25. Gabriel
25
Gabriel
M ike brings Anita in. She stumbles a bit, held tightly by Mike’s grip on her arm. Seeing her, I quickly pull Lexi back against the wall to ensure Anita doesn’t bump into her. In her usual defiant manner, she throws Mike a dirty look before plopping into a chair far away from Vargas.
“Fancy little shindig you’re having,” she says. “Thanks for inviting me.”
She looks at Vargas, her eyes softening. “Are you hurt?” she asks in a low, hushed voice. He shakes his head, and Anita continues, “You don’t seem well.”
Next, she looks at me. “I guess you want some answers. You and little Ms Prissy over there,” Anita says, pointing at Lexi, who’s still in shock from seeing her come in.
I’ve had a feeling Anita was involved since Lucas put out that video about Lexi. Lucas is a money-grubbing, bitter, lazy lowlife, but he’s not evil. Someone smarter and more twisted was pulling the strings—Anita.
I suspected Peter, too, at one point, but it made no sense for him to ask Lexi to move here and then threaten her to leave. I kept an eye on the entire Maier family and traced their phones, and it all clicked when I saw Anita meet Vargas on the same day as the assault in the port. That also explains Vargas’s connection to Grain Inc.
“Anita, you can stop playing games now. Things are not looking good for you guys. It’s time you started talking. Both of you,” Damien snaps, still keeping Vargas in an uncomfortable grip.
“That’s exactly why I came here—to talk,” Anita answers boldly.
“You didn’t come here on your own, Anita. We busted you as you were sneaking out of the country.”
“Huh. I don’t think so, handsome. You might want to double-check your sources,” she tells Damien, then turns to Mike with a smirk on her face. “So, soldier, how’d it go?”
“The lady was at a gas station on the highway, less than a mile from the border. She was waiting for us, I guess,” Mike explains.
“Good job, soldier, well said. At ease now,” Anita says, then stands up and heads over to Vargas. Dominic follows her with a menacing look on his face. I have Lexi in my arms, and Damien still has hold of Vargas. Anita leans down to him and gently lifts his chin, looking into his eyes. “You idiot, you should’ve listened to me,” she says tenderly, softly wiping the blood off his lips.
“Sit down, Anita,” Dominic cuts in, grabbing her arm and pushing her back into the chair. Surprisingly, she listens without putting up a fight. Maybe she’s prepared to negotiate. After all, she didn’t come back for nothing. Dominic remains standing next to her, making it clear who’s in charge.
“Take off his handcuffs and get him a doctor if you want us to keep talking,” Anita gestures toward Vargas.
“I don’t need a doctor,” Vargas shouts. “And you should’ve gotten out of here like we talked about. Why did you come back, baby?” he adds in a soft, choked-up voice .
It’s hard to imagine Vargas under Anita’s spell and so wrapped around her little finger. She’s definitely out of his league, the kind of woman he probably never thought would give him a second glance. Love, they say, is blind. But it’s hard to wrap my head around the two of them actually loving each other.
“I can switch the handcuffs around, but I don’t trust him enough to take them off,” I say, motioning for Mike to move Vargas’s handcuffs.
“I don’t trust you to behave either,” I say, watching as Anita gives me a snarky look. “We know this is all just an act. There’s not that much time left. Damien’s just waiting for the evidence to come through and for the search warrants to be issued. Then the authorities will take over.” She either doesn’t get how serious their situation is, or she’s desperate.
“Before you play the hero and turn us in, you might want to listen first. We didn’t come all this way for nothing, did we?” Anita says, trying to negotiate favors in exchange for their testimony.
“You keep saying that. But we would’ve caught you at the border, anyway.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure, handsome. Stop lying to yourself. I would’ve been long gone by now if I didn’t think this idiot was going to die the first night you threw him in jail. So, the deal I’m offering is pretty simple. We’re giving you intel on an entire crime ring,” she says, looking first at me, then at Damien. “My friend, it’ll be the capture of your career.”
“Anita, stop talking. I got this,” Vargas pleads, his voice unexpectedly soft.
“You’re going to die like a fool. That’s what’s going to happen. Listen to me: ask for immunity, tell them everything you know, and then just take off to another continent. ”
“What about you, baby? How can I live without you?”
“My dad will take care of me. He’s wracked with guilt. So, he’ll do whatever it takes to clean up this mess.”
“Not this time, I won’t,” Peter’s voice suddenly rings out as he walks in. I’ve been so caught up in the conversation that I didn’t even realize Mike had opened the door for him.
“Yes, you will, Daddy. You’re going to take care of it. Lawyers, favors, you’ll do whatever it takes.”
“You’ve really crossed the line this time, Anita. You put your brother’s life in danger. How could you do that?”
“He wasn’t any more at risk in that container than he was at his wild yacht orgies, doing drugs and swimming in the sea at night, wasted. He got spooked and wanted to spill the beans, like the weakling he’s always been. Suddenly, he grew a conscience.” She smirks and continues. “I just got him in isolation so he could think things through for a few days. Who would’ve thought my little idiot would ship the country girl, the car, and Lucas in the same container? You poked the bear, getting the bodyguard all riled up, baby,” she tells Vargas. “That’s where you went wrong. And now it’s up to me to clean this up.”
As the hallucinatory dialogue between Peter and Anita unfolds, out of the corner of my eye, I notice Lexi slowly moving away from the wall where I had pushed her to keep her away from Anita and Vargas. Her expression shifts from shock to fury in seconds. She stops next to Peter, pointing a threatening finger in the air.
“You mean all of you in the family knew about the accident and kept quiet? God, what kind of people are you?” she shouts, staring Peter down. He lowers his head, looking down.
“Come on, Peter, just tell me. Is that why you gave me money for the hospital? Why you brought me here to work for you? So you’d feel less guilty for what Anita did? Just spit it out!” she yells angrily, pulling on his arm to make him face her. She’s tiny next to him, but Peter just shrugs and takes her punches.
“What kind of man are you? You were all dad-like with me. All those late nights we worked together… I can’t believe you stood next to me, knowing your kids almost killed me.”
Lexi takes a few steps back to the wall, covering her mouth in disbelief. Peter looks at her, then at Anita, and starts talking.
He starts off choked up but then clears his throat and continues, “I didn’t know. And I don’t mean it as an excuse. I helped you because your father worked his whole life for me. And I knew you were smart and would be a valuable asset if you worked for me. When you dropped out of school, I saw it as my chance to convince you to move here.”
“Come on, Dad. Can we stop with the phony flattery? Cut the crap. Nobody buys your generous act,” Anita snaps at him.
Peter stops and shoots her a stern glare. “You need to stop with the games. It’s too late for that, honey.”
“It’s not too late, Dad. It’s exactly the right time. Tell the country girl and her knights in shining armor here that you and Lucas have known about the accident for a while. Just drop the innocent act and admit you knew.”
“Anita told me and Lucas about the accident, but only after Lexi helped crack the traffic network in the port. She asked me to fire her and send her home, saying she was a danger to our family.”
“And what did you do, Dad?”
“I hired Gabriel. Only he could protect her. I wasn’t sure if it was you, Anita, making those threats, but there was a good chance.”
He turns to me. “Gabriel, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you everything, but I hoped you could stop her before she did something reckless. I spent hours hoping it wasn’t really her who did this. ”
Anita gives us a smug look, then turns to her father. “Stop humiliating yourself, Dad. What the hell? And you,” she says, looking at Lexi with a cold, glassy stare. “You should cut the drama, country girl. You’re the one who caused all this chaos. Stubborn little thing. You were like a dog with a bone. By the way, I hope you saved that puppy. You’ve got a bleeding heart, so I’m sure you did.”
She pauses for a few seconds, then looks at Lexi again. “You’re the reason my idiot shot Gabriel. He did it to get you away from him.” She then turns to me. “Forgive me, handsome. You’re my all-time favorite bodyguard. Nobody really meant to kill you… we just needed you down for a bit while they took Lexi out of your house. Vargas has an amazing aim. You were safe, trust me.”
Anita kicks back in her chair and looks around at everyone in the room. She loves all the attention. I have to stop this circus. I take Lexi back to the couch and gesture for Damien to grab Vargas.
“Okay, the show’s over. I’m going to hand him over to the police. And we’ll get a warrant for your arrest, Anita. You’ll be staying with us until a judge issues it. Say whatever you want. I can’t stop you, but we all know how this is going to end. With you behind bars.”
Anita stands up and walks over to Vargas, unfazed by Damien’s words. “Oh, baby. If only you hadn’t been so obsessed with that car.” She takes his chin in her hands. Vargas raises his cuffed hands and grabs her thin wrist. “It was my gift to you, baby. How could I get rid of it?”
Anita bows her head and turns to us. “You know, he still behaves like a poor kid. I should’ve seen this coming. He couldn’t let go of that car.”
Damien reaches over, pulls her aside, and lifts Vargas from his chair. Anita shrieks in protest, then turns on Peter, her voice laced with venom. “Do something useful for once in your pathetic life. ”
“Gabriel, please don’t,” Peter says. “Just listen to what they have to offer. For my sake, please. I need this. You owe me this.”
“I owe you a lot, Peter,” I reply. “But I won’t be part of any illegal activities to repay you. Anita’s going to be turned in, too.”
Peter whimpers and goes over to her. “Why, Anita? Why create all this mess? What was it you were missing? And why get mixed up with this… person?” he asks in a husky voice.
“Love, Dad. That’s what I missed. This… person is the only man who loves and accepts me for who I am. Yeah, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he’s respected by his men, dedicated, hardworking, and he loves me no matter what. What makes you better than him? You’ve got some nerve to lecture me, Dad. After you killed your wife because she wanted to sell the business she inherited and enjoy a peaceful retirement with you?”
“It was an accident, Anita. You know it was.”
“No, it wasn’t. You pushed her down the stairs. I saw the whole thing. She wanted you to sell everything and be together. She wanted more time with you and with us. But you were high on power and money. It was her money, and she had the right to do what she wanted with it.”
“I did everything for you and Lucas. I wanted to make up for you losing her. You grew up with everything you needed.”
“I had nothing! You treated me like a weak woman, just like you did my mother. You gave your moron of a son a position in your company. He couldn’t care less. All he wants to do is go sailing. That’s it. I wanted to be your partner and take over from you. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve made a lot of money with my handsome Vargas. So much money that I can buy your precious company and then sell it for scraps until the dust settles on your dream and your work. Maybe then you’ll feel what I felt. ”
“There’s no excuse for violence and breaking the law. Stop it, Anita. We don’t care, and it won’t do you any good,” Damien cuts in.
“Oh, really?” she replies defiantly. “You think you’re better than us? Some great men you are, huh? Let’s see. Gabriel’s emotionally crippled, hiding behind his rules, when he couldn’t even admit to a child that he failed the only person in his life who stood by him.”
“How do you know?” I let out a loud bellow.
“Eda. She’s involved with a corrupt cop. It wasn’t hard to find out.” She pauses, grins, then continues, turning to Dominic. “And you? Pretending to be a social butterfly, when in fact you’re haunted by that one moment of helplessness, unable to sleep, replaying it in your head over and over.”
Dominic raises an eyebrow and cringes. Anita continues. “If you’re wondering how I know, it’s your sister. She’s way too gullible, thinking everyone’s her friend. Well, I suppose that will make her life easier.”
She then turns to Damien. “And you, cowboy, sleeping with a gun under your pillow, knowing damn well that once you give up your badge, you’re dead. You’ll be a shell of a man without it. Don’t ask me how I know because my answer gets Vargas his immunity.”
Damien ignores her, looks at his phone, then turns to me. “I just got the warrant for her, too. We can hand both of them over.”
“Seriously, even after everything we’ve proven we know, you still don’t want a deal? Your loss, then.”
“Here’s the thing, Anita. We don’t trust you or your lover boy. It was a brilliant performance, but let’s call it a day.”
Damien pulls out a set of handcuffs and walks over to Anita. He grabs her from her seat and pulls her hands behind her back. Peter collapses onto a chair, groaning. Vargas, held by Mike, starts screaming like a lunatic, “Get your hands off her! It’s all my fault! I did it all! ”
Anita nods at him, and he stops. God, the way she controls him… She allows herself to be cuffed, takes a couple of steps pushed by Damien toward the exit, and then stops to talk to Lexi, who stands next to me, looking completely drained by the whole debacle.
“And you, country girl, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, walking carelessly as if it was your own damn street. It would’ve been better if you had died then. You could’ve prevented this whole mess. But this stupid, kind-hearted idiot just had to call the ambulance after we left you there.”
“I told you, baby. An accident is statute-barred, but murder never is. And I was right,” Vargas growls.
“No, you weren’t. See, this is why I have to do the thinking for both of us.”
She grits her teeth, looking at Lexi with pure hatred. “You signed your death sentence when you came here to the city, looking for answers. You should’ve taken the money my dad gave you and stayed in that hole you came from. I hesitated, damn it. I actually hesitated for once. But I didn’t play my last card.”
“You won’t get away with it. No one’s going to give you immunity. You’re going to end up behind bars, no matter how much money you have,” Lexi confronts her, eyes narrowed and voice laced with steel.
“I’m afraid you’re wrong, country girl. This isn’t over. Just wait. My dad’s going to do whatever it takes to get me out. And this will be your lesson: not to trust anyone. You can only trust yourself. Stay independent and always have an exit plan. Just like me. You might as well learn something since you got out of this alive.” With a sad smile, Anita allows herself to be pushed toward the exit.
“Take them away,” Damien says to the cops as they come in. “There won’t be any deal, Anita. I’ll track down everyone you wanted to turn in myself. ”
Peter looks at me, deeply pained. I feel sorry for him.
“Anita!” I shout, and she looks back. “You two need our protection. If we spread the word that you snitched, you won’t make it through a single night in jail. So, you’re right; the negotiation isn’t over. But we call the shots now.”
The room empties, one by one. It feels stuffy in here. We need to get some fresh air and sunshine to forget what just happened.
Holding Lexi in my arms, I can’t help but wonder if the answers will bring her peace. Time will tell. She was in the wrong place when the accident happened, but her relentless search for the culprit set off a chain of events that changed the lives of so many.
A man in love who wanted to pamper his girlfriend with a luxury car. A woman who grew up without love, craving power in a world that never gave her a chance.
Their choices sent ripples outward, crashing into our lives—a woman who grew up haunted by survivor’s guilt and a man who thought he didn’t deserve to be loved. And then a miracle happened—Lexi and I found each other.