by Ali Vali
She stood in every doorway as they looked in every possible hiding place, finding nothing. In the room Aubrey and Tanith were sharing, Lauren picked up the portable gaming device and held it up toward her.
“Whose is this?”
“Mine,” she answered quickly, without blinking.
“Yours?” Sean asked, smiling.
“A silly gift from Wiley to hone my reflexes. Turned out to be pretty addictive.”
“There were five heat signatures in here, ma’am,” Lauren said.
“Call down and have them do it again. I’m positive you’re mistaken.”
They continued their search even after it was confirmed that the only people moving around were the three of them. Even though they were in the clear, Danielle insisted they finish what they came to do. It took a couple of hours but Sean and Lauren had been thorough, even opening the trunk of every car on the main level.
“Satisfied?” she asked when they reached the door.
“I know this is an inconvenience for you, but we had to search,” Lauren said.
“It’s not an inconvenience, young lady, it’s an insult considering what my daughter has done and sacrificed for this country. I also know you’re not about to share with me what this is about, but you’re dead wrong if you think Wiley has done something unsavory.”
“You have a right to read the search warrant, ma’am,” Sean said. “The people we were looking for are part of an ongoing investigation with national-security concerns.”
“You think Wiley’s harboring terrorists? Who’s your supervisor?”
“Special Agent Annabel Hicks,” Sean said.
“Thank you, now get the hell out of Wiley’s home, and if you come back you both will regret it.”
“It’s not wise to threaten government officials, ma’am,” Lauren said.
“It’s not as stupid as searching the home of a highly decorated veteran for terrorists. I’m not threatening you with physical harm, only promising you that my story will be much more interesting to the national news folks. If you’re through wasting my time, get out.” She slammed the door and leaned against it to calm the jumble of nerves running rampant through her stomach. The situation was getting truly bizarre.
“The real hissy fit will begin when she gets back and I tell her where I had to stash her terrorists,” she said softly, and laughed.
*
“This is fucking unbelievable,” Nunzio Luca said as the driver took the road along the coast in Biloxi. “All those big houses, fucking gone. Are these guys sure this place is coming back? It looks like someone nuked all this.”
“Our type of business is being rebuilt faster than the casinos. The state wants all of them open as soon as possible so the money will start flowing again.” Tracy was still pressed up against the door with her face turned away from him toward the water. Maybe he’d been harsh, but setting strict rules from the beginning was important. Things wouldn’t get confused if he kept to the promises he’d made himself.
“I don’t see that happening, but then I don’t give a fuck. We aren’t here to live in this heat pit fighting off mosquitoes. I just need a steady product coming in so we can go to work.”
The construction crews along the beach were knocking off for the day, so the traffic was at a crawl. Their driver finally turned at the lighthouse and headed inland. Miguel Gonzalez had picked a place called Jazzeppi’s, and from the number of cars in the lot, it was one of the only open choices. Actually, from the look of it, the storm surge had stopped twenty feet from the building, sparing it and the railroad tracks behind it.
“Is this guy trying to butter me up?” he asked, seeing it was an Italian restaurant. “That’ll be a leap since these rednecks know nothing about sauce.”
“I’m sure it was either this or his apartment,” Tracy said. She got out and waited so she could walk behind him to the door.
“Mr. Luca,” the attractive blonde behind the desk said. “Welcome to Jazzeppi’s. Mr. Gonzalez apologizes but he’s running late. He insists you have a drink in the private room he’s reserved. He’ll be about ten minutes.”
“Did he send a picture of me or something?”
“I’m sorry if you’re not Mr. Luca, but our manager has a picture of him and your father. The resemblance is uncanny.”
“Is your manager here?”
“He’s out for two weeks, and I know he’ll be sorry to have missed you.” The woman led them to an intimate room and closed the door with a promise of drinks.
“Now we know why Gonzalez picked this place. Anyone who was a friend of my father’s has his own heightened sense of paranoia.”
Miguel took a few more than ten minutes to arrive, but this time Nunzio didn’t mind as much. If given a preference, he’d do business with the Delarosa family instead of the mysterious Emray.
“My apologies, Mr. Luca,” Miguel said, with a thick but understandable accent. “This town has become a hive of activity and confusion.”
“No problem, and thanks for agreeing to meet.”
“Tonight we will eat and you will tell me your problems,” Miguel said as he poured himself a glass of wine.
“And what will you talk about?” This guy had a way and style about him that he found aggravating. He’d never been able to pull off that kind of ease with anyone.
“I am here because we,” Miguel pointed between them and smiled, “or should I say you and my boss, have a common but different problem.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Our common interest is I believe the same. We both want to build a good business, as is our right, and we want to keep it safe.”
“I’m listening.”
“Our common problem is a man named Emray Gillis.” Miguel made the name sound exotic. “He is causing problems for our shipments, and for you he hides behind the little men who work for him.”
Nunzio leaned forward and put his elbow on the table. “You know this guy? I mean, you’ve met him?” His anger rose so quick he clenched his fists, making Miguel lean back.
“I personally have not, but he has sat down with Mr. Delarosa. We have never done business with him.”
“May we know why?” Tracy asked, and Nunzio turned and stared at her as a warning to keep quiet.
“But of course, señorita.” Miguel smiled at her. “My boss never does business with anyone who never allows him to speak during a meeting. His other sin was believing he was the smartest person in the room.” Miguel seemed to relax again as he kept his eyes on Tracy.
“Does Delarosa know anything about this guy?” Nunzio asked.
“Mr. Delarosa knows so many things it is very hard to remember, and you are in no position to be disrespectful, Mr. Luca.”
“Sorry, but this Emray has done nothing but yank my dick since we started our deal. His lapdog Mitch wants a shitload of my money without me laying eyes on his boss. I’m not stupid.”
The way Miguel stared at him made him believe he did consider him more than stupid after all his mistakes. “Listen, Mr. Luca,” Miguel said, pouring himself more wine. “You can thank a long-lost friend for my being here tonight, but loyalty will buy only so much of my time. I’m not here to listen to you cry like a child who wants the treat his mother will not give him.”
“What old friend?” As much as he tried to curb the parts of himself that’d allowed his enemies to exploit him, casual comments like that shredded his ability to curb his response.
“When you were first here with your casino and your father’s backing, I answered a call from Kim Stegal. We discussed a deal between your family and the Delarosas. Kim never felt comfortable with what you’d worked out.”
“You met with Kim?” He shut his jaw and glared at Tracy again. If Kim had gone behind his back to get to this guy, it’d happened again. “Actually, never mind all that. Are you here to talk about the past or business?”
“How much product are you able to buy?”
“I’ve got fifteen large, and
once we transport we can work out a regular delivery.” He tried taking deep breaths to squelch the fire in his chest. “I’ve got the cash close, so it’s not like you have to wait to get paid.”
“You offered Emray the same deal?”
“Only with a meet. If he won’t sit down with me, I’m not showing him a dollar.”
“He turned down your money because of that?” Miguel asked before finishing his wine.
“Hell, yes.” He poured Miguel’s next glass, finishing the bottle. “Would you do business with a ghost?”
“If Mr. Delarosa had, we would not have climbed very high in this world.” Miguel twirled his glass by the stem. “Thank you for coming tonight. I will talk with Mr. Delarosa about you and your needs.”
“You’re done?”
“The food here is good, so please enjoy, but yes, I am done for tonight. I will call you once I have something for you.”
Miguel kissed Tracy’s hand before he left, and Nunzio waited until he closed the door before he moved. He lashed out and grabbed that same hand and squeezed until Tracy grimaced. He knew if he pressed harder he’d break her fingers.
“What else have you done behind my back?”
“Please, you’re hurting me.” Tracy tried to pull her hand free by hitting his wrist. “I didn’t do anything to betray you, and I had no idea Kim talked to these people before she died.”
“I’m here practically begging because everyone fucked me over. My business was stolen from me, my father was murdered, and I was tossed aside like some bitch who didn’t deserve any respect.” He squeezed harder and enjoyed the tears that pooled in Tracy’s eyes. “If you think I’m going to let that happen again, you’re as crazy as you are stupid.”
“You wanted another option aside from Emray, and I tried to give it to you.” Tracy was crying in earnest and stopped trying to get away from him. “Maybe you’re right—I should leave. Kim left me a little money, so I’ll be okay on my own.”
“Giving up already?” He let go and she turned away from him, cradling her hand against her body. “You have to understand where I’m coming from.”
“I do, and I know you don’t need or trust me. Whatever you felt you owed my sister, you’ve done enough.” Tracy stood and walked out, but he guessed it was only to get herself together in the restroom. After thirty minutes, he cursed himself for his weakness but went looking. Tracy was gone, and she had a good head start.
*
“You sure you don’t need me to call someone to look at your hand?” Miguel said in Spanish. His head hurt from the wine he’d consumed and from the concentration it took to sound coherent in English. “It’s swollen, so it might be broken.”
“It’s not,” Tracy answered in decent Spanish. “He wasn’t thrilled with your confession that Kim talked with you. If I ice it, it’ll be okay. Thanks for waiting around outside.”
“Nunzio is as predictable as the sun rising in the morning. He’s a man with very little imagination.” He packed a plastic bag with ice, wrapped it in a towel, and placed it on her hand when he sat next to her on his sofa. The condo he’d purchased a few years before when they’d started to expand in the U.S. markets was in one of the only buildings still standing along the shoreline. “It’s one of the reasons I always thought your sister’s brains and talent were wasted on him.”
“Love has nothing to do with brains, Miguel, you know that.”
“And sometimes it has everything to do with it.” Kim had called on the pretense of doing business with their organization, but that wasn’t her main reason. She’d figured out Nunzio would never come out of the war he’d started without major losses and casualties. Her only miscalculation was her death and not Nunzio’s. She had, though, protected the one thing in her life she loved: Tracy. A raw talent he was confident would surpass Kim’s accomplishments before too long.
“Why did you agree to protect me?” Tracy asked, leaning against him.
“My ambition will never lead me to want to break from Hector, but there are so many men with us who want my job.” Tracy had been seventeen when they’d first met, and even then he knew she’d be as beautiful as her sister. At that age, he’d been able to influence every aspect of her life. “To protect what I have is tiring, so I need someone to watch my back. I want that to be you.”
“Are you pleased with what I found out?”
“You always please me, but you did give me the answers I needed to an interesting development. That’ll please Hector as well.”
“A bonus, I guess, but you’re the only one I’m interested in making happy.” Tracy turned to face him and placed her injured hand on his chest. “Please don’t send me away for so long again.”
The thought of his wife and two daughters back in Colombia crossed his mind and just as quickly left it. At seventeen Tracy, he had figured, would be a body he could use to satisfy his need until he got to go home, but after one taste, he was hooked. He imagined this was what the addicts felt like when they raised their crack pipes to their lips. “No, beautiful one, you won’t be leaving my side again.”
He hoped Nunzio had enjoyed the little bit he’d allowed Tracy to share with him, because that wouldn’t happen again. “You’re home,” he said, staring down at his hard dick in her swollen hand.
Tracy straddled him and he laughed when he realized she was naked under her skirt. He hissed when she mounted him, glad she insisted on not using any type of protection. If he was lucky, Tracy wouldn’t only share his life, but she’d give him what his wife couldn’t now—a son. If she did, he’d give her whatever she wanted in return, even if it was Nunzio Luca’s head for what he’d allowed to happen to her sister.
Chapter Sixteen
“What’s this place?” Tanith asked, her eyes roaming the walls and computer screens in what Aubrey could tell was fascination.
“I’d guess this is Wiley’s secret place,” Aubrey said, almost closing her eyes, not wanting to intrude on Wiley’s privacy more than they had already. From the first night here she’d enjoyed studying the paintings on the walls, getting a sense of who Wiley kept hidden from the world. How ironic that now she had those on display for everyone to see and kept this a secret. The reality of the Wiley she’d known seemed skewed and lost. “Don’t touch anything.”
“Not even this?” Karen asked, holding the frame on Wiley’s desk.
She had a copy of that same photo, and in a bizarre way, it’d saved her and Tanith’s lives. Before she walked out on Maria she’d wanted to make sure she took all her treasures with her. This picture and the hundreds they’d taken through the years were in boxes still in the attic where they’d hid. Aubrey ran her fingers over the glass when her mom handed it over and tried to swallow.
“Do you still love her, Mom?” Tanith stood right next to her so she could look at the picture as well.
“I never stopped.” That was in so many ways the sad truth of her life. She’d found who she wanted as the young girl in this picture, which should’ve translated into a lifetime of bliss. Only finding Wiley so early had turned into a curse because no one else would ever measure up. Not really.
“I don’t understand,” Tanith said.
“That makes two of us, honey.” She put the frame back and looked at the gun cabinets. “Something happened and Wiley had to leave to keep me safe. She did that because she loved me, but it was still hard.”
“That sucks.”
She had to laugh at Tanith’s blunt assessment. “True.”
“Is she some kind of commando like in the movies or something?” Tanith asked, obviously willing to forget the sentimental talk for the cool toys behind the glass.
“Wiley’s actually one of the only female snipers ever to serve in the army’s special forces,” Peter said from the chair in front of the screens.
The word sniper made Tanith’s expression light up, as if her grandfather had said Wiley was Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl all rolled into one. “Do you think she’d tell me about i
t when she gets back?”
“I’m sure she would if you talk to her.” Aubrey couldn’t help but go back to the picture. Why here of all the places in the house?
“Do you think Wiley likes me?” Tanith didn’t sound as confident.
She guided her to the other side of the desk and sat her in her lap. “See how this tree in the picture looks like a dragon,” she said, and Tanith nodded. “We were a little older than you when we found it, but we’d go and sit there in the afternoons and talk. The Dragon Tree heard all our plans and dreams, and our one wish.”
“What?”
“That we’d be together forever with a family of our own.” She kissed Tanith’s temple and tightened her hold on her. “So even though Wiley had to go away, she didn’t stop wanting that.”
“She told you that?”
Karen smiled, as if giving her permission to tell the lie. “Yeah, and she can’t wait to get to know you. She’s got your name tattooed on her arm, after all.”
Thankfully the answer seemed to be enough and they all stayed quiet as the search continued outside. Aubrey thought about how Wiley had lived and functioned with no one but her parents. Or maybe that was being presumptuous of her. Maybe she didn’t live with anyone, but had found someone to share a bit of her life. If that was true, whoever it was had to be extremely understanding, since Wiley’s house didn’t contain a trace of them.
Even if Wiley wanted to open herself to her and Tanith, this room meant her old friend the Black Dragon wasn’t truly gone. Eventually Tanith would lose her childish wonder and see Wiley for what she was and what the government expected of her. Hell, that most probably wasn’t a good argument, since she doubted Tanith would ever not consider Wiley cool.
When the door opened she startled enough to jiggle Tanith in her lap. Danielle smiled and stepped in. “I don’t think we need to discuss what a secret this room is, right?”
