by Cee Smith
“Do you have any names or information that you think could help us find this Zephyr?”
Ezra chewed his lip as if to mull over how much he wanted to reveal or what he thought would be relevant to helping our cause. I could tell there was some semblance of loyalty he had to my father that compelled him to help us, but there was also the fear of Zephyr that held him back from blurting out the first thought that came to mind.
I could respect Ezra's hesitancy because he had a family, and it was his cautiousness that had probably saved them.
“My family is from a small town in Amaliada. His thugs were known to run drugs out of a location nearby, but that was over fifteen years ago. I imagine by now they would have moved onto bigger cities, but there may be people there that have some answers for you.” He hesitated, his eyes taking me in before continuing, “Those people are scared for their lives. The information won't be cheap, and it won't be money that will help them if Zephyr finds out about them talking.”
Scout grumbled underneath his breath, but his face still held the same blank expression.
“I don't know if this is something you're prepared to take on, but those people need protection. I can't tell you what to do, Dominic, but those families have been through a lot at the hands of Zephyr. I hope you will put their lives above this vendetta you carry.”
“You're right. You can't tell me what to do, but I hear what you're saying. It's not my intention to disrupt anyone's lives. I'll do what I can to see that doesn't happen.”
I stood, creating a domino effect of Scout and Ezra following my movement.
“I haven't closed any of those accounts, and I don't plan to. If you need anything from me, you should be able to contact me through the bank.”
“Thanks, Dominic. Scout,” he said nodding between the two of us.
“It sounds like you didn't know this side of your father. Many of us considered him a hero. He was an inspiring man. You should be proud to call him your father.” With the thrust of his hand outstretched, his jowl shook animatedly.
“Thanks.” The word almost sounded like a question as I said it, but I didn't linger. I was already on my way toward the door when I saw that Ezra had his hand ready to shake Scout’s. I was surprised by the man’s audacity. Most people didn't even dare to look in Scout’s direction, let alone offer to shake his hand.
He caught back up to me outside the car, and we both sat in silence for a few moments. I knew Scout was waiting to fill me in on the travel information he'd arranged. I wasn't quite sure what he was waiting for, but I felt something. It didn't really hit me until we were outside of Ezra's house. Every muscle was on edge as if a message had been sent across my nervous system, a code that passed through every atom of my body. Perhaps it was the conditioning of my mind—my fight or flight response readying itself for the undeniable war ahead.
My fists came down fast and hard against the dashboard like sledgehammers rocking through concrete, the dashboard rattling with the force of my hands. Over a decade of pent up anger barreled into the surface beneath my fists. Scout didn't even bat an eyelash at my outburst as if he'd expected at some point I would need to release the energy that had me so wound up that I could barely breathe.
I pulled my hands back to my side and released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
My father.
I had no idea.
How could I not know something like that? How could he keep that from me? I had all those thoughts and ideas about what kind of man he was. What kind of parents I had that would do those things. I felt like I failed him by thinking that he could be involved in vile things because no respectable person would have had that many skeletons in his closet, not for a good reason. I let my doubts shape me into the man I was now. The man who had kidnapped Hailey. The man who would have stolen her liver and kept her prisoner. All because of what? Years of anger and confusion had somehow compounded until I felt entitled to take things without question, do things without thought. I let my doubts morph me into the very thing that my father would have despised.
I didn't know what to make of those feelings. It was something I’d never had to deal with in my adult life. I had spent so much of my life not having to answer for my choices and decisions that I became someone who was reckless with power. Fuck.
Feelings of remorse and insecurity were something I’d only had the experience of dealing with since I’d taken Hailey. The dead don’t accept apologies, and even if they did, how could I apologize for ruining my parent’s reputations, for becoming the kind of man they loathed?
My attention focused on Scout still sitting comfortably despite the awkwardness that surrounded my childish outburst.
“The information has been sent to Jackson. I rented a small villa outside of Catanzaro. It's booked for a month. Jackson and Thomas will fly out with them tomorrow at 2 p.m. Our tickets will be booked as soon as you say the word.”
I nodded my assent, and he started the car.
“What do you mean we're leaving, Hailey? I just got here. Wait!” Jessa grabbed my arm as I made my way to the hallway to snag our suitcases. I had just ended the call with Dominic when Jessa walked into the kitchen. She lingered by the fridge, taking her time to open the bottle cap on her water as she peered out of the window to the park below. I knew Jessa well enough to know that she was listening to my conversation, absorbing every word.
I didn't want to stay and talk about my conversation with Dominic. I just wanted to pack and not think about all of the mystery surrounding his actions the last couple days. If I took even one moment, I would be rendered immobile by the thoughts that would spin through my mind like a haunted carousel, conjuring up one horrible image after another. It was never-ending. I couldn't deny that our family needed a break. I just didn't like all of the secrecy surrounding it, and I knew if that call made me uneasy, then Jessa would surely have a problem with it.
Jessa's grip was tight, but not enough to pinch the skin beneath the thin fabric of my shirt. She nudged my body back until I was more or less facing her. “That's not how this is going to work. I came here for answers, not to be left in the dark. I think you owe me that. Don't you?”
It was hard to meet her eyes when she said it like that, because I could understand how she felt. She was right. We—Dominic and I, both—owed that to her. If we were moving forward, then all of our cards needed to be on the table, but how could I explain the dynamics of our relationship in a way that Jessa would understand? Yes, I was no longer a prisoner there. I could technically go wherever and whenever I wanted, but if I chose to stay, this was how things were. How things would always be because this was who Dominic was. He was a man that battled with trust, that rode the line of unhealthy obsession. He was a man who felt that by keeping me in the dark, he was protecting me.
How could I tell her about the man I married when she saw him for the man who kidnapped me?
“You're right, but what do you want me to say? He just said that we should take a vacation. To pack our bags so we can leave tomorrow. You don't have to come, Jessa. I'd love for you to be there, but you're not obligated to go.”
“Of course I'll come if you want me to be there, but no more secrets, Hailey.”
“I promise. If I know something, you'll know something. OK?”
“OK. Now where the hell are you taking me?” Her hazel eyes shimmered like fish scales, dancing with the excitement she was trying so hard to repress.
“I don't know. He said that Jackson would have the info soon. How about I start packing and you hound Jackson about it? Let me know when you've got some answers.”
She flashed a mischievous smile as if she would find the most tortuously annoying ways to pry the answers from him.
“He said we should be gone for two weeks. That won't be a problem, will it?”
“Only if there's no alcohol and we're as cooped up there as we have been here. Honestly, Hailey, I don't know how you've been managing. I'm getting cabin fever, and it
's only been a couple weeks!”
“I don't know what's worse—in here or out there?”
“You have a point there. OK, you get to work on those bags and I'll see what intel I can gather.”
“OK, secret agent. Don't get too testy with Jackson. He's coming with us.”
Her lips downturned a bit, but with a quick lift of her cheeks, her mouth smoothed back into a mask of indifference. She wasn't quick enough though; I knew that look. She was worried that if Jackson was coming with us that she may be missing out on any shared time with Scout. Little did she know he was meeting us there.
***
I looked out of the plane window. The jet was finally breaking through the clouds in its descent toward land. Houses were scattered across rolling hills. Small groupings were clustered together amongst the pools of lush green spotted by the fading sun.
Jessa was sitting in the large leather seat across from mine, mimicking my interest in seeing an aerial view of Italy. Out of all of our travels, this was the one place we hadn't come but consistently talked about visiting. And now we were there.
“Did Dominic say why Catanzaro when you spoke to him on the phone?” Jessa asked casually as she continued looking out of her window.
I didn't talk to Dominic again that night, but he called me just as we'd boarded the plane.
“You're not going to tell me why we're vacationing here, are you?” I questioned him after taking the phone call to the pint-sized bedroom in the back of the jet. I sat on the edge of the bed waiting for his response. I heard him inhale an exhaustive breath like my questions gave him a migraine.
“Does it matter, Hailey? I want you to have a good time away from all of the stresses you've been dealing with. Ellie needs you at your best. I think this'll help.”
“Don't use our daughter like that. I don't like it. Besides, you're making it seem like I'm struggling. I'm taking care of Ellie just fine!”
“That's not what I meant,” he growled. “You're a wonderful mother. I want you to have a safe flight. I'll see you tomorrow. Call me when you get in. Now tell me you love me.”
“I love you,” I said, the words sounding rehearsed even to my own ears.
“I love you” was his only reply before I was left on the navy blue satin quilt with my cell in hand like dead weight.
“I think he wanted to come here but not deal with tourists and stuff. Maybe April's a big month for tourism here.” I said as I adjusted Ellie’s sleeping head. I know Dominic—he'd hate to be around bumbling tourists with their obnoxious photo-taking or citizens looking to sell some tchotchke or another. I didn’t think Jessa needed to know that though.
Maybe the question was rhetorical because after I answered Jessa, she didn't speak or make any movement as if she weren't really interested in my response. Is she starting to doubt that I would tell her the truth? Is that why she isn’t responding? Or, is she just as mesmerized as I am by the tiny cluster of homes with their pastel colors and mixture of tiled rooftops and concrete boxes?
I took another glimpse outside. “From up here it kind of looks like San Francisco, doesn't it?”
“Yeah. Do you know how far Catanzaro is from the airport?”
I turned to Jackson, sitting on the opposite side of the plane with Thomas and Clema and repeated the question. “Jackson? Do you know how long the ride is to Catanzaro?”
“It's about 45 minutes from the airport.”
The drive was actually a little longer than thirty minutes. We pulled up to what looked like a small compound of eight or so bungalows made of cobblestones. The dirt road we turned on ended at the center of the homes and was shrouded by the surrounding forest. This place looked like a resort built for Hansel and Gretel. An amber glow radiated from the outside of each bungalow, illuminating stones that were probably centuries old.
Thomas and Clema pulled up to the circle driveway first. I watched as Clema hopped out of the passenger side of the Escalade, just as Jackson put our car in park. Jessa opened the door to grab Ellie from her car seat, while I exited the opposite side of the car.
Thomas led us to the main building in the center of the compound. Once he unlocked the door, we followed him in, while Jackson unloaded our luggage.
“Dominic said the keys to the rest of the suites should be in the main building here,” Thomas said as he made his way down a small hall, turning on light switches as we passed. The hallway opened up to a two-story entryway with a large crystal chandelier hanging above a round table. Six small envelopes with numbers written in a cursive font were fanned out in a semicircle around the table. Thomas handed me an envelope first before handing out the other envelopes randomly. I pulled what looked like a hotel card from the packet and glanced at it briefly before Thomas began speaking again.
“Each of the homes has been retrofitted with a special security code,” he said before pulling out a tablet from inside the messenger bag at his waist. He cued up the screen as he continued speaking, “Each of you have your own key, but as added security, we’ll need a thumbprint. This will make it so only we are allowed to access the insides of these homes. So even if you lose or forget your keycard, you can still gain access with the thumbprint.”
“Why all of the security measures?” Jessa asked, eyeing Thomas suspiciously.
“Since Dominic isn’t here, he wants to make sure you’re all safe in his absence.”
“But that’s why you’re here, right?”
I hadn’t been around Thomas that much, but from what little I’d noticed of him, he was pretty reserved—not in an intimidating way, just a I-like-to-follow-orders way. So this was the first time I’d ever seen him take up a look of annoyance.
“Jessa!” her name sounded like a hiss as I scolded her like our real mother did when we were young. Just the sound of our names was enough to whip us into shape. Thomas ignored us and lifted up the tablet for Clema’s thumbprint first. He moved around the circle, and I watched warily as he held out the tablet to Jessa. She didn’t say anything else about it as she placed her own thumb on the screen. I noticed as Thomas was putting the device away that he didn’t do his own thumb, but I assumed that he likely already had his in the system—probably when he first started working for my husband.
Thomas showed us around what would be considered the clubhouse. The homes looked recently remodeled, despite the ancient exterior. The floors were a dark wood, the walls a soft eggshell color with elaborate crown molding. The kitchen was updated with industrial-sized appliances and granite counters.
“How old is this place?” I asked Thomas as he guided us through the kitchen. My fingertips passed over the rough stone wall.
“The exterior may be from the 1800s, I think? The inside was redone two years ago, I believe.”
“It reminds me of the home in South Dakota,” I said more to myself than to anyone else.
“I can see that. It kind of has a rustic charm, but it feels nice and new, too.”
“Yes,” I said nodding along as I made my way to an adjacent room. The house had only one bedroom and bathroom, with most of the space taken up by the dining room, gym, library, and sauna. In the main area were two large windows covered by thick curtains of fabric that hung from the ceiling. I peeled back the curtains, but couldn’t see much in the dark, besides the outline of trees and the dim glow coming from the surrounding houses. Like Dominic, the darkness seemed to hold its own secrets.
Thomas guided us each around the villa to our respective bungalows. Apparently Jackson was already using the fingerprint feature because our suitcases were waiting for us inside. I gave each of the girls a kiss on the cheek, bidding them goodnight. Jessa handed over my sleeping baby, and Thomas escorted me to where I would be staying.
“Did Dominic say when he would be flying in?” I cradled Ellie’s head as I held her tightly against my chest. Thomas stood just inside the hallway, out of respect or fear I couldn’t tell, but he didn’t move from that spot even as I walked around turning lights on in the
home. I flicked on the kitchen light and returned back to the hallway when I realized he still hadn’t responded.
“Dominic’s aware we’ve arrived, but you should call him. Have a good night, Hailey.”
What the fuck? Well that was awkward. I didn’t like the feeling that he didn’t answer me. It made me feel like there were even more secrets that I wasn’t aware of. Secrets that Thomas knew of, but feared he might let spill the longer he was in my presence.
Ever since that day Scout brought us home early, Dominic had been acting different. Even though we were married and had a daughter, there were still some things about Dominic that I didn’t understand. I didn’t expect things to change after everything we’d been through, but maybe I expected to be let in more. Lately, it felt like he was distancing himself from me. If I was being perfectly honest, I think I’d felt that way since we’d moved to New York. I didn’t really know what to expect by moving across the country with my new husband and baby, but feeling alone wasn’t it.
I’d tried to be understanding. Maybe New York held a lot of not-so-pleasant memories for Dominic and just being there dredged up feelings that I’d never seen in my husband. I wasn’t unfamiliar with the nostalgic feeling that sometimes felt venomous when I imagined what it would have been like for Jessa and me had our parents stayed home that night. New York was a well of unanswered questions and unsolved mysteries, and I feared for Dominic’s state of mind.
Perhaps, Dominic was right. Maybe we both needed to get away from everything that weighed our relationship down. It was an awful thought, but there was one good thing that came out of being outed: Dominic was able to step away from Callas Enterprises. It was horrible to gain any kind of happiness from him being forced away from his company, but it was his return to the board that took him away from me. I just wanted to get to a point where we were both happy; was that too much to ask?
