by Alice Ward
“Carlos Chavez was my dad’s biological father.”
“What?”
He nodded. “You heard me. My grandmother worked at one of his night clubs. They had an affair and Dad was the result. He didn’t know himself until after I was born.”
I suddenly remembered the inconsistencies Kennedy and Parker had found on William’s birth certificate.
“Did Luis know?”
“The whole family knew. Luis is the one who spilled the secret to Dad. He resented having to work with him. One night he had a few too many shots of tequila and told him he didn’t care if they were brothers, Dad would never be fit to shine Luis’s shoes. Dad went to Carlos with questions and the old man admitted the truth.”
“But how did that make you leverage?”
“As an illegitimate child, Dad wasn’t in line to inherit anything. Luis reminded him of that. He offered to make me his heir in exchange for Dad taking the fall. That’s why he took such a special interest in me. He knew Dad would talk if he didn’t keep up his end of the bargain.”
“So Luis was—”
“My uncle, just like I always called him,” Asher finished. “And I killed him.”
“He didn’t leave you a choice.”
“I know. But I had no idea the chain of events I was setting off.”
“Kennedy’s under the impression that your dad had been planning the escape for a while.”
“As usual, Kennedy’s right. Atwater got really tough for Dad after I killed Luis. When everything went down ten years ago, the family did a good job of covering the truth about what happened to Miguel. Most of the organization’s people on the inside believed that he’d had a tragic four wheeler accident. They learned the truth at the same time they learned about Luis. And they jumped to conclusions.”
“What type of conclusions?” I asked, my voice weary.
“Luis was supposed to take over the business when Carlos retired,” he explained. “And as the oldest legitimate grandson, Miguel was in line after him. Most people in the organization know that Dad is Carlos’s other son. And everyone knows he took the fall for Luis. Then they found out that I, the actual oldest grandson, killed the two people next in line for the throne. So they all assumed that Dad had grown resentful toward the family and regretted taking the fall for Luis in the first place.”
“They think the two of you are trying to take over the organization.”
“Exactly. It couldn’t be further from the truth. When Dad was my age, I’m sure he’d have jumped at the chance to be acknowledged as a rightful member of the family. But I wish I could have lived my whole life without knowing the truth.”
“I’m so sorry, baby. But you know this doesn’t change who you are. Though it may explain a few of your instincts,” I confessed.
He nodded. “Believe me, I’ve been thinking about that a lot.”
I could tell that the subject was upsetting him, but I pressed on.
“So your Dad started planning the escape after Luis died?”
“Yes. He knew there was a good chance I’d end up at Atwater and he wanted to have a plan in place for my safety. But he’d been hoarding evidence against the family since Miguel died.”
“If he has evidence, why was the escape necessary? Couldn’t he have just handed his information over to the police?”
“It’s not that kind of evidence. Dad gathered information from other inmates. He learned which rival families the Chavez’s had screwed over, how they’d done it, and how they’d covered their tracks. The police don’t care about criminals screwing over other criminals. But the heads of those other families certainly do.”
“So for lack of a better term, your dad’s been snitching.”
“Yeah, I guess you could call it that. He didn’t start talking until after I got to Atwater. He actually asked my permission before he made the first phone call. I agreed that taking the family down for good was our best chance. We already had people out to kill us. I couldn’t just sit by and wait for them to succeed. Dad started leaking information to the other families. A few days later, we came in from rec time and found two nooses hanging in our cell. That’s when we knew we had to run.”
I took a long sip of wine while I absorbed the information. There was one detail that I couldn’t get past.
“I understand the need to take down the family,” I began. “But isn’t there a better, legal way to go about it? Correct me if I’m wrong. But I assume that the rival families haven’t been thrilled to learn that the Chavezs are responsible for their misfortunes. And I know the kind of retribution crime organizations take out on the people who screw them over. Isn’t there a way to neutralize the family without getting them all killed?”
Asher’s face softened and he lowered his voice. “Lauren, if the cops could take down the family, they’d have done it by now. And honestly, all Dad and I are doing is telling the truth. I’m not responsible for how other people choose to react to that truth. These people would kill me and you and everyone you love without thinking twice about it. So if a few of them have to die for us to be safe, so be it. I won’t be losing any sleep over them and you shouldn’t either.”
“I guess you’re right,” I finally agreed. “If we’re choosing between our lives and the lives of a bunch of criminals, I definitely choose us. I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that those are our only options. What’s the plan going forward?”
“We’ll stay here and keep feeding info to the other families,” he explained. “Dad’s keeping in touch with a few of his contacts back home. The guard that walked us out of Atwater has been exceptionally helpful. Of course, he’s being paid handsomely. But three million dollars is a small price to pay for the kind of assistance he’s given us.”
A flash of realization hit me and I looked up at Asher in disbelief. “John Rogers is an Atwater guard?”
He nodded. “That’s not his real name. But yes, he’s one of the guards.”
“And you trust him not to turn on you?”
“John’s a good guy. He’s actually a retired detective. The two things he hates the most are drugs and organized crime. Dad helped him out with a violent inmate a few years ago and they’ve been close ever since. He knew we were tipping off the other families. He kept his eyes and ears open for signs of trouble. The moment he realized the Chavez’s people were on to us, he came to our cell and announced it was time to leave. He gave us each a guard uniform and walked us out the back gate. He’s not going to flip on us. He’d be in as much trouble as we would.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said and dropped my face in my hands. “And now I feel even worse for leaving my family and friends behind. You’re pissing people off, baby. They’re going to want to retaliate. What if they go after my parents when they can’t find us? Or Kennedy and Jackson?”
“We have people watching them,” he promised. “And Dad has eyes within the organization. I also have contingency plans in place in case the Chavez’s make a move. My people have a standing order to take Kennedy, Claire, and your parents to a safe house at the first sign of trouble. I’m doing everything I can to protect them.”
“Thank you,” I replied with a sigh.
“That doesn’t make you feel better, does it?” he asked with a slight hint of sadness.
I shook my head. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy we’re finally together again. I just feel incredibly guilty. I can’t help but wonder what they’re doing right now and if they’ve realized I’m not in Malibu. I wish I could call and tell them I’m okay.”
“I know this is hard. If I could have arranged to bring everyone here, I would have. But we couldn’t have moved that many people without the feds or the Chavez’s realizing what was going on.”
“I understand. I just hope I get the chance to apologize and explain myself.”
“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” he whispered. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my collarbone. I crawled to t
he head of the bed and propped myself up on a pillow.
“You could hold me. The only place I feel safe is in your arms.”
Asher moved the food tray to the bedside table and curled up beside me, pulling me to his chest. He held me and our breaths slowly synchronized. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what our lives would be like once the Chavez family was no longer a problem.
***
“Relax, baby. There’s no reason to be nervous. Not about this, at least,” Asher assured me. He eased up behind me and turned me away from the mirror. I leaned into his chest and he planted a kiss on the top of my head.
“I can’t promise to be nice,” I warned. I was moments away from meeting my father-in-law and I wasn’t looking forward to the introduction.
“He doesn’t expect you to be. And I want you to feel free to say whatever you’d like.”
I leaned back in Asher’s arms and stared up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are you sure? It sort of seems like you’ve taken the forgive and forget approach.”
“I understand him a little better, I guess. I honestly believe he thought he was doing what was best for me. I don’t know if I’ll want to have a relationship with him once all of this is over. All I’m sure of is that I’m tired of secrets and its best if everyone’s feelings are out in the open. So if you feel like you need to give him a piece of your mind, by all means go for it.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” He planted a quick, firm kiss on my lips and then released me.
“It’s a beautiful day. Let’s wait for Dad out on the deck,” he suggested.
“Sounds good to me.”
Asher grabbed a bottle of rum and three glasses from the kitchen counter and led me outside. The cedar deck facing the ocean was twice as big as the actual bungalow, with overstuffed lounge chairs, a wet bar, and a built in fire pit. Asher and I settled into side by side chairs and he poured us each a finger of rum. We’d just toasted to our reunion when I heard footsteps shuffle across the deck. I shaded my eyes with one hand and turned toward the noise.
Asher must take after his mother.
William quit walking the moment I laid eyes on him. His shoulders slumped and he shoved his hands awkwardly in his pockets. He looked nothing like what I’d imagined. His complexion and hair were much darker than Asher’s. His shoulders were narrow and he was at least five inches shorter than his son.
“Good morning,” he greeted us.
Asher stood and I followed suit.
“Good morning, Dad. This is my wife, Lauren. Lauren, this is my father, William.”
I extended my hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” I lied.
William received my handshake with much more sincerity than I’d extended it. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too. Though it’s terrible to meet you under these circumstances. I am so sorry for everything you’ve been going through.”
“Well, you were only responsible for about half of it,” I replied dryly. The words had left my mouth without thought, but I didn’t feel a bit sorry for them.
William cringed but nodded. “I know. If I could go back in time, I’d do a lot of things differently. But I can’t.”
“I think if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that we need to focus on the present,” I told him. “Discussions of the past and the future can wait.”
“Agreed,” William replied.
We sat on the edges of the chaise lounges and suffered through a few long moments of awkward silence before Asher cleared his throat.
“Did you check in with John this morning?” he asked his father.
William shifted nervously on his chair and looked from me to Asher.
“Lauren knows everything,” Asher explained. “We can speak freely in front of her.”
“It’s not that,” William stammered. “I assumed you’d caught her up. I just got off the phone with John. I’m sorry, kids. The feds realized Lauren was missing late last night. Warrants have been issued for your arrest and your picture is being circulated around the world. The authorities have warned that all three of us should be considered armed and dangerous.”
“Damn it,” I sighed.
“It’s okay,” Asher insisted. “We knew this would happen. And it doesn’t change anything. We’re safe here.”
“I know. I was just hoping my parents would have a few more days of peace before they started worrying about me. I have a pretty good idea of what they’re going through right now,” I added, thinking back to the moment I’d learned Asher was on the run.
William cleared his throat. “My people in California are working on getting a message to your parents. It will take some time. The feds have them under intense surveillance. But they’ll know you’re safe soon.”
“Thank you for arranging that,” I replied.
“It’s the least I could do. I have to say, my son’s a lucky man to have a woman who loves him enough to leave her whole world behind.”
“I’m the lucky one,” I insisted, taking Asher’s hand. “So how did my cover unravel?”
William frowned. “The SEC indicted three of the EnvisionTech board members yesterday.” He paused, pulled a small notepad from his shirt pocket, and read off the names. “Brian Harris, Harold Tatum, and Regina Miller.”
“All three of them?” Asher asked, his brow furrowed.
William nodded and put the notepad away. “From the look of it, Harris is the only one who was stealing before everything else happened. Tatum and Miller started lining their pockets shortly after the payroll money disappeared.”
Asher sighed. “Harold and Regina have always been opportunistic weasels. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised they started looting the company at the first sign of trouble. But I always thought Brian was a good guy.”
“I’m sorry, Asher,” William offered. “Anyway, when the agents couldn’t reach Lauren on her cell, they stopped by your house. Your attorney gave them the address of the Malibu condo you were supposed to be staying at. They dispatched a local team and canvassed the neighborhood. The people in the neighboring condo told them that your unit had been empty all week.”
“What am I being charged with?”
“So far, two counts of aiding and abetting and three counts of interfering with a federal investigation. We’re also now the leading suspects in the bank hack.”
“We knew that would happen as soon as we refunded the other accounts,” Asher reminded him.
“I know and I still say that was a dumb shit move,” William grimaced.
“It’s one thing to steal our own money, Dad. Stealing from innocent people is quite another. I agreed that a widespread hack was our best shot of throwing the suspicion off of us until Lauren was able to leave the country. Now that she’s here, I can no longer justify keeping the hard earned cash of strangers.”
“Asher’s right,” I agreed. “Our ultimate goal is to clear our names and go home. If we have a prayer of getting back to our old lives, we’re going to need the public to sympathize with us. That won’t happen if we act like selfish pricks.”
“I understand that, Lauren. But I think you’re making a mistake in assuming we’re all eventually going to be able to go home and pretend like none of this happened. We need to do whatever it takes to cover our asses and stay alive. If we can accomplish more than that, it’ll be icing on the cake.”
“I don’t see how keeping innocent people’s money covers our asses or keeps us alive,” I countered haughtily. I’d already had my fill of William and I was in no mood for his lecture.
“Of course you don’t understand,” he said, rolling his eyes with an air of impatience. “I don’t mean this as an insult, but you don’t understand any of this, Lauren. You couldn’t possibly imagine what we’re up against. No one would expect you to. Now, I know you’re not my biggest fan and that’s fine. But I’m an expert at dealing with these people. I know where they’re weak and I know how to take them down. I can protect both of you if you just s
tay out of my way.”
I opened my mouth to fire off a snarky reply and Asher gently squeezed my hand, silencing me.
“Dad, we’re not trying to make anything more difficult than it has to be. But there’s no point in Lauren and me fighting to get back to our lives if we’re not able to look ourselves in the mirror at the end of this.”
William sighed and reached for the bottle of rum on the table. He poured a double shot and sipped it, silently staring out at the ocean. It was clear something was on his mind so I finished my rum and filled my glass again while we waited for him to gather his thoughts. Finally, he cleared his throat and turned back to us.
“You know now that Lauren is here, maybe the two of you should just enjoy each other’s company and let me handle what needs to be done,” he suggested. “You’re newlyweds, after all. And that way, you won’t have anything to feel guilty about if and when all this is over.”
“There’s no way I’m agreeing to that,” I announced, my voice firm.
“Lauren’s right. Like it or not, we’re all in this together,” Asher insisted. He lowered his voice and turned to his father.
“She left her whole life to be here, Dad. She deserves a say in what we do. You’re right, too. You’re the expert when it comes to the family, but Lauren and I have held our own against some pretty tough shit. It would be a mistake to underestimate what we’re capable of.”
“I’m just trying to make this as easy for you as possible,” William explained. “That’s what parents do for their children. And I have a lot of catching up to do.”
Asher set his jaw. “I managed to do just fine on my own long before you showed up in my life again. I’ve already asked you to stop thinking of me as the son you owe something to. At the moment, we’re just two men working together against a common enemy. Whether or not we become more than that depends largely on whether or not you can respect that Lauren and I are adults and capable of making our own decisions.”
William nodded and stood. “You’re right, Asher,” he replied, emphasizing the name with no sign of resentment. “I apologize if I overstepped. I assure you that wasn’t my intention. I’ll leave the two of you alone now. You know where I’ll be if you need me. Lauren, it was lovely to meet you.”
