by L. R. Wright
“Thank you for trusting me,” she said. “I just want to make you proud, Daddy.”
He cradled his daughter’s face in his hands. “You never have to worry about whether I’m proud of you, ladybug. I’ve always been proud of you, even when you were drooling on all my ties.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him. He glanced at Dro. “Can you leave us alone for a minute, son?”
When Dro left the kitchen, Alexa dropped her bag on the floor and sat down on a barstool. Pop opened the freezer, and pulled out a bowl of ice cream. He set the bowl in front of her. “This is for us to share,” he said, pointing to two spoons on the counter.
“Daddy, you hate peanut butter and chocolate ice cream.” She dipped her spoon into the treat.
He watched her take a few bites then dipped his spoon into the bowl. “I love you. And if you love peanut butter and chocolate ice cream I guess I can love it too. I wanted to talk to you, and I figured we could eat and talk?”
“What do you want to talk about?” she asked, spooning up another bite.
He hesitated and then cleared his throat. “Some people would wonder why I raised you to be a killer.” She stilled and her eyes flew to his. “Sometimes I wonder the same thing. I feel like I should at least share with you my thought process.”
She bowed her head again and continued eating.
He followed suit, grimacing after he swallowed the ice cream. He really didn’t like this shit. He set his spoon down on a napkin. “When you were born, I realized I loved you more than my own life. I had already felt that type of love for your mother, but this was different. A father’s love for his children knows no bounds, just like a mother’s love for her children. You were my princess—the cutest little piece of happiness I’d ever known. You and your brother are the reason why I strive to be better.”
A tear fell from her eyes and onto the counter.
He handed her a Kleenex, grateful Veronica always kept a box in every room. “When I realized that, I also realized my choices in life would ultimately affect your safety. You and your brother were my greatest vulnerability. I figured the best way to ensure your protection would be to train you to defend yourself, by any means necessary. It was pretty unheard of for girls to be trained as equals to men. I took the risk and it paid off. You have exceeded all of my expectations, ladybug. Don’t tell your brother, but you’re the best of them all. And if or when one of my enemies chooses to exact revenge against me by using my children, I know you can take care of yourself. The truth is it might have been the most cowardly act I’ve ever committed.”
“You’re not a coward, Daddy.”
“I am. I couldn’t bear the thought of you or your brother being hurt because of my line of work. That’s why I trained you and Lei to be able to kill, legally. You know the old saying, ‘kill or be killed?’ That’s what I was thinking. And that—that makes me a coward. You may not understand now, but I hope you will one day.”
“Daddy, you’re not a coward. You’re the bravest man I know. You had to make choices for me and Lei. I don’t fault you for that. You did what you thought was right for your circumstances. I know that when I’m a mother, I’ll do the same thing.”
He tilted his head and studied his marvelous daughter. She never ceased to amaze him. “You’re very profound for your young age, ladybug.” He picked up his spoon again.
She touched her spoon to his and he chuckled. She grinned at him. “I love you, Daddy.” She stood up and held out her arms. They embraced each other tightly. When she finally backed away and went back to her ice cream, he watched her eat.
“So, you and Dro?” he asked.
A blush crept up her face. “Why do you ask?” she said, avoiding eye contact.
“Well, I noticed something different between you after your birthday party at the hotel. Are you two an item?”
She swirled her spoon around in the bowl. He wondered if she was trying to come up with a suitable explanation for the condom he found in the training room after she worked out with Dro a few days earlier. As much as he loved Dro, he still had the overwhelming urge to throttle him.
“Well, we’re not officially an item. But well, you know...”
Pop decided not to push her. His heart wouldn’t be able to handle any real details. He was tempted to demand she stay celibate forever. “Ladybug, you know you can tell me anything?” But he secretly hoped she wouldn’t tell him anything about her sex life.
“Daddy, there really isn’t much to tell. I know you would like us to get married, so we decided to see each other casually. There’s no commitment or anything. I’m too young for that.”
He was impressed with her level of maturity about the whole marriage issue. His fear for her safety had prompted him to agree to Enrique’s request that their two children marry and join their families together. “That’s true. I do want you to experience life, ladybug. I just don’t want you to be doing things that will prevent that from happening.”
“Things like what?” she asked.
Now it was his turn avoid eye contact. “You know, sex and things like that. I don’t want any grandkids now.”
She giggled. “No grandbabies here, Daddy. You definitely don’t have to worry about that.”
He sighed with relief. He didn’t want to have to maim Dro. “Good. And I want you to date other men before you settle down.”
“I do date other boys, Daddy.”
“Good.” He stood up and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to head up to bed. Your mother is probably wondering where I am.”
She peered up at him with big, doe eyes. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll be okay.”
Pop instantly pictured her at four, calling his name over and over. He smiled at the memory. “Well, you should know I always worry. But I have a feeling you will be just fine, ladybug. When you see Dro, tell him I need to talk to him in the morning. And...” He paused. “No sex in the house.”
She choked on the bite of ice cream she’d just placed in her mouth, spraying the cold concoction on the clean countertop.
***
November 6, 2011, B5:
“I need a minute.” Alexa ran toward her bedroom.
Lei placed a hand on Dro’s arm. “I got this, Dro. Give us a minute.” Lei glared at Pop and followed Alexa.
Deciding it was time to speak to his children alone, Pop went after them. He caught up to Lei in the hallway. Lei pushed the door open and stepped in first.
Alexa was sitting on her bed, running her feet over the carpet. Lei placed a hand on her shoulder. “Alexa, it’s okay. It could’ve been worse. He could’ve been cheating on Mom.”
“I would never do that,” Pop said. He sucked in a breath when Alexa’s bloodshot eyes flew to his. He hated to hurt her, but it was plain to see that he had. His heart ached at the sadness and anger in her eyes. He never wanted her to look at him like that.
“I feel like you didn’t trust us with this information and it hurts,” she said. “It makes me question my trust in you.
“It’s not that I didn’t trust you.”
“Then, what was it?” Lei demanded, sitting next to Alexa. “You can’t tell me that you don’t understand why we’re upset.”
“I do understand. The only thing I can say is that I thought it was best at that time to keep it quiet. I don’t regret many things, but I do regret that. Her name is Alexi Lei Richardson.” Alexa gasped. “She’s my younger sister by three years. When our parents died, I took it upon myself to take care of her even though I was only nineteen years old. When she started dating Clive, I forbade it. I thought he was too old for her. Not to mention, he was studying to be a cop. She rebelled. She continued to see him behind my back. When he left, she ran away with him. She believed Clive when he told her that Enrique and I were nothing but trouble, even though I gave up so much for her. Clive moved to D.C. and they married. I didn’t talk to her again until you kidnapped her.”
“You named me after her?” Al
exa asked, tears standing in her eyes.
“I love her, ladybug. She’s my sister. I just couldn’t forget what she had turned into when she married Clive. He wanted to be in politics and he was constantly acting like we were scum. Even though we were close growing up, he distanced himself from anything that had to do with us and the old neighborhood. I felt like she turned her back on me when I had given her everything. But when you were born, you looked so much like her. I couldn’t help but name you after her.”
“How did she react when you told her who I was?” she asked.
“She cried,” he confessed softly. “She was happy I still had space for her in my heart.”
“So why wouldn’t you let us have space for her in ours?” Lei asked, his voice cracking. “You always told us family first. Why doesn’t that apply to her?”
“I don’t know, son. I’m sorry. I guess I was stuck in the old way. Betrayal is unforgivable. It can mean death. But you’re right. She’s still my family. And that’s why I couldn’t let Owens have her killed.”
Alexa sighed deeply. “I’m glad you protected her. And there’s still time in life to correct this. I want my children to know her. I want you to have a relationship with her. We need to get to work.” She walked out left the two men in her bedroom.
CHAPTER 29
November 7, 2011:
A morning jogger discovered Melissa’s dead body lying in the park. Alexa and Kendrick watched from a window of an adjacent building as the cops scoured the park looking for clues. The news reporters were lined outside the yellow tape trying to get a story for the eleven o’clock news.
“Déjà vu, huh?” Kendrick sighed.
“Pretty much,” Alexa agreed. “I hope Daddy knows what he is doing.”
“Do you have any doubt?”
“I want to say no, but everything about this makes me uneasy. I’m used to getting rid of bodies, not leaving them around to be discovered.” Although they were careful to use gloves when handling Melissa, anything could have been left on the body or on her clothes. “I’m done after this,” she said after a few minutes.
“I know.”
“I just can’t do it anymore, Kendrick. I guess I’m getting soft in my old age.”
He nudged her with his shoulder. “I guess you are. You’re not the only one.”
She studied him. “You are too?”
“It just doesn’t give me the same thrill that it used to. I used to get a rush of adrenaline, but now? I don’t know. I miss my wife and my kids. And if you leave...”
“You can’t live without me, huh?” she joked.
He rolled his eyes. “No comment.” He wrapped an arm around her neck and she dropped her head on his shoulder. “What about Dro?”
Alexa wished Dro would come with her, but knew he wouldn’t. One of the things she loved about him was his loyalty to Martinez. She doubted he would leave when he felt he was obligated to stay. “I don’t know. But it doesn’t change anything. I have to leave for the kids.”
“Stop trying to act all brave. I know you, remember. You’re going to be a wreck without him.”
“I won’t be without him,” she replied, staring at a crack in the ceiling. “He’s always going to own my heart, Kendrick. I’ll never be with anyone else. I just can’t be with him here.”
***
Dro gripped the steering wheel as he sped toward the Martinez offices. Pop was riding shotgun. They had rode most of the way in silence and Dro preferred it that way. He had a lot on his mind.
“How are you and Alexa?” Pop asked, breaking the silence.
The question threw Dro for a loop. “Why?”
“I get the feeling there’s some sort of disconnect between you.”
“We’re fine,” Dro lied. “We’re both tense people, especially when we feel threatened.”
“And you’re both very driven and extremely loyal.”
“Pop, Alexa is probably going to leave me when this is over.”
“What?” Pop seemed surprised. “You just told me you were fine.”
“We are fine. But she doesn’t want to raise the kids here.” He shrugged and tried to focus on the road ahead. “I can’t say I blame her. I mean, I’m going to try to keep her here, but we all know how that’s going to work out. Eventually, she will resent me and then what? I love her. I want her to be happy.”
“What about your happiness? Would it make you happy?” Pop asked. “Listen, I’ve watched you and my daughter build a life together for a long time. I know you would be miserable without her.”
Dro knew it too. He wouldn’t be able to let her go, and he wouldn’t be able to go with her. How was he going to deal with this? Deciding to push that question to the rear, he changed the subject. “With all due respect, I don’t feel like talking about this right now. I need to focus on the plan.” He turned the volume up on the stereo and continued toward their destination.
***
Lei entered the security room, where Chase was tweaking a special project for Dro. He dropped a folder on the desk. “Are you ready, Chase?”
“Just one more—there. All done.”
Lei slid another folder into his briefcase. “We need to meet Pop and Dro over at Martinez. Kendrick and Alexa should be there once they wrap up at the park.”
Chase grabbed his hat. “What time does the flight leave?”
“Five o’clock. That should give us enough time to take care of loose ends. Are you sure you don’t want one of us to go with you?”
“I have everything under control on my end, Lei. And you all have everything under control on yours. I just have to brief Kendrick on a few things before I leave. I talked to my Dad. They are staying put in Canada.”
“Good.” Lei extracted an extra gun out of the weapons cabinet. “We’re all set then.”
***
When Alexa arrived at Martinez with Kendrick, everyone was there.
“The cops are handling the scene at the park,” Kendrick told the group. “The news has been reported and our contact at the hospital morgue touched base with us. It’s a waiting game now.”
Alexa eyed Dro, who was busy typing on the computer. “Everything looked eerily similar to Alexi’s faked death,” she added. “Owens should take the bait.” She wrapped her arms around Dro from the back.
“Did you leave the surprise?” Pop asked.
“Yes.” Kendrick and Alexa replied simultaneously.
“They shouldn’t miss it,” Kendrick added. “It will trace right back to him.”
Lei handed Pop a manila envelope. He opened it up and skimmed the contents. “Then, we wait,” he said.
“What are you doing, babe?” Alexa opened one of Dro’s desk drawers and pulled out a bowl filled with starburst candies.
Dro kept his eyes on the computer. “Taking care of some business I haven’t been able to work on for the past few days.”
She popped one of the candies in her mouth and ran her fingers through his hair.
He stopped typing and sighed deeply. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
Since he was being so secretive, she didn’t care if he knew she was lying. She wanted to discuss leaving town with him, but the time wasn’t right. She watched as he worked. Eventually, she headed over to the sofa and plopped down next to Kendrick.
When three o’clock arrived, Alexa noticed Chase and Dro huddled by the desk. She wondered what they were talking about and what Dro was thinking. He was ignoring her and hadn’t even looked at her since she arrived.
Chase gathered his bags. “I guess I better head to the airport.”
Kendrick closed his laptop. “Okay, bruh.” He turned to her. “You want to roll?”
She wasn’t doing anything else. “Okay.”
Chase said his goodbyes to everyone and they left.
***
Once Alexa, Kendrick, and Chase were gone, Lei gave Dro a stack of papers. “This is everything you wanted. Also, Kendrick switched the flight it
inerary so that no one will be able to trace Chase.”
Dro examined the documents. “Have you heard from our contact at the hospital?”
Lei nodded. “Owens had someone sneak him into the morgue to view the body about an hour ago.”
“Apparently Owens took Melissa’s death rather hard according to my contact,” Pop chimed in. “He insisted on going to view the body. Because Melissa’s family has its own money, police are doubling their efforts to find the killer.”
“And our hospital employee made sure that there were cameras on Owens when he arrived even though he thought they were turned off,” Lei added.
“That’s good.” Dro leaned back in his chair. “This will all be over soon, then.”
CHAPTER 30
November 7, 2011:
Kendrick hopped on the freeway after leaving the airport. He felt antsy, but he couldn’t figure out why. Everything was happening too quickly and it felt off to him. He glanced at Alexa, who was staring out the window. “Alexa, what’s up? What’s on your mind?”
“I don’t know. Something just doesn’t seem right about this. It’s too easy. I mean, Daddy’s idea was good. We set Owens up for Melissa’s murder and then he goes to jail. But nothing is that easy.”
Kendrick arched a brow. “I agree with you, but I trust Pop. He knows Owens so what else can we do?”
She leaned her head against the window. “Nothing. We just let this play out.”
He frowned when he spotted a black GMC Envoy driving on his ass. The windows were tented, making it difficult to see who the driver was. “I think we have company.” He picked up speed. The car behind them sped up as well, riding the bumper.
