by Sybil Bartel
“Take some time off and get your head straight. Tyler’s covering the front anyway.”
“I don’t want time off.” I needed money so I could move to a more secure apartment. “I need to work.” And not think about anything except Conner.
“All right, all right, I get it.” He paused and I knew what was coming. “You met his wife?”
“Yeah, a woman named Jannat who I guess—”
“Jannat Khanom?”
Did everyone know this woman? “I don’t know her last name.”
“Black hair, green eyes, early thirties?”
And stunning? “That’s her.”
“And she’s married to Christensen? Are you sure?”
“She called him her husband.” That pretty much sealed the deal in my book.
“Jesus.” André exhaled. “I didn’t see that coming.”
Neither did I, but I didn’t say shit. “I gotta go, I’m driving.”
“Hold up, chica. I hate to do this now but I got a lead on Tanner.”
I waited for him to elaborate but he didn’t. “And?”
“I can call the Feds, or I can bring him in… or I can ignore it.”
Fuck. “I don’t need any more favors from you. Do what you have to do.”
André sighed. “Come on, Ariel.”
“I didn’t ask you to look for him but you did anyway. You found him, you deal with it.” He was dead to me. “I’m done being used by him.” And Viking.
“That sounds like you remember something.”
Everything was more like it. “All of it.”
“Then you remember why he needs to answer for what he did. Not to mention Christensen will want to see him go down.”
“I don’t give a shit what Christensen wants.”
“You need to be safe, chica.”
“Viking and all of his money took care of that,” I said bitterly.
André exhaled. “Okay, look, fuck Christensen and his money. He has more than he knows what to do with so forget about him paying Candle off. Because trust me, he may have transferred that cash to Candle’s account but you can bet your ass he’ll get it back one day. That’s how Christensen operates. He’s never gonna lie down and take it and he does nothing halfway. He won’t forget what Candle did and frankly, I’d be scared as shit right now if I was Candle. When Christensen decides to collect, Candle’s never gonna see it coming.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“No. I told you Jason was a walk in the park compared to Christensen.”
“Whatever.” I didn’t want to hear it.
I could practically see André run his hand over his face. “Do you have a preference for the Jason thing or are you leaving it up to me?”
Now that I remembered André, I felt bad for everything I’d put him through. He’d never been anything but kind to me. “Do whatever you think is best,” I said tiredly.
“If I call the Feds, he’ll go to prison.”
“Jason made his own choices.” He already wasn’t a father.
“All right, chica, I hear you. I’ll take care of it.”
A wave of nausea hit and for a split second, I panicked. Did I really want to be the reason my son’s father went to jail? “André, wait. What if—”
“Don’t do this to yourself, babe. You know who he is. You didn’t set this in motion. It’s been a long time coming and you need to protect your son. You know I’m right.”
I glanced in the rearview mirror at Conner. “But if we let him go and if the LCs don’t kill him, maybe…?” He could turn around? Do it again? What the hell was I saying?
“He stole from the club he’s prospecting for. He’s safer in jail.”
He was probably right. Shit. “Why do I keep picking the wrong men?”
André snorted. “I’m single by choice, chica. Can’t help you there.”
“Can I ask you one last thing?”
“Shoot.”
I swallowed. “What happened in the garage after I blacked out? How did the LCs get us?” I knew what Viking had told me but in the back of my mind, it’d been bugging me since I’d gotten my memory back.
André paused. “I stood down. Candle had you. They got Neil. Tyler was wounded. It was a command decision.”
But he sounded pissed about it. “And?”
“And nothing. I knew Christensen could handle himself and we started tracking you the second they left.”
“You’re not telling me something.”
André sighed. “Christensen left his six wide open.”
“So he made a mistake?”
“He doesn’t make mistakes.”
Just like he’d told me. Viking knew what was happening and he’d purposely let himself get taken. He had a wife and kids. Why the hell would he do that? To save me? Protect me? Only to turn around and fuck me over? “I gotta go. Conner’s waking up,” I lied.
“All right, chica. Drive safe. See you Monday.”
“Okay.”
I hung up and my cell buzzed with a text alert. I quickly glanced at it.
NC: I am calling you. Answer. This is not about us.
A second later my phone rang. Wrecked, my pulse racing, I stupidly answered. “What?”
“You spoke with Luna.”
His voice filled my head and sank into my heart and yearning so deep stole my breath. “Is that a question?”
“Tanner should not be allowed to go free.”
“That’s not up to me.” I hated how I was straining to hear any sounds in the background—kids, Jannat—anything.
Pause. “How is Conner?”
It didn’t escape me that he used his real name. “I have to go.” I couldn’t do this. I never should’ve answered. The second I heard his voice, I wasn’t mad at him, I was just heartsick.
“Text me when you get home.”
Crippling jealousy reared up and threatened to choke me as the unwanted thought of him having sex with his wife and holding his own children crushed my heart. “You don’t get to use me anymore.” I hung up and turned my phone off.
Every mile back to Miami, I fought tears and anger. By the time I pulled up to my shit apartment, all I wanted was my memory gone again. Instead, I got to struggle with a suitcase, a cranky toddler and three flights of stairs. Then I pushed my front door open and my eyes landed on the obscenely large television mounted on my wall.
“Damn it.”
“Damn it,” Conner repeated.
“Don’t swear, baby.” I set him down and he ran to his room.
“Truck!”
I dumped the suitcase and looked around. Every item that used to be home to me now looked like desperation. I couldn’t help but compare my shit life to Viking’s, and my used, threadbare couch looked a thousand times worse than before I’d seen his fancy ocean-view condo.
Conner came back in the living room holding up a small truck I recognized. “Truck. Neil?”
I squatted. “Come here, sweet boy.” He settled into my arms and I squeezed him tight. “Neil’s busy working right now.” I hated that I was giving him the same excuse I gave every time he asked about his father. “Let’s have some dinner and watch TV before bed, what do you say?”
Big brown eyes that melted my heart looked up at me with hope. “Cereal?”
I smiled at my son. “You got it.”
I CALLED THE OWNER OF the daycare’s cell phone in the morning and said I’d had a family emergency. Luckily, she hadn’t given my spot away. I told her I’d see her Monday then I drove clear across town to take Conner to a park. Checking my rearview mirror every two seconds and looking over my shoulder constantly at the park, I was a mess by the time I pulled into a grocery store two neighborhoods over. Worse, I realized after I’d filled my cart that I was buying all the shit on the stupid list Viking had rattled off in Pietra’s. And when my old Land Cruiser started right up after I loaded the groceries in the back, I almost lost it.
No matter how many times I told myse
lf that Candle wouldn’t come after me or that Jason wouldn’t show up, my pulse refused to calm down. When I unlocked my front door and walked us into the apartment, I let out a breath of relief.
Until I saw it.
Placed directly in the middle of my living room like a beacon of my vulnerability was my suitcase. The faint scent of spice and musk filled my lungs and fury set in as I glanced around, but Viking was long gone. I set Conner down. “Go to your room and play.”
With shaking hands, I yanked my phone out of my purse, turned it on and fired off a text.
Me: YOU BROKE INTO MY APARTMENT. I’m calling the cops RIGHT NOW.
My home phone rang.
Goddamn it. I picked the phone up then slammed it back down. A second later my cell rang.
I swept my finger across the fancy piece of shit and answered. “Fuck you. You do not get to break in!”
“Calm down,” Viking’s voice rumbled.
Calm down? “How dare you,” I practically screeched.
“Ariella,” he warned.
“No. Don’t you ever call me that again. Don’t call me, period!”
“I’m coming over.”
“Do it,” I seethed. “See how fast Miami’s PD puts you in cuffs, you fucking stalker.” I hung up and Conner came out of his room clutching his blanket with his face scrunched up like he was about to let loose.
Shit. I squatted. “Come here, baby boy. It’s okay. Mama’s not mad at you.” I held my arms out. His little body curled into mine and I hugged him tight. “Don’t cry, sweetie, Mama’s done yelling.” His tears gutted me and I realized I wasn’t being any better of a parent to him than Jason had been. “Shh, shh. I promise, it’s okay.”
The knock on the door was so hard, it rattled the old wood in its frame and I jumped about a foot. Scooping Conner up, I put my hand over his ear and yelled, “Go away!”
“It’s Tyler, open up.”
The tightness in my chest didn’t ease. I opened the door but left the chain on. “I’m busy.”
“André needs you at the office right now. Both of you.” Tyler’s expression was apologetic but unwavering as he glanced at Conner.
I wasn’t falling for this bullshit. “I don’t know what Viking put you up to, but I want no part of it.” I started to close the door and he put his boot in the way.
Tyler frowned. “This isn’t about Christensen. You need to come with me.”
“Why?” I challenged.
“André will tell you.”
For all I knew, this was a ruse, or worse, Candle was behind it. “Not happening. Move your foot.”
Tyler whipped out his cell, dialed and held the phone out. A second later, André’s voice came through the speaker. “Luna.”
“Boss, you’re on speaker with Ariel. She’s reluctant to come.”
“Chica, you’re going to want to hear what Tanner has to say.”
Damn it, damn it, damn it. I undid the chain and snatched the phone from Tyler. Taking it off speaker, I held it to my ear. “No, I don’t. We talked about this. I’m not getting involved.”
“You’re already involved. Do yourself a favor and get down here.” He hung up.
I handed the phone back to Tyler but all I really wanted to do was throw it.
He raised an eyebrow. “We good?”
“I’m not putting my son in danger.”
Tyler placed his hand over his heart. “I promise nothing will happen to him on my watch.”
He couldn’t promise me shit, but I didn’t argue. Wanting this over with, I grabbed my wallet, cell and the diaper bag. “I’ll follow you over.”
Tyler took the bag from me. “I’ve got Luna’s Escalade. The car seat is still in it.”
I sucked in a breath to try and calm the fuck down then I squeezed Conner tighter to my side. “Come on, baby boy, we’re going for a ride.”
Tyler smiled at Conner. “You want to ride in a big truck?”
Conner tucked his head to my shoulder and mashed his blanket to his face. I couldn’t blame him. I followed Tyler to the Escalade and buckled Conner in. It wasn’t until I got in the passenger seat that it really hit me where we were going. I hadn’t been back to Luna and Associates since I’d been taken. The anxiety that’d been crawling around in my head all day ratcheted to a new level and I was bouncing my knee and twisting my hands by the time Tyler pulled up to a new security gate for the underground parking.
I glanced over my shoulder and a warm hand landed on my arm.
“Ariel.” Tyler squeezed, but instead of it being reassuring, his touch made my skin crawl. “We’re safe. There’s a new gate, more cameras and we now have a full-time guard posted in the garage.”
I jerked my arm away. I didn’t want him touching me. I didn’t want anyone touching me except Viking and I hated that I was even thinking about that. “I’m good. I just haven’t been here since… it happened.”
Tyler pulled past the new solid metal gate and parked. “I get it.” He let out a short laugh and shook his head. “This garage doesn’t hold my favorite memories either.” He glanced at his arm and scowled. “And your boss isn’t letting me get even.”
“He’s your boss too.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Steeling myself for the garage, for Jason, for whatever fucked-up bullshit that was about to be unleashed, I pulled Conner out of his seat and held him close. Following Tyler to the elevator, glancing around for bloodstained concrete and bullet holes that weren’t there, I thought I would see evidence of what had happened here a mere week ago but there was nothing. A guard hut had been installed and one of the men from upstairs waved at us as Tyler pushed the elevator call button.
I waited for the fear to rear up and hit me but it didn’t. Instead, a slow simmering anger took hold and everything that Jason had put me through became a shitstorm of too many years’ worth of repression. By the time I followed Tyler into a conference room, I was ready to explode.
Until I laid eyes on Jason.
One eye swollen shut, lip split, jaw discolored, nose taped, most of his face and arms black and blue, he was beat to hell.
And he wasn’t alone.
“Elle.” His voice scratched, straining through the single word. He tried to push himself more upright in his chair and grunted.
I turned to Viking as he quietly stood three feet away with his legs apart and his hands clasped in front of him like he was in a military ready position. “Did you do this?” I seethed.
His face a mask, Viking didn’t even blink.
I spun on André, who was on the opposite side of Jason. “He needs a hospital.”
“No hospital.” Jason lisped through the s like teeth were missing. “I’m okay.”
“Daddy,” Conner whispered.
Enraged that André had made me bring Conner, horrified with myself that I hadn’t shielded my son the second I saw Jason, I quickly covered Conner’s face with my hand and backed toward the door. “We’re leaving.”
“Daddy’s fine, little man. I just fell is all. Elle, please, let him come to me.” One arm tucked in his lap, Jason held his other arm out. “Come give Daddy a hug then you can go get a soda, okay?”
Jason had done it to me again and right then and there, I knew I was over him. I didn’t care if he was hurt. I didn’t care if he was in pain. He’d fucked me and Conner and I was so over him, I wanted to finish him off but in true Jason form, he’d put me in a bind. Not only were there witnesses to my fucking mess of a life, I was put in the position to be the bad parent. If I didn’t let Conner see Jason, I’d upset him. But if I let Conner go to him, seeing Jason up close could scare him worse. I only had one choice. “Come on, Conner. Mama will get you a soda.” I was getting the hell out of there and André could fucking deal.
Tyler stepped up. “How about you come with me? I think I might know where there’s a cookie.” He grinned and held his good hand out. “What do you say?”
I glanced at Tyler’s bandaged arm and it didn’
t escape me that everyone in this room was suffering because of Jason. Conner looked up at me and I had a choice. One last opportunity to let Jason have it or be the bigger person and simply walk away.
I wasn’t the bigger person.
I forced a smile. “You can go with Tyler but only one cookie before dinner.”
Conner looked at Viking like he needed reassurance and I held my motherfucking smile until it hurt.
Viking quietly spoke in Danish then inclined his head at Tyler and Conner let me put him down. The second Tyler walked out of the room with Conner, I dropped the charade.
“This is bullshit.” I looked from Viking to Jason to André. “Fuck all of you for telling me to bring Conner.”
“Elle—”
“Don’t you fucking Elle me. I don’t give a shit if you’re dying. Conner didn’t need to see this!”
“Chica.”
I spun on André. “And you!” I pointed. “You know better!”
“They took Marissa, Elle,” Jason rasped. “I didn’t have a choice.”
Momentarily thrown, I stared at Jason. “Who took her?”
“The president of the LCs. He took her two weeks ago. He said I’d never see her again unless I stole the guns from Candle. He told me where they were gonna be and everything. Come on, you know I wouldn’t be stupid enough to cross Candle.” He wheezed through a few breaths. “I didn’t have a choice. The president had it out for Candle and put me in the middle. I had to do it. He was going to kill Marissa if I didn’t.”
Rage like I’d never felt before in my life threatened to consume me and I was moving forward. “And you thought taking my car and my son to pick up three crates of guns was a good idea? So you could save the bitch you cheated on me with?” My arm swung out of its own accord and would’ve made solid contact with what was left of Jason’s face if a strong, calloused hand hadn’t shot out and caught my wrist.
“Ariella.” My name whispered across Viking’s lips like a caress.
All of my rage switched targets. “Take your cheating, piece-of-shit hand off me and go back to your wife, you fucking asshole!”
His grip moved to my arm so quick, I was driven out of the room before I could register André’s “Dios mios.”
Viking propelled me past half a dozen of André’s men, who all suddenly looked too busy to pay us any attention, and into an office in the far corner of the suite. Slamming the door behind him and dropping the blinds like a crazed person, he ushered me to the far wall only to release his grip so he could slam his hands on either side of my head.