Too Far Gone

by Allison Brennan

  “Keep me in the loop. Once we’re at the airport, we’ll be relatively safe, but I’ll sit with them on the plane, make sure they are handed over to the marshals.”

  “Have Madison remove the battery on her phone. I’m keeping Jesse’s—it’s the only evidence I have that someone tracked him.”

  “Talk to him before he leaves. Tell him—well, just tell him what he needs to hear.”

  Sean had no idea what that was, but he couldn’t let his son leave without knowing that he will fight for him.

  Madison stomped back into the kitchen. “Did he come in here? He’s not in his room or the game room.”

  Sean pushed past her and ran down the hall. Jack ran upstairs. Sean searched every room, then went to his computer and brought up the security panel.

  Jesse had disabled the security—with Sean’s passcode. The kid had watched him multiple times. Sean had given him his own code, but it wouldn’t have disabled the whole system. It was so he could go out back without setting off the alarm. But Sean’s code overrode everything.

  He’d left fifteen minutes ago—while Sean and Madison were arguing in the kitchen.

  Sean flipped through the cameras. Jesse had gone out the back door and through the side gate.

  And then he was gone.

  * * *

  Jesse took some pride that he was able to slip out of Sean’s super-secure house without anyone knowing. Of course, it was because Sean had told him how the system worked and gave him a passcode, and Jesse memorized Sean’s because Sean used it so much. He’d once thought that Sean was paranoid about his system, but then he thought about the boys at St. Catherine’s and what they’d gone through. And that his stepfather had worked for some really bad people. And that the US Marshals had gone through all the ways those same bad people could find them if Jesse broke the rules.

  But now that he was walking, he didn’t feel as great or proud of himself. He was sore from the accident, but he also felt sick that his mother had come to take him home.

  He didn’t want to leave. He was angry with his dad for calling his mother in the first place, angry that he seemed set on sending him home … but then he’d heard Sean stand up to his mother. He couldn’t believe what his mother had said to Sean, especially since he knew that she was lying. She either lied to Jesse, or she lied to Sean. He didn’t know.

  What did Sean really want? Did he want him here … or not?

  Jesse felt like a spoiled brat, but he didn’t know what to do, and his mother hadn’t asked him if he wanted to go home. She told him they were going back to Sacramento. And that maybe he shouldn’t see Sean anymore.

  “I don’t want to go back.” He didn’t want to leave San Antonio. He didn’t want to see Carson. He missed his mom, but right this minute he didn’t. Right now, he was so mad at her he wanted her to leave.

  “It’s dangerous for you here! If anything happened to you—dear God, Jesse, you’re my entire life. You’re the only person I care about. I need you with me.”

  “Then stay here. I have two more weeks with my dad. I don’t want to leave before I have to.”

  “Aren’t you listening to me? It’s too dangerous for you here! Sean is wild. He’s never changed. He’s irresponsible and he and his brothers are reckless. Dangerous. They brought this on themselves, and you’re the one who’s paying for it.”

  Jesse glared at her. “That sounds like something Carson would say.”

  “Don’t call him that. He’s your father.”

  “No. Sean is my father. I’m changing my name to Rogan.”

  She looked like he’d hit her. He probably shouldn’t have said that when he was mad.

  “Mom, please—don’t make me go. Stay here, sure. Okay? But I want my two weeks. Dad and I are going to see the Astros next weekend. I don’t want to miss that. And I’ve made friends, and I promised to teach this kid named Tito all the ins and outs of Destiny, and I don’t want to disappoint him. And—”

  His mom started crying. He hated when she cried. “Jesse, please. I need you with me. At home. We’ll arrange another time for you to visit. Later, when the police figure out what’s going on. It’s Sean’s fault, sweetie. He probably didn’t mean for things to get out of control, he never does. He means well, but he’s irresponsible. He hasn’t changed since college, he’s never going to change. Please, honey, don’t argue with me, don’t make this any harder than it has to be, just pack your things and we’re leaving. I already have tickets for us.”

  He’d told her he would pack. And he’d started to … but he felt trapped. He didn’t want to see Carson. He didn’t think that Carson had anything to do with the accident, but he really didn’t know. Sean was so certain …

  Then he heard them fighting in the kitchen. He knew if he went with his mother she would never let him see his dad again. She hated Sean. Carson hated Sean. And Jesse was thirteen. He had no rights at all.

  Yeah, leaving was a bratty thing to do. But how else could he get his point across? He was a kid. He couldn’t do anything without his mom allowing it. And his grandfather hated his dad, too. He had a lot of money and he would use it if Sean tried to fight for custody. That wasn’t fair to Sean, or to Lucy. Jesse knew how his grandfather operated. He would sue Sean and continue to sue him and the costs would pile up and there was no way Sean could afford the fight. Especially since he’d put so much of his money into a trust for Jesse. Jesse didn’t want it, but Sean told him it was his responsibility as a dad, and had he known about him from the beginning, this was the money he would have paid Madison anyway for child support.

  “It doesn’t matter that Madison and her family have money. It’s the principle of the situation. I’m your father, I want to take care of you in every way I can.”

  Jesse didn’t want to wait five years to have a relationship with his dad and Lucy. He didn’t want to never see his uncle Kane again, or Uncle Duke and his baby cousin Molly. He had a family here. His mom was his family, too … he didn’t want to leave her. But why did he have to make this choice? Why did his mom have to be stubborn about this?

  His mother would change her mind only if they didn’t leave while she was angry. She allowed Jesse to spend part of the summer with Sean because she was so relieved they were out of WITSEC. She’d hated the program and felt trapped. But right now she would go back and Jesse would have no leverage, no way to convince her of anything. And Carson had influence over her. He was talking about moving to Hawaii! His mom loved the idea. To get away from everything that had gone wrong in their lives and start fresh. That’s what she’d said, to start fresh.

  Jesse didn’t want to live in Hawaii. Sure, it was fun to visit and they had a house there and everything, but he didn’t want to live there. He’d be even farther away from his dad.

  Carson just wanted to get them away from Sean and the Rogans.

  Jesse had explored Sean’s neighborhood a lot over the last month. It was hot and sticky out in the middle of the day, but he’d brought water in his backpack. He drained a water bottle and realized fifteen minutes had passed. They’d probably know he was gone by now, and he really didn’t want to go back until he figured out what his options were.

  But he wasn’t stupid. He needed a place to go and think.

  He walked to the bus stop. The bus was just pulling up. The scrolling display read: DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO. RIVER WALK. GUADALUPE STREET. BIRCH & VINE.

  That would get him within a mile of St. Catherine’s. He climbed in, put change in the box, and walked to the back. He sat and stared out the window.

  Jesse didn’t know what to expect. He didn’t know what he expected to do or say. Maybe to just be with kids his own age who had it worse than him. Jeez, that sounded ridiculous. None of those boys had parents who cared about them, and he had two—two parents who hated each other, but loved him. If he knew where Lucy was, he’d go there—she always listened to him. Really listened. Sometimes he didn’t understand her advice, but she made him think, and she didn’t talk t
o him like he was immature or a little kid. She talked to him like an adult. He respected that.

  Of course, he wasn’t acting like an adult now. He was acting like the immature little kid his mother thought he was.

  Jesse wanted everything to go back to the way it was before Wednesday when he and Sean were followed. When his mother wasn’t worried, when he and Sean were having fun, when Jesse wasn’t scared that he would never see his dad again.

  He closed his eyes and tried not to cry.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Nate called Kane back less than an hour later. “I have no proof,” Nate said in lieu of hello, “but my friend was very chatty about Vasquez. A lot of fodder for the rumor mill.”

  “That’s all I need.”

  “He sold himself to the highest bidder. Looked the other way if someone paid him enough.”

  “Drugs?”

  “Yes—but no specific allegiances. The only thing my buddy was certain about—again, no proof—was that Vasquez once killed a low-level drug dealer for money.”

  “A hit man?”

  “Likely. It was a bust that went south and Vasquez was hauled up in IA and the investigation tainted his precinct. But there was no proof—he got a demotion, but a year later was back on his old beat, then retired at full pay. Tells me that he’s willing to do just about anything for a buck.”

  “Still—his house is damn expensive.”

  “I pushed. The guy could still be taking hits, but my buddy says it’s usually one criminal against another. His big deal is falsifying evidence. Rumor has it that a rich fuck who killed his wife paid Vasquez to lose the evidence during the last couple months he was on the job. Evidence disappears. Everyone thinks the prick killed his wife, but can’t prove it.”

  “So he’s a sneaky hit man and liar.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Need backup?”

  “I’m good.”

  He ended the call. Damn, Nate was good. Very good and very fast.

  So Vasquez fronts as a PI, but is actually a hit man? Did he take out Domingo himself? Or did he run a gunman or two?

  That didn’t feel right to Kane. Vasquez seemed more like a fixer. If someone needed killing, he’d kill him. But disposing of evidence, that sounded slimy.

  Still, the potential to be whacked put a completely different spin on things and made the situation far too dangerous. A good sniper—like the one who took out Domingo last night—could take the shot and be gone in seconds. That put all of them at risk.

  Kane sent Jack a message.

  Vasquez a fixer. Possible hit man. Know the situation. Spread the word.

  Sean was good with security, and there wasn’t a car he couldn’t drive or a computer he couldn’t crack. But Sean had never been military. He’d never had to protect himself against a potential sniper attack. Jack would make sure Sean, Lucy, and Jesse—and now that damn bitch Madison—were safe, as long as everyone listened to him.

  Kane should walk away from Vasquez’s joint, but he needed more information, and this was his best chance. Where was this asshole? He was late, and that never boded well.

  Five minutes later, he saw Vasquez drive up. Two cars came in behind him, each with two men. Not the men Vasquez had been playing golf with. Vasquez talked to them. One car left, but out of the corner of his eye Kane saw the vehicle go around to the back. The other car parked directly across from Vasquez’s office door.

  What did this guy take him for, an idiot?

  Vasquez looked around, then went into his office. Kane slipped the cook a twenty and went out through the back. He called Vasquez.

  “I’m here,” Vasquez said. “Where are you?”

  “I should know never to trust a corrupt cop.”

  “I will kill you if you so much as look at my daughter.”

  “Just remember: You wanted to play it this way. I’ll see you soon.”

  Kane walked half a block away and slipped into his truck. He drove off, not being able to resist driving by the strip mall.

  Vasquez was standing in his doorway, looking both angry and worried.

  He should be worried.

  No one fucked with Kane’s family and got away with it.

  Now it was time to find out what was going on with his nephew before the kid got himself hurt, or worse. Because something wasn’t adding up here, and Kane always trusted his instincts.

  * * *

  Bart sat at his desk and called the man who hired him.

  “Guy is a no-show.”

  “He spotted your men and bolted. I told you, if it’s Rogan, he’s not going to walk into a trap.”

  “Fucking Domingo. I wish I could have him killed again. He gave them my name.”

  “And nothing more. If they knew anything, they wouldn’t concern themselves with you. Minor hiccup, but it actually works in my favor.”

  “He’s going to be on alert.”

  “He was on alert as soon as he was tailed on Wednesday.”

  “I told you that was a stupid-ass idea, Robertson.”

  “Not my stupid idea, but Carson Spade has no idea what can of worms he’s opened up. As soon as I get his wife and son, he’ll give me everything he’s hiding from the feds. Millions are at stake here.”

  “Maybe he won’t. Maybe he’ll say kill them both, good riddance.”

  “Then the FBI will have the proof that he lied and hid assets, and he goes to prison. My dear old friend Carson would not do well behind bars. And he will know by then that I can get to him anywhere.”

  “So what now?”

  “My guess is that Madison will be on her way to the airport tonight, tomorrow morning at the latest. We grab her and the kid and make a deal.”

  “And Rogan?”

  “I was hired to assassinate him as soon as Madison and Jesse are out of San Antonio, after all. Two birds, one stone. Don’t panic, and the payday will be sweet.”

  “Not panicked, just pissed.”

  “Stay alert, Bart. I have everything under control.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Lucy ran into the house. “Sean!”

  Madison Spade walked out of the kitchen, startling Lucy. “Sean is out looking for my son.”

  “I came as fast as I could. He will be fine. He’s a smart kid.”

  Lucy was worried, but her fear wouldn’t help alleviate Madison’s. Jesse was a smart kid, but it had been reckless to leave the house, especially since they didn’t know the reasons behind the hit-and-run.

  Madison didn’t say anything, just walked back to the kitchen.

  Lucy followed. Bandit didn’t greet her; Sean must have taken him.

  “Sean and Jack will find him,” she said.

  “I will not talk to you about this,” Madison said. She picked up a coffee mug. Her hands were shaking, and she tried to be stoic.

  “There’s no reason for you to be hostile toward me,” Lucy said. “We all care about Jesse. We all want him back safe.”

  “No. I want him safe back in Sacramento with me. He’ll never be safe with Sean.”

  Lucy had to swallow her temper in order to respond. “Madison, Sean risked his life to save both Jesse and your husband last year.”

  “I should never have gone to him. Never! None of this would have happened.”

  “Is that what you really want? To take back the last year, not tell Sean he had a son, your husband still laundering money for the cartels? Is that really what you want? You think that life is safer than a life with Sean?”

  “Sean has turned Jesse against me! Convinced Jesse that he needs to change his name. Convinced Jesse that Carson is a bad person. It’s insane that Sean thinks Carson is behind your accident.”

  “Sean has not said a word against you to Jesse.”

  “You wouldn’t know. You’re so blindly loyal. Sean is all charming and sweet and romantic, but underneath that facade he’s a cunning and manipulative bully.”

  So much animosity. Out of guilt? Re
gret? Lucy couldn’t let Madison get under her skin. She said, “If you force Jesse to go home he’ll only want to return sooner.”

  “He will never be under Sean’s influence again. Never.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “I do. I regret letting Jesse come here. I regret bringing Sean into his life. It was a mistake, and one I will not make again.”

  “And you told Jesse this?”

  “No. I just told him we were going home. But I told Sean, and dammit, I mean it.”

  “And Jesse heard.”

  “Of course not!”

  “You’re not stupid, Madison, so listen to me. Sean is a great father. Jesse loves him. Jesse calls him dad. It was Jesse’s idea to change his name. Why? Because Sean is one of the good guys, and the man who raised him is a criminal who put his entire family in danger because of who he worked for. Sean has never said a word against Carson—even when he thought Carson was the one who tracked us, he didn’t tell Jesse. Jesse is proud of Sean, and he should be. You raised a great kid who can think for himself, a kid who has a huge amount of compassion for others. You should be proud of that, in spite of Carson.”

  “Do not talk to me about my husband. Sean is no saint. Or didn’t you know he was a criminal hacker in his youth?”

  Madison evidently thought she would surprise Lucy with that information.

  “None of us are saints, Madison,” Lucy said. “Certainly not you.”

  She shouldn’t have said that, but Madison was pushing all her buttons.

  Madison looked down into her coffee mug. “I want my son back.” Her voice was barely audible.

  Lucy pushed aside her anger, reached over, and squeezed her hand. She repeated, “Sean and Jack will find him.”

  Lucy’s phone beeped. She looked down. It was a message from Sean.

  Jesse is at the boys’ home. He’s safe. Jack and I are heading there now. Tell Madison.

  Lucy showed the message to Madison.

  “Take me there. Right now.”

  Lucy raised her eyebrow.

  “Please,” Madison added in a whisper. “I just need to see my son.”

  Maybe this was actually a good thing, Lucy thought. Madison needed to see the truth, because talking to her certainly wasn’t working.