by Aly Martinez
I uncomfortably scratched the back of my head. “Yeah. He…surprised me. That’s all.”
She visibly relaxed until Drew took the opportunity to make things weird again.
“Oh my God, please tell me you’re not seriously sleeping with Savannah.”
I jerked around, ready to feed him my fist just to make him shut the hell up, but Savannah got there first.
“Ew! No! That’d be gross. Penn’s my new daddy.”
My life, ladies and gentlemen. My life.
I snapped my fingers at Savannah. “Stop saying that.” Then I looked back at Drew. “And you, stop saying anything. I woke up, like, thirty-seven seconds ago. Can I please have a minute to figure what day of the week it is before dealing with your ludicrous accusations?”
With a challenge, he stepped toward me. “It’s Thursday. Now, what the hell is she doing here?”
Stealing a move from Cora’s playbook, I rolled my eyes, walked past him, and headed straight to the coffee maker, calling out, “Go back to bed, kid.”
“Night, Drew. Night—”
“Don’t say it, Savannah,” I grumbled, cutting her off before whatever variation of dad fell from her tongue.
She giggled, but thankfully, only Drew’s footsteps followed after me.
I gave him my back as I went to work on the coffee grounds. I’d texted Drew the address from my new phone as soon as I’d secured the place. Though I’d never given him a key or the security code.
“How’d you get in?” I asked, taking out two mugs.
“Why is she here?” he replied.
I’d have rather gone back to listening to him talk about my dick than have this conversation. But there was no way he was going to let it go. “I promised Cora I’d get her back.”
“Yeah,” he scoffed. “Then you died.”
I turned around, propping my ass against the counter. “No, Drew. Penn Walker died. But me, Shane? I promised Cora that day that I’d get her back. So I did.”
His mouth gaped as he gave me a slow blink. “And what now? You just gonna keep the kid forever? Because she sure as hell can’t go back to Cora now.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “And why not?”
“Because you are dead!” He started pacing the length of the kitchen. “What the hell is going through your head right now? First, you leave her all those damn stars and the money, and then you blow everything to get the kid?”
“I didn’t blow anything. What would you have rather me do? Leave her there? She was standing on a freaking street corner, looking for a john so she could buy drugs.”
He stopped pacing, raking a rough hand through the top of his hair. “You could have called me. I would have gone and gotten her.”
“I didn’t have time for that,” I stated definitively.
He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “You didn’t have time? Or didn’t want to make time? Because I’ll be honest: I think you’re doing this shit on purpose. You shut the door with Cora, but you’ve been leaving the window cracked every chance you get. You planning to come back, Penn? Something I need to know about?”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Then open your damn mouth and tell me what you are doing. Giving money to the poor? Saving kids off the street? Coming back from the grave? Where I’m standing, it looks like you’re one step away from becoming Jesus Christ himself.”
“I’m not coming back!”
He leveled me with a glare. “But you’re not ruling it out, either, are you?”
I didn’t have an answer to that.
Yes, leaving her was safer.
Yes, it’d destroyed me.
Yes, I’d spent every minute since the fire imagining getting her back.
Without question, I was going after Thomas Lyons, and there were only three scenarios for how that would end.
More than likely, I’d get caught and sentenced to life in prison. And if that were the case, I didn’t want her life stopping with mine. Knowing Cora, she’d have baked cakes with nail files in them for the rest of her life. She was stubborn as hell, and God knew I wasn’t strong enough to ever shake her off. But I wanted more than that for her. I wanted her to make a life. A real one.
The idea of her being with any other man was enough to send me off the edge of a bridge. He’d never be good enough. But I smiled at the thought of her having a family, a bunch of little blond girls who could call her mom without fear of retaliation. This was the scenario that had convinced me to leave her the cash.
The other possible outcome for me was that I’d fail. Thomas would somehow kill me or get me locked away first. Cora was already on his radar because of Catalina, but the last thing she needed was to be connected to me in any way, shape, or form. She’d become his next target and I’d be six feet under, helpless to save her. This was the scenario that had made it so obvious that Penn Walker needed to die. Without him, there was nothing connecting Shane Pennington and Cora Guerrero. If I failed, she had money. She had Drew. She had a safety net.
However, it was that last possible outcome that played in my head every night when I stared up at the starless ceiling. It was the one where I’d killed him and gotten away with it. The world would be a better place, and I’d walk away free and clear. The chances of that happening were almost zilch. You couldn’t take out the city’s DA and expect to ride off into the sunset. But it was the one scenario that gave me hope of getting her back, and no matter how hard I’d tried, I couldn’t let it go.
I didn’t want to admit it. But it was that last scenario that was fueling me day in and day out.
And as I’d learned the day I’d choked the life out of Dante while his terrified brother watched, knowing he was next: There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for Cora Guerrero.
Turning back to the gurgling coffee pot, I poured a mug as I declared, “I’m not talking about this anymore. When Thomas takes his last breath, then we can worry about what I’m going to do or not do next.”
“Right, well. I guess I should tell you that, if you’re hoping Cora lives long enough to be part of that equation, you might want to hurry up on the whole making-Thomas-stop-breathing thing.”
Fire hit my veins. “What the fuck does that mean?”
He arrogantly tipped his head. “You heard me. Thomas made a little appearance tonight. Trumped up some child endangerment charge against Cora, had her arrested, and took River.”
Another blast of adrenaline hit me hard. “What the fuck? Where the hell were you?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Lying in the bed next to her. I can’t fight the cops, Shane. That’s how a man gets dead. Fast. I got her an attorney, but Thomas sent him home. They play golf or some shit. He cornered Cora though. Told her to make sure Catalina stays gone or they’re both dead.” His mouth kept moving, but no words made it past the sound of my heart roaring in my ears.
Visions of Lisa lying on that carpet exploded in my head. Only this time, Cora was beside her. Both sets of their cold, dead eyes staring back at me.
Before I knew it, I had my fists wrapped in the front of Drew’s shirt, my face vibrating as I ordered, “He does not ever come near her again. Do you understand me?”
He gave me a hard shove, but my body was so amped my every muscle was screaming. He might as well have been pushing a brick wall.
“That’s why I’m here, asshole. You gotta speed this shit up. Get off your ass, quit playing Nanny McGee, and handle this once and for all. Or get out of my way and let me take care of it on my own.”
I stared at him with wild eyes. “He’s mine.”
“Then consider this your courtesy heads-up. I’m not feeling real patient anymore. He’s been breathing for four fucking years, Shane. You want your twenty-nine minutes. Take ’em. But if I get a clear shot before then, it’s over. You got me?”
“That was not the plan, Drew.”
“What plan?” He swung a hand out and pointed down the hall to Savannah’s bedroom. “You have
shit all over every fucking plan we’ve ever made. Currently, we got a woman who has you tied up in so many damn knots you’re unrecognizable anymore. I thought she was good for you at first, but now, she’s got you so off-kilter you can’t even think straight.” He sucked in a deep breath and gripped my shoulder, giving it a rough squeeze. “I know you’ve been dreaming about this. And I know I promised you that you could have your moment with him. For Lisa. But, brother, this shit’s gotta end. We found him. Now, let’s finish him.”
He was so right.
It had been four years.
Four years of searching for answers.
Four years of bleeding myself dry emotionally and physically.
Four years of burning in the flames of hell.
Those two months spent drowning in Cora, feeling like myself again, thinking more than minute to minute were the only reason I was still able to function.
There was nothing I wouldn’t do to get back to that.
Not even sacrificing the very same revenge that had brought me to her door.
I extended a hand his way. “I want Cora to be priority one. You have a shot. You take it. As long as we can keep her out of his reach. I’ll deal.”
He grinned, taking my hand. “Now, that actually sounds like a plan we can make stick.” He pulled me in for a quick back pat, and before he released me, he did what Drew did best: He made me want to laugh and then feed him my fist again. “I can’t believe you were trying to get me to watch you jerk your dick. You know I don’t swing like that.”
I barked a laugh and gave him a hard push. “Get the fuck out of my apartment.”
He backed away with his arms spread wide. “Nice place, by the way.”
“You still staying at the hotel with her?”
“Yep.” He rubbed his hands together. “Saving up my rewards points for a nice little vacation when this is finally over. I’m thinking Brazil. Topless beaches and all.”
“A job will get you there faster.”
He twisted his lips. “Psshh, who needs a job when you got a rich best friend who owes you for saving his future wife’s ass a time or seven hundred?”
A few months back, hearing him say something like that would have sent me into a tailspin. Now though? It gave me hope that maybe walking out of this with her wasn’t as impossible as I’d once thought.
“How’s she doing?”
His smile fell. “You want truth or lie?”
Truth or lie. Those simple words made pain detonate in my chest. Christ, he really had been hanging out with her. And damn, it made me jealous.
“Truth.”
He shook his head. “Not good. Not good at all. She knows I’m lying about the fire. I dribbled her some stuff tonight and I think it made her feel better. But she misses you and blames herself.”
“Shit,” I breathed, pinching the bridge of my nose while guilt rotted my gut.
“But we’re gonna fix this. Thomas first. Then we can worry about the full-body cast that woman is going to put you in for faking your own death.” He winked.
Cora
The morning after I was released, I got a call from a social worker asking if she could swing by the hotel and pick up River’s things. After the fire, the kid didn’t own much, so I went to the mall and picked up a few things I’d thought she would like. She’d probably hate them all. But it made me feel better. The social worker also informed me that she was allowed to have her phone. I nearly burst into tears at that news. They wouldn’t let me see her, but at least we’d been able to talk.
River called me each night and I could tell by the tone of her voice it was because she missed me.
But in the mornings, I knew she only called because she was worried about me.
It was no secret that mornings were hard for me. That first blink when I’d slip from blissful lala land into consciousness, remembering where I was as an avalanche of hellish memories hit me like they were happening the very first time.
Day after day, every time the sun rose, that moment of realization was agony.
But if I wanted to get my daughter back, I couldn’t wallow in self-pity. I had to get up and make things happen.
River was not wrong. Seven hundred and fifty dollars didn’t get you much when it came to housing in the city. Though, on the outskirts, it got me a two-bedroom quasi-piece-of-shit house that included water.
Drew and I were picking up the keys late that afternoon when I got a call from the group home letting me know the case against me had been dropped and I could come get River anytime I would like. I shrieked and my new landlord looked at me like he was already regretting his decision to give me the house. I could not have cared less how crazy he thought I was though. My girl was coming home.
And then we were getting out of that life for good.
I couldn’t decide what Thomas was playing at. My court date wasn’t for another few days and I’d figured he’d drag it out as long as the law would allow.
But whatever the reason, if it got me River back, I wasn’t going to complain.
As Drew pulled into the parking lot, I spotted Thomas’s Cadillac. Dread filled my stomach, but with the countdown on, his reign of corruption was nearing an end.
I froze halfway out. “What are you doing?”
Drew also stilled, his door open, one of his boots on the asphalt. He quirked an eyebrow. “Going with you?”
“No. You’re staying here.”
“You’ve lost your damn mind, woman.”
“You walk in there with me, he’s going to assume you’re my boyfriend. I’m not handing him one more person to use against me next time he gets pissed.”
“He can assume whatever the fuck he wants, but he gets the wild hair to put his hands on you again and I’m gonna be there to lock that shit down real quick.”
And that was exactly why I couldn’t let Drew come inside with me.
Over the last week, I’d learned that, while in jail, Manuel had filled Drew in on all things Thomas Lyons. It didn’t surprise me in the least that even four years later, Manuel was still fuming. He firmly believed that no one crossed a Guerrero. And Thomas had not only turned on him, but he’d used Manuel’s own daughter to put him away—the ultimate stab in the back.
It also didn’t surprise me that Drew had spent the last week ranting and raving about Thomas. He hadn’t been able to look at me without getting pissed over the bruises on my face and neck. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if they came face-to-face. Thomas’s monstrosity of an ego would never allow that confrontation to end in Drew’s favor.
“He’s not going to pull anything,” I assured him. “It’s a group home for teens. I won’t be the only one in there. He’ll be on his best pretentious-lawyer behavior. Come on, Drew. He got the charges dropped. Don’t give him another reason to stir up more trouble for us.”
“They were bullshit charges to begin with. He’s hardly a hero.”
“No. But I’m getting River back. Let’s try not to make any waves today.” I climbed the rest of the way out of the truck, facing him as I straightened my mint green tank-top and smoothed my wind-tousled hair down. “What about this…” I retrieved my phone and punched in his number. A muffled ringing came from his back pocket. “You can listen. If you hear anything that doesn’t seem right, you’re only a few yards away.”
He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Penn would literally body-slam me for even considering this.”
Some days were easier than others. Sometimes the thought of Penn slashed through me like shrapnel. Other times, the memory of him gave me peace and comfort. And that day, as I was only minutes away from getting my daughter back, I actually smiled at the thought of Penn’s angry scowl.
“Please, Drew.”
He retrieved the phone and answered by putting it to his ear and saying, “This line disconnects and I’m busting through that door like the Kool-Aid man.”
I giggled.
He glowered—definitely related to Penn.
But before he had the chance to change his mind, I said, “I’ll be right back,” and shut the door.
Holding my phone, I jogged up the sidewalk to the front door and then knocked.
A woman in her late forties with a severe case of resting bitch face answered. “Can I help you?”
I smiled wide and genuine. “I’m here to pick up my daughter.”
Her nose crinkled as she gave me a confused head-to-toe. It was everyone’s reaction when they found out I had a teenage daughter. I’d always looked younger than I was, which at twenty-nine was a blessing when it came to forking out cash on anti-wrinkle serum, but not so much when it came to convincing people I was a fit mother.
“River,” I filled in when she didn’t reply. “Guerrero.”
Her eyebrows shot up, but it didn’t soften her judgmental glare.
Thomas’s large frame appeared behind her. His lips tipped up in a slimy grin as he met my gaze, his words aimed at the woman. “Cynthia, I’ll handle this. Get the child.”
“Sure. No problem,” she said, strolling away with the speed of a slug.
My pulse quickened and I clutched the phone tighter, careful not to press any of the buttons.
“Cora,” he greeted, shoving a hand into the pocket of his slacks. “Do come in.”
“Thanks,” I whispered, stepping over the threshold.
He glanced over his shoulder in time to see Ms. Cheery exit through a door leading deeper into the building. “I trust you’ve been in touch with Catalina.”
I shifted my gaze to the wall and used my free hand to worry my necklace. “She won’t be back.”
He arched a dark eyebrow. “And what happens if that changes?”
“I’ll lose River forever,” I answered robotically.
He lowered his voice and stepped forward, crowding me. “Or?”
I swallowed hard, but it was purely for show. I wasn’t scared of Thomas anymore. “Or you’ll kill me.”
He traced a finger around the curve of my face, dipping under my chin to tip my head back. “How is my daughter, Cora? She’s, what…fourteen now?”
I didn’t reply. He didn’t deserve to know anything about Isabel.