“That was me,” Drake said. “Not you. Your home was the only safe place for her. You were the only safe place for her. She was under your protection the moment she entered your house. No matter where she landed, someone was going to go after her. With you standing between her and everyone else, that threat was minimized. You have Cordeau’s heir and Paolo and no one else to deal with because of your reputation. That’s what saved Siena. You think she doesn’t know that? She can’t very well get too righteous if she’s hiding behind that strength.”

“Shut the fuck up. She’s not hiding behind anything, and she can get as righteous as she wants to. What the hell does that mean? You think she knew her grandfather was dirty? He was a winemaker. She went to school to take over his business.”

“You really are a hothead when it comes to that woman,” Drake said. He didn’t even bother to hide his grin. He sure as hell wasn’t afraid of Elijah or his anger. “She should take over her grandfather’s business. Waltz right back home and announce she’s the boss. And no, I don’t believe she knew about her grandfather. Even the Feds weren’t certain. There’s never been a shred of evidence. The man was brilliant at hiding his activities. If he hadn’t associated with known criminals, he wouldn’t have even been on their radar.”

“Eli told me the Feds believed he was friends with them because of their American-Italian connection. His wine is considered among the best in the United States, and naturally the families would gravitate toward it.”

Eli Perez was on the plane as well. An ex-DEA agent, he was tough as nails and good in a fight. He was a recent addition to Drake’s team, and he was assisting Jake in coming at Cordeau’s business partners from another angle. Jake was famous for buying up companies and taking them apart. He was ruthless when it came to business.

They’d brought Alonzo with them. They needed to see him in action. Make certain before they brought him further into their fold. Most of Drake’s team had come from his home lair in the Borneo rain forest and Drake had known them from his childhood. Any new members were also men he’d known and worked with on his rescue teams from various rain forests around the world. They didn’t have to worry about their loyalty.