“You don’t know that, Charles,” Elkins says calmly.
“There’s another way. I’m just not seeing it yet,” I say determinedly.
“Yeah, well, I don’t see any other way.”
“I know you don’t. I… I need to talk to Estelle. Can you give me a minute?”
He frowns. “Where the hell do you want me to go?”
“Use your damn imagination. Just give me a minute to call my wife,” I yell angrily.
“FINE!” He snatches his room key off the television set and slams the door as he storms out of the room.
I glance out the window and see him muttering as he walks to the car and gets inside of it. I shake my head at him and sit back down on the bed, pulling my phone out. I dial the house and she answers almost immediately.
“Charles?” she asks, breathless.
“Yes, I’m alright, Es,” I say reassuringly.
“What’s happening?”
“She is connected to the Cordoza Cartel.”
“Oh God! What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. The father, he seems reasonable, but his son is in love with her. He won’t give her to me. I just… I can’t get in there.”
“What does Benny say?”
“He wants me to call Dimitri, call in a favor.”
I hear her sharp intake of breath. “Is that what you want to do?” Her voice is not as strong as it normally is.
“Not really. Dimitri will most likely kill me if I set foot in Chicago again. Besides he doesn’t owe me anything.”
“But he owes me,” she says softly.
“What do you mean?”
“When you were shot, he told me if we ever needed anything that all we had to do was ask.”
“You never told me that,” I say startled.
“Well, he wasn’t exactly on my favorite person’s list,” she mutters.
“I know.”
I sit there quietly, trying to decide what I should do. I wish I was there so I could hold her close. She helps me think clearly. I lean down, putting my head between my legs and wrapping my free hand in my hair. God! What a mess this whole thing is. I can hear her steady breathing on the other end of the phone and it is oddly reassuring.
“You said the father was supportive?” she finally asks after several minutes of silence.
“Yes, he said he would kill her himself but he refuses to let me do it.”
“But you’re not satisfied with that, are you?”
“No,” I mumble.
“Yet you don’t want to contact Dimitri. So, what are your options?”
I don’t say anything, I just sit there with my head down.
“Charles?”
“Yes.”
“This is what I think. You have two choices here. The first one is that you leave Mexico and leave Sonya to her own devices. You come home and you let it be done, or you go to Chicago and meet with Dimitri. He owes me; he owes us a lot more than one favor. But either way, Charles, it ends with this. I don’t want you coming back and torturing yourself endlessly about what you should have or could have done. You must make the decision about this. I can’t make it. Benny can’t make it. Only you can. It is your decision, but whatever you decide, whatever choice you make, I will support you 100%. You know that, don’t you?” she says in her beautifully sweet and determined voice.
“I know. I’m just…I know what I should do but...” I say with a frustrated sigh.
“Charles, I trust you. You have always done what is best for our family,” she says with conviction.
“I love you, Es. You are everything to me.”
“I know, sweetheart. I love you as well.” I hear her take a deep breath. “Don’t make any decision right now, honey. Just sleep on it. The answer will come to you in the morning. You know our dreams help us find the answers we are searching for,” she says with compassion.
I start laughing. We have had many discussions about dreams and what they mean. She had a field day early in our relationship analyzing the crazy things I dream about. She loves to tell me to sleep on it. And if I’m honest with myself, she is usually right. Once I stop ‘trying’ to figure it out, an answer presents itself to me.
“Stop laughing at me, Charles. You know that’s true,” she says, chuckling herself.
“I better go, Es. Elkins is waiting in the car.”
“Why is Benny in the car?” She asks frustrated but then doesn’t give me a chance to respond. “Honestly, Charles. You need to treat him better.”
I laugh. “I know. I know. I’ll make it up to him.”
“Well, I would hope so.”
“I love you, Es.”
“I love you too. Be safe and call me tomorrow.”
“I will.”
I hang up and set the phone down. I stretch and then stand up, walking to the window. I can see Elkins inside the car doing something on his phone. I start tapping on the window and Elkins looks up so I motion for him to come inside. He nods and I turn around, pulling my shirt out of my dress slacks and loosening my tie. Whenever we travel like this, we always stay in the same room. It is easier this way since we never know what will happen or if we will need to leave quickly.
“I am going to take a shower and then try to get some sleep. I will make a decision in the morning.”
He salutes me and plops down on the bed, picking up the remote and flipping through channels randomly. I smile and walk towards the bathroom, stopping before going in.
“Benny, thank you for everything. I couldn’t do any of this without you. I’m… I’m grateful and honored to call you my friend,” I say sincerely.
He turns to look at me. “You’re not getting all sappy on me, are you?”
I laugh. “No, I wouldn’t dream of it,” I say, shaking my head and heading into the bathroom, but before I close the door I glance at him and see that he is smiling and I am almost sure that I hear him say ‘you’re welcome’ as I shut the door.
Chapter 9
I startle awake, sitting up in the bed, slightly disoriented. I glance around the room and see Elkins in the other bed, snoring loudly. I run my hand through my hair and plop back down on my pillow. Dreaming about the events that preceded us leaving Chicago frightens the hell out of me, but it also solidifies what I must do. With a heavy sigh, I make my decision. I will call Avery in a few hours and let him know we will be flying to Chicago today. There is no other way. I need Dimitri’s help. I just hope he doesn’t kill me before I have a chance to ask for it.
Seeing as I’ll never get back to sleep I jump on Elkins’ computer and check my emails, run through some business documents that Janel scanned into a PDF file and then find myself pulling up any and all information I can find about Dimitri Komarovski. There isn’t a lot as the family does nothing online and no one is stupid enough to cross them. I used to keep up with him, at least the first five or so years after we left Chicago but finally let him go after that. I couldn’t bear to see him and not be a part of his life.
Hours go by as I do my research and at first light, I leave to get us some breakfast. Once back inside I resume my research. I hear movement behind me and glance back to see Elkins roll out of bed and head into the bathroom. I turn back to my screen and continue reading. It seems that Dimitri’s father passed away ten years ago and that Dimitri has been completely in charge ever since then. It looks like they are into gun smuggling nowadays, which doesn’t surprise me considering Dimitri’s fascination with weapons. I am a little disappointed though that he got the family involved with selling drugs as well. His father would have never allowed that to happen. Hell, I wouldn’t have allowed that. I would have fought him tooth and nail on it.
“There’s a breakfast burrito in the microwave for you,” I say, hearing Elkins walk back into the room.
“Really? You didn’t get me that chorizo kind did you?” he mutters as he walks to the microwave.
“No, I know you don’t like chorizo. I don’t know why though, conside
ring some of the other things you eat,” I say with a chuckle as I continue reading on Dimitri’s business dealings.
“Because chorizo is nasty.”
“But you like menudo. How can you like menudo and NOT chorizo? That never made any sense to me, but relax, its sausage,” I say, glancing at him.
“Menudo is good, man. You don’t know what you’re missing. Did you put some of that sauce on it, that hot kind I like?” he asks, opening the wrapper and taking a huge bite out of it.
“Yes, I did. Just don’t breathe on me for a while,” I say with a laugh.
“Very funny,” he replies sarcastically. “What are you doing?”
I swivel the chair so that I can look at him. He is truly the epitome of a private eye. I swear he has never heard of an iron or wrinkle free clothes as he has on another pair of rumpled slacks and a button down shirt that looks like it has been slept in for days. His hair is a mess and flopping in his face and for some reason it always looks dirty.
“I am going to fly to Chicago, talk to Dimitri and see if he will help us.”
“What time are we leaving?” he asks through a mouthful of food.
“I am leaving in a few hours; you are staying here.”
He glares at me and sets his burrito down. “Why would I stay here? You might need me.”
“I appreciate the gesture but I need you to keep an eye on Sonya, make sure she doesn’t leave.”
“You said old man Cordoza guaranteed that he would keep her there at his house so why would I need to babysit her?” he asks angrily.
“Alright, fine,” I answer, staring at him. “I won’t put you in any unnecessary danger. I don’t know how Dimitri will respond to my presence and I won’t take the chance that you will get killed or injured.”
He stares at me and smirks. “So you are protecting me?” he asks and I can tell he is trying hard not to laugh.
“Screw you, Elkins!” I answer grinning and turn back to the computer. “You’re staying here!”
“Yeah, whatever you say!” he grumbles, taking another huge bite of his burrito.
We spend the next couple of hours going over what needs to happen while I am in Chicago and then head back to Texas. As we pull up to the Del Rio airport, I go to exit and feel Elkins hand on me, stopping my movement.
“Be careful, Charles.”
“I will.”
“If I have to call Estelle again and tell her something happened to you, well, she’ll probably kill me and…” he stutters and I glance at him, “you’re my friend, alright. So, watch your back when you see that Ruskie.”
I smirk. “Are you getting all sappy on me, Benny?”
He waves his hand. “Hell no!”
I place my hand on his shoulder and squeeze it. “Hold down the fort while I’m gone and…” I close my eyes for a second and then open them, allowing my eyes to bore into his, giving him a look that is both sincere and stern. “If something should happen to me, you take care of Sonya, do you hear me? I want no harm to come to my family, and while she is out there, that is always a possibility.”
He puts his hand on mine. “I will kill her myself if need be.”
I nod and get out of the car, snatching my briefcase off the floorboard. I stroll through the airport, grinning as my briefcase goes through the scanner without a hitch. I meet Avery at the gate and he leads me to the plane.
“Are we on schedule?” I ask as I walk up the steps.
“Yes, sir, we should be arriving at O’Hare by 4:00 p.m.,” Avery says as we enter the plane.
I nod. “Good.”
I take my jacket off and hang it up before pulling my bottle of Kauffman out from under the bar. I pour a shot and down it quickly. I take a deep breath and allow my fingers to trace along the bottle. Kauffman was the only Vodka that Dimitri and I would drink and I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t think about him every time I have some. I pour another shot and then place the bottle securely under the bar before settling in my seat, preparing myself emotionally for what will come next. As the plan takes off and is flying towards the place of my birth, I feel an ache within me. I close my eyes as the plane reaches cruising altitude, and the first thought that pops in my mind is, Dimitri.
I continue to doodle, just waiting for the bell to ring so I can go outside. Mrs. Morris, my third-grade teacher, continues to talk but I don’t think anyone is paying attention. I hear the door open and look up. Mrs. Morris is waving for someone to come inside, which, of course, makes the whole class turn in the direction of the door. Ms. Shirley, the lady that’s in the office, is walking up to the front of the class with a small, dark haired kid. He is dressed in dark slacks and a black button down shirt with a tie, his shirt is tucked neatly in his pants, which are being held up by a black leather belt and he is wearing a thick wool coat. There is snickering in the back of the room, which makes me mad. It’s not this kids fault. He didn’t know what to wear. I turn and give Ricky and Tommy a dirty look, telling them to be quiet.
“Turn around, Charles, no one cares what you think,” Ricky whisper shouts.
“Mr. Michelson, do you have something to say?” Mrs. Morris intervenes.
Ricky shakes his head remorsefully as the new kid is placed front and center. Why do teachers do that? Isn’t it hard enough coming into a new school midway through a school year and then they have to embarrass you by putting you right there in the front? The poor kid looks like he might pee on himself. God! I hope he doesn’t. Ricky and his friends will never let him live that down. They will be so mean to him.
“Class, I would like to introduce you to Dimitri Kom…Uhh…Koma…”
“Komarovski,” he says timidly in a thick Russian accent.
“Yes, Dimitri Komarovski. He and his family just moved here from Moscow. Do you all remember where Moscow is?” Mrs. Morris asks, addressing us.
I look around the room and everyone is staring at her blankly. I raise my hand.
“Yes, Mr. Livingston."
“It’s in Russia, Mrs. Morris,” I say confidently, hearing snickers from Ricky and Tommy.
“Yes, Russia. Very good, Charles.” She turns to Dimitri, “Just take the open seat right there.” She motions to the empty seat in the front row.
As he sits down, I notice that he is slouching in his seat and then it’s like he catches what he’s doing and sits up straight, his eyes facing forward. He quickly glances around the room as if he is looking to see if anyone caught him slouching. He is, of course, being watched by everyone in the class. They are just giving him these blank stares like he is from another planet or something. When his eyes lock with mine, I smile at him and see his lip quirk up into a small smile before turning back around. When the recess bell rings, we all make a mad dash outside. It’s cold but there’s no snow on the ground so we get to actually go to the playground for once.
I am on top of the monkey bars because I like climbing and I can see everything going on from here. I don’t really play with any of these kids because they are all just mean. They think they’re better than everyone else. Most of them are just stupid but they have money so they think they are special. I smile when I see Dimitri walk out of the school and start heading over to the playground. Good, now I can talk to him. Ask him what it’s like in Russia, why his family moved here, how he learned English, and what kind of games he likes to play. I like talking to kids from different countries. They are so much more interesting than these stupid kids here. I continue to watch as he stops and looks around, spotting me on the monkey bars. I wave at him and he waves back hesitantly. I move my hand, telling him to come over. He nods with a big smile on his face. But before he can make it over to me, Ricky, Tommy, and Mark cut him off.
“We don’t want any commie’s at our school,” Ricky says, pushing Dimitri back.
“Yeah,” Tommy brilliantly concurs.
“You don’t even know what that word means,” I tell them, jumping down from the top of the monkey bars and stepping in front of Ricky, bloc
king his path to Dimitri. “I mean you’re too dumb to know a word like that.”
“Stay out of this, Charles!” he says, pushing me back but I plant my feet and then take a step forward, forcing him to step back instead. “I do too know what it means,” he stutters.
“Really?” I say arching my brow. “So what does it mean?”
“Why do you care anyway? Is he your boyfriend or something?” he says laughing.
My face turns red and my fists clench at my sides, and before I know what’s happening, I have hit Ricky in the eye and we are rolling around on the ground. The next thing I feel are strong arms pulling me off Ricky and jerking me into the principal’s office. An hour later, my father is strutting through the corridor and pushes his way through the office. He turns to me and gives me a death glare before turning to Principal Meyers.
“What did he do now?” My father asks briskly.
“He was in another fight,” Mr. Meyers says timidly.
My father turns to me, narrowing his eyes.
“Have you considered having him talk to a counselor? He seems to have…” Mr. Meyers starts to say until my father turns around and fixes his glare on him, stopping him in his tracks.
“My son doesn’t need to talk to any counselor. How dare you suggest that? All you are is a glorified babysitter and you don’t even do that well. You have no control of the children here. With the amount of money I spend to send my son to this school, you would think they would hire someone more qualified to run it,” he says viciously.
I glance at Mr. Meyers who is saying nothing. No one ever says anything to contradict dad.
“CHARLES!” My father fumes as he abruptly turns around and marches out the door, and as I glance at Mr. Meyers, I think he feels sorry for me.
I got suspended for two days. My father didn’t talk to me at all for those two days, which didn’t seem so bad to me. My mother tried to plead my father’s case, letting me know that my father is trying to help me become a man and that fighting is not the answer, that it shows weakness. I couldn’t wait until my suspension was done and I could get out of the mausoleum that is my home.
Brothers Forever Page 5
