to be with my legal name, too—even if it’s just for my records.”

  “Bella, we can have five sets, as long as you’re married to me on each one.”

  “And another thing… I think we should wait at least another six weeks to tell anyone about the baby, when the chance of miscarriage has lessened.”

  Dammit, he wanted to shout it from the rooftops, right now! But he understood her concern.

  “Okay,” he agreed. “But I have to tell John. He’s gotten me through these last three weeks; it seems only fair to share my good news with him. In confidence, of course. He won’t say a word; he’s like a vault when it comes to secrets.”

  “How did you survive when he was in Central America?” she teased

  “I fell in love with you,” he grinned.

  Kennedy felt a little jealous and realized she missed her sister more than ever. “He’s like your brother.”

  “More than my biological brother. I’d trust John with my life. I have, actually, on more than one occasion.”

  She cocked her head. “How long have you been friends?”

  “Since I saved him from getting beat up when we were twelve years old in boarding school.”

  He chuckled at the memory of his then-scrawny friend raising his fists as older boys descended on him for being a smartass. Dante had come to his rescue, and the two had been inseparable ever since. Throughout their youth, John had more than returned the ass-saving favor, and they’d remained close through college, even sharing an apartment. John had attended MIT in Boston, while Dante studied at Boston College. The American had gone into the private sector, making a nice living as an engineer in Silicon Valley, while the cartel leader’s son went to Stanford. When Dante had decided to go into the family business, there was no one else he wanted as his right-hand man. He’d carefully broached the subject with his best friend, who, after three years of being chained to a desk, didn’t need much convincing to say yes.

  Thank God, because there was no one he trusted more than John.

  Now they were starting a new chapter in their lives, one that included a wife and children—at least for Dante, although he wouldn’t be surprised to learn the American wasn’t far behind. Laila Hernandez seemed to be occupying a lot of his time. The idea of having a target on their backs took on a whole new meaning. Granted, Kennedy could hold her own, but what about their kids? What about Laila? She seemed a little more fragile than his Bella—probably the result of being a crime boss’ daughter, and being sheltered most of her life to keep her safe.

  Kennedy pressed her lips against his, bringing him back to the present.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  He brushed her bangs across her forehead.

  “What I’m going to do if we have a little girl. I’ll want her to be a badass like her mom, but I worry that I’m going to want to protect her too much for that to happen.”

  She gave a sad smile. “I worry about that, too. I wish we could just go somewhere and live a normal life—away from the cartel, the CIA, everything.”

  Unfortunately, they were going to need the cartel’s money to remain safe, so that wasn’t an option for them. Still, maybe they could make some compromises regarding the normalcy she desired. Her next words, however, made him think she wasn’t sure what she desired right now.

  “But what do I know about normal? Nothing about my life has been normal so far.”

  Kissing her cheek, he whispered, “We’ll figure it out together, Bella.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Kennedy/Bella

  She hadn’t been surprised when the two pink lines had appeared on the stick she peed on—she’d been feeling nauseous for the last few days, along with being more exhausted than she’d ever been before. The missed period was also an indicator, but that happened to her a lot when she was in the field. Kennedy had always assumed it was just a defense mechanism her body employed, but it had felt different this time. Coupled with the unprotected sex she and Dante had around the time she thought she was ovulating, she had accepted becoming a mother before she even took the test.

  It was an odd feeling. She’d spent so much time focusing on why she couldn’t have a baby, but now that those reasons were no longer a factor she realized she was actually happy with the idea. Although when she had taken the test, she’d been scared to death, considering she was in a pharmacy bathroom in Ensenada, taking a pregnancy test she’d had to steal. What little money she’d begged—spinning a sob story for cruise-ship tourists on a day trip in Ensenada—had gone toward seedy hotel rooms where no questions were asked, where she could hide out from the people who wanted her dead.

  Feelings of nervousness were also pervasive. How could they not be? She hadn’t exactly had the ideal role model when it came to motherhood. She and her little sister had managed to turn out okay though, so maybe her kid wasn’t completely doomed. Not to mention Dante seemed to have had the perfect childhood, even if it had been spent in boarding schools when he grew older.

  “I don’t want our kids to go to boarding school,” she announced as she walked in the bathroom as he was toweling off from his shower.

  Wrapping the towel around his waist, he nodded thoughtfully but chuckled when he replied, “Okay. I don’t have a problem with that. How do you feel about nannies and tutors?”

  “I’m all for both—in moderation.”

  But there was a bigger issue at stake, one she was worried they weren’t going to agree on.

  “I want the baby to be born in the US, Dante. I don’t want citizenship to ever be an issue. And I think we should raise him there. We both know the educational system is better in America.” At least he should know, considering he was schooled in the States.

  With his eyebrows raised, he smirked, “Him, huh?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. It’s better than saying it. You’re not answering the more important questions.”

  “We’ve got plenty of time to worry about this, Bella.”

  That was the equivalent of her mom saying, “We’ll see.” And just like when she was little, that answer wasn’t acceptable.

  “We really don’t. It’s not like we can just move anywhere without a lot of research and planning taking place. Where we end up is going to take a lot of preparation.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck—something he only did when he was upset. Why is he upset?

  “Kennedy, that’s number seventy-six on the list of a hundred things we need to worry about right now.”

  Maybe it was the last three weeks catching up with her, or maybe it was her pregnancy hormones—or a combination of both—but she stubbornly refused to drop it. She crossed her arms across her chest.

  “I disagree. I think this is far more important than number… whatever you said.”

  “Bella, we’ll talk about this later.”

  “I want to talk about it now.” She had been dangerously close to stomping her foot, but caught herself.

  Dante started toward his closet.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t talk about it now, I have conference call about the new dispensary permits, and then another phone meeting with the builder we’ve chosen.”

  She followed him into his closet, tears starting to well up in her eyes at his lack of consideration—which was bullshit. She had never been a crier before. Ever. If this was a preview of her next eight months, she was going to have to take a hard pass on this hormonal crap.

  “Well, we’re talking about this later tonight. I want it resolved before we go to bed.”

  He studied her through his mirror as he buttoned his shirt, not saying an
ything. When he’d pulled his jacket on, he turned around and kissed her cheek.

  “Fine. We’ll talk about this at dinner, little one. Do you feel up to sitting in on this conference call about the permits?”

  She shook her head. “I haven’t even showered yet, and I’m feeling kind of tired.”

  He smiled knowingly. “Why don’t you get some rest. We’ll have lunch with John when you get up and around. You’re welcome to come down to the study anytime if you feel up to it; if not, no worries. I just want you to take it easy. Our baby has been through a lot already.”

  That was true. If she went full-term with this kid, she could guarantee he was going to be a fighter.

  Kennedy stifled a yawn as she followed him back into the sleeping area of the suite, and he smiled lovingly at her while pulling back the bedding.

  “Go back to sleep, Bella. Take care of yourself and our baby.”

  She snuggled into bed, and he kissed her cheek again before tucking her back in.

  “I love you, little one.”

  She was suddenly too tired to even respond, and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

  ****

  Dante

  John was sitting on the couch in Dante’s office and smiled big when the Mexican walked into the room.

  “Congratulations, man. I told you she escaped from those bastards.”

  Dante shook his head in disbelief. “I still don’t know she did it. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with.” He paused, then continued, “And she’s going to be one feisty mama bear.”

  The American cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. “When, exactly, is she going to be a mama bear?”

  Looking at his watch, Dante answered, “In about eight months.” He tried to be nonchalant, but he couldn’t keep the smile from his face.

  “No fucking way.”

  “Yeah. She doesn’t want to tell anyone until she’s reached the safe point in her pregnancy.”

  “What the hell is that?”

  “Around ten or twelve weeks. She says that’s when the chance of miscarriage is reduced drastically.”

  “You mean you have to keep quiet about this for over another month?” John chuckled. “Yeah, good luck with that, man.”

  “I can do it. I promised her I would.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about me—I can keep a secret.”

  “I know you can. Speaking of secrets, wanna tell me what’s going on with Laila Hernandez?”

  “Nope,” his friend said, quickly looking away.

  “Not even a hint?”

  “Not even a hint.”

  “But I just told you…”

  “D, when I have something to tell, I will. There’s nothing to share with the class right now.”

  “Because you’re spending all your time here?”

  His friend shrugged. “That’s probably part of it. There’s a lot of factors in play at the moment.”

  As if to keep Dante from pressing, John changed the subject back to the Mexican’s favorite topic—his Bella.

  “So how are we going to keep Kennedy safe? Don’t you think it’s going to draw suspicion that a new woman has moved into your house so quickly?”

  “She wants to move back to the States and live a normal life.” He put his fingers up in air quotes when he said normal.

  “I think that’s a good idea, actually.”

  “You do?”

  John nodded. “Yeah. There’s a lot of places you can hide in plain sight, where no one would think twice if you have a little money. You can live comfortably without drawing attention to yourselves. You can’t do that here; everyone knows who you are and notices everything you do. In most American cities, as long as you keep a low profile and don’t flaunt your money, nobody’s going to know who you are or even care enough to try to find out.”

  He thought about what Kennedy had said earlier, how she wanted her kids to be raised.

  “I don’t think we could keep a low enough profile to stay off of people’s radar. We have to have security, armored cars, house staff…”

  “There’s a lot of places you can have that and still blend in, as long as you’re not obnoxious about it.”

  He wasn’t convinced. Ensenada was a safe haven for him. His family controlled the city, including the police force. Nobody messed with the Guzman cartel in Sinaloa. In American, there would be too much competition with other organized crime families—the Italians, Russians, and Chinese to name a few—not to mention the street gangs. How would he be able to keep his little family safe?

  Maybe they could compromise and come back to Mexico once the baby was born. He was confident they could stay hidden in the States, and he could keep Kennedy and the baby safe for the short-term, but for the long-term, they needed to be in Ensenada.

  But first, he needed to buy her a new identity. Maybe him too, if he was really going to America.

  “What would you think about me running things in San Diego while you took care of business here for a while?”

  His friend grinned. “I think that, for you, that can be arranged.”

  “Maybe you could even bring your cartel princess here for a visit. Impress her.”

  “Stay out of this, D,” John warned.

  Dante raised his hands defensively. “I’ll mind my own business. I just want you to be as happy as I am, and you seemed like you were when you met her.”

  The American gave a placating, fake smile but refused to offer anything more.

  Dante shrugged. “Suit yourself. Are you staying for this conference call?”

  “No, if you don’t need me anymore, I’m going to head back to San Diego.”

  “You want to take the jet?”

  “Yeah. Delta or AeroMexico really need to get a direct flight into San Diego. I could drive there faster than the damn airlines can get me there.”

  “We should look at investing in a long-range helicopter, like Ramon has. Do you think it’d be hard to put a helipad in if I’m just renting a place?”

  John shook his head and rolled his eyes.

  “Low profile, vato. What don’t you understand about low profile?”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Kennedy

  As much as she loved the estate in Ensenada, she was excited about getting back to the US. Dante only agreed to go for six months, starting in her third trimester and staying for three months after the baby was born, but she thought it was a fair compromise. It was a start, at least. She wanted to believe he’d love America so much he wouldn’t want to leave, but considering he had lived there from the time he was twelve until he turned twenty-six, she wasn’t betting on it.

  He promised they’d revisit it once the baby was closer to school age.

  John was going to stay at the estate and tend to business in Ensenada while they were gone, and Dante was going to concentrate on expanding the dispensaries. Kennedy and Dante still hadn’t figured out where they were going to live, although it would most likely be California or Arizona, since they both preferred warmer weather.

  She walked into his office, her baby bump still barely visible, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, kissing his cheek.

  “You were up early today.”

  He spun around in his brown leather chair and pulled her into his lap.

  “I took your advice and had a conference call with someone on the East Coast. You’re right, we would be a good fit for that market.”

  That made her smile, then she nervously bit her lip.

  “Today is the ten-week mark. I think it’s safe to tell people.”

  He tightened his hold on her hip while a grin lit up his gorgeous face. “Really? My father is going to be so thrilled. If you don’t mind, I’d like to invite him for dinner sometime this week so we can tell him together.”

  “Of course.”

  She was suddenly filled with sadness at not being able to share the news with her family. For all her mother’s flaws, there was never a doubt that sh
e loved Kennedy and Reagan—she would love the opportunity to be a grandmother. And Kennedy missed Reagan. Her sassy, free-spirit sister was the yin to her yang. While their resemblance was striking, the two couldn’t have been more different. But they had been close growing up, in spite of the three-year age difference. Reagan would be the perfect eccentric auntie.

  “What’s wrong, Bella?”

  “I miss my family,” she said softly with a melancholy smile.

  Dante gripped her hand and squeezed.

  “The paperwork is almost done, little one. You’ll be able to reach out to them soon.”

  “Babe, this isn’t something I can just reach out about. I’m going to have to see them in person. They think I’m dead.”

  “I know, and I’ve done everything I can on my end. We’re just waiting now. But authentic documents take time. My guy has a contact in the passport office—once we get them, they’ll be legitimate. Just be patient.”

  With a sigh and a meek smile, she replied, “I’m trying.”

  Dante softly kissed her neck.

  “Which brings us to the other thing.”

  She knew what he was referring to, but chose to tease him.

  “What other thing?”

  “Marrying me. You said you would marry me.”

  “I said that?” She cocked her head. “Are you sure? Had I been drinking?”

  “You better not have been drinking in your condition,” he growled.

  “Then I was probably post-orgasmic. I can’t be held responsible for anything I agree to when you’ve been between my legs. And since I’m not wearing a ring, your story is questionable, at best.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. She loved the sound of his deep, robust laugh, and the look on his face when he was happy. Seeing him like that filled her with joy.

  “Okay, then let me try again. I haven’t been between your legs since last night, so you can’t use that as an excuse, and…” He paused and kissed her mouth, making a show of smelling her breath. “Nope, no alcohol. That just leaves the ring…”

  Dante opened the middle drawer of his desk and pulled out a small, black velvet box, opening it to exhibit a stunning emerald-cut diamond that had to be at least three carats. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks when he held her chin firmly in place between his finger and thumb.