by Ward, Alice
“Hasn’t anyone kept you up to date with the investigation?” I asked, my voice full of hesitation.
Asher shook his head. “John’s the only person other than you that I’ve been in contact with. And he’s been no help at all when it comes to the news. He said I needed to concentrate on clearing my name instead of worrying about who’s saying what. But the look on your face tells me something serious has happened.”
“A few serious things have happened,” I agreed. “To be honest, I’m not sure where to start.”
“Start from the day Dad and I escaped and work your way to now,” he suggested.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, bracing myself for Asher to flip out. “I was at the bed and breakfast visiting my parents when Kennedy called to tell me you’d escaped. She didn’t want to tell me over the phone, but I threatened to turn on the news if she didn’t. Then, she warned me that Jackson hadn’t been able to get in touch with my security team. FBI agents were on their way to the house and all I could focus on was getting home. I was too upset to drive, so Dad insisted on taking me. We were about three miles from the farmhouse when Rachel crawled out of my trunk with a pistol.”
Asher’s eyes widened and a strawberry fell from his hand. “She did what?”
I nodded. “She was crazier than I’d ever seen her. She kept talking about how she used to be your everything until I showed up and ruined her life. It was clear that she was planning to kill us. She mentioned she’d already dug my grave. The cops found the hole the next day.”
“Is this how you got hurt?” he growled.
I nodded again. “Yes, but I promise it doesn’t feel as bad as it looks. And everything worked out in the end. I was wearing a surveillance necklace Jackson gave me. It had a tiny camera, a tiny microphone, and a GPS tracking chip. I was able to record Rachel’s entire confession and Kennedy was able to tell the police where to find us.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t panic and shoot you both when she saw the cop cars.”
“She was unconscious by the time the police showed up. Dad wrecked the car on purpose. You should have seen him. He spun us into a tree, right on Rachel’s side of the car. She was knocked out on impact. She spent a few days in the hospital and then she was transferred to a state mental facility for evaluation. The court hasn’t ruled on whether or not she’s fit to stand trial. But Kennedy said the fact that two different experts ruling she was sane less than a month ago should work in our favor,” I explained.
“I hate that you were in danger. When I think about what could have happened to you if you’d been alone in the car with that monster… I can’t believe I ever thought she was my friend. I swear if I’d known back then what I know now, I’d have let Miguel and his friends get rid of her when they had the chance.”
“You don’t mean that,” I insisted.
“The hell I don’t. Was your dad hurt?”
“He’s got a nasty case of whiplash and lots of cuts and bruises. All three of us went to the hospital in ambulances. But he didn’t have to stay. I had a mild concussion on top of the broken ribs, so they kept me overnight. Once I was released, we all just kind of holed up in the house and tried to stay out of the spotlight.”
“You told me over the phone that the press was out of control. How bad did it get?”
“As bad as it possibly could. I think everyone you’ve ever laid eyes on has given an interview with one network or another. They’re all basically saying the same thing: you’re guilty and anyone who’s surprised by it is a blind fool who should have seen your true character all along. I won’t lie. It’s been difficult to watch. Kennedy finally made me turn off the television.”
“I’m glad she’s been watching over you. Is that the worst of it?”
I shook my head. “No… the company, Asher. The feds have seized it. They froze all of the accounts and cleared the building. The SEC is doing an audit and the FBI is still investigating the smuggling accusations.”
Asher clenched his jaw and balled his hand into a fist. He took a deep breath and relaxed them both.
“They won’t find anything,” he assured me. “Nothing that doesn’t trace back to Rachel, at least.”
I shifted my weight again and he narrowed his eyes.
“What is it, Lauren? What are you holding back?”
“They’ve already found something that doesn’t trace back to Rachel. I’m so sorry, baby. It looks like Brian has been embezzling too. He hasn’t been arrested yet. But Kennedy said it’s only a matter of time.”
He took another deep breath and blew it out loud and slow. “That’s definitely not something I ever expected to hear. I trusted Brian. But if he’s been stealing from the company, I’m glad the feds have caught on. As for the rest of it, I’m devastated that this has leaked over into the company. I built that place from the ground up and I’m not going to let Rachel, the feds, or the Chavez family run it into the ground. Now I’m even more motivated to take care of business and get back to our real lives.”
I nodded and cleared my throat. “That’s all the news from home. Can you fill me in on your end now?”
He nodded back at me and took another long drink of the wine. “I was pissed when the warden put me in Dad’s cell. But he was overjoyed. I found out later that he’d called in some favors to get me assigned to his room. The first thing he did was try to hug me, and I punched him in the face.”
“But things obviously calmed down between the two of you.”
“I’m not sure I’d use the word calm in regards to any of this. He hit me back, but then helped me from the floor to my cot. He sat down and started explaining himself and I lost the desire to beat the shit out of him.”
“What did he tell you?”
“Now I’m the one who doesn’t know where to start,” he replied with a light, nervous laugh. He ate a small piece of ham and then finally continued.
“Dad explained that he’d had me put in his cell because my life was in danger. Atwater is full of people who are connected to the family and there was a price on my head for killing Luis. The guards knew all about this, but some of them are on the Chavez payroll so that didn’t help us much. But Dad wasn’t too worried, because he had a plan.
“I’d always been told Dad volunteered to take the rap for Luis. But that wasn’t the case. Luis blackmailed him into taking the fall.”
“What did he use as leverage?”
“Me,” he answered with a sad smile. “Turns out, Dad’s been keeping quite the family secret. He is a family secret.”
I narrowed my brow in confusion. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”
“Carlos Chavez was my dad’s biological father.”
“What?”
He nodded. “You heard me. My grandmother worked at one of his night clubs. They had an affair and Dad was the result. He didn’t know himself until after I was born.”
I suddenly remembered the inconsistencies Kennedy and Parker had found on William’s birth certificate.
“Did Luis know?”
“The whole family knew. Luis is the one who spilled the secret to Dad. He resented having to work with him. One night he had a few too many shots of tequila and told him he didn’t care if they were brothers, Dad would never be fit to shine Luis’s shoes. Dad went to Carlos with questions and the old man admitted the truth.”
“But how did that make you leverage?”
“As an illegitimate child, Dad wasn’t in line to inherit anything. Luis reminded him of that. He offered to make me his heir in exchange for Dad taking the fall. That’s why he took such a special interest in me. He knew Dad would talk if he didn’t keep up his end of the bargain.”
“So Luis was—”
“My uncle, just like I always called him,” Asher finished. “And I killed him.”
“He didn’t leave you a choice.”
“I know. But I had no idea the chain of events I was setting off.”
“Kennedy’s under the impression th
at your dad had been planning the escape for a while.”
“As usual, Kennedy’s right. Atwater got really tough for Dad after I killed Luis. When everything went down ten years ago, the family did a good job of covering the truth about what happened to Miguel. Most of the organization’s people on the inside believed that he’d had a tragic four wheeler accident. They learned the truth at the same time they learned about Luis. And they jumped to conclusions.”
“What type of conclusions?” I asked, my voice weary.
“Luis was supposed to take over the business when Carlos retired,” he explained. “And as the oldest legitimate grandson, Miguel was in line after him. Most people in the organization know that Dad is Carlos’s other son. And everyone knows he took the fall for Luis. Then they found out that I, the actual oldest grandson, killed the two people next in line for the throne. So they all assumed that Dad had grown resentful toward the family and regretted taking the fall for Luis in the first place.”
“They think the two of you are trying to take over the organization.”
“Exactly. It couldn’t be further from the truth. When Dad was my age, I’m sure he’d have jumped at the chance to be acknowledged as a rightful member of the family. But I wish I could have lived my whole life without knowing the truth.”
“I’m so sorry, baby. But you know this doesn’t change who you are. Though it may explain a few of your instincts,” I confessed.
He nodded. “Believe me, I’ve been thinking about that a lot.”
I could tell that the subject was upsetting him, but I pressed on.
“So your Dad started planning the escape after Luis died?”
“Yes. He knew there was a good chance I’d end up at Atwater and he wanted to have a plan in place for my safety. But he’d been hoarding evidence against the family since Miguel died.”
“If he has evidence, why was the escape necessary? Couldn’t he have just handed his information over to the police?”
“It’s not that kind of evidence. Dad gathered information from other inmates. He learned which rival families the Chavez’s had screwed over, how they’d done it, and how they’d covered their tracks. The police don’t care about criminals screwing over other criminals. But the heads of those other families certainly do.”
“So for lack of a better term, your dad’s been snitching.”
“Yeah, I guess you could call it that. He didn’t start talking until after I got to Atwater. He actually asked my permission before he made the first phone call. I agreed that taking the family down for good was our best chance. We already had people out to kill us. I couldn’t just sit by and wait for them to succeed. Dad started leaking information to the other families. A few days later, we came in from rec time and found two nooses hanging in our cell. That’s when we knew we had to run.”
I took a long sip of wine while I absorbed the information. There was one detail that I couldn’t get past.
“I understand the need to take down the family,” I began. “But isn’t there a better, legal way to go about it? Correct me if I’m wrong. But I assume that the rival families haven’t been thrilled to learn that the Chavezs are responsible for their misfortunes. And I know the kind of retribution crime organizations take out on the people who screw them over. Isn’t there a way to neutralize the family without getting them all killed?”
Asher’s face softened and he lowered his voice. “Lauren, if the cops could take down the family, they’d have done it by now. And honestly, all Dad and I are doing is telling the truth. I’m not responsible for how other people choose to react to that truth. These people would kill me and you and everyone you love without thinking twice about it. So if a few of them have to die for us to be safe, so be it. I won’t be losing any sleep over them and you shouldn’t either.”
“I guess you’re right,” I finally agreed. “If we’re choosing between our lives and the lives of a bunch of criminals, I definitely choose us. I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that those are our only options. What’s the plan going forward?”
“We’ll stay here and keep feeding info to the other families,” he explained. “Dad’s keeping in touch with a few of his contacts back home. The guard that walked us out of Atwater has been exceptionally helpful. Of course, he’s being paid handsomely. But three million dollars is a small price to pay for the kind of assistance he’s given us.”
A flash of realization hit me and I looked up at Asher in disbelief. “John Rogers is an Atwater guard?”
He nodded. “That’s not his real name. But yes, he’s one of the guards.”
“And you trust him not to turn on you?”
“John’s a good guy. He’s actually a retired detective. The two things he hates the most are drugs and organized crime. Dad helped him out with a violent inmate a few years ago and they’ve been close ever since. He knew we were tipping off the other families. He kept his eyes and ears open for signs of trouble. The moment he realized the Chavez’s people were on to us, he came to our cell and announced it was time to leave. He gave us each a guard uniform and walked us out the back gate. He’s not going to flip on us. He’d be in as much trouble as we would.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said and dropped my face in my hands. “And now I feel even worse for leaving my family and friends behind. You’re pissing people off, baby. They’re going to want to retaliate. What if they go after my parents when they can’t find us? Or Kennedy and Jackson?”
“We have people watching them,” he promised. “And Dad has eyes within the organization. I also have contingency plans in place in case the Chavez’s make a move. My people have a standing order to take Kennedy, Claire, and your parents to a safe house at the first sign of trouble. I’m doing everything I can to protect them.”
“Thank you,” I replied with a sigh.
“That doesn’t make you feel better, does it?” he asked with a slight hint of sadness.
I shook my head. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy we’re finally together again. I just feel incredibly guilty. I can’t help but wonder what they’re doing right now and if they’ve realized I’m not in Malibu. I wish I could call and tell them I’m okay.”
“I know this is hard. If I could have arranged to bring everyone here, I would have. But we couldn’t have moved that many people without the feds or the Chavez’s realizing what was going on.”
“I understand. I just hope I get the chance to apologize and explain myself.”
“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” he whispered. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my collarbone. I crawled to the head of the bed and propped myself up on a pillow.
“You could hold me. The only place I feel safe is in your arms.”
Asher moved the food tray to the bedside table and curled up beside me, pulling me to his chest. He held me and our breaths slowly synchronized. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what our lives would be like once the Chavez family was no longer a problem.
***
“Relax, baby. There’s no reason to be nervous. Not about this, at least,” Asher assured me. He eased up behind me and turned me away from the mirror. I leaned into his chest and he planted a kiss on the top of my head.
“I can’t promise to be nice,” I warned. I was moments away from meeting my father-in-law and I wasn’t looking forward to the introduction.
“He doesn’t expect you to be. And I want you to feel free to say whatever you’d like.”
I leaned back in Asher’s arms and stared up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are you sure? It sort of seems like you’ve taken the forgive and forget approach.”
“I understand him a little better, I guess. I honestly believe he thought he was doing what was best for me. I don’t know if I’ll want to have a relationship with him once all of this is over. All I’m sure of is that I’m tired of secrets and its best if everyone’s feelings are out in the open. So if you feel like you need to give him a piece of yo
ur mind, by all means go for it.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” He planted a quick, firm kiss on my lips and then released me.
“It’s a beautiful day. Let’s wait for Dad out on the deck,” he suggested.
“Sounds good to me.”
Asher grabbed a bottle of rum and three glasses from the kitchen counter and led me outside. The cedar deck facing the ocean was twice as big as the actual bungalow, with overstuffed lounge chairs, a wet bar, and a built in fire pit. Asher and I settled into side by side chairs and he poured us each a finger of rum. We’d just toasted to our reunion when I heard footsteps shuffle across the deck. I shaded my eyes with one hand and turned toward the noise.
Asher must take after his mother.
William quit walking the moment I laid eyes on him. His shoulders slumped and he shoved his hands awkwardly in his pockets. He looked nothing like what I’d imagined. His complexion and hair were much darker than Asher’s. His shoulders were narrow and he was at least five inches shorter than his son.
“Good morning,” he greeted us.
Asher stood and I followed suit.
“Good morning, Dad. This is my wife, Lauren. Lauren, this is my father, William.”
I extended my hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” I lied.
William received my handshake with much more sincerity than I’d extended it. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too. Though it’s terrible to meet you under these circumstances. I am so sorry for everything you’ve been going through.”
“Well, you were only responsible for about half of it,” I replied dryly. The words had left my mouth without thought, but I didn’t feel a bit sorry for them.
William cringed but nodded. “I know. If I could go back in time, I’d do a lot of things differently. But I can’t.”
“I think if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that we need to focus on the present,” I told him. “Discussions of the past and the future can wait.”
“Agreed,” William replied.
We sat on the edges of the chaise lounges and suffered through a few long moments of awkward silence before Asher cleared his throat.