Chapter Nineteen

Isee the light outside and I still haven't managed to sleep, which seems to be becoming a pattern in my life, but with Grazia being distraught and then Luca calling the deal off, my mind is racing too fast for me to rest.

I need to get outside and move, to help clear up my thoughts for what's next. I'm glad I left my running gear in my car, because right now is when I need it.

I slide out of bed, careful not to disrupt Grazia who is still sleeping soundly next to me.

The last thing I want is for her to wake up too soon. It won't be good for her.

It took hours of her crying before she was able to fall asleep, and I have a feeling that she's going to battle her emotions again if she wakes up.

We didn't talk too much, but I can tell her heart is broken, which is understandable.

I never saw the Baldinis as people who could leave their family members behind without any protection.

Luca is lucky that he's not a member of my family, because even if they did think Grazia was working with me, leaving her in Mexico would have cost him his life.

Putting on my running shoes, I start a slow jog away from the beach house, picking up speed as I go.

The property runs along a road looking over the sea, and it's a great place to run. I don't do this nearly enough anymore.

The horizon begins to blush with hues of pink and orange, signaling the arrival of a new day.

The seagulls above me catch the early light, their cries blending with the whisper of the breeze.

As I run, the tranquility of the morning starts to seep into my bones, and the weight on my shoulders begins to lift.

With each step, I feel a renewed sense of energy.

The cool breeze carries the scent of the ocean, and for a moment, I let myself be immersed in the simplicity of the scene.

The morning sun, rising slowly from the water, paints the sky in warm pastels.

While my feet hit the pavement, I go over everything that happened last night and what the next steps are from here.

I don't plan on giving up, and I'm glad that I didn't have the Baldinis meet us at the beach house, because now I can still use this location privately.

The other problem is Grazia. Her brothers were supposed to take her home, but she's still here.

I know she was hurt by Luca's words, but I don't know how she feels about being stuck in Mexico. With me.

Grazia"s face flashes in my mind—the vulnerability in her eyes as tears streaked down her cheeks.

The weight of her sadness gnaws at me, a constant ache that even the calming beauty of the morning can"t dispel.

I replay the events in my mind, the unraveling of the deal, Luca"s incompetence, and Grazia caught in the crossfire.

She didn"t sign up for this life, for the chaos that surrounds me.

As I run, I grapple with the realization that she"s become an unwitting casualty in a war she never chose.

The sound of her soft sobs echoes in my ears, and for a moment, the crashing waves seem to mimic the turmoil within me.

I never intended for her to be dragged into the darker corners of my world, yet here we are, entangled in a web of complications.

As the sun climbs higher, I find myself questioning the choices that led me here. The allure of power, the intricacies of deals and alliances—they all pale in comparison to the raw emotion reflected in Grazia"s tear-stained eyes.

I run faster, as if trying to outrun the guilt that nips at my heels.

Luca"s screw-up sets my blood boiling. The deal was meant to be smooth, a strategic move to lock in my control.

Instead, it"s a train wreck. I"m pissed, beyond frustrated that things went south.

I'm back at square one, Grazia"s presence lingering like an unwelcome guest.

I"ve got to rethink my plan, figure out how to get what I want without dragging Grazia into the mess any further. She"s become an unexpected complication in this game, and I can"t afford any more slip-ups.

I run scenarios in my head, trying to find the weak spots in the Baldinis" setup. My contacts are waiting for my next move, but I can"t let them see the inner turmoil Grazia"s stirred up.

The question nags at me—can I salvage my plans without messing things up for her and without getting her hurt in the process?

The desire to keep Grazia safe clashes with my ambitions. I weigh my options, wondering if there"s a way to get what I want without putting her in harm"s way.

It"s a tricky balance, like walking a tightrope between my goals and this unexpected connection.

The urgency builds, and I feel like I'm at a crossroads.

How do I reshape the narrative and come out on top without sacrificing Grazia?

The answer isn"t clear, but a flicker of resolve sparks within me. I won"t let her become collateral damage in my pursuit of power.

Somehow, I"ve got to navigate this mess without jeopardizing the woman who"s unexpectedly become my anchor in the chaos.

On the way back to the beach house I go over everything that I know about Luca and Enzo Baldini. Then all of the little details I had to memorize about Carlos' product and the routes expected to sell well.

And finally, I think about all of the connections I've made. I have more than enough resources to get a good deal on this myself.

It would have been easier if I had managed to get the routes from Luca, but he is not the only one with power in these streets.

My goal is to block Carlos and the Baldinis from monopolizing the market, which many people will be eager to help with.

So maybe I don't need the Baldinis to give me any of their trade routes. Maybe I just need to secure my own routes that surround the Baldinis.

I'm in the middle of this thought when my phone rings in my pants pocket.

The vibration causes me to come to a stop, and as I take my phone out, I can see it's my cousin calling.

He hasn't spoken to me since he called me names for taking Grazia, so I wonder if this is a family emergency, a business call, or just a chance to swear at me again.

I answer it, hearing Carlos' voice on the other end of the call. There's lots of noise on the other end of the line, so he must be home with his kids.

This can't be too harsh of a call then, because for that, he would hide away in an office where little ears couldn't hear him.

Carlos can be an asshole, but he's careful about his kids and how much they are exposed to these things.

"Marco," Carlos says in his usual sing-song voice. "Cousin, I've just heard that your deal did not go as you planned it."

He's trying to sound concerned, but I guarantee he's enjoying the thought of my failure.

"There was a misunderstanding," I tell him, not wanting to dive into the details with him now. My head hurts enough just thinking about it.

Having to say it all out loud to my cousin and have him ridicule me for it is more than I can take today.

"Yes, yes, these things happen. You're not the first person to touch the toys before Santa has wrapped them… but I have always told you not to play with the ransom, have I not?"

He chuckles. So, he already knows why things didn't work out.

He's just calling to rub it in.

"Do you need something, Carlos?" I ask him, not wanting to drag this conversation out any longer than necessary.

"I don't need anything. But I wanted to extend an offer to you, cousin. I am still angry about what you did. Taking the girl could have gotten a lot of my people hurt or killed, and you acted selfishly. But I have forgiven you because we are family."

I've heard him give this speech so many times before. It just means that he has a job and doesn't have anyone else he's willing to risk.

"I want to offer you your place back on the team. We will act like you went on holiday, hey? You can come back, take your rightful place, and see how this Baldini deal is actually at its best just as it is."

"The Baldinis won't want to do business if they know I'm back with you."

"They have been notified that you might come back. They are not my bosses, so they have no say. But I appreciate your concern."

His sarcasm is heavy, and he's clearly annoyed with what I have insinuated.

"Okay, but Carlos I don't think I'm ready to come back. I feel like it's my time to go out on my own."

My feet are itchy to keep running, so I try to hurry him off the phone. I know that having my cousin back on my better side could help me in the long run, but there is no way I will go back to the way things were.

"All right, Marco. Just be careful and don't let this girl be your downfall."

I put the phone down and laugh, slipping it back into my pocket before falling into an easy jog again.

The call with Carlos should have pissed me off, but instead, I find it funny today. He wants me to go back to working on his jobs, thinking he knows more about this family than I do, and believing that I am not in control when it comes to Grazia.

It's all good. The more he underestimates me, the more I can shock the fuck out of him when I meet my goals.

Now my mind is racing even faster. Carlos' words are fueling my brainstorming. I go over exactly what it would take, and how long the job might take.

I can still get up and running in time to steal away a large portion of Luca's clientele. And Carlos will lose out as well.

I run a bit further, not wanting to stop while I'm in a productive thought pattern. Grazia is at the back of my mind, but I think that as long as I keep her away from any of the action, she shouldn't be a danger to herself or to the plan.

She might not like being locked away in the beach house, in fact I know that she hates it, but for now, it's the safest place for her to be.