Chapter 40
Aria
With Elliot’s apology in my back pocket, we make it to Austin as quietly as when we boarded the plane in Chicago.
At the very least a cloud of anger isn’t hanging over us. Though it does feel like something is still there. Maybe it has to do with not knowing what will come from me telling the truth.
Will Serena hate me?
Will her husband cut me out of her life completely?
I want to say that Leo cares about me, possibly sees me as family and won’t cut me off from the people we love, but I spoke about the cartel, to a politician no less.
What I said doesn’t only affect his men, it hurts those very people we would both bleed for, it puts them in danger.
He’ll have every right to throw me to the curb.
If that does happen, I will have to accept it. It will shatter me beyond repair, but acceptance is the only thing I will be able to do.
When the plane lands, my hands start to sweat as if every inch of my body knows what we minute away from walking into and it’s trying to do everything in its power to get away from it. My mind is probably trying to think of every defense mechanism known to man.
Let’s make her sweat as much as possible so she can be slippery when they chase her.
“Ready?” Elliot’s voice seeps through the visual currently playing in my head of me being chases by Leo’s men.
I have to shake my head to bring myself back to the surface.
“No.” I answer truthfully, “But I have to get off this plane either way.” I place a hand in his outstretched one and stand. My legs shake under me and my breathing is shaking, but I don’t stop Elliot from guiding me off the plane.
As the sun hits my eyes, it takes me a second to realize that we landed at a private airfield and not at Austin-Bergstrom.
I’ve been here two before, about a year ago.
Isabella was going to meet with an investor for her fashion line and invited Serana and I to New York with her.
I said yes because it served as a distraction of the disaster my life had turned into.
It feels like it was a whole lifetime since that trip.
I thought I would feel excitement being in Austin, even with the circumstances, but I don’t.
At least, not as much as I thought I would have.
I am happy to be back, but I want nothing more than to go back to Chicago and stay there.
It could be I want nothing to do with the city right now because of what I’m about to do, or that Chicago has officially become my new home. I’m going to say it’s the latter.
Coming down the stairs of the plane, I notice the black SUV waiting for us, right away, I recognize the man standing by the driver’s door as Serena’s head guard. When he meets my eyes, he’s a little surprised.
“Senorita Hernandez,” Manuel, the guard says in greeting, sending a nod my way. “I was not expecting you to arrive with Mr. Lane.”
I give the man probably in his late forties a smile. “Hola Manuel. My being here is very much a surprise.”
One for me and everyone involved.
He throws a small smile back. “Mrs. Morales will be very pleased that you are here.”
I swallow hard at the mention of Serena. I’m sure she won’t be please once she finds out why I’m really here.
Manuel opens the back door for us and Elliot, and I slide in while someone puts the two small duffels we packed before leaving the penthouse.
When all the doors close and Manuel starts driving away from the tarmac, I start to pick at my cuticles.
Usually, my regular manicures stop the bad habit of making the sides of my fingers bleed, but no matter if I got a fresh coat of bubble gum pink two days ago and was lathered in cuticle oil by my manicurist, all thanks to Elliot’s credit card, here I am, picking at skin that isn’t dry trying to keep my nerves at bay.
So many what ifs are running through my head and I want them to stop. I want them out of my mind and to never appear again.
The urge to leap out of this car is strong and the only thing stopping me is if I continue to pick.
Pick.
Pick.
Pick.
A hand lands on mine and gives me a hard squeeze.
Looking up, I meet Elliot’s gaze and I can’t help but to notice the apology bright in his eyes.
He told me he was sorry on the plane, and as we get closer to wherever we are meeting Leo, the more he’s angry with himself that he put me in this position.
Wanting to calm him, to comfort him, I lean forward and place my lips against his.
The kiss is delicate and quick but simply having his mouth on my mine send a calming effect through my body.
“Everything is going to work out,” I whisper low enough that I’m sure the two men can’t hear me.
My words earn me a small smile. “Are those words for me or you?”
I laugh escapes me. “I think more for me.”
Elliot’s hand tightens around mine. “If you need to leave, just say Tomás and I will get you out of there as soon as I can. No questions asked.”
I give him a nod. “Why Tomás?”
“It’s my middle name.”
I should have known that. We’ve spent so much time together since I walked off his elevator months ago, and I’m just learning his middle name.
“Mine is Marie,” I voice.
“I know.” He gives me a smirk, and I roll my eyes at him.
“Did you learn anything about me outside of Drake’s report?”
His smirk grows even more. “Of course I did.”
“Like what?”
The smirk turns to a smile that pulls at my heart. One filled with love and admiration. One I want to see every day for the rest of my life.
“Like the fact you like salty and savory food instead of sweets. Though you whenever you eat fruit you want it to be as sweet as could be before you douse it in lemon and salt. I know you love your job and would love working with children. I know you like being in Chicago more than you thought you would be and even think of it as home now. The report didn’t tell me that you love fiercely, and you pour everything that you are into a friendship or relationship, no matter how low committal it may be.
I learned that you are funny as hell, even more so when the dark humor and sarcasm comes out.
I learned that there are times where the world terrifies you, but you will do everything in your power to keep your head held high and power through.
That report told me basic information, but spending time with you told me everything I needed to know about who you are as a person, and I have loved learning every new thing. ”
Tears spring into my eyes. I’ve been holding them back since Elliot woke me up we were coming to Austin, but I have been keeping them in. Now the flood gates are open with Elliot’s words.
I needed to hear it.
I needed him to say them.
Pulling my hand from his, I bring it up to his face and cradle his stubble filled cheek with my palm. I say three words I feel so damn deeply for him and only him.
“I love you.”
This may be the first time I’ve said the words, but I’ve been feeling them for a while. I was just too scared to voice them. I have no regrets in voicing them, though I do wish circumstances were different.
His eyes gleam as he turns his face toward my palm and places a kiss against the skin. I nearly melt in my seat, wishing that we were in the SUV alone and without prying eyes.
“I love you too.” His lips press to mine for a second, possibly two. “I fucking wish we weren’t in the middle of all this right now.”
I don’t get to respond because as soon as I open my mouth, the car comes to a full stop.
My eyes drift to the windows and it takes me a second to put to together where Manuel brought us. For some reason, I thought we were going somewhere nondescript, a hotel or warehouse somewhere, but no. We were brought to the compound Leo a few months after he married Serena.
Their home, the very one I’ve spent more nights in than I can count.
Somehow knowing that this conversation is going to happen rooms away from the kitchen were Serena and I tried to cook so many Mexican recipes, from the nursery I helped decorate and the living room I’ve spent hours in watching movies, makes it worse
I swallow hard when the door opens.
“Everything is going to be okay,” I whisper to myself as I climb out of the back seat and into the Texas evening.
Manuel guides both Elliot and I to the front door of the main house. Once he has one of the other men pat down Elliot, he guides us inside.
A strange pang hits my heart as I take in the familiar walls, the pictures and flowers decorating the place. This was a second home to me for years, and now there’s a possibility that this will be the last time I walk through its halls.
We are guided to the kitchen, which seems like an odd place for the head of a cartel to take a meeting, and have our presence announced by Manuel clearing his throat.
Leo, who is sitting at a small kitchen table I picked out, looks up. His eyes meet mine right away and instantly fill with confusion.
“Aria?” Even his voice sounds confused. “What are you doing here?”
He looks like he is trying to figure out if he should stay seated or if to get up and give me a hug. The middle is where he lands. Leo gets up from his seat but doesn’t move away from the table.
A small smile forms on my face, one that is forced and not genuine whatsoever and I know he can read right through it.
“I wanted to surprise Serena.” My voice is small, almost a whisper and with no conviction.
Leo looks me over, his dark eyebrows bunching up in the process. It takes him less than a second to see right through me. “What’s going on?” He looks at me when he asks the question before moving his eyes over to Elliot. “You said you were brining information.”
Guess it’s time to come clean.
“I’m said information.” My eyes fall to my hands, not being able to face him.
There’s a few seconds of silence in the kitchen before he responds. “What did you just say?”
I close my eyes to work up the courage, and it takes me more than a handful of seconds to find it. The tears from the car ride never fully went away, so when I look up and meet Leo’s stare again, warm liquid clouds my vision and streams down my face.
“I am the information Elliot was brining. I know why Jack Harrison is coming after the cartel.”
Once upon a time, years ago, I told myself that I would never anger or cross the kingpin standing in front of me, because if I did, it would have deadly consequences.
But I ended up just that, I don’t need the Leo’s facial expression to tell me otherwise.
I messed up and I’m about to face the consequences. As deadly as they may be.
“What are you talking about?” There’s anger in his eyes, anger in his voice. So much damn anger. To Leo Morales, I will no longer be his wife’s best friend. I will officially be the person that betrayed him and his family.
My jaw trembles as I speak.
“I told Jack Harrison about the Muertos Cartel.”