44. Chapter 44
Miles
I’m sitting in front of Gerald, updating him on the situation with Susana.
I told him she took money from the business accounts and left.
He didn’t seem all that surprised that she would steal from me, then disappear.
The sting of betrayal hits me. How did everyone see it but me?
When I told Tomas everything, except the part where Veronica killed her, he wasn’t surprised either.
No matter, she’s gone. I withdrew a large amount of funds from the business accounts, funneled them through some channels, then donated them to Serena’s nonprofit.
I leave Gerald’s and check my phone. I see multiple calls from Veronica and Kai.
I pull up her trackers, and none are showing.
This is a bad sign because she has a couple on her.
When I said I was putting one in her, I wasn’t lying.
I did it weeks ago when I sedated her as we flew to Colombia.
I put it into her ass. That delicious round ass of hers.
I call Kai, and he’s not answering, so I pull up my laptop, but I can’t find them.
I check her call logs and see multiple calls from an unknown number, then I see her leave the office in a hurry.
I follow the car until I lose them on my tracker, but I catch them on traffic cameras.
Why is she heading in that direction? I see the building Kai pulls up to.
Fuck! I rev my engine and rush to the familiar building.
I call in the cavalry as I speed to her. It’s one that I’ve surveilled before because it’s owned by Eric Harrison. I pull up, and the second I turn my engine off, I get a call.
“Camilo Villanueva. Won’t you join us?” Eric Harrison says from the other end of the line. He’s watching me. “There’s someone who wants to say hello.” Then the call drops.
My phone dings, and I see a message.
Unknown: 4D
I don’t think twice. I run into the building and make my way up the staircase.
I approach 4D not caring what’s behind the door because I know that I’ll find Veronica on the other side.
She’s the only thing that matters. Before I turn the doorknob, someone opens it.
I see none other than fucking Frank. He opens the door and has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
His eyes are menacing; this is nothing like the meek man I offended weeks ago.
“Oh, good. We’re all here,” Eric says. I walk into the bright, empty room. Veronica is gagged and tied on the floor. Her forehead is bleeding. I’m going to fucking kill them.
I look between the two men. “You’re a dead man, Eric.” I see his smile falter. “A broken jaw is nothing compared to what I’m going to do to you.” I can tell he’s still healing.
“Actually, no, I’m not. And fuck you, if you hadn’t been saved, you’d be buried where no one would ever find you.” He looks at Frank. “You see, Frank here can make me disappear.” I raise an eyebrow.
“There is no one who can make you disappear,” I correct, but I know it’s a lie. Because I’ve made people disappear with a click of a button. “Is that so?” I push because I know this asshole will talk.
“Yes.” He looks at Frank, who can’t take his eyes off Veronica. “Well, Frank here did. That’s why no one has been able to locate me for weeks. He’s also the reason…”
“Shut the fuck up, Eric!” Frank yells.
I take a step toward Veronica, but I see the gun in Eric’s hand.
He points it at me. “No. You stay right there. One move, and I’ll blow her fucking brains out.
” He glances at Frank while signaling to Veronica and me.
“They’re both going to die. You are using a tracker and cellphone blocker, so no one will find them. ”
“Where’s Kai?” I ask.
“He’s tied up. My men will dispose of him later,” Eric taunts.
“What do you want from her?” I ask both men.
“Revenge. It’s as simple as that,” Frank says, “but not just her, with you too, Miles.”
“For fuck’s sake, Frank, just tell him. I need to get the party started.” Eric looks at Veronica, who is trying to remain calm.
Already tired of Eric’s shit, Frank begins to talk. “Do you remember the name Tony?” he asks me because Veronica will never forget that name. She mumbles, so Eric walks to her and removes the gag.
I can see the anger in her eyes. “What about the son of a bitch?”
Frank rushes to her and slaps her across the face. I see her eyes water. “That son of a bitch, you whore. He was my son.”
She whispers, “I thought you lost a daughter?”
He takes her chin in his fingers. I see her wince in pain.
“I had to say something to get close to you. I’ve been following you for a very long time.
” He looks at me. “I believe you’ve been looking for me for a while too.
Hunting for the person who posted those pictures of Veronica.
The person who Tabitha sent the pictures to. ”
“Why?” she asks. On the verge of tears. Tears full of anger. Another betrayal.
“Because you killed my son,” he says as a matter-of-fact, looking at me. Then he turns to her. His eyes are almost black. He’s out for blood. “Did you honestly think he just disappeared?”
I look at her and see the confusion.
“He’s right, Mi Amor.” I look at her, then at Frank.
“I killed your piece-of-shit son. And I’d do it again.
” It happened so fast; I never saw it coming.
Frank snatches the gun from Eric’s grip and fires.
The sound is deafening. A sharp, searing heat blooms in my stomach, and I stumble back and hit the wall.
I look down, my hands trembling as I press them against the open wound.
The crimson is already spreading, soaking through the fabric of my shirt and across my skin.
My breath hitches, and the world begins to tilt.
But I can’t succumb to the pain. I look at Veronica. Terror in her eyes.
I hear her screams fill the room. She tries to come to me, but Eric holds her back. “Please don’t,” she begs. “Please don’t hurt him.”
“Veronica,” I yell, “I’ll get you out of this, I promise.” I’d die trying to rid her of these two so she can live a life free of these monsters.
She shakes her head. “Why did you kill Tabitha?” she asks the men.
“Oh yes, I’ll tell you and fill in some gaps,” Eric interrupts.
“Apparently, Frank here followed you to the club the night you fucking stabbed me. He later sought me out. I’d already hired someone to start selling drugs at your cousin's club, but I was still pissed about losing the deal that would have made it easy to dismantle their business. Frank came to me with a proposition and photographs. We tried to kidnap you when you were walking home from the gym. But this one.” He points to me.
“He came to your rescue. So, Frank decided on a different approach: to befriend you. He went to that ridiculous gym and came up with a story. When you met him for dinner, we were sure we’d have you.
We were so close, but again, your protector ruined the opportunity.
We enlisted Tabitha; she was going to make it easy, but then your bellman became suspicious.
He kept a lookout. I watched it from afar.
Tabitha even had a tracker blocker in her purse to interfere with the security footage.
But she ruined the plan when her jealousy got the better of her.
A mistake she paid for with her life. We knew you left the city, so I needed to flush you out.
We set fire to the construction site. Guess it worked. ”
“How did you avoid us?” I ask Frank as I apply pressure to my gunshot wound. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“I worked in the field, so I know your tricks.” He looks at Veronica.
“My son and I didn’t have a relationship.
But when I found out he died, I went through his things and found the photographs.
To think, my son brought a Kayde to her knees.
Literally.” He looks at her with disgust. “I knew his death was tied to you somehow. I knew Veronica Kayde would be protected. I needed to know to what extent. So I posted the photographs and got my answers.”
“So here’s what’s going to happen,” Eric says. “We are going to kill Miles, and then I’m going to have fun with you. Then kill you,” he tells Veronica.
“Fuck you.” She spits at him.
Eric takes the gun from Frank and aims it at me.
“Please don’t. I’ll do whatever you want.” She looks at me. “I’m not worth it.”
My heart breaks. “Amor, you are worth everything to me. You’re my entire world. I’d lay down my life for you without a second thought. My love for you—it overrides everything else,” I tell her. The thought of her being hurt is more than I can handle.
Eric pulls her up by the arm, and that’s when I see it. The small pocketknife in her hand. She’s been using it to cut the ropes.