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  Providing financially will never be a problem. I will take care of all the expenses. This goes deeper, though. “Does any parent really know what they’re doing?” I say instead.

  “You don’t understand,” she whispers and then remains quiet.

  “What don’t I understand?”

  She shrugs. “I never wanted children. I just wanted my life nice and tidy. I wanted to work a job, come home, have a glass of wine, read a book, and repeat. I’m a selfish person. I planned to swear off men. Well…” she looks up at me. “Relationships. I wanted to be the old cat lady minus the cats. I didn’t even want to care for a damned cat. That was my ambition in life. I’m a social dud. As a parent I’ll be a dud too. What the hell do I do?”

  I’m not an idiot and the last thing I would say is that it will work itself out. Raising Kiley won’t be easy. The child comes with more baggage than I do. Carlo said children are resilient, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t psychological damage combined with the very real, more than possible drug addiction when Kiley was born. Carlo mentioned it to me and Moon. He didn’t see signs of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but that’s only alcohol related. Meth, cocaine, heroin—they’re all possibilities. It would be surprising if Kiley’s mother didn’t use when she was pregnant.

  “You won’t be alone, Celina.”

  She laughs and more tears spill from her eyes. “I can’t raise her in your world, Alex. She deserves a safe environment away from everything she’s ever known in her life. I know you’ll protect us, but I need to protect her and leave here as soon as it’s safe.” Her voice rises, “I just don’t fucking want to. I still want to be selfish, even though I can’t be. You and I don’t even know each other, but I want the time to understand who you are and why you make me feel this way.” She wipes her face and pushes the knife in further. “I want a chance to fall in love with you.”

  She can’t fool me because her heart is in her swollen eyes. She already loves me no matter how ridiculous that seems. Three fucking days and the two of us are a mess. I pull her in because I can’t look at the hurt in her expression. “We do what we must. That’s the life I have, and you’re right, my world is no place for a child.” I pull away so I can see her face. “We take the few days we have. It’s all we can give each other, so we take it.” I slam my mouth down on hers and slip my tongue past her sweet lips.

  I’ve just recognized what it is about Celina that makes her so incredibly special and it hits me hard. She replaces the images. Completely clears them from my brain. The violent rage I’ve carried for so long stops. She breathes sanity back into my life of blood and death.

  And that’s why I’ll let her go. The last thing I want is for her to ever see my demons.

  We check on Kiley after our shower and decide to take her out to the pool. She holds the doll like it’s her lifeline. Celina sits beside her and coaxes her to place her bare feet in the water. It’s as far as Kiley will go. I doubt she’s ever been in a swimming pool. That says a lot because eighty percent of homes in the Phoenix area have pools.

  I watch Celina while she tries to interact with Kiley. I know she’s frustrated that Gabriella makes it appear so easy. She talks and cajoles, but none of it does any good. Kiley’s big eyes look at Celina like she’s an alien from another planet. Celina doesn’t let up and my heart breaks for her. I know she’s expecting entirely too much in only a few hours. It’s hard because even I want to see some type of response.

  It’s too hot to remain outside for long, so we head back into the house after about forty-five minutes. “How about a snack?” I ask them. “Gabriella always hides goodies around the kitchen; you just need to know where to search.”

  Celina gives me a tight smile as I lead them to the kitchen. The sad truth is neither of us knows much about dealing with children. I look inside the refrigerator and see containers of fresh vegetables that Gabriella always has waiting for me and Moon. I’m assuming those might be out as far as snacks go. Do three year olds eat raw vegetables? I know Madison sneaks cookies every now and then, but I don’t touch the things. I spot a bowl of oranges and bring it out of the refrigerator. Celina is no help, she only shrugs.

  I begin peeling and divide two oranges onto three napkins. We situate Kiley at the table between us and we eat our portions. Kiley watches us closely and eats when we do.

  “These are really good,” Celina says.

  “Made them myself and very proud of it,” I reply, which gets a small laugh out of Celina. Fact is fact and I’ve been taken care of for so long by Gabriella that even providing a small snack for a child is almost beyond my capabilities. My apartment kitchen is also stocked with fruits and vegetables by Gabriella. The only thing I add on occasion is a six pack of beer.

  Celina is watching Kiley when her phone rings. She’s startled for a second and then pulls it from her pocket. “It’s my mother,” she says in a whisper before she answers the call.

  Mothers.

  I knew she had one, I even knew where her mother worked and about the condition of her father. I never gave them more than a passing thought after reading her bio.

  “Oh, Mom.”

  The sound of devastation in those two words tells me something is seriously wrong. Celina turns away from the table and wipes her cheek. She’s crying.

  “I’ll be right there, Mom. I love you.” She disconnects the call with trembling fingers and meets my gaze. “My father.” She blinks a few times, looks at Kiley, and then back at me. “He’s gone. I need to be with my mother.”

  I stand up and wrap her in my arms. She cries against my chest while I watch Kiley watching us. Celina looks over her shoulder at her niece and whispers, “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Leave her here and do what you need to do. Go to your mom now and Gabriella will take over Kiley. She’s good at that.” I kiss her cheek. “I’ll have you driven wherever you need and keep a driver available for you. He’ll double as protection so you and your mother are safe.”

  She takes a deep breath and wipes her tears. “Okay, you’re sure about Kiley? My mom will want to meet her soon, but the nursing home is no place to take her and this is not the time to explain everything to my mother.”

  “Go grab what you need and I’ll handle Kiley for now.” I’m thankfully keeping the terror from my expression. Who the fuck am I to spend even a few moments alone with a small child?

  I receive a gentle kiss on the lips for the offer. Celina also kisses Kiley on the cheek. “I need to go visit my mother, your grandmother. You’ll be meeting her soon and I know you’ll love her. I’ll be back here as quickly as possible, okay?” She turns away and wipes her tears again.

  Kiley continues eating her orange as Celina walks from the kitchen. I sit back down and look at Kiley. “It’s you and me, kid.” Maybe not original, but it’s what comes out. “We’ll find Gabriella when you finish the orange,” I add without a drop of the desperation I feel in my voice. As usual, she doesn’t respond.

  I take out my phone and alert Rack to prepare a car. I keep my eyes steady on Kiley with her red ringlets, blue eyes, and intense gaze. Talk about being in over my head.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Celina

  I ARRIVE AT THE nursing home an hour later. Having a driver has its benefits, though sitting in the back of the car and thinking about all the overwhelming details is not one of them. On the only positive side I can come up with, having a driver most likely saved me from crashing my car.

  I left Kiley with Gabriella and Alex and I can’t think about it right now. My mother is sitting beside my father when I enter the room. Her hand is resting on his lifeless one. She glances over her shoulder and sees me. She leans into my father and begins sobbing on his chest. I walk over and put my hand on her back.

  She feels so frail. When did that happen and why didn’t I notice?

  The man lying in the bed with his slack, frozen features is not my father. He’s been gone for many months now. That doesn’t make it easier.
During my visit last week, I wished his passing had happened months ago. Now I regret those thoughts. My mother has loved him for more than thirty years. The two of them have always been a team, and the sun rose for my dad when Mom entered a room. Even in the nursing home she came every day to share her life. I’m selfish to want that taken from her any earlier than it had to be.

  A staff member steps in and gives me a small smile. Through my tears, I smile back sadly. My mother finally controls herself enough to sit up.

  “Bring a chair over and tell me your best memory of your father,” she requests after wiping her face with tissues. She hands me the box when she’s done. Over the next hour, we sit and speak of my father. At times we cry, but we also laugh. He took me fishing once and I got a hook caught in my hair; he cut it out with a knife he had in the fishing box. My mother was furious. She took me to the beauty shop and had all my hair cut off so at least it was even. My dad ruffled my head every time he walked past me until my hair grew out. I loved when he did it. I loved spending time with him.

  The time finally arrives to say goodbye and that’s the hardest part. I kiss his cold cheek and give his hand one last squeeze. I watch my mom cry against his chest again. Eventually, she stands up, takes my hand, and we walk away with heavy hearts from the man we both love.

  I forgot Rack waits in the lobby. He’s as big as Alex and his suit and tie take nothing from his lethal presence. I should have prepared my mother or at least rehearsed what to say. “Mom, this is, um… a friend provided a car and this is the driver.” And bodyguard and I have no doubt, killer. My mother places her hand out automatically even though she looks confused.

  “Rack, ma’am. I’ll be available for you as long as you need me.”

  “Thank you,” she replies as he leads us out to a waiting Cadillac. Her red eyes cut to mine and I offer a small smile. Rack ushers us into the back as I explain to my mom that he will have someone pick up her car and bring it to her house. He takes her keys and we wait as he goes to the car she points out and locks the keys inside.

  “Is he a gentleman friend?” my mom asks.

  “Rack?” At her nod I assure her, “No, Mom, he’s a driver.” Answering these questions is not going to be easy.

  “I mean the man who gave you a driver, silly.”

  “His name is Alex and we’ve only known each other a few days. I was with him when you called and he offered the driver. It was very nice of him and I decided not to fight it.”

  She takes my hand. “You are always very stubborn when it comes to people helping you.”

  Am I? She has no idea the help I’ve taken during the past few days. I sincerely hope she never finds out. Rack opens the driver’s door and slides behind the wheel. He asks where we need to go and I give him my mother’s address. He begins driving without a GPS. Like most people who live here, you learn the street grids—north, south, east, west, avenue, street. Once you figure out the system, it’s fairly straightforward. Rack needs no directions until we’re in the immediate area.

  He drops us at the house. Alex explained that Rack will stay close but as unobtrusive as possible. There’s been no word on Dax, so Rack will stay around to protect my mom and me for as long as needed. Without knowing it, my mother is now involved in a world of violence. Somehow, I need to find a way to explain a few things to her.

  And tell her that she has a granddaughter.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Alex

  ALL I CAN DO is be thankful that Gabriella takes over with Kiley. When Gabriella walked into the kitchen, I was doing my best to wipe juice off Kiley’s face and fingers. In Spanish Gabriella let me know exactly what I was doing wrong. Apparently I needed more water on the paper towel that is now stuck to the child’s fingers. I made my escape as soon as possible.

  Then, things went from bad to worse. I received a call from the men I sent to Antigua. Manuel is dead and Danita nowhere to be found. I have Cal using his computer skills and checking airline manifests. Thankfully, the flights out of Antigua are limited to only a handful of airlines. Of course, there’s always the ocean. That escape route will be harder to track. Danita isn’t stupid, so I expect none of this to be easy.

  With Kiley in Gabriella’s capable hands, I drive to Manuel’s wife and inform her of his death. They’d been married for ten years and don’t have any children. Giving her the news is bad enough and I shouldn’t be relieved she has no children to fall back on but I am. I call in reinforcements and several of the women associated with the men who work for us stay with her. They are wives and girlfriends and this isn’t the first time they’ve comforted a new widow. In the world we live in, it won’t be the last.

  I spend the remainder of the day dealing with the team in Antiqua. After dinner, Kiley goes to bed with Gabriella. Moon and I sit down to discuss the situation. We make phone calls and organize everyone. The team in Antigua will stay there over the next few days in case Danita surfaces. I put two extra men on Celina and her mom with Rack leading the team.

  Madison joins us after she returns from a short visit with Manuel’s widow. She doesn’t ask that we handle Danita with kid gloves. She’s angry that Manuel is dead because Danita is alive. Moon and I knew Danita was a ticking time bomb and we could have quietly taken care of the problem months ago. Manuel’s death is on all three of us. When we find Danita, she’ll be taken care of. The bitch has had it coming for a long time.

  Moon and I are up until the early morning hours. I go to bed and for the first time in three days, the images come at me full force. I need Celina to chase them away. I ache for her and what she’s going through. I let the slideshow play and grit my teeth against the memories.

  I sleep little and wake up in a sour mood with little or no patience. The only bright spot in the early part of the day is a quick conversation with Celina. When I checked my phone and saw it was her calling, I gave a heavy sigh of relief. Her sadness is evident but her voice lifts my spirits. She’s safe and that’s what matters most right now. I hit the gym after the call ends and relieve some more stress.

  Not that I can tell now. In a few minutes, the meeting between Corbin and Moon goes down. The restaurant is a sushi bar in Scottsdale. Moon reserved a private room. Corbin will have three men and so will Moon. All of us are armed. It’s one of the benefits about Arizona. If the meeting took place in Cali, it would be a different story. Oh, we’d be armed. It would just be more subtle. Most states aren’t as accommodating to concealed carry as Arizona. California is on the opposite end of the “guns are our Constitutional right” spectrum and permits are required and not especially easy to obtain.

  As we leave the vehicle, there’s no question that the bulk beneath our suit jackets is firepower. A concealed carry permit isn’t required in Arizona. Corbin’s men carry the same bulk. Corbin’s enforcer, Austin, opens the car door for Corbin as we wait beside our vehicle. Austin and I go back a ways. He’s been with Corbin about the same length of time Moon has held Arizona. Corbin himself has been around longer than all of us combined. It says a lot about what we’re facing if this turns to war.

  Taking out Manuel Estephon, the previous head of New Mexico’s syndicate was easy in comparison to the hell this will be if we face Corbin. Most of Estephon’s men hated him. After his death, they were easily persuaded to work for Moon. The exceptions were swiftly eliminated. Corbin, like Moon, has the respect of those in his employ. Persuasion won’t be in the cards and a long bloodbath on both sides will be the outcome.

  Austin gives no indication of his mood as we follow Moon and Corbin into the restaurant and out of the heat. We’ve used this place before. It sits on the corner of a busy intersection. We’re shown to the private room immediately. Moon and Corbin sit at opposite ends of the table. Corbin’s men are on one side and Moon’s on the other. I’m closest to Moon and Austin is closest to Corbin. Moon orders a bottle of wine and stilted small talk takes place as we wait for the wine to arrive. Colby, Moon’s driver, fills our glasses after Moon
informs the waiter we’ll notify him when needed. I won’t be drinking the wine and neither will my men, but a lot of this is about protocol, especially when dealing with an old-time syndicate boss like Corbin.

  Corbin is of medium build with gray hair and green eyes. He has a grandfatherly appearance that doesn’t fool me at all. He didn’t get where he is today without shedding plenty of blood. Our relationship with him has been solid for years. He backed Moon taking over Estephon’s territory. Corbin takes a sip of his wine and Moon waits. The tension in the room is palpable. I’m watching the nuances and paying close attention to Austin. He’s a few inches shorter than me and thinner. That’s never fooled me. He’s quick and deadly or he wouldn’t be number two to Corbin. He’s not happy with the situation. It’s apparent by the absence of his easygoing manner, or at least the one he usually shows. It’s his disguise much like mine. I have no problem smiling as I kill someone and neither does Austin.

  Moon waits for Corbin to broach the subject of why we’re here. It happens as soon as we all have a glass of wine in front of us.

  “I owe you an apology, my friend.” Corbin takes a sip of wine without removing his eyes from Moon’s. Austin is like me and we watch everyone and everything around us. Corbin continues, “As you know, I’m not good in this type of situation and it doesn’t happen often. Ramon was one of my men and my responsibility. He acted without my sanction, and if he’d asked about tailing your wife, he would have died by my own hand.” Corbin turns to me and nods before giving his attention to Moon again. “From what little we’ve found, he knew Danita and spent time with a few of your women. A large amount of money transferred into his bank account two weeks ago. We’ve been unable to locate his cell phone or email records to substantiate the communications and I fear they used… what is the term? Throw aways?” He lifts his hands and makes a small waving gesture. “I’m an old man and keeping up with the new technology is beyond me.” His right hand, covered by a collection of large gold rings with varying large stones, goes flat on the table. “My men are good and if communications were trackable, they would find them. I’m hoping to move past these unfortunate events and continue our relationship as friends.”