32. Blair
THIRTY-TWO
blair
I touched the base of my neck and flinched, the realization I’d forgotten to put my necklace back on almost knocking the wind out of me.
Not wearing it for a day had been fine but now it felt weird, making me a little antsy.
“What’s up with you?” Finnegan asked, glancing at me with a frown on his face. “You leave something we need to go back for?”
I shook my head.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll be sure not to forget it next time.”
He hummed and I looked out the window, watching the city disappear as we made our way to Woodstock where their aunt lived. The two and a half hour drive gave me time to sit with myself and contemplate my next moves.
There was Esi. Fuck if I knew how to deal with her and now that she was ghost I wasn’t sure what to make of it. None of this was like usual.
And then there was my dad, who was probably plotting on my life now that I’d knocked him from the pulpit.
“Your thoughts are suffocating us, B,” Finn said, drawing my attention away from the road to him. “Liam can’t even focus on driving properly.”
I flicked my gaze to the man in question and sure enough he had his eyes on me through the rear view. But ultimately looked away to focus on driving us safely.
Finn had pegged the situation wrong.
Liam was observing me because he knew Esi was on my mind.
Clearly they’d done something before she left and now he was invested. Truthfully, so was I. The more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t just kill Esi.
I eyed the text that’d come through from Jaslyn before opening my mouth to address his weird behavior since she left.
Have you seen this?
I frowned and clicked the article link she’d dropped.
Does Manhattan have another serial rapist on the loose? The headline read, throwing me for a fucking loop.
I scrolled the article from what looked to be a true crime blog. The author seemed heavily invested in getting the word out, while condemning the police for not putting the pieces together sooner.
There were police reports attached and my fingers started to shake as I clicked through them one by one, reading the recounts of women who had to be hoping their bravery would pay off.
It tugged at my heart strings something serious.
“Sixty-three percent of sexual assaults go unreported,” I mumbled, stretching my phone in Finn’s direction because I needed someone else to discuss this with. “Do you think Caden is capable of this?”
The question fell from my lips on its own accord, like my subconscious was trying to tell me something. My father buried a lot of the things Caden had done in the church, using his connections to make it like my cou—brother was a saint.
Finn released a deep sigh.
“Yeah, I think he’s capable of it,” he said, handing my phone back. “When’s the last time you’ve seen him?”
I shook my head and read the post again.
My goal had been to avoid him at all costs until I was ready to kill him.
“We haven’t physically crossed paths in two years, but I’ve seen him on the camera in what used to be my father’s office just a few weeks ago.”
I set a mental reminder to grab my equipment before their grandfathers first Sunday as the new pastor. He was only holding the role until all of this was over and we found a replacement, a true follower of God and his word unlike my father.
Got a bad feeling.
You and me both. Checking with Jameson to see if he can disclose anything.
Her older brother Jameson was an NYPD detective yet married to her husband’s sister, Amina.
Keep me posted.
“Need your head on the task at hand, B,” Finnegan said as our eyes met when I huffed in frustration. “Let’s talk it out like we used to before reaching our destination.”
Despite feeling overwhelmed, I found myself smiling at that.
Whenever I came to school after a rough time at home, Finnegan would be right there to talk it out with me. Our bond went beyond him simply being Sean’s brother.
He had felt like mine, too.
“Not even sure where to start…”
“I think the obvious answer is Esmeralda.”
My gaze drifted in his direction to find him staring at Liam.
So he was picking up on it, too. Or maybe Sean had clued him in, which made sense.
“Liam, is there something you need to get off your chest?” Finnegan asked, tucking his phone in the seat pocket in front of him. “Matter a fact, pull this bitch over and let’s have a chat.”
I took my seat belt off as Liam merged to the far right and got off at the next exit, pulling into the first gas station we spotted. He turned in his seat, eyes meeting mine and staying there.
“My loyalty is to this family,” he started before Finn or I could get a question off. “But especially to you…” he pointed right at me. “Yeah, I had thoughts about Esmeralda after our encounter at the warehouse, but we didn’t do shit before I dropped her off.”
Liam’s gaze didn’t waver.
He didn’t look guilty or to be hiding anything but something just didn’t feel right.
“Is that what it is?” Finn asked. “You hoping she won’t have to die so you can figure out your feelings?”
When his gaze shifted, we had our answers.
“Let me ask you something…” I slid forward and leaned into the passenger seat. “Do you believe me and Esi could move past me working with her father’s killer? The same man she’s been hunting for since it happened?”
Betrayal was betrayal and for all intents and purposes, I betrayed her.
I could see him trying to find something to say.
“I…” he brushed his hands down his face and turned away. “Fuck. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Finnegan and I looked at one another, his expression mirroring what I was feeling.
Sean wouldn’t approve if we sent him to Miami to peep the scene.
“She’s not alright in the head,” Liam said, drawing our gazes back to him. “Don’t even try. I wouldn’t say yes anyway.”
I chuckled and leaned back, phone in hand as I called the man I hadn’t spoken to since he summoned his granddaughter home.
This was long overdue, especially with Esi going ghost on us. My gut was telling me something was amiss.
“Ms. Phillips, to what do I owe the pleasure?” someone who wasn’t Augusto questioned upon answering.
I put my index finger to my lips and placed the phone on speaker.
“Who am I speaking to?”
There was a long pause before the mystery man spoke again.
“She said you weren’t easily fooled,” he said, an edge to his voice I didn’t appreciate. “I was wondering when you’d call.”
Was Esmeralda in some kind of trouble?
“You have the upper hand here,” I mused, getting out of the car to open the truck and get my laptop. “A name could put us on an even playing field. If you dare, that is.”
He chuckled and I found myself smiling.
Something about a game of cat and mouse thrilled me.
With my laptop in hand, I slid back in my seat and got to work hooking my phone up to an encrypted tracking system. Even though he had blockers on, I could get through them as long as I kept him on the phone.
“I grew up as Miguel Arce, but my father was a Constanzo man.”
Even though Finn and I were calm, I felt the tension rolling off Liam.
“A Constanzo man, you say? Who’s your father.”
Another laugh.
But this time I didn’t think he found it funny at all.
“Esmeralda is my first cousin,” he said coolly. “Our fathers were half-brothers.”
I hummed.
“I see…” my mind was trying to work the problem, while the computer did its thing. “And your father. Is he alive?”
“Nahhh. I killed him. He was a bitch, needed to die.”
I tapped the mute button and looked between Finn and Liam, while showing them my laptop screen where I’d pulled up all I could find on Miguel Arce—the thirty-three year old from Oakland with a record a mile long and gang ties.
“He’s at the Constanzo estate in Miami. The encryption on his phone was a little weak, which tells me he’d really been waiting for my call. I can only assume Augusto is already dead.”
“Ask about Esmeralda,” Liam said, showing us where his priorities lie without thinking of the bigger picture.
More information always gave you room to plan accordingly and it seemed Miguel wanted to talk and I was going to listen.
I unmuted the phone.
“Are you a friend or foe, Miguel?”
“Well…” he cleared his throat. “my cousin says you’re as loyal as they come, even if you had an agenda from the start,” he said. “Even though you and your husband made a deal with the devil. She just can’t seem to let you go.”
Mmm.
“Augusto alive?”
He snorted.
“Yeah but I had him sidelined once I stepped foot in this muthafucka. It wasn’t hard to turn his men. They didn’t like him and eventually he agreed to bring Esmeralda home for his life. Killing the old man wouldn’t do me any good, especially when he’ll be dead on his own soon enough anyway.”
I didn’t really care one way or another, not after learning about all Augusto had been up to over the years.
“Where’s Esmeralda?”
“Finally, we’re getting to the good part of the conversation…” his arrogance was beginning to work my nerves. “I’ll free Esmeralda, if you agree to an alliance.”
I laughed and shut my laptop.
Everybody wanted to work with little ole me and it was starting to get annoying.
“I think I’ll pass,” I told him, ignoring the look in Liam’s eyes. “But here’s what will happen and I want you to listen to me carefully, Miguel. You are going to put Esmeralda on a private flight to New York by ten tonight or I’ll be in Miami by morning to fuck your whole world up. And before you try to puff your chest out to prove you have the upper hand, remember my husband’s last name. Remember who his allies are. One call and I’ll have Esi back at my side and your head on a fucking stake for all Miami to see. Is that deal good enough for you or should we declare this war now?”
Was it a gamble? Yes.
Miguel could kill Esmeralda before I ever got to Miami, but the ones who came with the intention to negotiate weren’t hard for me to understand.
He was silent for a long minute, probably weighing his options.
“How about this—”
Finn chuckled.
“—I put Esmeralda on a flight to New York like you asked but you handle somebody for me. He’s becoming a pain in my ass and I got big plans. Fighting with you and your army ain’t what I want.”
I thought about it for a second, glancing at Finnegan who nodded for me to take the bait.
“Put Esmeralda on first.”
He sighed but I heard shuffling, two doors shut and what sounded like him walking down a flight of stairs.
She must be in the basement , I thought.
“When I get out of here I’m going to skin you alive,” I heard Esi say as calm as can be, bringing a smile to my face. “I’m not taking that.”
“But then I won’t get what I want. Talk to your friend.”
Not even a second later, her voice spilled from the phone.
“Hey, Blair baby,” she spoke with a smile in her voice. “I knew you’d get suspicious and call after that bogus text. I can’t believe we got tricked into me coming back here. You know these muthafuckas had the nerve to drug my drink on that fucking flight.”
I got out the car to have a private conversation.
“Are you hurt?”
“Nah. I’m sure even though I’m locked down here, everyone is afraid what I’ll do if they get to close. Except the annoying face staring at me right now.”
I sighed in relief.
“You aren’t mad at me?”
“For what? I hope this isn’t about what Miguel told me. You know I’ve been looking for my dad’s killer for fun, right?”
She genuinely sounded confused but so the fuck was I.
“I had a feeling after a while it had to be my abuelo who made the call but we still needed to figure out the route issue regardless,” she added. “Listen, Blair. I know we came into this with agendas of our own, but I don’t give a fuck about none of that and never have. It’s what you had to do, right? The deal?”
“Yeah. It was too good to pass up.”
“Then quit being a little softhearted bitch and tell me what’s next?”
I tossed my head back and laughed.
Fucking Esmeralda.
“We need to have a proper conversation but for now I want you to pack all your shit and come back to New York. Be my enforcer.”
“You did it?”
My lips spread, teeth on full display.
“Still some loose ends to take care of but it’s going as planned.”
She hummed.
“That mean I can’t kill the one in front of me?”
The indifference in her voice made me chuckle.
“That’s what that means…” I turned toward the truck. “Get on that flight and we’ll figure out the rest once you’re here.”
A few seconds of silence and then Miguel was back.
“Did that satisfy you?”
“Once I set eyes on Esmeralda we can discuss your problem. Until then, have the day you deserve, Miguel.”
I ended the call and walked toward Finn and Liam who had gotten out.
“She’ll be here by early morning,” I told them. “Let’s get back on the road. We can discuss along the way.”
“You trust it?” Finn asked after Liam got back on the highway and I explained the conversation word for word. “They could be working together to set a trap for you.”
I nodded, knowing he could be right but my intuition hadn’t failed me yet.
“If I’m wrong, you got my back, right?”
He smirked, that playfulness he always wore with ease on full display.
“Come on, B. You know I’m never letting shit happen to you. We’re family, how many times I gotta tell your big head ass?”
I punched his arm and he rubbed it.
“Still as heavy handed as back in the day. You good now that the Esmeralda situation is off your plate? At least until we feel her out.”
“Yeah, I’m good for now,” I told him as Liam rolled to a stop in front of the gated community we needed to enter.
Finnegan rolled his window down and pressed the call button.
“Yes?” a soft voice spoke a few seconds later.
“Auntie, buzz me in.”
There was a pause, the line disconnected and then a long two minutes passed before we were buzzed through.
Mm. Weird.
“Fuck took her so long,” Finnegan said, not asking but speaking his thoughts aloud. “Make sure to keep your gun on you.”
I nodded, not needing to be told but understanding he was in rare form now. This wasn’t playful Finnegan, this was the enforcer turned underboss.
There were four cars in the driveway when we made it to their mini mansion in the quiet community, most notably a moving truck on the street in front of it.
“Interesting,” Finn said, hoping out on a fucking mission, before Liam could even fully stop.
I quickly followed, eyeing our surroundings until the shouting from inside got louder.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Niamh yelled, gun pointed at her mother. “Huh? You been working with him, haven’t you?”
Yasmine and Delilah were both posted up in two areas of the house, almost as if they were waiting for something. Their eyes drifted to us and I could see the anger simmering.
I guess the two softies had more heart than I thought.
“Care to fill me in?” Finn asked.
Niamh’s head snapped in our direction, her shoulders relaxing after putting eyes on us. Though she never took the gun off her mother.
“Tell Finnegan how you planned to run off with dad and leave us all to deal with the fallout. Do you even give a fuck about Anessa at all? You were so willing to sell her to the highest bidder for his sake, us too.”
Her anger was palpable and I felt the tension rolling off everyone in the room.
I decided, as a neutral party, to step in and calm the situation. More for my benefit than theirs.
Sean sent us here for a reason and now that I’d figured it out, I wasn’t leaving without something good.
“Why is that?” I asked, ignoring the looks in my direction.
My focus was on Viviana, who was visibly shaking.
“Why follow behind a man who isn’t worth your loyalty?”
It was a genuine question and she opened and closed her mouth, tears pooling from her eyes as the weight of what was happening began to set in.
“Let me ask you something else then…” I stepped toward her, hands on display. “Did he say he’d come and pick you up or did he tell you to pack up and meet him somewhere?”
She wiped her eyes.
“H-He said to meet him somewhere.”
I hummed.
“Where?”
She was too busy watching me move closer to answer, so I stopped and forced her eyes to lift.
“Where did he tell you to meet him, Viviana?”
“At the Canadian border.”
I frowned.
“You do know if you went with him, both of you would be on the run, right? Do you think it makes sense to rent a moving truck while trying to evade your enemies with endless amounts of resources to track you down?”
Her moment of realization was a sad one but I had to drive my point home.
“Yesterday, your husband left an apartment building in Harlem in the wee hours and we followed him to a residential address in Ithaca. Do you know what was in there?”
She shook her head and my frown deepened.
“He made multiple stops along the way, the last one in Bushkill. Do you want to know what was found inside?”
Another head shake but I was going to tell her anyway.
“Guns and money that doesn’t belong to the mob. My guess is the Albanians. Do you think you could evade two criminal organizations at once?”
This time her response was firmer than before, even though the hurt was obvious.
“No, I don’t.”
I nodded and stepped between her and Niamh’s gun, knowing she would lower it.
“Good. I’m glad you understand. Now, I need you to tell me everything you know. No detail is insignificant. Your livelihood depends on this information.”
There was no telling what would happen to Viviana once Caroline caught wind of her sister’s deceit, but that wasn’t my problem to unpack.