Chapter 41
Elliot
Fuck. Fucking fuck.
I fucked up and I did it big time.
Why are we here? Why did I tell Leo that I was going to bring the information to him personally?
Why did I think it was a fucking good idea to bring Aria in any of this?
I should have did everything possible to make Aria’s connection to Harrison disappear.
I have the resources, the money to wipe anything clean, to erase it from existence.
Yet here the fuck I am in the home of a notorious kingpin to a Mexican cartel.
With the woman I love about to confess her sins.
Aria’s safety should have been top priority but I threw that out the window.
Why? Why the fuck would I do that?
Because my secrets were more important? Because I didn’t want to destroy the connection I built with the Cartel? Because I didn’t want to lose on the money that came with the business side of that relationship?
I’ve said Samantha is as cold hearted as our mother at times, but looking at my actions from the last few hours, I am just the same. I am very much the son of Marisela Serrano and its bleeding through.
Keeping the secret of my kinship was at the center of it all, the point of every decision made today. I told myself that I was done protecting my mother, but yet I was still doing it.
No more.
No more thinking about Marisela. No more protecting her. No more of her dictating anything about my life. She didn’t put me first. She wanted nothing to do with me, so it’s time I do the same.
She may be my mother by blood, but that is where the connection with her will end. I will make fucking sure of it.
When Aria told Leo that she was the one that told Jack Harrison about the Muertos, I expected him to erupt. I expected him to be angry as he calls in his men, his second in command, and tortured the information of Aria, to possibly shoot me dead for knowing, but none of that happened.
There was anger, it showed all over his face, but there was also silence.
I am the one that ends up breaking it.
“We can explain everything,” I voice, coming up next to Aria and moving her behind me, shielding her from our friend.
His eyes don’t miss how my hand touches her and I can see the questions swimming behind the anger, but the latter of the emotions stays prominent.
“What the fuck is there to explain? The person who my wife thinks of as a sister, and I did too for that matter, talked to a fucking politician about my cartel, my men, my family. There is nothing to explain.”
It’s Aria that speaks next, her voice braking in the process. “Just hear me out please. Let me tell you everything and then I will leave and never come back.”
A sob sounds out at the last part and my heart breaks for her.
Hearing her must affect Leo as much as it does me, because even though Aria was speaking, my eyes stayed on him. I see the as the anger start to disappear slightly.
He watches her, and I know if I were to turn, I would see her beautiful face covered in tears. I would see the strength that she holds so damn well, depleted.
I hate myself even more for doing this to her.
This should have been on her own terms. Not mine.
After a few seconds of taking her in, Leo lets out a sigh and gives a small nod.
“Okay.” He voices, but I have no idea who it’s for. “Okay. Explain. Tell me everything.”
I feel Aria relax somewhat against my back, but when she speaks, I know she is still very much on high alert.
“Can we do it in the living room? And can Serena be here for it? She needs to know too.”
At the mention of Serena, Leo’s jaw ticks.
“Fine. Manuel will guide you to the sitting room. I will go get Serena.”
“Thank you.” It’s a whisper, but loud enough to be heard.
Leo walks past us without another words and leaves the kitchen. As soon as it’s just the two of us, Aria lets out a long breath.
I waste no time in turning and taking her in my arms and press y face into her hair.
“I’m sorry.” I say, taking in her scent.
Her arms wrap around my waist and holds onto me tightly. “What’s done is done. There’s no more hiding the truth, it was supposed to come out eventually. Why not today?”
Why not today?
I nod against her hair. “You’re right.”
And she is. What I don’t voice is that she won’t be the only telling the truth today. I will be too.
Footsteps approach the kitchen entry and I look up to find Manuel standing at the threshold, arms folded in front of him, and his face stoic.
“Don Morales wants you two in the living room.”
Aria and I separate from each other.
I nod at the older man. “Gracias, Manuel.”
He gives me a slight nod back before turning and guiding us to a different part of the house.
I’ve never been here. Never have I even step foot on the property, so being here is new to me.
As I take in the place, I see a home, one perfect for kids to run around in and fill each room with laughter.
I’m sure Leo’s son loves living here. It takes me aback though, because a house like this, is not what you would expect from a Kingpin.
But I guess with in these walls that’s not what Leo is.
He’s not a drug lord, or someone hiding from federal agencies in plain sight.
Here he’s just a thirty-year-old guy making a home with his wife and kid.
When we make it to the living room and I see the toys in the corner, that sentiment strengthens.
Manuel leaves, and Aria and I are about to take a seat on a couch, when footsteps come rushing into the room.
A woman with light brown hair past her shoulders and eyes so wide stops at the entrance and takes in Aria.
Serena Davidson Morales. Aria’s best friend and Leo’s wife.
I’ve only seen photos of her, only heard stories, but never met her in person. When she rushes over to Aria and wraps her in a hug, I can see the connection the connection and love they have for each other.
“What are you doing here?” Serena asks, not loosening her grip on her best friend.
I see Aria’s body relax the longer she is in her friend’s arms.
“You were taking too long to visit me so I thought I would come to you instead.”
A small smile forms on my face at hearing my woman make light of the current situation. I’m able to see through it though, and I know Serena can too.
The two women pull away. Serena keeps her arms on Aria’s shoulder and takes in her face.
“What’s going on? What happened? Why do you look like your whole world is crashing down?”
Aria gives her a teary smile. “Because it is.”
“What are you talking about?” Serena looks worried. She keeps her eyes on Aria, but when she doesn’t say anything, she turns to me and then to Leo who just walked in. when no one answers, frustration seeps from her. “Can someone please tell me what is going on? And who are you?”
The last question is directed at me. It takes me a bit by surprise. I understand Leo not mentioning me to her, but since I know her and Aria talk all the time, I guessed talking meant a mention of me, possibly even a picture, but I guess that isn’t the case.
I give her a small smile. “I’m Elliot Lane. I’m a friend of your husband’s and…” I look at Aria, “And Aria’s boyfriend.”
The word doesn’t seem like enough. Aria is my person in so many ways, but I guess the word boyfriend will have to do for now.
Both Serena and Leo speak at the same time. “Boyfriend?”
To my surprise, Aria looks sheepish when she responds. “Yes.”
“You have a boyfriend and you didn’t tell me?”
By the way Aria cringes I know what she is thinking. I haven’t told you a lot of things.
“Since when?” This time, its Leo asking the question.
Aria answers. “Since I moved to Chicago basically. We had met in Vegas, the same weekend you two got married, and coincidently reconnected a few months ago.”
The way Leo looks over at me, with an eyebrow raised, set jaw and arms crossed along his chest tells me that he doesn’t think it’s Aria and I reconnecting was no coincidence.
He knows I have Drake in my back pocket to look into anybody I need.
Aria wouldn’t be any different, and she wasn’t.
He doesn’t need to know that though and her landing in my house was a coincidence.
“And you and Leo are friends?” Serena asks, her eyes moving between me and her husband.
“We went to high school together and have stayed in touch, Princesa.” Leo answers her.
Serena’s eyes move back to me. “And you coincidently were also in Vegas at the same time we all were?”
I hear the skepticism in her voice and honestly I would question all of this too. It’s a lot of odd pieces coming together somehow.
“Yes. Weird how it all worked out.” And it’s true. What fuckery had to happen to have all of us in one place at the same time and have this outcome.
She seems to accept that answer and turns her attention back to Aria, wrapping their hands together
“You didn’t come to Austin just to introduce me to your boyfriend.” I take note of the concern in Serena’s eyes. “What’s going on? Talk to me and I will try to help as best as I can.”
Aria starts shaking her head. “You won’t be able to help.”
Tears stream down her face and I can tell she is trying so hard to hold back a sob.
“You don’t know that. Whatever it is you need, I am here. If you need me to drop everything and go to Chicago with you for a few days, I will.”
More head shakes come from Aria until she eventually drops her best friend’s hands and takes a step back.
“You can’t drop everything because you will hate after you hear what I did.” The sob finally escapes from her.
I go to her but she holds up a hand as she puts distance between her and everyone in the room.
“Aria?” Serena says, in a calm voice that I’m sure she uses on her son and with the kids she teaches. “I will never hate you.”
Five words is all it takes to break the dam.