Undertow

13. Warriors And Enemies

13

WARRIORS AND ENEMIES

“And you’re sure no one saw you?” Adrian asks me for the fifth time. Does he think I’d be standing here if they did?

Mama H shoots him the irritated look I wish I could.

“Obviously they didn’t,” she snaps, then turns back to me. “You did good, kid. What do you make of this?” she asks Julia.

Julia examines the tablet where we transferred the staged photos I took. Her eyes scan each detail with meticulous intensity. Once again, Mama H is valuing her daughter’s input above the others. Even though Julia will ultimately be my downfall, some twisted part of me enjoys watching her take control. She’s a warrior.

She’s your enemy.

Yes, and I’ve already decided if I’m going to be executed, I want it to be by her hand. I want to leave this world staring into the only beautiful thing it’s ever given me.

Her breath catches when she squints at something on the screen, and a rush of anticipation spikes through me. She saw it. She must have. I planted the clue, hoping one of them would find it, but I was afraid they’d miss the small detail. I should have known better than to underestimate this woman.

“There. Look.” She turns the screen and enlarges the side of one of the duffle bags.

A tiny red emblem is embroidered on the fabric, a critical detail McArthur should be on his knees thanking me for. He wants to get in bed with the RLC and he doesn’t know jack shit about them. If not for me, his entire plan for the future of his organization falls apart before it starts.

“The Red Leaf Cartel,” Adrian whispers, a hint of fear and awe in his voice.

“No way,” Mama H hisses, snatching the device from Julia. She stiffens when she leans close. “This… No. How?! ”

Julia shakes her head. Adrian looks like he wants to hide.

“How the fuck is McArthur in with the RLC?” she cries, suddenly furious. “And right under our noses, on our own turf!” Adrian shrinks back when she turns her wrath on him. “Get Tyler in here now! Clearly my useless nephew needs a dose of reality about doing his damn job.”

“Mama. It’s possible Ty wasn’t…” Julia quiets at the look blasted her way.

“No. I’ve had enough of you all screwing around and playing hopscotch on the beach while our enemies build an empire! This isn’t a fucking vacation. This is war . Your legacy . McArthur is a step away from stealing everything from us, and you’re all too busy with your thumbs up your asses like whiny children on the playground! You,” she says, pointing at me.

I pretend to cower at her fury. “You are the only one with any balls in this family and you’re not even family.”

I blink in surprise as the others wince at the reprimand.

“Take Tyler to the shack. It’s time we wake that boy up.”

Shit. That can’t be good.

Julia tenses, eyes wide. “Hold on. Let’s just?—”

“You can swing a fist or you can join him. We’re obviously getting too soft,” Mama H hisses. “And take Shaw with you. Show him the ropes. Hell, maybe he can teach you all to grow a fucking spine. Afterward, you figure out how the hell McArthur managed to get RLC assets on my island.”

She storms off, leaving the three of us staring at each other on the back porch of the Hartford mansion. Waves crash behind us, seagulls whine through the air, and somewhere a rotted scent corrupts the salty sweet aroma of the surrounding vegetation.

The shack. What the fuck is the shack?

Julia and Adrian exchange a look before she nods and motions for Adrian to leave us alone.

She takes my hand and leads me to a wicker loveseat, gripping my fingers as we settle close.

Her tough front is admirable, but I read the hesitation just below the surface. I can guess what’s about to happen with Tyler in “the shack,” and I have no doubt she doesn’t want to drag her new boyfriend into the coming violence. She’s trying to figure out how to explain the shocking horror of what’s about to go down.

If only she knew.

“Shaw, um…” She squeezes gently, stroking the back of my hand with her thumb.

“What’s the shack?” I infuse just the right mix of concern and curiosity into my question. “What’s going on?”

“So, listen.” She clears her throat and shifts uncomfortably in her seat. Finally, she lifts her gaze and searches my eyes. “You’ve seen what the McArthurs are capable of. You’ve seen the battle raging between us. One false move, one mistake or second of letting our guard down could be devastating.” She pulls in a deep breath. “We have to protect The Family above everything. No matter how much we love each other, none of us comes above The Family.”

My blood goes cold at an old scene.

“No one is above The Family. You will do this. You will do everything you’re told to do.”

“Shaw? You still with me?"

Her teeth sink into her lower lip as she studies me.

I force away the memory and focus on the present.

“What are you saying?” I ask in a shaky voice.

“It’s not what I’m saying . It’s what you’re about to see.”

Forty minutes later, I find out.

The shack is exactly what I thought it was. Nestled behind Adrian’s house, the small, secure structure screams of a dark purpose, even from the outside. It’s smaller, moldier, and damper than the torture chambers I’m accustomed to, but the blood is the same. The smell of fear and the echo of pain.

Tyler’s head hangs low as he gasps in a breath. To their credit, none of them fight the process. Tyler takes his punishment without the need for restraints. Adrian and Julia execute it without malice or prejudice. It just is.

Tyler pushes up to his knees, blood streaming from his nose. His expression is bewildered but resigned. His face is already swelling, and I swallow a twinge of guilt at the violence I’ve caused. Tyler is confused by his crime because he didn’t commit one, but this is only the beginning of the carnage I will cause before this war is over.

“The RLC!” Adrian shouts, slamming his foot into his cousin’s ribs again. “How the fuck did you let the McArthurs pass through security with that kind of stash?”

He groans, clearly trying to pull air into his throbbing lungs. I know that feeling well.

“I don’t know,” he rasps out. “I… fuck! I don’t know!”

“What about that source behind the gate you’re always bragging about? They didn’t think to mention this?!”

Wait.

Source?

Do the Hartfords have an informant inside Palmetto Acres?

“I said I don’t know! I can’t exactly confront them right now, can I?”

Adrian winds up for another strike, but Julia holds up her hand. She shakes her head and waits as her brother reins in his anger.

With incredible calm, she crouches to Tyler’s level on the stone floor. “Adrian is right. You will confront your source and find out what they know, but for now you need to think. When and how could they have gotten this through?”

She shoves the tablet in front of his bloody face, and he does his best to examine the photo through the swelling.

“I…” He grunts in frustration, clenching his eyes shut. “They left the island four times this past week. Two through the bridge and two through the marina. But there was only one time in.”

“Who came in? When?” Julia demands.

He forces in a ragged breath. “Tuesday. No wait. Monday. It was that slimy asshole, Abe. A land crossing.”

Shit, they’re talking about my arrival. My pulse picks up as I realize how close I came to being caught. What would have happened if they found Abe trying to smuggle me past them? To be fair, Tyler didn’t do much to prevent it. No vehicle search. Didn’t even ask questions. Maybe he deserves this wakeup call. In my experience, you get a bullet for negligence like that, not a few kicks to the ribs.

“You think he brought this in during that crossing?” Adrian asks.

Tyler shakes his head, then grunts. “I don’t know, maybe.”

“But why would they have it on display now? Shaw found this today,” Julia interjects.

Good point.

My brain launches into a counter search to explain the gap. It’s just a matter of time before I’ll be involved in the conversation, and I need to be prepared. If Abe brought this in days ago and I didn’t see it when I originally noticed the safe, why would they have it out in the open?

I didn’t think about that. Didn’t realize how closely the Hartford’s tracked McArthur movements in and out of Undertow.

“Maybe they’re planning to move it,” I say. All gazes snap to me, and I shrug. “Maybe they weren’t putting it away but taking it out. What would you do with that kind of cash?” My tone is curious, as if I have no idea.

“The gambling,” Tyler says.

We turn our attention to him as he staggers to his feet. Julia rushes over to support him when he wobbles. His eyes lift to hers with a hint of excitement.

“That must be how they’re cleaning it,” he continues. “My source says there’s lots of shady shit going on in there.”

Julia considers his words before shaking her head. “No. Their gambling business is illegal too. Shady shit would just bring in more money to clean.”

“Not all of it’s illegal,” I say, drawing their attention again. “I worked at one of the Atlantic City properties last year.” That’s a lie, but there is a McArthur casino there. “It was a full-blown casino. Totally legal. Vegas as well. Plus, do you think they’d be above bribes to partner with tribal casinos around the country?”

It was a rhetorical question. We all know the answer.

“Shit,” Adrian mutters. “He’s right. And if they now have the RLC backing them…”

“We’re fucked,” Tyler finishes.

Julia’s jaw tightens as she glares at them. “No. We’re motivated. Mama H was right. We’ve gotten too complacent. We’re too cozy in our little island bubble, doing things the way they’ve been done for generations. If we have any chance of continuing to play this game, we need to adapt and go bigger. Much bigger.”

“What are you saying?” Adrian asks.

Julia studies him for a moment before starting toward the door.

“Two days, Ty,” she calls out.

“What?!” he cries, collapsing against the wall. “Come on. It was an honest mistake!”

She lifts her hand to silence him without looking back. “Say another word and I’ll make it three.”

Tyler deflates, tangling his hands in his hair as he slides down the wall to the floor.

Adrian nods to me. “Let’s go. I’ll be back with some water in an hour or two,” he tells his cousin. “If you miss that bucket taking a shit, I’ll beat your ass again.”

Tyler releases a frustrated breath, but doesn’t look up.

Once outside, Adrian pulls the heavy door shut, and I hear the click of the lock. He enters something into the keypad to the left, shielding it with his body so I can’t see.

“What’s going to happen to him?” I ask as we start the long walk to the main house.

“Nothing. He’ll sit there to marinate for a couple days and get a fire lit under his lazy ass.” He glances back at the ominous structure. “He already got the worst of it. He’s family after all.”

I nod, somewhat relieved that my lie didn’t do more damage. Taking a hit is always a lot easier than watching someone take a hit on your behalf.

But something is still bothering me.

“There was a door against the far wall. Is there another room in there?”

“Yes,” Adrian answers casually.

“What’s it for?”

A dark grin splits his face. “Those who aren’t.”

There’s a mole.

I can’t get that thought out of my head as I sit across from McArthur, drink in hand, waiting for whatever bombshell brought me to his suite again. Merrick leans against the wall a few feet away, face unreadable. Scarlett isn’t here, but her mother Jacquelyn is, which concerns me even more.

There’s a mole.

I haven’t told them yet. I’m not sure if I will.

There’s also another room in The Shack.

For you when the Hartfords learn the truth about you.

“Drink!” McArthur says. “Why so tense?”

I force a tight smile. The last twelve hours have already been brutal, and I feel the weight cracking my exhausted fa?ade. I need to breathe. I need to write . If I can’t get relief soon…

Get it together.

“Merrick told you they bought the lie that we’re working with the RLC?” I ask, hoping to steer this conversation to a reminder of my successes.

I immediately regret it when a devious smile crests on his thin lips.

“He did. Brilliant plan, son. Wouldn’t it be divine if that pretty story were actually true? What a timely development.”

Timely? My blood runs cold. Oh no.

No, no, no.

My gaze crosses to his wife—Scarlett’s mother — whose chilly expression tells the story of what’s about to happen.

Fuck! I thought I had more time. I need more time!

I glance at Merrick, but he won’t look at me. Sensing movement behind me, I peek back and stiffen at the three additional suits closing in. Where did they come from? Why did McArthur keep them hidden until now?

My pulse pounds as I focus back on my boss and work to keep my hands steady and expression neutral.

Breathe, Shaw.

“Timely, sir?” I ask.

His smile spreads into a grin as he pulls out a small black box.

I stare at it, my heart racing. This can’t be happening. I feel the vigilant attention of everyone in the room.

“You’ve done well for us,” he says. “Proven yourself and demonstrated your ability to get things done. After those few hiccups in the beginning, we’ve come to accept you as family .”

No you didn’t, you bastard. That’s why you’re doing this.

“Will you quit torturing the poor boy and give him the good news?” Jacquelyn says, but her sinister smile tells me she knows there’s nothing good about this for me.

“September second,” McArthur says with a glare for his wife before focusing back on me. I shudder at the piercing look in his eyes. He pinches the ring box and holds it out to me. “You will ask her tonight and give her this.”

Oh god.

September 2nd is less than three weeks from now!

“We will hold the ceremony here.”

“Sir, I?—”

“You will invite Gerardo and Madelyn Dylan for the joyous occasion.”

The heads of the Red Leaf Cartel? Merrick was telling the truth.

McArthur’s gaze slices into me, filling every pore with thick sludge. Drowning me. Suffocating . God, I can’t breathe.

“You will make my daughter happy beyond her wildest dreams, Shaw. Protect her. Serve her. You will worship her. Do you understand?”

I swallow hard, the scratch in my throat my only reaction to the horror of what’s happening.

“Do you understand?” McArthur repeats in a heavy, dark tone.

My heart pumps frozen blood from limb to limb as I force my gaze to his.

“No one is above The Family. You will do this. You will do everything you’re told to do.”

Every fucking thing.

“Yes, sir. I understand.”