When Lies Unfold

Chapter 58

If anybody had toldme I’d be outside with my daughter and Lola barefoot in the grass, “grounding,” I’d think they were fuckin’ high.

But here I am, and damn if the look on Alma’s face isn’t worth it. “Do you feel the energy from the earth transferrin’ to your body?”

“Yes,” Lola chimes in with a smirk. “Do you feel it?”

When I answer, “Totally,” Alma’s grin grows even wider. Leanin’ close to Lola, I whisper in her ear, “I know what I plan to feel later on tonight.”

I love the flush that colors her cheeks. But before I can say more, my cell phone rings, and as much as I hate seein’ Alma’s disappointed expression, I gotta check it.

When I see who the call’s from, I frown as I answer it. “There a reason you’re callin’ me when you’re inside the house?”

The slightest hesitation has me on edge before Gordo speaks, his voice muted. “Andro’s here. Says he needs to talk to you and Lola in person. Wants to apologize.”

Shock radiates through me. The fuck? As if he heard my thoughts, he says, “He’s unarmed. Made sure of it. What do you want me to do?”

Of-fuckin-course, when I have a free minute and am enjoyin’ myself, the universe—in the form of my nephew—chooses to screw with me.

“He seems sincere.” Gordo grunts. “Then again, it is Andro.”

I mull it over. “You said he wants to apologize?” Even sayin’ it out loud, it sounds like bullshit. I glance back to find Lola watchin’ me with a worried expression.

“Yeah. He said it was important. That he regrets his actions.”

Regrets his actions? More like he doesn’t have access to unlimited funds after the shit he pulled.

I grip the muscles in the back of my neck that’ve grown tense. “Send him down”—my tone turns to ice—“but keep your eyes on ’im.”

“Got it, boss.”

A moment later, Andro appears at the top of the stairs leadin’ back to the house, Gordo’s large form right behind him. My nephew’s restin’ most of his weight on a fancy-lookin’ wooden cane due to his wounded leg.

My hand automatically moves to my weapon, the memory of that night still fresh in my mind. I put my body in front of Lola, who’s already tucked Alma behind her. Diego and Miguel flank Alma and Lola protectively.

Andro raises his free hand in a surrender position now that my gun is trained on him. When I don’t lower it, he says, “I’m unarmed, and they checked.”

His attention veers past me, zeroin’ in on Lola and Alma. “I only wanna talk real quick.”

My tone is ripe with a lethal warnin’. “One wrong fuckin’ move, one wrong word, and I won’t hesitate to shoot you.”

Gordo hands Andro back his cell phone, and my nephew carefully descends the steps. I don’t feel an ounce of regret or pity for his injury, ’cause he did this shit to himself.

The closer he gets, the more I sense Lola’s nervousness. But I can tell he’s not hidin’ any weapons on him since the boy’s got tells like no other. That’s the only reason I lower my gun at my side, though I sure as hell don’t holster it.

Not yet.

Once he’s about six feet away, nearin’ one of the stone tables with concrete benches, I stop him. “That’s close enough.”

Remorse crosses his features, but he obeys my instruction and nods. “Fair enough. I wanted to come here and apologize.”

As if wrestlin’ with nervousness, he slides his cell phone from his pocket and fiddles with it, tappin’ one edge on the table. Tap-tap. Pause. Tap-tap.

“I’m sorry for what happened.” Starin’ down at his phone lyin’ flat, he goes quiet while tracin’ a fingertip along one edge. I wonder if he’s searchin’ for the right words.

His eyes lift, dartin’ past me to lock on Lola. “I’m sorry for what I did to you, Miss Arias. I know nothin’ can erase it, but I want you to know I regret it and wanna work hard to make it up to you somehow.”

Andro shakes his head, starin’ down at the ground, his voice raspy with emotion. “I was jealous and immature. I was actin’ on emotions instead of thinkin’ things through. It’s stupid, but the more I tried to prove myself, the worse it got. The more mistakes I made.”

When his gaze locks with mine, I search his features for any indication he’s full of shit but can’t find any.

I wanna give ’im the benefit of the doubt, but fuck. This boy’s been a thorn in my side for years now, and at this point, any trust I had left for him is obliterated.

“I hope you can somehow eventually forgive me.”

My fingers flex around the gun at my side, and his eyes don’t miss it.

“Appreciate you comin’ by, Andro, but you’ll understand if we don’t immediately accept your apology.”

A flicker of irritation crosses his features before it quickly vanishes. I offer him my hand. “Comin’ here today is a step in the right direction. It proves you’re tryin’ to be a man.”

He shakes my hand, and his weak-ass grip hasn’t changed. “I appreciate you lettin’ me come back to say it face to face.”

“Of course. We’re family.”

My phone rings, interruptin’ us, and Andro takes a step back.

“I’ll let you get back to your day.” Then he turns and carefully ascends the stairs while Gordo and Luis watch him with their hands on their holstered weapons. I’m sure they’d love it if he gave ’em a reason to open fire on him.

I slide my phone from my pocket, and an eerie premonition strikes me when I see the number on the screen.

Ensurin’ Andro’s well outta earshot, I answer. “Juarez?”

“We’ve got ourselves a development.”

Goddammit. I know whose name he’s gonna say before he gets the words out.

“We received intel that Hidalgo’s planning to push more women over the Panama-Costa Rica border.”

A dull throb comes to life behind my eyes. “That bastard just won’t give up.”

“Yeah, well, there’s more.”

My muscles turn to concrete before he adds, “This time, he’s slated to be shipping more than five hundred.”

“Five hundred?” I grind out angrily. “The fuck is he doin’ traffickin’ that many girls at once?”

“I’ve got a team in place, ready to intercept again, but we need you there. And we need all the manpower you’ve got.”

I glance at my watch. “What’s his ETA?”

“In about four hours.”

Fuck. I grip the back of my neck, the muscles knotted already, and glance over at my girls. Lola and Alma are pickin’ some wildflowers and twistin’ the stems to connect ’em to make a flower necklace.

The pure look of joy on Alma’s face makes me wish I could send somebody else in my place and stay here with them.

I force myself to look away and refocus on work. Regret still feels like it’s oozin’ from my pores when I finally push out the words. “All right. I’ll get my men together, and we’ll meet you.”