Chapter Thirty-Eight
Enrique is, as expected, waiting on us at the airport and as Jay and Augustin exit the hangar, and walk toward the chopper, he steps between me and the door. “What is this, Lilah? How dangerous?”
“The unknown and the obsessed are always dangerous in any situation and we have both. It’s probably nothing. It might be something.”
“Kane thinks it’s something.”
So do I, I think. “He loves me. Of course, he thinks it’s something. Let’s get this over with.”
He studies me a moment, his eyes sharp on my face. “You do, too.”
I don’t answer him. I step around him and make my way to the chopper.
Once we’re in the air, I try to find my zone.
I’ve never really thought too hard about Junior and I regret that now.
Out of sight is not out of mind. I need to make that my motto.
It’s only then, with the chopper hypnotizing me, that it hits me where I’m meeting Junior.
My mom’s house. It burned down awhile back, but that was where I was attacked.
How did I read that message and not immediately see a red flag?
The address didn’t even click, which is just impossible.
It’s some sort of trauma reaction I don’t want to be mine.
I’m still fucked in the head over my attack in ways I pretend I am not.
There is no such thing as a coincidence might not be true, but in this case, it is.
It’s so damn true. Maybe I blocked it out because if I knew what this was, if Kane knew, I’m not sure how this would be playing out.
The chopper lands, and I’m nauseated in a dreadful kind of way, I never feel. It must show, because the instant I’m inside the airport and Jay looks at me, he’s in front of me. “I knew there was a problem when you didn’t even talk trash in the SUV. I know you’re not okay. What can I do?”
There’s real concern in his voice, and I know what I’ve known a long time with Jay. He’s a friend. “Stay alive, Jay.” I grab his arm and squeeze. That’s all I have ever wanted you to do. Stay alive.” I turn away from him and join Enrique. “Keep Jay safe. He’s not like you.”
“I know. And I will.”
Thirty minutes later, we pull to a halt a block down from the plot of land I have yet to do anything with after the fire.
Me and Kane have talked about rebuilding it, but it’s a hard decision moving forward when it’s a place I shared with my mother and a place I killed my first man, after being raped.
“I need you all to stay here,” I order.
“I’m not staying, Lilah.”
“None of us are,” Jay adds.
“Agreed,” Augustin chimes in.
Of course, I think, and I don’t have it in me to be the bitch that changes that. And I’m not sure I want to anyway. I’m not myself. I’m freaking quivering inside. “Follow from a distance. Stay at a distance.” I get out of the SUV and start jogging.
When I arrive at the location that was my mother’s getaway house, the place she went when my father gutted her, and hurt her, I find just land, the ocean crashing against the beach where I’d found myself crushed to the sand beneath my attacker.
The moon is full and hovering above the water, a glowing white globe floating in the sky, while the stars twinkle and dance against the obsidian backdrop.
It would be a perfect night if I were anywhere else, but here.
I walk toward the water and I don’t let myself look back.
My team has my back, but I can feel someone else near.
I rotate with the water at my back and I wonder if Junior will show or if this too is a game.
As I stand there, my mind reaches for the past, and unbidden I’m beneath my attacker, so very drugged, so weak, so impossibly unable to help myself.
I shake myself and curse allowing myself the freedom to relive this past and just then, my eyes catch in the distance.
I watch as a figure in a hoodie approaches, and to my shock, the gait is distinctly female.
If she’s armed, it’s tucked in her pockets with her hands.
I’m not good at waiting. I start moving toward her and to my surprise she doesn’t halt until I’m a mere two feet from her.
I stop as well, and at this close proximity I can see her face. “Alexandra?”
She yanks her jacket down. “Lilah, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? What the hell is this?” I demand.
“That night—”
“Are we really here to talk about you being a shitty friend? I have a murder to solve.” I step away and start to leave.
“No. Wait. Please. I beg of you.”
I grit my teeth and face her. “What?”
She yanks her hood down, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. She’s a pretty woman, a talented attorney and ADA, and yet she is evil incarnate. “You set me up that night. You helped them drug me. They were going to kill me.”
“No. No. They told me they’d kill Eddie and they did. They did.”
“So you chose me instead?”
“No.” Her voice is raw and tears are now streaming down her face. “No. Please listen. They told me they were going to scare you. That’s all. I swear.”
“And the stupid notes had what purpose?”
“I wanted to pay it forward. I wanted to help you, but if you knew it was me, you’d never let me.”
“So you trashed my husband over and over?”
“I thought he was what everyone else thought, but I know better now. I’m a bad judge of men obviously. Eddie was dirty. I married one of them. And I can’t get out now.”
“You want my help. That’s what this is?”
“No. No again. I overheard something, I think they are coming after you again. Can we go somewhere please? I wanted to apologize here, but it’s very exposed.”
I’m angry with her. I’m really fucking angry and more emotional than I have been in a very long time.
I could cry. I really hate that I have that in me, but if she knows something about Pocher coming at me and Kane, I need to know.
And I need details I’m not getting on this beach.
“Let’s go.” I start walking. She falls into step with me.
“I’m sorry, Lilah.”
I don’t answer. I need to sit across from her and look her in the eye to gauge her sincerity and judge her story truth or fiction.
We’ve just reached the road when suddenly two SUVs fly toward us and slam on their brakes.
Instinct kicks in and I grab Alexandra, and shove her behind me, pulling my service weapon.
But two more SUVs have planted themselves in front of us now too, and in a blink I have at least a dozen of Roberto’s men, Kane’s men, standing in front of us.
My team cannot come for us and survive, not without possibly getting me killed.
But they do it anyway. Out of nowhere, and from behind, they plant themselves beside me, weapons drawn.
Somehow Alexandra is on her knees, and in the open between me and Enrique who is on my left while Jay is on my right.
Augustin is next to him. Now it’s us four and a DA on her knees against a dozen guns.
Lilah, the crybaby like her father, is gone.
Lilah the bitch is back. I think we can take them.
Roberto steps in front of me, a Glock in his hand.
“You disrespect me, Lilah, and you burn that same disrespect into my son. Tonight, you both learn who you kneel to. Tonight, you go home but you go home with blood on your hands. Put your weapon down or I will kill one of your men. Tell all of them to put their weapons down.”
I don’t tell them because that would be stupid, but I slide my gun into my holster, giving him something. Giving my men time to act.
His men shoot at the ground in front of them and Alexandra screams bloody murder. “Put them down!” Roberto shouts.
My men have no choice. “Lilah?” Jay asks.
“Do it,” I order.
The only one who listens is Jay. He kneels to put his weapon down and that’s when Roberto fires his Glock. That’s when this beach bleeds out in a whole different way. One I do not know if I will survive.
The End…