Chapter 7 The Gathering Storm #2
Esther’s head snapped up. “Oh, hell yes! Get in here. Both of you.”
Norm exhaled a noisy sigh as he sank into the chair across from Esther’s desk. “It’s— about what we expected.”
Colin’s stomach twisted. “How so?”
“Moreno’s lawyer didn’t waste time. Sat down, laid it all out like a damn business deal. No threats, no posturing—just Elias’s terms.”
Colin scoffed. “Terms?”
Esther folded her arms. “Let’s hear it.”
Norm glanced at Colin. “You’re out.”
Colin blinked. “Out?”
Norm’s gaze sharpened. “Out of danger. You and Joshua both. That part of the deal is non-negotiable.”
Esther’s brow furrowed. “And in return?”
Norm spoke quietly. “First off, Elias is offering us Hannibal’s killer. He’ll give everything—confession, evidence, the whole story. But there’s a condition: the plea is for second-degree murder. No first, no capital.”
Colin’s jaw clenched. “So the shooter—Lexi’s guy—walks away from the death penalty? Even avoids life?”
Norm nodded. “The judge can give five to forty years. But it’s not automatic life, and no chance for capital.”
Esther bristled. “That’s a hell of a deal for a hitman.”
Norm was blunt. “We could push for more, but Larimore says this is it. No deal, no confession. And we both know the odds of convicting Lexi directly are next to nothing.”
Colin stared at the table, then looked up. “So, the boss’s brother gets to keep his hands clean. His guy takes the fall, but only for second-degree?”
Norm nodded. “That’s how it plays.”
Esther’s eyes narrowed. “And if we turn it down?”
Norm shrugged. “Then we get nothing. The trail goes cold. Elias stays out, and we bury another body without answers.”
Colin exhaled, frustration simmering. “If we don’t take it, Hannibal gets no justice at all. If we do, Lexi skates—again. But at least we get the shooter off the street.”
Esther shook her head. “It’s a compromise, but it’s something. We’ve watched too many walk for nothing.”
Colin leaned toward her. “It’ll stick in my throat, but I’ll back your call, Esther.”
“So noted. Let’s ensure that every word of that confession is included in the public record. Let Elias sweat.”
Norm continued. “Second, review Lexi Moreno’s prison conditions. Possible transfer to medium security.”
Colin gave a dry snort. “We figured that was coming.”
“And last—he wants the heat off his business. Law enforcement pulls back unless there’s an ironclad cause.”
A silence stretched between them. Colin finally let out a breath. “That sounds like a shakedown.”
Norm didn’t disagree. “Not a surprise. We knew Moreno would want us off his back.”
Esther leaned back, folding her arms. “He’s offering a killer and your safety, Colin. It’s leverage, but it’s not a gift.”
“No,” Colin agreed, “but it isn’t nothing.”
Norm fixed his gaze on Esther. “They want you at the next meeting. With Elias’s lawyer. Neutral ground, same rules.”
Colin straightened, jaw clenched. “Absolutely not. Esther—”
Norm cut in. “We need you, Esther. This is how it has to go.”
Esther considered, then nodded. “Set it up.”
“Esther, no!” Colin cried, shooting to his feet.
“Sit your ass down!” Esther snapped. “I don’t need your protection, Colin.
I know what the hell I’m doing!” She leaned toward the two men.
“There are other options on the table here. I have a long list of concessions I can try to get from Moreno—the dismantling of Lexi Moreno’s goddamn sex trafficking ring for one! ”
“Esther…” Colin began, but she waved off his protest and got to her feet.
“Norm, set up that meeting!”
At the Omni that night, Colin paced back and forth in front of the large living room windows, stopping now and then to peer down at the streets of Charlottesville some seven stories below.
Joshua let him work through his obvious restlessness in silence, watching the tension play out in every tight movement.
Finally, Colin turned, arms folded across his chest. “Esther’s meeting with Moreno’s lawyer tomorrow,” he said. “He says Elias’s ready to offer terms. If they’re acceptable… we might be able to go home.”
Joshua nodded, then took Colin’s arm and led him to the couch. “That sounds like good news, but I can tell you’re still carrying the weight of it.”
Colin stared down at the floor, his jaw tight.
“We’re dealing with a violent criminal organization,” he muttered.
“One that’s already murdered people in this city—and wouldn’t think twice about doing it again.
” He shook his head and blew out an angry breath.
“I don’t like the idea of her going in there alone. ”
Joshua gave a small smile and leaned against his shoulder.
“Esther will be fine, baby. I’d bet on her to handle damn near anything.
” He leaned back, his gaze steady. “Besides… would it really be in Moreno’s best interest to harm the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney, at a meeting he requested, to offer his terms?
Can you imagine the response from Charlottesville law enforcement? ”
Colin let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You make it sound so logical.” His gaze drifted toward the window. “And you’re probably right. But logic doesn’t sit that well when you’re staring down a group of people who don’t give a damn about consequences.”
Joshua didn’t reply right away. He reached for Colin’s hand, his thumb tracing a slow, calming line across his knuckles.
Colin’s shoulders dipped. “I know she can handle herself. She’s tougher than half the people in that office—including me. But I’ve seen what these people can do. The thought of her walking in there without backup…” He shook his head.
Joshua squeezed his hand. “Then let’s hope this deal gets her out clean—and gets us home.”
One week later
The conference room was a sterile, neutral space, agreed upon in advance.
Esther sat at the polished wooden table, her hands folded, her expression unreadable.
Across from her, Daniel Larimore lounged in his chair, the picture of smug, controlled ease.
He might have been mistaken for a simple corporate lawyer, but Esther knew better.
A glass of water sat untouched in front of her.
Larimore offered her a small smile, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes. “You know, for a negotiation, this feels a bit one-sided.”
Esther arched a brow. “That’s because it is.”
He folded his hands on the table, watching her.
“Mr. Moreno has extended a very generous offer. He’s willing to give you the name of Hannibal Barrett’s killer, provide full evidence, and let you close that chapter—for good.
” He tilted his head. “In exchange for a second-degree murder plea, of course.”
Esther nodded once. “That’s on the table. Next?”
Larimore’s smugness faded a little. “Mr. Moreno will also neutralize any ongoing threats against Mr. Campbell and his husband. No more unfortunate incidents, misunderstandings, or… accidents.”
She let the words hang, refusing to acknowledge the implied threat.
“We’re listening,” she said.
Daniel’s gaze sharpened. “And in return, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office will shift its focus. Some investigations will slow down. Your attention will be redirected… elsewhere.”
Esther leaned forward slightly. “Let’s get one thing straight. We aren’t making this deal to protect Elias Moreno. We’re making it to end operations that are even more reprehensible.” She met his gaze, unblinking. “Which is why we have non-negotiables.”
Daniel’s smile didn’t waver, but she saw the flicker of caution in his eyes.
“Go on,” he said.
Esther glanced down at her notepad. “One: Moreno dismantles every operation tied to sex trafficking of minors. Gone. Dismantled. And not just on paper. We want proof: names, locations, financial records, everything.” She leveled him with a cold stare.
“Moreno makes that happen, or this conversation ends right now.”
Daniel was silent, then finally nodded. “I believe that’s… manageable.”
She didn’t give him time to recover.
“Two: Moreno turns over a list of corrupt cops and judges on his payroll. We pick who we go after.” She let that settle before adding, “Enough to make this worthwhile. Names with weight. Proof that sticks. No low-level nobodies.”
Daniel let out a slow breath. “That’s… a bit steeper.”
Esther’s voice was cold. “Then I suggest he choose his sacrifices wisely.”
He studied her for a moment. Then, slowly, he leaned back in his chair. “And in return?”
“The Commonwealth deprioritizes some of its lower-level investigations—not all, but enough to free up resources. We don’t stop doing our jobs, but we redirect our focus where it matters more.”
Daniel nodded as if he’d expected this. “And Lexi?”
“He gets a prison transfer to a lower-security facility. Not a get-out-of-jail-free card, but something that makes his sentence less… unpleasant.”
Daniel was quiet for a long time, scribbling on his notepad.
Esther remained silent.
Finally, he exhaled, smiling again—but this time, it was tighter. “I’ll have to take all of this back to Mr. Moreno.”
Esther didn’t react.
Daniel tilted his head slightly. “He won’t like it.”
“I don’t care what he likes,” Esther snapped. “This is the price of peace.”
Daniel studied her, then sighed. “I’ll let you know his answer soon.”
Esther arched a brow. “How soon?”
“A day. Maybe two.” His expression sharpened. “And if he refuses?”
Esther leaned in, voice low and deadly. “Then we go to war. Lexi makes himself comfortable in Red Onion. And every law enforcement agency in Charlottesville comes down on Moreno’s business empire hard and often until there’s nothing left but dust and bad memories.”
Larimore’s mask slipped. For the first time, uncertainty flickered across his face. He nodded, quietly. “I’ll be in touch.”
Esther didn’t move until he was at the door. Only then did she rise, smoothing the front of her jacket. Poised. In control. As if she hadn’t just issued a declaration of war against a mob kingpin. “I look forward to it.”
When Esther returned to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, she found Norm and Colin both pacing in her office.
Colin stopped midstride the second she stepped through the door. “Well?”
Norm wasn’t far behind. “Did he bite?”
Esther shut the door behind her, took her time removing her coat, and set her bag down on the desk—unbothered, in control. Then she met their eyes and said, “We’ll know soon.”
Colin let out a long breath, part relief, part frustration. “That’s it?”
Norm crossed his arms, observing her. “How hard did they push?”
Esther arched a brow. “They pushed hard. But I pushed harder.”
Colin huffed a laugh, half-admiring, half-shaken. “Jesus!”
Norm nodded, steady as always. “Now we wait.”
Esther settled into her chair, lacing her fingers together with a quiet laugh. “I think I scared the bejesus out of Moreno’s baby lawyer.”
Norm scoffed out a laugh while Colin fell into a chair with a sarcastic snort. “I’m not surprised to hear it.”
“How is Josh handling all of this?” Esther asked.
“He’s OK,” Colin said with a shrug. “He understands that negotiations like this one take time.”
“I know how much both of you want to go home.”
Colin turned to the window, his gaze distant and unreadable. “More than you could ever know.”
“A few more days, Colin. Just hang in there a few more days.”