“I’m going. Please ask Brittany and Cameron to be on their best behavior. And tell Mom to be nice.”
***
On the way to Dominic’s house, Brianna was silent. She couldn’t stop thinking about her stolen afternoon with Matt. She realized she had the biggest smile plastered on her face. As much as she hated doing this to Dominic, she couldn’t help being happy. When she was with Matt, she had the most amazing sense of freedom. But it was becoming addictive. The more she was with him, the more she wanted him. Brianna could still feel his skin against hers.
After spending most of the car ride in silence, Dominic finally said, “Sorry I didn’t give you more notice about tonight. Are you nervous?”
It took Brianna a moment to leave fantasyland and return to reality. “Yes, of course,” she said. “I’ve never met a boyfriend’s parents before.”
Dominic’s face brightened, like he enjoyed what she said. Was it the word boyfriend? This was becoming complicated.
“I’m nervous, too,” he admitted. “I hope they don’t tell you any embarrassing stories.”
“Isn’t that what family is supposed to do?” she asked. Suddenly she was looking forward to meeting Dominic’s parents—to be around a normal family.
“I guess so. As I’ve said before, I have a small house, no money, and a large family.”
None of that mattered. Maybe she could gain the family she’d never had. “I’m glad I’m not the only college grad living at home,” she teased.
“I was planning on moving out once I found a job. Your father’s the one who said I had to stay here until the wedding.” Dominic got defensive and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“He told me the same thing,” Brianna said. “Actually, I wonder if he’ll allow us to get our own place, or if he’ll insist that we live in his house.” Salazar never mentioned it before, but Brianna was sure he planned to keep them close by.
“He better allow us to get our own place, but I’m not getting my hopes up.”
“Neither am I. I can’t imagine he’d ever think another home could be as secure as his. He’s spent millions on security for that place. Plus, I’m sure he’ll want to keep a close eye on us.” He’d also want to make sure they were acting married and holding up their end of the deal.
“I can’t believe how serious your father is about duty, honor, and family.” Dominic pulled into the driveway of a modest single-story home in Poway. “You know, I don’t mind your dad being involved, but there’s a big difference between being involved and being controlling. It’s the controlling part I won’t be able to handle.” Dominic got out of the car and slammed the door shut.
There was no way Dominic and her father were going to survive one another—they were both too stubborn.
Dominic opened the door for Brianna and continued, “Don’t mention to my parents anything about us getting married. We’re just dating.”
“No problem,” she said as she got out of the car. “This is the house you grew up in?” It seemed tiny for such a large family.
“It is. I’m sure the entire house is smaller than your bedroom.” They walked up to the front door. “And don’t mention your last name or anything about your dad.”
“Still haven’t told them anything?”
“No. I haven’t decided when, or how, I’m going to tell them I’m working for your father. You know my parents hate Salazar, and want nothing to do with him. I can’t even mention his name without my mother having a fit. I don’t want them to be prejudiced against you. I’ll tell them who you are once they’ve fallen in love with you.”
“I don’t care if they love me—I just want them to like me.” Suddenly she was nervous. She hoped Dominic’s family would welcome her in as one of their own. She wanted and needed them to fill that void.
“Trust me, if I’ve fallen for you, they will too.” Dominic took Brianna’s hand, pulling her into the house. They walked into a small living room with the dining room directly behind it, the ceiling low. The living room consisted of two worn couches and a faded armchair. The dining room table was aged and already set for tonight’s dinner. The house smelled of homemade lasagna.
“Hi, we’re here,” Dominic said loud enough to get everyone’s attention. Several people entered the living room to greet them. “Brianna, I’d like for you to meet my mother, Marie, and my father, Richard. This is my oldest sister Ashley, she’s married and has two kids but they’re home tonight since it’s a school night. This is Brittany and her husband, Jake. And this is my youngest sister, Cameron.” Everyone stared at her. Brianna took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She needed to take charge and pretend to be a sweet, innocent girl—someone they’d want Dominic to marry and be a part of this family.
Noticing Brittany’s baby bump, Brianna said, “Dominic didn’t tell me you were expecting! Congratulations. When are you due?”
“In eight weeks—thank God. I’m tired of being huge and pregnant!”
“I can’t even imagine. And Cameron, you’re a nurse at Memorial Hospital?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad to finally meet all of you.” Everyone seemed to relax.
After they all found a seat in the living room, Marie said, “I must admit, Dominic has been working so much lately that we’ve hardly seen him. We haven’t had a chance to learn anything about you. With you, he’s been very quiet, and it’s not like him. So, my dear, tell us about yourself. How did you two meet?”
Marie was clearly the one in charge around there. She seemed a bit overbearing—but Brianna was used to that.
All eyes were on Brianna, watching her every move. “We met through work,” she said. “We don’t work at the same company, but our paths crossed there. We went out for dinner one night and hit it off. We enjoyed each other’s company so much that we now spend all of our free time together.” Brianna looked to Dominic for help.
Dominic jumped in. “There’s something between us—something different from the other girls I’ve been with.” He took Brianna’s hand and pressed it to his lips. Dominic continued, “Ashley, tell Brianna how you met your husband.” Looking at Brianna, “It’s a much better story than ours.”
Ashley smiled. “I was in high school and it was a Friday night. The football game ended and I was walking home with my girlfriends. We were crossing the street when a car came speeding out of the school parking lot. It nearly ran us over and then took off! The next day, I had five dozen roses delivered to my house along with a note, apologizing for almost running me over. It was from a guy named Mike, and he had the nerve to ask me out on a date! Of course I said no—Mike didn’t even stop to make sure I was okay. He claimed he was too scared to talk to someone as beautiful as me. Mike sent me five roses every single day until I finally went out with him. We’ve been together ever since.”
“That’s so romantic.” Brianna could see the love in Ashley’s eyes as she told the story.
Dominic’s father shifted the conversation. “So Brianna, tell us about yourself. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“No, unfortunately I don’t. I come from a very small family. I’m an only child. My mother passed away when I was only a few months old. My dad never remarried.”
“I’m sorry to hear that about your mother,” Marie said gently.
Dominic was still holding Brianna’s hand, watching her attentively, waiting to see if he could help her in any way. He seemed to have some of Marie’s overbearing nature.
A buzzer sounded in the kitchen and Marie announced that dinner was ready.
While they sat around the dining room table eating, Brianna got a better read on the family dynamics. Dominic and his sisters teased one another, constantly joking and laughing together. Marie joined in every once in a while. Richard, however, was quiet and reserved. Brianna thought he looked old and tired, more like a grandfather to Dominic than his dad. Marie had beautiful dark hair and a large, gorgeous smile. She was vibrant, and the family was centered around her.<
br />
Brianna wondered what her mother and Salazar had been like together. If her mom was alive today, would Salazar still be so controlling? Would she agree to Brianna’s arranged marriage?
***
After dinner, the girls moved into the family room while Dominic and his father cleaned up the kitchen.
“Brianna seems nice,” Richard said. “Doesn’t say much though.”
Dominic nodded. “She’s just nervous, but she’s great.”
“Intelligent, too—an attorney?” He nudged Dominic. Dominic smiled in return. “So how serious are the two of you?”
“We’re pretty serious,” Dominic confessed.
“But you haven’t known each other that long.”
And there it was, that look everyone kept giving him. It was a combination of concern and disbelief. He thought everyone would be happy he had moved on. “It doesn’t take long when you know you’ve met the right one. Time doesn’t matter—look at what happened with Claire.” Dominic wished he could stop thinking about Claire. No matter how hard he tried, thoughts of her kept creeping up in his mind. He wondered how she was doing, if she was okay, where she was, and who she was with.
“Until you’ve spent some time with a person, you can’t be sure,” Richard said while loading the dishwasher. “The day I met your mother, I swore she was the one, but she kept insisting we needed to date more. I spent a year dating her before she finally agreed to marry me. I’m glad we did because I learned a lot about her, and it made me certain she was the one for me. You have your whole life ahead of you. Take your time, date. She may very well be the one, so what’s the rush? Just enjoy each other’s company.”
Under normal circumstances, that’s what he’d do. But this situation was anything but normal. “She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met before,” Dominic said. Which was true. He’d never met anyone so smart and beautiful. She was fun to be around, too. Of course Claire was all of those things, but in a different way.
“It’s good to see you happy. Don’t forget, you’re in the beginning stage of a relationship—before you two are tested. You’re still in the infatuation stage. Only time will tell if it’s meant to be.”
***
While the men were talking in the kitchen, the women were in the family room discussing Ashley’s son’s soccer game and how cute it was to see the little boys running around trying to kick the ball.
Marie paid particular attention to Brianna, inspecting the woman her son had brought home. Well, she certainly was more attractive than Claire—not that Claire wasn’t pretty. Claire had blonde hair and blue eyes, and looked like the typical Southern California girl. Not Brianna. There was something different about her. She had a beauty to her that was timeless.
Marie put her hand on Brianna’s arm. “You remind me of someone I used to know.”
“Really? A family member or a friend?” Brianna asked.
“An old, dear friend. You have the same facial features and mannerisms as she did. It’s almost as if I’m speaking to her right now. I haven’t thought about her in years. Funny how something can trigger your memory.”
“You’re no longer friends?”
“She died a long time ago, before Dominic was even born.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
When Dominic and Richard finished in the kitchen, they joined everyone in the family room. Dominic sat on the floor in front of Brianna. He leaned his head back on the couch and smiled. Marie knew her son was enamored with Brianna. He was probably throwing himself into this relationship to get over Claire. Yet, there was more to it than that. There was something about this girl, the way she looked and acted, that was captivating. Brianna had Dominic on a hook, and she didn’t seem to be willing to let go.
To Marie, Brianna clearly liked her son, but she didn’t appear to be in love with him, as he was with her. Brianna didn’t hold his hand, touch his face, or offer any loving gestures. Marie liked Brianna and thought she may very well be good for Dominic; however, something didn’t feel right.
Matt rubbed his face. Why did he sleep with Brianna? He opened the lid on the plastic container and popped two Tums in his mouth. His stomach was in knots. What was he thinking? That was the problem—he wasn’t. Tracking down Salazar was difficult enough without any added complications. Brianna was definitely an added complication. While undercover, he learned to trust his impulses—that’s what kept him alive. But this impulse? It couldn’t possibly end well. He needed to stop thinking about Brianna and focus on the task at hand—interviewing Bennett.
When Matt entered the interrogation room, Richard Bennett was sitting at the table, fidgeting with his hands. Chris and two other DEA agents were already there.
Chris began, “Thanks for coming down here today, Mr. Bennett. We appreciate you cooperating with us.”
“Before we go any further,” Richard interrupted, “I need to know that everything I say is completely anonymous and my family will be protected.” Sweat trickled down his face.
“Of course,” Chris reassured him. “My assistant went over all the paperwork with you, correct?”
Richard nodded. “I just want to make sure I won’t be incriminating myself in any way.”
“For your full cooperation, you will be cleared from any and all charges. You signed everything, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s move on,” Chris said. “For the record, you called the DEA a few weeks ago, claiming that a man by the name of Antonio Salazar was trying to recruit your son for his illegal drug trafficking business, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And you told us that Antonio Salazar is connected to Phillip Shephard?”
“Yes.”
“And Salazar is the leader of the Ramon Salazar Cartel?”
“Yes.”
“Can you please explain how you know this, and why Salazar wants to recruit your son?”
Richard rubbed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. “I first met Antonio Salazar in the sixth grade. He was new to school.”
“Where was this?” Chris asked.
“Lincoln Middle School, here in San Diego.”
“Go on.”
“Both of Salazar’s parents were killed in an accident and he was living with his uncle.”
“Do you know the uncle’s name?”
“Phillip Shephard.”
“Continue.”
“Salazar and I immediately became friends. He excelled in science and I in math.” Richard smiled. “Salazar won the school’s science fair every single year. He had to be the best.”
“We were best friends through middle and high school. Salazar always came over to my house for dinner. My family lived in a small run-down place—my father didn’t make a lot of money, especially compared to Phillip. Salazar always talked big, saying how his father left him a company and he was going to run it and become wealthy.
“Through the years of hearing him talk, it was assumed I’d join him. When we graduated from high school, Salazar went to college and we started up his father’s business.” Richard paused, lost in thought for a moment. Chris cleared his throat, regaining Richard’s attention. “We began making and distributing illegal narcotics. I focused on production. Phillip handled all of the legal matters. However, Salazar was clearly the one in charge. He had all of the contacts and knew exactly what to do. He never shared that information with me. Honestly, I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how much money we were making.”
Richard glanced over at the recorder. The light was red, indicating it was working. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead. Rubbing his temples, Richard continued. “In the meantime, I met and married my wife, Marie. At our wedding, I introduced Salazar to her best friend, Christina LeBlanc. Salazar was, and probably still is, a very determined man. From the moment he met Christina, he had to have her. She was beautiful and there were a lot of men after her, but that didn’t stop him—it only made it more exciting for him. Salazar used everything he had t
o win her—which he eventually did, about a year later. After their wedding, Christina discovered what he really did. She struggled with that. Salazar had told her he owned a business, but that was the extent of it. Christina came from a religious family and she couldn’t understand how a man could be so loving, yet participate in something illegal, immoral, and violent. One night she walked in on Salazar torturing a man. Christina left Salazar and filed for a divorce the next day.
“Salazar couldn’t live without her. He searched everywhere, but he couldn’t find her. Her family said that they didn’t know where she was. My wife, Marie, even claimed not to know. Months went by. Salazar and I were at a restaurant for a meeting with some high-end potential buyers when he saw Christina outside with a guy. She was pregnant, laughing, and with another man. Salazar started to shake and his face turned red. He left the table and didn’t return. Later that night I came home and found my wife covered in blood.”
Richard’s voice faltered. He focused on his hands clutched in front of him. His knuckles were white. Chris got a water bottle and pushed it toward Richard. Richard took a drink.
“Marie said Salazar came over to speak to me, but I wasn’t there. She said that Salazar’s hands and shirt were covered with blood and she asked him what happened. He told her he killed Christina. Marie went to call 9-1-1 and Salazar hit her. I came home and found Marie on the floor, bloody . . . but okay for the most part. Salazar was gone, so I went to confront him.
“When I got to Salazar’s, Phillip answered. Phillip claimed he knew nothing of the matter and I had to be mistaken. He said Salazar could never hurt anyone. I was so angry Salazar wouldn’t confront me. I told Phillip that we were done. I was out. I took my family and we moved. I never heard from Salazar again.”
When Richard finished, he was visibly shaking.
“So you didn’t report Christina’s murder?” Chris asked.
The Power to See Page 14
