The line started moving faster. Before I was ready to face him, I made my way to see the detective. He'd taken a corner table. Erin sat with me. I noticed Jake moving to the closest book display.
Santos didn't miss him. "I see you've got protection now."
"My boyfriend worries." It felt weird to call Yuri my boyfriend but I wasn't sure how else to describe our relationship.
"He should." Santos sipped his coffee. "I heard about your cousin."
My heart skipped a beat. Did he know everything? How much of my family's situation was already public knowledge on the streets? "Oh?"
He nodded. "I heard he fenced a stolen painting. A painting that belonged to a certain Mexican gentleman who isn't known for leniency or mercy."
"Well," I said cautiously, "Tommy isn't the smartest of criminals."
Santos snorted derisively. "That's for damn sure."
"So is that all you needed? To warn me that my cousin had blundered into another mess?"
He ran his finger around the lid of his cup. "I went by your dad's warehouse to check on him but he wasn't there."
I swallowed nervously. "He's on a business trip."
Santos studied me intently. "A business trip, huh?"
"Yes."
"Okay." He glanced at Jake again. "You keep that shadow of yours tight. These people? They will make the Hermanos and the Albanians look like choirboys." Coffee in hand, he rose from his chair. "You let Nikolai know that I'm keeping a close eye on Vivian until whatever this is gets cleared up. I can see that you've got the best protection money can buy so I'll focus on keeping my cousin safe."
"I'm sure Vivian will appreciate it." She wouldn't but Santos wouldn't care. Like Nikolai, he could be overbearing and paranoid when it came to protecting her.
With a nod, Santos left our table and disappeared into the crowd.
Erin touched my arm. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. I think he probably knows everything."
"So do I. You'll have to tell Yuri."
"I hope this doesn't cause problems for my dad."
"I don’t see how it will. Eric Santos has no jurisdiction in Mexico and that's where your dad is now. He can't get involved in anything down there or mess up the negotiations and the deals that are in place. Even if he could, he wouldn't."
"How can you be sure?" I so wanted to believe her.
She glanced at the wall of windows overlooking the parking lot. "When my sister was in trouble, he gave Ivan a clear signal that he'd hang back and let him find a way to keep her safe in prison and me safe on the outside. I'm sure they would have executed a search warrant on our house that night but Santos let Ivan get there first so he could make a deal with the Hermanos and Albanians to save my life."
"Let's just hope he shows me the same consideration…"
* * *
Yuri fished his ringing phone out of his pocket. One glance at his phone's screen and he knew this wasn't going to be a call he enjoyed. Glad for the privacy of the backseat of his car, he answered. "Dimitri."
"What the hell do you think you're doing keeping something like this from me?"
"Why, yes, Dimitri, I am having a nice afternoon—and you?"
"I don't think this is funny."
Yuri pinched the bridge of his nose. "I assure you the situation isn't funny on my end either."
"You should have called me immediately. I should have been told that you were facing off with a damn cartel!"
He wasn't sure how Dimitri had found out but it didn't much matter now.
"I didn't want to put you or Benny at risk. It's the same reason I didn't call Ivan last night. Vivian is already involved by her association with her father and Lena so calling Nikolai seemed the best possible move. He has the connections I need, and he'll want to keep a close eye on Vivian, especially with her father getting out of the pen any day."
Dimitri sighed loudly. "Listen, you need to let me set you up with another bodyguard or two. I don't like the idea of you and Lena having only one guard watching your movements. It's exhausting for the guards and it puts you at a higher risk."
Yuri conceded that Dimitri knew his business well. "Fine—but I want one of us watching her."
"A Russian?"
"I need someone I can trust not to be in the Mexican's pocket."
"The only one I have on my roster is safely tucked into Nikolai's pocket."
"That's fine. I'll take him. He'll be more afraid of him than of any cartel drug lord. Who else do you have available to watch her?"
"What about Kelly?"
"The bouncer at my club?"
"He's a highly decorated Marine and a solid guy. His father is sick and he needs the money. I trust him."
"Okay. I'll take Kelly."
"I'll send them to her apartment to keep an eye on her."
"Send them to my house. She's staying with me."
Dimitri seemed to perk up at that tidbit. "Oh?"
"Yes."
"It's about damn time you made your move with her. I worried that someone else was going to sneak in and take her from you before you'd worked up the courage to even ask her out on a date."
Dimitri's worries mirrored his own. Feeling comfortable discussing his relationship with his friend, he admitted, "I royally fucked it up the other day. I very nearly lost her but she gave me a second chance. I'm not messing this one up."
"Make sure that you don't. If you hurt her, Ivan, Nikolai and I will never hear the end of it from Erin, Vivian and Benny."
Yuri laughed. "No doubt."
"Are you sure that bodyguards are all you need? I'd be happy to come by and watch her personally."
"No." Yuri firmly declined the offer. "You need to take care of Benny. I won't have you putting yourself at risk, not now when everything is coming together for you." Before Dimitri could argue with him, he added, "I've handled the docking arrangements for the big yacht. Everything is squared away on my end for your wedding."
"Benny will be relieved to hear that. And Johnny?"
"He's already transferred to that yacht's crew. There shouldn't be any problem bringing him in for the wedding."
"Good. That will make her so happy."
"I'm sure it will." His car pulled up to the curb outside the renovated warehouse where Vivian kept her studio. "Listen, I'm running late for a meeting. Can I call you later?"
"Yes. I'll touch base with you as soon as I have my two guards on their way."
Yuri hesitated before asking, "Are we okay?"
"We're fine—but don't keep things like this from me again. We've been through a lot together. There's no reason to start keeping secrets now."
"You're right. I apologize."
"Yeah. Okay. I'll talk to you later."
Yuri pocketed his phone and stepped out of the car. Derek's gaze jumped between a sleek black car across the street and a maroon sedan down the block. "Those cars are making me nervous, Boss."