by Alice Ward
Asher passed the phone back to the clerk, thanked him, and stepped back into the parking lot. I followed, fuming.
“You don’t expect to find anything?” I demanded.
“Calm down, Lauren. Austin’s calling the state troopers’ office. They’ll probably be there before us,” he insisted again. He paused beside the truck and stared back at me. “Do you think I would have brought you with me if I really thought we were in danger?”
“No,” I confessed.
“Do you want to stay here?”
I considered it for a moment and shook my head. “No. I’d go crazy wondering what’s going on.”
“Then let’s get going. We’re wasting time.”
I climbed back into the truck, my heart racing. Asher fired up the engine and turned down a small two lane road.
“How long until we’re there?”
“About ten minutes. And in fifteen, this will all be over. Rachel will be in custody where she belongs. My identity will probably still be exposed, but we’ll deal with it. If she talks, we may be able to put Luis back behind bars too.”
Asher turned down another road and slowed the truck. A few miles later, he turned again onto a gravel driveway. He pulled up to a small cabin that looked like it would collapse with a small gust of wind and killed the engine. A few moments later, a short, dark skinned man with silver hair stepped out onto the porch.
“Fuck,” Asher groaned.
Luis Chavez smiled, beckoning us to come inside with the barrel of a shotgun.
***
“Lauren, I am so sorry. The cops will be here any minute. Just follow my lead. And if I say the name Livingston, get the hell out of the way.”
Livingston?
“Do you understand?” Asher pressed.
I nodded, my eyes fixed on Luis. “Follow your lead, Livingston means get out of the way. I got it.”
My heart was racing, but my hands were steady. I unbuckled my seatbelt and Asher and I reached for our doors in unison.
“Open the door and keep your hands up as you get out of the car,” he directed.
I did exactly as Asher said.
“It’s been a long time, gringo. I’ve been expecting you,” Luis greeted him.
“Hello, Uncle. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”
“Ah yes, because you have the gringo cops watching me. I know. My cousin isn’t loving the constant attention.”
“How is Marco?”
“Already tired of being me, but who can blame him? Being me is shit these days, thanks to you. But all that’s about to change. I’m assuming you’re here for the girl? You and that damn girl. She was the start of all our problems, William. And you brought another girl to fetch her. Tell me, which one are you going to save if I lose my temper?”
“I have no intentions of pushing your temper, Uncle.”
“Your intentions are horseshit, just like your loyalty. Come inside.” Luis turned and stepped back into the cabin. Asher followed without looking at me and I remained fixed to the ground. Luis stuck his head out and waved the gun at me again.
“Come on, girl. I didn’t make you a part of this. You have William to thank for that.”
I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and climbed the porch steps.
“It’s Lauren,” I said as I stepped past Luis.
“What?” he replied, his lips curling in a slight smile.
“My name is Lauren. I don’t answer to girl.”
“You got spirit, girl. William always liked spirit. Me? I like my girls quiet. Sit down next to the bitch and show me how quiet you can be.”
I turned into the cabin and saw Rachel on a well-worn couch. Her hair hung in tangles around her face, her eyes were puffy and red, and her hands were tied in front of her. She glared up at Asher like a rabid dog.
“It took you fucking long enough to find me. This animal has had me for weeks. Where the fuck have you been?”
“Save your shit, Cynthia,” Asher snapped back at her. He turned to Luis, his hands still up.
“Look Uncle, I mean you no harm. I never did. I think you were misinformed about something a long time ago. Yes, I saved some information I shouldn’t have. But I never intended to use it. You can’t blame me for wanting to protect myself against what happened to my father.”
“I can blame you for not showing loyalty to the hands that fed you,” Luis spat. “Your father is a noble man. He understood how things had to be and he did his job. I can’t say the same for his coward son. You told the girl to turn on us. You chose a cunt over your family. What kind of man does that, William?”
“You were going to kill her,” Asher countered.
“Maybe we were, maybe we weren’t. It wasn’t your decision, regardless. But you got involved anyway, didn’t you? You just couldn’t resist being the hero. You should have died in that cabin instead of Miguel. But no matter. You and your girls will die now.”
“I know you’re not going to kill Cynthia,” Asher announced as Luis swung his shotgun toward the couch.
The old man paused for a moment and turned to Asher.
“Oh yeah? You think you know so much? Why wouldn’t I kill the bitch?”
“Asher, please!” Rachel screamed. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. He’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill all of us.”
“No one’s dying today. Where’s my money, Cynthia?”
Tears sprang from her eyes. “Why do you keep calling me that? Stop calling me that. Do something, Asher, before he hurts us.”
“Where’s my money?” he repeated, his eyes locked on hers.
“I don’t know where the money is. He showed up at my condo the day before you left for London. He had your flight plan and told me he’d kill you if I didn’t transfer the money into his account. I did what he asked, but he didn’t let me go like he promised. I’ve been here ever since.”
“No, you haven’t,” Asher corrected her.
Luis let out a chilling laugh and leaned against the wall. “I told you he wasn’t going to fall for it, girl.”
Rachel let out another wail. “I don’t know why you’re treating me like this.”
“Yes, you do. You can cut the act. I know all about you, Cynthia. I’ve talked to Sam, your doctors, your parents. It took me a decade, but I finally see who you really are. And quite frankly, if Luis wants to send you to hell where you belong, I’d be happy to watch.”
Luis laughed harder, loosening his grip on the shotgun.
Just keep them talking, Asher. We’ve been here at least five minutes. The cops should arrive any time. Just keep them talking and keep his hands off of that gun.
“You talked to my parents?” Rachel growled. She jumped to her feet, pulling her hands from the rope with ease. She leapt at Asher, clawing his face as she landed on top of him.
“You son of a bitch!” she screamed.
Asher grabbed her by the hands and pushed her to the ground.
“Don’t talk about my mother like that, you sociopathic whore,” he bellowed.
“This is fun,” Luis laughed. “I could watch all day. You really want me to kill her, William? I’d do that for you. I liked your mom.”
Rachel spun on the floor and kicked at Luis’s feet. “Shut the fuck up. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be rotting away in a prison cell. You’re not going to touch me. No one’s going to touch me.”
She struggled to her feet and smoothed her t-shirt. “No one’s touching me because I do have the money. Most of it, anyway. Arranging for Luis here to join us cost a pretty penny.”
“That’s one aspect of this that’s tripped me up,” Asher confessed. “Why did you need Luis? Why didn’t you just take the money and disappear? You could be half way around the world right now.”
That’s it. Keep her talking.
“This was a wrong that needed righted,” she explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“This was supposed to happen a long time ago,
Asher. It was always going to happen eventually. Luis and I made a deal. I guess you’ve figured that out. You would die at the cabin and Luis’ attorney would get your files thrown out. Without you around, Luis wouldn’t be able to face his accuser. No one would have gone to jail and after proving my loyalty, I’d have become a valued member of the family. That’s how it was supposed to happen. None of us realized you’d have the balls to arm yourself. The way you talked about being able to trust the police made us think it would be an easy job.”
“So why didn’t you run back to the family after we left the cabin?” he asked.
“When you killed Miguel, I thought maybe we were more alike than I originally realized. You became interesting and I wanted to see what you’d do next. We had a good run, you and I. Until she showed up.” She snarled the words in my direction. “I’m surprised you brought her along. But I’m so glad you did. Luis will take care of you. But I’m going to kill this bitch myself.”
For the love of God, where are the cops?
Asher moved between Rachel and me, and Luis lifted the shotgun again.
“Sorry, William, but I can’t let you touch her. She wasn’t lying. She still has your money… my money. Please know that I’m accepting it as a token of your apology for the pain you put me through. All is forgiven now. But the girl wants you dead, and you know how the business works. Whoever controls the cash makes the rules.”
“Who taught you that, Uncle? Was it Livingston?”
Without thinking, I threw myself onto my side and dropped to the floor while Asher reached for his gun. A deafening shot echoed through the room and the smell of burning powder filled the air. I glanced up in time to see Luis hit the floor.
Rachel moved like a cat, grabbing the shotgun. I struggled to my feet and Asher turned his pistol to her.
“Drop it, Cynthia. This is over.”
I heard a car door slam and knew our salvation had arrived.
“It’s over alright,” Rachel snarled. I was stunned when she slammed the stock of the gun into her own face, groaning as the barrel connected with her cheek. Then, she hurled it at me before falling to the floor. Unsure of what was happening, I automatically caught it by the barrel just as the front door came crashing down.
“Police! Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air.”
Four men in SWAT uniforms filed into the house, their automatic rifles held tight to their chests. Asher and I put the guns on the floor and straightened our backs. Within seconds, we were handcuffed and thrown on the couch.
“Thank God you’re here,” Rachel sobbed, holding her face. “These monsters just murdered Mr. Chavez. I don’t know which one of them did it. Luis and I came out here to talk and they just showed up and attacked us. She hit me with the shotgun. I’m not sure how long I was out.”
One of the cops helped her to her feet and examined her face while two others searched Asher and me. He was carrying his wallet; my pockets were empty.
“My name is Lauren Matthews,” I told them. “This is Asher Reynolds. We’re the ones who called this in. Our attorneys are Parker Parish and Kennedy Montgomery. Call them. Or call Detective Austin with the San Juan PD. They will explain what happened. This woman is unstable. You can’t believe anything she says.”
“Ma’am, we were alerted to a possible altercation at this address. We arrived to find a dead body, an injured woman, and the two of you on your feet with weapons. You’re free to call whoever you’d like once we’re at the station. For now, I need you to stand.”
“Just do what he says, Lauren,” Asher instructed.
Two officers helped Rachel outside and the others stayed with us.
“The more you cooperate, the easier this will be,” one of them explained. “Which one of you shot this man?”
“We are not saying anything until one of our attorneys is present,” Asher replied, his voice firm.
“Have it your way then. Asher Reynolds, Lauren Matthews, you’re under arrest for possession of a firearm, aggravated assault, and murder. You have the right to remain silent. If you waive that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you. Do you understand these rights as I’ve explained them?”
“Yes,” we replied in unison.
“I thought so. Get on your feet.”
I struggled to stand and fell back onto the couch. The handcuffs dug into my wrists and hot tears fell from my eyes. I turned my neck and tried to wipe my face on my shoulder.
This is just a dream. Any minute now, I’m going to wake up on the air mattress.
One of the officers grabbed me by the cuffs and pulled me to my feet. Pain radiated through my hands as he pushed me toward the door.
THE END
Continue on to Read Part 4...
UNRAVELING THE BILLIONAIRE
PART 4
CHAPTER 1
This isn’t happening. I’ve woken up in someone else’s life again and this time, it feels like a fairytale. We should be on our way to the Hamptons right now. And surely they’ll let us go once they understand that Rachel was lying… why the hell did I get in the truck?
The hours after our arrests crawled by in a blur of procedures and disbelief. Before shoving Asher and me into the back of separate police cars, one of the cops stuffed our cuffed hands into thick plastic bags to preserve any gunshot residue. Upon arrival at the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s station, the bags were removed and my hands were covered in carbon tape; the female officer in charge of my intake cringed and apologized as she removed the tape with quick, stinging pulls.
Officer Masters handed me a white jumpsuit and turned her head as I stripped out of my clothes. Once I was dressed, she stuffed my things into an evidence bag and took me to be photographed and printed. The department’s fingerprint scanner had crashed earlier that morning, so I got to do things the old fashioned way. I stared down at the black ink on my hands and knew that regardless of what happened next, my life would never be the same.
When it was time to make my phone call, I dialed Kennedy’s number from memory. When her line went straight to voicemail, I was allowed a second call. Parker answered on the first ring and assured me she was minutes from the sheriff’s station. She also explained that she’d alerted Kennedy the moment she’d woken up and found us gone that morning. She and Jackson had hopped on the fastest family jet and would be landing in San Luis Obispo within the hour. Parker advised me to sit tight and keep my mouth shut until she got to the station. I promised not to speak and insisted that she see Asher before me. I ended the call and Officer Masters led me to an interrogation room.
It makes sense that they arrested us. It was our word against Rachel’s and Asher and I were the ones with the guns in our hands. But Kennedy and Parker will be able to straighten everything out. They’ll explain Rachel’s history. Detective Austin can bring them up to speed on the case. This is just an unexpected bump in the road. It will be settled before dinner time.
I shifted my weight on the unforgiving plastic chair and stared down at my stained hands. The pungent smell of hot gunpowder lingered in my nostrils and the image of Luis Chavez bleeding out on the rustic wood floor flashed through my mind. But most unsettling was Asher’s voice echoing through my head, addressing Chavez as “Uncle.” I had no doubt about it: the moment Luis stepped out of the cabin, Asher Reynolds had morphed back into Billy Murphy. And once again, he’d taken a life to protect someone he loved.
My jumpsuit had short sleeves and the interrogation room was freezing. I pulled my arms close to my chest, rubbing my bare skin in an attempt to warm myself with the friction. Someone on the other side of the one-way glass must have noticed; a few moments later, two new officers entered the room with three steaming coffees. They took seats on the other side of the table, placing the spare Styrofoam mug between them.
“Ms. Matthews, I’m Detective Logan,” the rounder officer announced.
He emptied a manila folder and stared down at the paperwork, his green eyes full of sympathy. It was clear that the red headed detective was playing the role of good cop.
“This is my partner, Detective Stanley—”
Aka bad cop.
Detective Stanley was tall and thin, with broad shoulders and an unforgiving glare across his pale face. He sneered at me and Logan continued.
“It looks like you got yourself mixed up in quite the mess, Ms. Matthews. Let me assure you that I understand how you wound up here. Mr. Reynolds is a very wealthy man. I’m sure you got wrapped up in the fantasy aspects of his life. Anyone would. You don’t seem the type to get involved in vigilante justice. I assume you had no idea what you were in for when you set out with Asher this morning. I know you don’t have a record and you must feel pretty overwhelmed right now. If you’ll just explain to us what happened after you left Mr. Reynold’s estate, we’ll get you out of here asap.”
Chilly air blew from the vent above my head and the hair on the back of my neck stood up straight. I was miserable and terrified, but I refused to play their game. I relaxed my arms to my sides, held my head high, and stared defiantly across the table.
“I’m not answering any questions until my lawyer is here,” I insisted.
Detective Stanley let out a snort and took a drink of his coffee. He turned to his partner with a frown.
“I told you she wouldn’t talk. Because she was as much a part of this as her boyfriend. Isn’t that right, Lauren?” he pressed.
He’s trying to force a reaction. He wants me to defend myself or lash out so he can prove I have a temper. I cannot lose my cool.
“I’m not answering anything without my lawyer,” I repeated, this time a little less aggressively.
“You can wait for your lawyer, but she isn’t going to be much help to you,” Stanley retorted. “According to the responding officers, Mr. Reynolds was holding a pistol when they broke through the door. But you had the real fire power, didn’t you? And you gave Ms. Goins quite the beating with it. According to the ER doctor, you broke three bones in her face.”