by Alice Ward
“Thank you, William,” I replied with a polite nod.
“We’ll see you later, Dad.”
“You kids have a good day.”
I watched William step off the deck and through the sand. He disappeared into the bungalow three doors down from us and Asher breathed a sigh of relief.
“That went better than I expected,” he confessed. “I appreciate you being so polite. But I’m also glad that you stood up to him. It’s good that we’ve set some boundaries.”
“He’s not as bad as I thought he’d be,” I grudgingly admitted. “He doesn’t seem to mind that you don’t go by Billy anymore.”
“My first day at Atwater, he told me he completely understood why I didn’t want his name. I don’t think he’s proud of anything he’s done.”
“He certainly seems confident in his abilities to take down the family,” I observed. “And he genuinely seems to want to have a relationship with you.”
“I have too much going on in my head to even think about that. I do appreciate everything he’s done lately. There’s no way I’d have survived Atwater without him. The adult in me really does want to just forgive and forget. But the kid in me… it’s complicated, that’s all.”
“I can’t even imagine. He seems willing to give us some time and space to figure things out. You’re the only person who can make this decision. But I’m here if you need to talk it out.”
“Say it again,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms.
“Say what?” I giggled.
“You’re here,” he replied, kissing me delicately on the mouth. He pulled away and nuzzled his lips beneath my ear. “I missed you so much,” he continued. “I was so afraid I’d never see you again. And now, you’re here.”
I turned my chest into his and stared into his eyes. “I’m here, Asher. And if I have my way, I’ll never be away from you again.”
CHAPTER 5
When I’d imagined myself running away with Asher, I’d naively pictured us holed up in a romantic hideaway, making love and biding our time until things fell into place back home. Reality was much different.
The first few days on the island weren’t too difficult. I was so happy to be with Asher again, nothing else seemed to matter. But as the days wore on, the excitement of our reunion wore off. Every unexpected noise sent my pulse racing, certain that a SWAT team or a mob enforcer was about to break through our door. I spent my days trying to hold my tongue around William and my nights lying awake, torturing myself with thoughts of what my friends and family must be going through. By the end of the week, it was all I could do to drag myself out of bed. If Asher hadn’t insisted that I get some fresh air, I wouldn’t have.
“Come on,” he insisted, pulling me to a chaise lounge. I indulged him and stretched out across the chair. My gauzy white top blew in the gentle breeze and waves crashed against the shore. Under different circumstances, the scene would have been whimsical and relaxing. All I felt was desperation.
Asher sat down beside me, a pained look etched across his face. “I hate seeing you like this. I know it’s my fault. Tell me what to do, Lauren. Tell me how to make this easier for you. Say the word and I’ll have the pilot here to take you back home.”
I shook my head. “We can’t do that. I’d be arrested the moment the plane touched down,” I reminded him. I took his hand and gave it a light, comforting squeeze.
“This is hard for me,” I admitted. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here. I love you and I knew what I was signing up for when I asked you to be my husband. As miserable as I feel right now, I’d be worse if we were apart. I just need you to be patient with me.”
Asher relaxed his shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you don’t want to leave. But surely there’s something I can do to help you. Do you want to paint? I can try to round up some supplies.”
I thought of the demonic monster piece I’d painted during Rachel’s drama and shook my head.
“I don’t even want to think about what might come out of my head right now,” I confessed.
“That makes me feel worse.”
“You don’t get to feel worse. That will just make me feel worse and we’ll never break the cycle. I don’t blame you for what’s happening. If your choices were to run or die, I’m glad you ran. But things suck right now, baby. They’ve sucked for a long time and I’m fresh out of the energy it takes to pretend otherwise.”
“I get it,” he assured me. “I agree. Things are shittier than I ever expected them to get. Do you want some time alone?”
I shook my head and pulled him to my chest. “No. You’re the one thing I’m thankful for right now. I don’t want you to go anywhere.”
He kissed the top of my head. “It’s warmer than I expected. Would you like something cold to drink?”
I nodded and touched my lips to his. “Would you bring snacks too?”
“Anything you want, baby,” he replied with a wink.
Asher disappeared into the bungalow and I stared out at the ocean. My mind drifted to the loved ones I’d left back home.
Please God, take care of them. Send them some sort of sign, some sort of comfort. And please give them the strength to forgive me for the Hell I’ve put them through.
***
John Rogers checked in two days after my arrival on the island to let us know that the message had been delivered to my family. John explained to Asher that our place was under twenty-four-hour FBI surveillance. Jackson was the only person able to move freely through the city, probably because his connection to the case was the most distant. I was sure his last name and high ranking government connections had something to do with it too. John tailed him to a small bistro, where he was having lunch with his realtor. The message was delivered on the back of a cocktail napkin by the men’s confused but well tipped waitress.
I was relieved and thankful that the people I cared about knew I was safe. But nothing would assuage my guilt. The longer I spent on the island, the more convinced I became that I’d never be able to return home. And I was certain that no matter what happened, I’d never be the person I was before. After everything I’d been through, I couldn’t imagine a time would come when I wasn’t constantly looking over my shoulder for the bad guy.
I heard footsteps on the deck and groaned to myself.
I didn’t hear the door open. Which means that has to be William.
I took a few deep breaths and looked over my shoulder.
“Good afternoon, Lauren. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” he greeted me. He sat down on the long, narrow bench next to the deck railing and crossed one leg over the other.
“Yes. The breeze feels good.”
He nodded and looked awkwardly out to the ocean. “Is Asher around?” he asked without turning back to me.
“He’s inside getting drinks. You’re welcome to let yourself in.”
William and I had adopted a sort of polite contempt for each other after our first conversation. In my heart, I knew he was no more to blame for our situation than Asher. Like his son, he’d never had a chance at having a normal life. He’d made the best decisions he could with the knowledge he had to go on. But as much as I understood him, I couldn’t like him. He was blunt and crass, and I knew that while he was innocent of the crimes that had sent him to prison, there was no telling what crimes he’d gotten away with. When I looked at him, I couldn’t help but wonder how many people had died at his hands.
“I’ll wait for him here, unless you think he needs help.”
“Is he expecting you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. I just got another update from John. We have some decisions to make.”
I rose to my feet and padded toward the bungalow. “I’ll tell him you’re here and make sure he gets three glasses.”
I opened the door and nearly ran face first into my husband. “Your dad is here,” I explained. “He has another update. I’ll grab another glass of punch and join you in just a s
econd.”
“Okay, baby.”
I pulled a pitcher of rum punch from the refrigerator and filled a plastic tumbler. I took a long drink, filled it again, and stepped back outside. Asher and William were huddled over the snack tray, filling their mouths with pretzels. I sat down beside Asher and we stared across the deck at his father.
“So is this good news or bad news?” Asher finally asked.
“A little of both,” William warned. “Which do you want first?”
“The good news,” I insisted. “I know that’s not the order you’re supposed to go in. But we’ve had nothing but bad news for months. I need a change of pace.”
“Tell us the good news, I guess,” Asher agreed with a shrug. He perched on the edge of the chair, one hand entwined with mine and the other balled up anxiously on his knee.
“The Chavez organization is crumbling,” he announced with a smile. “It seems some of the people we’ve been speaking to felt death was too easy of an end for the family. Rival families are turning over all sorts of records to the police. Nothing that implicates them, of course, but the evidence against the Chavez’s is overwhelming. The top five ranking members of the New York operation have already been arrested. The family’s also under investigation in Boston, Chicago, Las Angeles, and Dallas. All of the monster’s heads seem to be getting cut off at the same time. The family may actually fall for good this time.”
I blew out a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Asher squeezed my hand and smiled back at William.
“That’s the best news I’ve ever heard… second best,” he corrected himself. He pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
“This is wonderful,” I agreed. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. Does this mean we can go home?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Asher warned. “What’s the bad news, Dad?”
“The bad news is that while the arrests are in the works, not all of the Chavez’s are behind bars yet. And the ones still on the loose are pissed as fuck at us. Every time they turn around, someone in their ranks is either popping up dead or getting thrown behind bars. They know we’re the ones responsible. I imagine they’re expecting us to make a move to take over the organization. And they’re coming for us,” he finished with a resigned sigh. He finished his punch in one gulp and set the empty glass on the railing.
“What do you mean they’re coming for us?” Asher demanded, jumping to his feet. “Don’t you think you could have led with that news?”
William shrugged. “I let you two decide what to hear first. Calm down, son. I’ve already called Phillipe. He’ll be here to pick us up in two hours. By the time any of the Chavez people get here, we’ll be long gone.”
“You’re certain they’re on their way here?” I asked. “How did they find us?”
“Two midlevel thugs are headed in this general direction. I didn’t think it was advisable to stick around long enough for them to narrow down our specific location. I packed while I was still on the phone with John and called the pilot right after. You two need to get your things together and decide where you want to go from here.”
It unsettled me how calm William seemed, knowing that two people were traveling across an ocean to murder us. My heart was beating so loud in my chest I could barely hear myself think and I felt like someone was closing a vice around my lungs. Asher paced the deck, frantically trying to gather his thoughts. But William remained seated, completely unfazed, and ate another handful of pretzels.
“William, you’re the expert when it comes to this. Where do you think we should go?” I asked.
He looked up at me with a surprised grin. It quickly disappeared and he furrowed his brow in thought. “The way I see it, we have two choices. We have to leave the island immediately. We need to get out of the Caribbean completely. John has contacts in Paris and Moscow. He can have everything we need in place before we get there.”
“So those are our two choices?” I asked. “Because if it’s between Paris and Moscow, I pick Paris hands down.”
“Moving to another hideout has its risks,” William warned. “The farther the family’s thugs are from California, the harder it will be for John to track them. We may not get a heads up next time they find us. If we run, we may have to keep running for a while.”
Asher stopped mid step and spun on his heels to face William. “What do you mean if we run? You aren’t suggesting that we stay and fight? I’ve told you, Dad, I don’t want to be put in another situation where I have to kill someone.”
William held up his hands, palms out. “Relax, son. I’m not suggesting that we stay and fight. Moving to Paris or Moscow is one option. Going home is the other.”
“We can go home?” I asked, dumbfounded. I was afraid to believe my ears.
“You think the danger has lifted that much?” Asher added.
“We can’t go home,” I realized out loud. “We’d be arrested immediately. And then, we’d be put in the same prisons we’ve just filled with the Chavez family. They’d kill us before the first bed check.”
Asher shook his head. “We’d definitely be arrested. But there’s enough evidence now to prove the family’s a threat to us. Kennedy’s a fantastic lawyer. She’ll make sure we’re protected. And I bet she’ll get you released pretty quickly, Lauren. Hell, you haven’t been here long. Dad and I will tell the cops you found us and convinced us to come home. I bet you’ll just get a slap on the wrist.”
“I’m more than willing to go along with that,” William agreed. “Asher’s right. The court will have to put us in protective custody, given what they now know about the Chavez family. If they ignored a known threat and one of us was killed, you’d have grounds to sue. And they can’t afford that kind of negative attention. If we are going home, we need to leave an obvious sign for the people coming after us. We’ll lure them back to the states and John’s people will apprehend them.”
“I don’t know,” I said, hesitation creeping into my voice. “If we go home, we’ll be separated again. The jail aspect doesn’t even bother me. It’s the thought of being away from you that I can’t bear.”
Asher sat down beside me and took my hand. “I’ve learned two things this week. The first is that you’re an amazing woman who will truly stand by my side through anything. The other is that you deserve so much more than a life on the run. The evidence you gathered against Rachel absolves me from the first round of charges. They’ll get me on the escape, but I won’t be gone forever. And while we’re apart, you’ll be surrounded by everyone else you love. That’s what I want for you. Please, let me give it to you.”
“Asher’s right,” William agreed with a nod. “He’ll face charges for the escape. But if your lawyer is as good as you say she is, she should be able to work out some sort of deal with the prosecutor. Especially since I intend to tell everyone that I forced Asher to leave Atwater with me.”
“You don’t have to do that, Dad,” Asher insisted. “I’m a grown man. I can take responsibility for my own choices.”
William took a deep, impatient breath and let it out in a huff. “I know you’re a grown man. I know I’m not going to win any father of the year awards. But I am your father. And as hard as it may be for you to believe, every decision I’ve made since the day you were born, I’ve made for you. I didn’t work for the family because I got off on the power or enjoyed the job. I did it because it was the only way to provide for you the way you deserved. I didn’t want to take the fall for Luis. I did it to stay alive and keep you and your mother off the streets.”
Compassion flooded through me for the first time when I looked at this man and all he’d done and planned to do for his son. Were they the best decisions? No. But he made them with best intentions. And he’s paid for his sins. And it looked like he’d continue to pay.
“And I don’t want to go back to prison now,” he continued. “But I will do it, and I will take as much of the blame as possible on my way. I will put my hand on a stac
k of bibles and swear to God that I dragged you kicking and screaming out of that prison. I made my bed a long time ago, and I’ll lie in it. But you’ve built an amazing life for yourself, so much better than any life I ever could have given you. I want you to live it. I’m your father,” he repeated. “It’s my job to protect you. So just let me.”
Asher crossed the deck, lifted William to his feet, and wrapped him in a bear hug. William was caught off guard and stiffened at first, but eventually relaxed and returned his son’s embrace. They held each other for several minutes while I tried and failed not to cry. When they finally parted, Asher excused himself to the bungalow with a mumbled excuse about packing. William turned to me, suddenly embarrassed.
“Thank you,” I told him, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
“You’re welcome. Thank you. I know I’ll never be your favorite person. But I have to say, I’ve grown quite fond of you. Every day of Asher’s life, I’ve prayed that he’d be lucky enough to find his soul mate. I wanted him to know the kind of love I’d found with his mother. After seeing you two together, I know my prayers have been answered.”
“Thank you,” I said again. I hesitated for a moment and then continued. “It’s very generous of you to volunteer to take all the blame.”
William settled back down on the bench. “Another few years on my sentence isn’t going to matter,” he reminded me. “It’s well worth knowing I did all I could for Asher.”
“Maybe there’s another way to help Asher. Maybe there’s a way to help you both.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do you have an idea?”
I shook my head. “Not really. But I know someone who might, if she agrees to speak to me.”
“Your lawyer friend?”
“Yes, Kennedy. She’s one of the smartest people I know. I’ll ask her to consider taking on your case. Maybe she could file an appeal on your original charges, since the truth about the family has come to light.”
“You would do that for me?” he asked, his voice soft.
