I have to let her be. Let her be wherever and with whoever she chooses.
She falls asleep in the car. Her barefooted legs curled at the side and my hoodie folded between her head and the window. Before the roads become busier, I feast my eyes on her several times over. I’ve missed her these last couple of days—under the same roof but in a different solar system.
The guards ask me to wake her at the US border, unlike our recent entry to Mexico they’re not as amenable to the greenback. For a few seconds she’s disorientated but doesn’t ask why she didn’t have to produce her passport two days ago.
She stretches out a yawn and glugs the water. “Hope this one’s not drugged,” she says.
“I’m sorry, Cate. I had to get you to safety and couldn’t risk a hiccup at the border. With what happened to your parents…”
“I might have agreed.”
“Really?”
“Okay maybe not.”
She falls silent again for a while.
“But then we wouldn’t have had the chance of meeting your family.”
I snap my head across to her, twice.
She reaches to turn on the radio, the film version of “I’ll Never Love Again” by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga taunting us with their words.
My heart thumps harder in my chest and I heighten my senses as we drive through the suburbs to downtown San Diego. Juan is around, but apart from him, it’s up to me to ensure I protect Cate and it feels as if we are heading straight into the dragon’s lair.
Her aunt greets us at the hospital. She stayed there overnight and I go with her to the visitor waiting room while Cate rushes off to see her parents.
“So, you’re back for good?” Cate’s aunt asks, sipping sludgy looking coffee from a flimsy plastic cup.
“It’s a difficult question to answer.”
She quirks a brow.
“San Diego is not a place I want to be, but I’ll do whatever it takes to be with Cate and Hope.”
She nods with a pensive smile on her face. “Okay. And where do Cate and Hope want to be?”
For a moment I ponder over her question, as simple as it might be, I don’t know the answer and it’s what I tell her.
“Start there and work your way around it. Places in themselves are never the answer. It’s people who are. And there are always choices—compromises. So, if Cate wants to be with her parents but that means she can’t be with you. Then she will have a choice of people. Place is always secondary.”
I nod. “That makes sense.”
“It’s why it doesn’t work when people go someplace new. They don’t know anyone and then are dissatisfied because of the people they leave behind. It’s missing the point.”
She takes two steps forward and lightly squeezes my hands.
“You may not look like the caring type, Isaac Winters, but you’ve got a heart of gold. I can see that. And so can Cate. She’s been pulled in so many directions these last few years, waiting on you. Now, you’re finally here she’s had adjustments to make. The dream becoming a reality.”
My heart speeds with the sentiment of her words.
“Treat her and your daughter right and you won’t go far wrong.”
“I will ma’am.”
“And make sure I get an invitation to visit you all. Your place sounds amazing.”
Something lodges in my throat. Few things in life shake me, least of all words from a gray-haired senior with a fragile grip. But that did.
Juan’s burly shadow falls into the room, before disappearing back into the corridor.
“Will you excuse me?” I say politely to Cate’s aunt.
“Sure.” She curls a delicate hand over my wrist. “Remember this is your close family. You may have been gone for seven years but claim them as if they are yours.”
“Thank you, ma’am, I will.”
And I will.
Juan is deliberating over the coffee machine when I reach him outside. He slots two coins and retrieves a powdered coffee. His face says it all when he takes a precautionary sip and lobs it in the nearest trashcan when we exit the hospital.
The gardens at the hospital have several benches set amongst bushes which give us privacy for a catch up.
“So, what’s up?” I ask of him.
“Some good, but plenty bad.”
A shiver runs up my spine as I look across at the entranceway into the hospital, where Cate and her family are.
“Okay, hit me with it.”
“Carlos, the two guys who were responsible for this.” He throws his chin toward the hospital building in reference to Cate’s parents. “And others are long gone. I’ve seen the evidence for myself. But his brother, Pedro, went into hiding.”
“Fuck.” I screw my palms over my eyelids.
“But that’s not all.”
“Go on.” I turn my head to him.
“It seems Pedro got a message to Señor Ramirez direct. He says he’s got intel he’s prepared to trade.”
“For what?”
His face clouds over. “Your family.”
“What do you mean?” I stand, ready to run to Cate and get her out of here.
“Your daughter.”
The ball rising from my stomach is full of every type of emotion going. Anger, hate, panic, fear. A deadly mix which will see me do anything to protect my daughter and nothing to protect myself.
“Where’s the scum hiding?” I growl.
“We’re still working on that.”
“You stop here and watch over Cate. I’m going to pay Chico a visit.”
“Sure, boss.”
Juan strides back to the hospital and I run to the parking lot, calling Eduardo on my way.
“Where are you?” I pant into the phone, sprinting to the car.
“The ranch.”
“Good. Stay there. Is Hope with you?”
“Yeah. Why what’s wrong?”
“You need to lock everything down. Get the guys around the perimeter. The security system activated. No-one in. Or out.”
“Is Cate okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine, but Eduardo… protect Hope with your life, yeah?”
“Sure thing.”
I hurdle the barrier to the parking lot and beep open the car, throwing it haphazardly into reverse and out onto the main drag into San Diego.
The casino shouldn’t be open at this time of day but, when they see me on the security cameras at the back entrance, I’m sure they’ll let me in. Or it’s what I’m banking on.
I park the car a half block away and walk with long strides to the alleyway to the entrance I would use to meet with Chico.
It’s as if they’re expecting me, and I’m buzzed in instantly.
Boldly, I take the steps two at a time to Chico’s office, not waiting to be invited in.
On the short ride here, I’ve taken an annoyed stance to the development Juan has advised me of. The agreement with Chico and Señor Ramirez was clear. I win the fight under their terms and they fix the mess. No additional complications or side deals. This stinks and they’re messing with the wrong guy.
They’re both there, full of false smiles and shaky legs.
What they’ve mistaken is my ability to give a shit about who they are and what they stand for.
They’re in it for money, power, kudos.
Me. It’s all about family. And that wins hands down.
Every. Fucking. Time.
“Raul. Wondered when you might show up.”
I don’t react.
“We’ve a proposition for you.”
Now a sensible person would listen to what they have to say. Maybe mull over their offer. I’m not that person.
“Not interested,” I say, calmly.
“You sure? You’ve not heard what we’ve got to say.”
“With due respect, we know each other well enough to realize I’m a man of my word. I carried out my side of the bargain. Now it’s time for you to do the same.”
Ramirez stand
s and places his hat with precision on to Chico’s desk.
“Very true my friend. Loyalty is of the utmost importance. And you are one of the most loyal men I’ve met. Which is why we can make this offer to you.”
I clench and release my fists, tensed at the side of my hips. It’s not likely I’ll hit either of these guys, but there’s no harm in showing it’s a possibility.
Despite my reluctance to hear it, Chico explains the offer. “We want you to fight for us. Your reputation has soared and you are exactly the guy this game needs. We’ve picked up Carlos’s connections and the promotors are begging for you to come back to the cage.”
With my head hanging low, I repeatedly twist my head, slowly and deliberately.
There’s a heavy silence for a few seconds before Ramirez says, “We thought you might decline our offer, we understand right now you want to play happy families. And who would blame you? Right? A beautiful daughter and…”
He doesn’t get to finish his sentence because his throat is being squeezed by my hand, his back smashed against the wall.
“Hey, hey.” Chico tries to pull my shoulder. “It’s cool, man. It’s only an offer.”
I burrow my stare into Ramirez’s eyes, his smoldering as much as mine.
Eventually, I let him go.
He rubs at his neck. “One hell of a grip you have there, Raul.”
Chico chuckles. “Seriously, it’s only an offer. We could make plenty of dough from this but it’s cool if it’s not your thing. You’ve come good on your promise and we’ll do the same for you. We’re brothers, man.”
“And Pedro?”
“Don’t worry about him. We’ll flush him out and make him history.”
“Not good enough.”
“Okay, okay, we’ll fix it now.”
He picks up his cell and speaks in a torrent of Spanish, instructing someone on the other end, to make the problem disappear.
A thought flashes through my mind about which problem they think they may have and I text Juan asking him to stay close to Cate.
Señor Ramirez relaxes back onto a sofa, both of his arms on the cushions behind him and his legs crossed at the knee. “So, what does the future hold for you now, Isaac?” the use of my American name significant in my mind.
“Depends on Cate.”
Without questioning who Cate is, he nods. It’s not a surprise he knows her name but to not even feign ignorance sends a message.
“Why don’t you sit while we wait for the confirmation?”
“Sure.” I sit on the sofa opposite.
I’m not going anywhere until I’ve got evidence of the hit. I can trust Juan to protect Cate and her parents, and Eduardo will make sure nothing happens to Hope. And while I’m here within neck snapping distance of these two, I’ve got all bases covered.
Chico offers Tequila, which both Ramirez and I decline. Chico pours himself a healthy glass. Seems Carlos is replaceable in this world.
“So, there’s one topic you’ve not asked about. Your father.”
I shrug my shoulders. “It’s become less important since they released me.”
“So, you carried out the fight regardless of whether we kept our side of the bargain?”
“Yeah. It was never such a big deal. I merely wanted you to trust me to do what you asked.” I huff a laugh. “You saved me in jail and that’s what I repaid. Not a hit on a bum like him.”
A slow smile emerges on Ramirez’s lips. “I like that. I like that a lot.”
The mood softens and we re-count prison stories, the ones we’ve re-lived a thousand times or more. Especially those which make us laugh with the absurdity of the situation.
I feel, as the conversation goes on, my soul retracting from the memories.
For them this is their life, for me it was a few chapters which I’ve finished and no desire to re-read.
After a couple of hours, Chico gets a call while my phone remains silent.
I shoot off two texts and get immediate replies.
Juan: Kitty ok.
Eduardo: Sweet Pea ok.
The use of the nicknames allows me to breathe.
I stand and after a sizeable hug from Chico and a formidable hand shake from Señor Ramirez, I bounce down the stairs.
Now on to my next challenge.
33
Cate
Pacing the waiting room for Isaac to come back, I wonder what’s holding him up. Surely, he can’t have dumped me here and I can’t bear thinking he’s hurt.
My conversation with my parents has been a revelation and has helped me see more clearly. I need to talk to him about it.
Then, I hear his unmistakable footsteps. Confident. Bold. Clacking along the corridor to the waiting room.
“Where’ve you been?” I jump up, tears smarting my eyes.
He takes in a sharp breath. “Fixing some shit.”
I wring my hands together in front of my stomach. “I’ve spoken to Hope, she’s having fun riding the pony again and helping in the kitchen.”
“And your parents?” he asks.
“They’re recovering. They were asking to see you.”
“Okay.” He rubs his hand over stubble on his chin before giving a nod to Juan.
Juan stands. “Do you want me to stay on here, in San Diego?” he asks.
“Appreciate it.” With a manly clasp of hands, Juan leaves us to it.
Isaac turns back to me. “Where’s your aunt?”
“In with my parents.”
“Okay.” He takes a large intake of breath. “Let’s do this.”
I lead the way to the darkened, cool room my dad occupies, Mom now being discharged and sat at the side of his bed with Aunt Maude.
It’s hard for my parents to disguise their surprise at Isaac’s appearance. He looks even more menacing with the stubble across his jaw and head.
My mom stands and reaches out for to him. “Isaac, it’s been such a long time,” she says, taking both his hands in hers and rubbing her thumb across his knuckles. “Cate told us you’ve met Hope. It’s wonderful she can get to know her father.”
His eyes flicker to mine.
“This incident has shaken us both.” She looks across to my father, laid in the bed, propped up by three white pillows. “We’ve decided life’s too short, so we’re going to take time out, buy an RV and tour for a while.”
He nods.
“And Cate tells me you’re spending time with family you’ve discovered in Mexico.”
“Yes, near Ensenada.”
She squeezes his hand more. “That’s fabulous. We’re so pleased you’ve found your family. It’s nice to have a second chance at these things.”
“Yes, it is,” he says, cautiously.
After much hugging and a few tears, we leave my parents and aunt and head back to the parking lot in silence.
“So, your parents are taking off?” he asks, unlocking the car.
“Yeah, although, I had to spend a good deal of time convincing them it wasn’t selfish of them to want to do so. That Hope and I would be fine—better even—in the knowledge they were doing for themselves.”
I glance across at him, hauling myself into the car, toeing off my shoes, and pulling my feet on to the seat beneath me.
He hums his agreement.
Nervously, I chew on my lip waiting until he navigates the late-night traffic and joins the highway before dropping my bombshell. I’m not sure how he will take it.
“So… I guess, that means I don’t have to worry about leaving San Diego anymore or upsetting my parents by not seeing them regularly.”
“What does that mean?” he says with impatience.
“Maybe we could give Mexico a try. Or Oregon. Or wherever?”
Suddenly, my head wobbles and I grab on to the center console to stop myself from smashing into the door. “Isaac?”
We bump across the sunbaked verge at the side of the highway, dust billowing at the windows as the brakes engage.
He reaches ac
ross, presses my seatbelt release, and hauls me onto his lap.
“You serious, Kitty?” His eyes emblazoned with heat.
“Uhuh.” I nod, pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth, my heart racing from his reaction.
His lips smash onto mine and he squeezes my back so every breath of air is trapped in my lungs. A deep-seated growl reverberates from his throat; emotion and desire pour through his mouth into mine.
I feel as if I will burst from the amount of desire he’s showing me.
Eventually, after ignoring dozens of honks from passing motorists, I climb back to my seat and Isaac merges the car into the traffic.
“Are we able to stay at the ranch for a while?”
“Of course. It’s the family home. I never got to meet my step-dad, Maria and Eduardo’s father, but he was a very successful rancher. The cattle herd is significant and while my sister and her husband have been supportive, Mamá needs more help.”
I study him for a while. “So, you’re gonna be a ranch hand?”
He looks back and winces. “I don’t know. I know jack-shit about it and animals are not my thing. Especially horses—they’re kinda unpredictable.”
A laugh blurts from my chest. It feels good to laugh again; even if the image I’ve conjured is responsible for my reaction.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine you on a horse, although in a pair of chaps, now there’s an image.” I purr, running my fingers over his forearm. “No denims underneath.”
He does a double take and chuckles. “Now, now, Kitty. If anyone’s going to brandish a whip, it’ll be me.”
Now that makes me swallow. Hard.
We have things we can explore, and it makes me even more excited for our future.
Eventually, I ask, “What about Elliot?”
“Not sure. He says he might hang around for a while, depending on what happens with you?”
“What do you mean?” An embarrassed flush heating my cheeks.
“He said he wanted to spend time with us if we’re gonna stick around. If not, he would be back to the US and maybe even that lousy job you got him.”
“Really?” Embarrassed I’d not given my job a second thought in the last few days.
Bad Ink Page 22
