35. Nazai
CHAPTER 35
NAZAI
“ W hat brings you by?” my dad asked as my mom settled in on his lap. My nose scrunched watching her leaning back into him and his arm going around her waist. I could tell my dad had been taking his retirement seriously. He looked less stressed and he was even dressed down, something he hardly did.
“I have some news you’ll be interested in,” I replied.
His eyes found mine and his brow rose with interest. “You handled your problem I hope.”
“That’s being taken care of, but this news is even better.”
Both of my parents focused on me. “Don’t keep us waiting. Tell us what it is,” Mom encouraged.
“The final part of the takeover has been taken care of.”
At first, both looked confused by my words. Before long, realization filled my dad’s face. “You mean?”
I nodded. “Cashlynn is pregnant.”
Mom’s eyes shot open and filled with excitement. “Oh Nazai. I’m going to be a grandma?” Mom asked in Spanish, hopping out of dad’s lap and rushing toward me. “That makes me so happy!”
I laughed as she leaned down to hug me.
“How far is she? When did you find out? Is she taking care of herself?” Mom pulled back and looked at me.
“We don’t know yet. I’m waiting for Lucas to give me a doctor’s name. We just found out. And she’s fine.”
Mom grabbed my face and bounced her eyes around it. “You’re about to be a father. That makes me so happy. You’re turning into such a fine young man. I’m so proud of you!” she gushed, still speaking my father’s native language.
The corners of my mouth lifted. “Thanks, Mama.” I swiveled my eyes to my dad, who hadn’t said anything.
“Are you happy now? You wanted a marriage and a baby and that’s what I did.”
That look I normally saw him wear when he was deep in thought over a case covered his face.
“Of course he’s happy! It’s our first grandchild. Cashlynn needs a doctor ASAP. She already needs to start prenatal. That girl is a wild card, I’m going to have to talk to her about that.” Mom got lost in her own world, turning and leaving the room while still making a list of things out loud.
“You don’t seem very excited.” I leaned back in the chair I was sitting in and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Did I ever tell you why I was so against you marrying a Cavana?” he asked.
“No, but after learning more about them recently I can only imagine.”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “The Cavanas had their hands in a lot of shady shit. They had no integrity or morals. I know that might sound hypocritical considering what we do in the background, but we also have boundaries and things we’ll never be mixed up in. I don’t work with anyone I can’t trust and they were contracted with a group of people who hired me to work in their defense when I was still a lawyer. I know when you’re dealing with criminals you have to always watch your back and keep your eyes open, but even then I prided myself on always standing on my morals. The Cavanas didn’t hold that same standard, they didn’t care who they had to run over and sell out to get what they wanted. In the end they turned on the same people they were working for because the price was higher on the other side.
“When greed leads, eventually you will crumble. At some point you have to have a code and they have none. I don’t like having to look over my shoulders when I’m doing business. There’s already enough risk with the kind of people we work for and with. When my grandfather started The Bloodline, he made sure to build it on loyalty. That’s how we’ve been so undetected and successful. When I took over I wanted to take this business further than just killing, I wanted to create a legacy each of my kids could build their own branch from and that’s what I did. You each have unique skills and jobs but come together to form a well-oiled ship. Once you add in people who only are driven by money, that ship will eventually crumble.”
“Cashlynn’s not like that,” I protested, cutting him off.
“I’m seeing that, but you have to understand where I’m coming from as well. A lot of people refused to work with the Cavanas because of how shady they were. Cashlynn doesn’t seem to have their mindset, but are you sure she’s fit to be a mother?”
I bit down on my back molars as my body went stiff, playing his words over in my head. “Out of all the women I’ve been with, I don’t think there’s one more qualified,” I confessed truthfully. All the women I’d dealt with before Cashlynn were superficial. They didn’t hold substance nor did they have traits that showed they would be able to nurture a child. Most of the time I wanted a body for the night and nothing past that. With Cashlynn, things were different, everything about her was new and exciting. Dealing with her showed just how much I’d been missing out on.
“You fought hard against getting married and having a child, yet you seem to be falling into the role so easily.” Dad smirked.
“Yeah… well, when you find a woman like my wife, you can’t help but want to explore the relationship more.” I shrugged.
Dad stared at me intently. “You seem to have it all figured out then. You’re a smart man. Me and your mama raised you right. I had no hesitation with handing The Bloodline over to you and I trust you know what’s best for you and the family you’re creating,” he said, then switched to his native tongue as he continued. “Congratulations, son. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, Pops.”
I stuck around my parents’ house a little longer, and on my way out, my mom called out to me.
“Can you try and get ahold of your brother? I’ve been calling him all day and he hasn’t answered.”
“Which one?” I had a feeling who she was talking about before she even responded.
“Which one stays stressing me out? That damn Ezra.”
I nodded. “I’ll stop by his house on the way to the club.”
“And tell him to call me. I tried to call Cashlynn too, but she didn’t answer either.” Her eyes narrowed, making me chuckle.
“I’ll have her call you, Mama.” I leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Stepping outside their house, I eyed the large open yard in front. The bright green grass was freshly cut. The smell of flowers blew in the wind. My mom made sure it looked like something right out of Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
I headed for my car, parked in the large driveway.
____
After my own failed attempt at getting ahold of Ezra, I stopped by his house since it was on the way to The District.
Pulling up to his house, I cut the engine and stepped out of the car, making my way to the house. Ezra’s car was parked in front of his garage so I knew he was home. Ezra lived in a high-priced area. Most of his neighbors were doctors, other lawyers, or held other jobs like them. Walking to the door, I tried to pull the screen door open, but seeing it was locked, I opted for the doorbell.
Just as I was about to hit it again, I heard the locks move then the front door opened. Ezra was dressed in a suit which meant he more than likely had just gotten home from the office. He unlocked the screen door and held it open.
“Big bro, wassup?” He grinned.
“Your mama been trying to get ahold of you.” I stepped in the house. My eyes circled the small entryway.
“I just got home. I’ve been in court all morning.” He loosened his tie and started toward his living room.
“Make sure you call her.”
“I will… later.”
“You look stressed. Everything good?”
“Court kicked my ass today.” He yawned, plopping down on his couch.
“You started your trial with Felix Benson?” I asked, referring to Wise’s little brother. He was caught up on racketeering charges.
“Yeah. The little cocky bastard pisses me off. If I wasn’t being paid so good, I’d hand him off.”
My brows furrowed hearing thumping from overhead. “Someone else here?”
A sly grin formed on Ezra’s face. He leaned back and kicked his feet out, crossing them at the ankle.
“Let’s just say that blogger chick won’t be an issue anymore.” Mischief played in his eyes.
I studied my brother and flicked my eyes upward. “What the hell did you do?”
“She caught me breaking into her house so I had to do something to calm her down.”
“I told you to scare her, not kidnap her.”
“You chained your wife in your basement because you found her in your house. Are you really the one to talk?”
Laughing, I bobbed my head. “Touché, but what’s your plan? You can’t just keep her here.” Our family had too many connections to be worried about him getting in trouble, but he still couldn’t be too reckless. My brother normally wouldn’t do something this outrageous and risky without a plan.
He shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet, but me and Miss Ziora are gonna come to an understanding before I let her go.” The twinkle in my brother’s eyes showed me it was more to the story.
“As long as you know what you’re doing. Don’t fuck this up, Ez.”
“I won’t. Don’t worry.”
“Good. Keep me in the loop and let me know if you need me.” I stood to leave.
“What’s the status on Neil?”
“I got Emmet checking a new angle to find him.” Neil was hiding well. I had spoken to Major and he had no insight on where Neil could be. Once he realized Neil was into shady side dealings and trying to undermine him, he washed his hands with him and left him to fend on his own.
“Call your mama!” I walked to the entryway. The banging sounded upstairs again. I glanced toward the steps and shook my head, opening the door. I didn’t know what the hell Ezra was up to, but if I knew my little brother, it would turn out to be entertaining in the end.
____
My phone rang, interrupting my concentration as I went over things for the club. The shooting didn’t slow business down, if anything it only made it increase. I was debating if I wanted to increase the number of pills I brought into the club again. With business increasing, the demand for them was too.
I checked the screen and saw it was Emmet calling me. I had been waiting for his call all day.
Quickly, I grabbed my phone and hit the green button to answer.
“E, tell me something good.” I tapped my pen against the desk.
“I found him,” he said, piquing my interest.
Sitting straighter, I gripped the pen tightly. “How? Where?”
“He’s driving his son’s car. Once I hit a dead end with his car, I thought about it and realized there could be more cars he has access to. I hacked the BMV and saw he was a cosigner on his son’s car. Using the VIN, I was able to hack the GPS and locate him.
A smile split my lips and I stroked my beard. “Where did you find him? How do we know he’s there?”
He grunted. “I wouldn’t bring you any information without checking my facts.” That was true. There was a reason my brother had taken his skills and opened an PI business. “He’s hiding out in The Sticks.”
“The Sticks, huh?” I dragged my tongue over my teeth. While Silver Stone was a wealthy city, there was a small part considered to be lower class. The Sticks was gang driven and known for killings, prostitution, and drugs.
“I looked up the address and it looks like the house belonged to his aunt. She’s in a nursing home, but he still maintains the house for her.”
“Send me the address.” I reached for my computer to shut it down. My blood pumped with anticipation. Neil had been given too many chances and now it was time for him to answer for it all.
“Already ahead of you.”
I pulled the phone back and checked my texts. “Got it.”
“Good. Let me know if you need anything else.” Before I could reply, he had hung up. That was fine though. Emmet had done his part and this wasn’t his or any of my brothers’ fight. It was time to end this fight and finally move on.