Daddy’s Orders (Silver Fox Daddies)

“This is a bad idea, jefe.”

It was a beautiful day on the island. I, along with Roberto, Marianne, and Emily, was gathered on the dock watching the boat carrying our newest guest to the shore.

Roberto was right—bringing an unknown like this Marta woman to the island was a dumb idea. But there I was, going along with it.

“I understand,” I replied, my voice low enough that only Roberto could hear it. “And your caution has been noted and appreciated.”

“But you’re bringing her here anyway.”

“I’m bringing her here anyway.”

Roberto let out a small sigh, shaking his head as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’ll make sure we keep an eye on her,” he said. “I’ll immediately report to you if anything is out of the ordinary.”

“Excellent. Any news on the mystery boat?”

“Nothing so far. Scared off for now. But if they went through the trouble of bringing a boat all the way over here to spy on us, they’re almost certain to come back.”

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the vessel as it approached the harbor. Emily was beyond giddy, seeming on the verge of bursting with each foot closer the boat drew. Marianne was infected by her excitement, her hands clasped together by her face.

Roberto was tense, as if half-expecting a team of gun-wielding mercenaries to burst out of the boat and open fire. I understood how he felt. He and I had met a few days ago, Roberto having done what he could to poke into this Marta’s history.

He hadn’t found much at all. Marta Maria Perez was born in 1978 in Ciudad Netzahualcoyotl, located on the outskirts of Mexico City and one of the largest slums in the world. Her parents both died before she turned eighteen, and she had no brothers and sisters. How she’d ended up in the United States was hazy. Her records stopped when she was eighteen then started again when she was twenty and working for Charles Marone. She’d been in his employ ever since, and as far as Roberto could tell was totally loyal to him.

That was a problem. Total loyalty to Charles could very well mean that she would try to relay information back to him about what was going on with Emily. Another possibility was that Marta’s true loyalty was not to Charles, but to Emily. That’s what I was hoping for. Either way, Marta would have no way to contact Charles, I’d make sure of that.

The boat pulled up to the dock, the captain bringing it to a stop and hopping out to moor it. As he did, Marta emerged from below deck. She was short but solidly built, her hair dark, her face pleasant and friendly. My first thought was how much she reminded me of Pearl.

“There’s my chica!” Marta burst out of the boat and onto the dock, Emily letting out an excited squeal as she ran over to give her a hug. They embraced, and I watched as Emily introduced Marianne.

So far, so good. No reason to suspect that Marta was anything other than a trusted friend and employee of Emily’s.

The captain brought out Marta’s bags, and I nodded to Roberto. He nodded back, knowing what needed to be done. Together, we approached the group.

“Logan,” Emily said, stepping aside for me to join them. “This is Marta Perez.”

Marta looked me up and down, a small smile on her face. I could make out the intelligence in her eyes. Right away, I noted that she was likely more than met the eye. She was unassuming—mousey, even. Maybe her appearance was a reflection of her true nature. Or, perhaps it was a good way to throw people off, the ideal look for a mole.

“It’s so good to finally meet you, Mr. Stone,” she said, offering me her hand. “As I’m sure you can guess, you’re the talk of the staff at the Marone estate.”

I extended my hand. “A pleasure to finally meet you.” I decided to sidestep her later words. Gossip was of no interest to me. She took my hand and shook it.

I glanced over at Emily. The happiness in her shining eyes was impossible to ignore. Since she’d arrived on the island, she’d been neither happy nor unhappy. Marianne had even told me that she’d overheard her crying. Now, a familiar face before her, Emily seemed content for the first time since I’d met her. Sure, bringing Marta to the island presented a major security concern. All the same, it was a small price to pay to brighten Emily’s mood.

“Dios mio.” Marta turned toward the estate, shaking her head in disbelief. “Emily said that this place was something special, but to see it in person…”

“Looking forward to having you here,” I said. “You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the island. For now, I’ll have Emily show you to your room. I’m sure you’d like a little time to get settled after your journey.”

Marta sucked her teeth, waving her hand through the air. “Aye, es nada. Not a chance in hell I’m going to be spending my first day here lounging around like a tourista. You brought me here to work, and that’s what I’m going to do.” She turned to Emily. “Show me my room, then show me the kitchen… mole’ is on the menu tonight.”

“Yes!” Emily said, her face brightening even more.

“Mole’?” Marianne was confused.

Emily smiled. “It’s this amazing Mexican dish—a thick, creamy sauce with chocolate mixed in. It’s Marta’s specialty.”

“One of Marta’s specialties,” Marta replied, raising her finger. “Don’t try to make me out to be a one-trick pony.”

We kept on, Marta, Emily and Marianne behind us, the three of them eagerly chatting away.

Roberto, who was walking next to me, glanced back over his shoulder. “Still not sure about this.”

“Appreciate your concern, but I’ve made my decision.”

“Understood. Before I shut up about the subject, I’ve got a couple of my boys at the gate for the check, if you still want to do that.”

“Sure do.”

Up ahead, I spotted the two guards at the front gate of the estate, both standing with their hands clasped behind their backs, their eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, guns tucked into their belt holsters.

“What’s with the guards?” Emily asked.

“Security protocol,” I said. “We check every guest to the island, without exception.”

Emily stood firm and still, an indignant look on her face as the guards approached.

“You’re serious? You’re really going to check Marta? What the hell do you think she’s going to do, take everyone out with a secret pistol and swim me across the water to the mainland?”

I said nothing, not wanting to indulge her outburst. Instead, I turned my attention to Marta. She nodded, but I could sense she was none too happy about what was going to happen. The guards approached, one of them taking Marta’s purse to look inside, the other giving Marta a pat down.

Emily didn’t take this in silence. She stormed over to Roberto, letting out a tirade of words in Spanish. I didn’t speak the language, but even so, I was able to pick out a few less than civilized words, like puta and pendejo. Roberto seemed more amused than anything else.

“It’s fine, chica,” Marta said. Behind her, another guard quickly went through her bags. “I’m not above the rules. Lucky to even be here to begin with when you think about it.”

Emily stopped tearing into Roberto and turned her attention to me. She shot sharp daggers in my direction, not taking her eyes off me even for a second. More than anything, I was impressed. Emily might’ve been sheltered, but she sure as hell was feisty and protective when it came to her people.

I liked it.

There was still the matter of loyalty. Emily was loyal to Marta, no doubt about that. But to whom was Marta loyal? Was she really as innocuous as she seemed, or was she working for Charles in another capacity besides his daughter’s caretaker? That remained to be seen.

One by one, the men finished. As they did, they nodded in my direction, letting me know that Marta was clear.

Emily put her hands on her hips, her eyes sharp in anger.

“Happy?” she asked. “You’ve made sure she isn’t packing heat or smuggling drugs. Can we go in now?”

Marta said something quietly to Emily, placing her hand on Emily’s arm.

“Yeah. Let them in. Marta can have the bedroom across the hall from yours, Emily. Roberto, mind showing them to their rooms?”

He gave me a knowing nod, a silent signal to let me know that he was aware that his duty also meant to keep an eye on Marta for anything suspicious. Emily let out a harumph, putting her arm through Marta’s as the two of them made their way onto the grounds.

Marianne stayed with me, a despondent look on her face.

“You OK, Mar?”

She sighed. “Yeah. It’s just… why did you have to do all of that? Why did you have to make Emily mad?”

How to explain to my sister the sort of danger I worried Emily was in? She had no idea of such things.

“I’m only protecting her, making sure she stays out of danger.”

Emily’s face shifted from upset to concerned.

“Danger? What kind of danger? From whom?”

“You know how sometimes there’re matters that I can’t really explain, just that you have to trust me? This is one of those times.”

“Oh. OK.”

Of course, there was more to why I couldn’t tell Marianne the truth—giving her the whole story would mean telling her that Emily was there against her will. Not a chance that she’d understand that. Hell, part of me didn’t understand how a woman like Emily could be in the position that she was in, a bird being passed from one gilded cage to another.

Marianne’s mind didn’t work that way. Her eyes only saw beauty.

But now she was worried. I had to say something.

“There are bad people out there, Mar. And I think, think, I don’t know for sure, that some of these bad men might want to hurt Emily. More than anything, I want to keep her safe.”

Marianne’s eyes lit up in shock.

“What? People want to hurt her?”

“Maybe. It’s hard to say. But I’m not going to take any chances.”

Without missing a beat, Marianne hurried over to me, pulling me into a hug and resting her head on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I got mad at you, but I should’ve known that you would never be mean on purpose unless you had a really, really good reason.”

I patted her on the back. “It’s fine. You were worried about Emily, your heart was in the right place.”

Marianne let go of me, regarding me with excited eyes.

“I have an idea! How about you and I have lunch together? Emily and Marta probably want to spend some time alone, right?”

“That’s right. And I’d love to.”

Marianne gave me another hug, this one accompanied by a kiss on the cheek.

“Come on! I’m starving!”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the estate.

I had plenty on my mind. But in that moment, all I cared about was spending time with my sister. Everything else could wait.