Page 80 of Fractured
“I wanted to, brother. I really wanted to. But until we know what’s in that safe deposit box, she’s living on borrowed time.”
Carlos pulls up and I step down to open the back door. “Do you need a ride?”
Sebastian holds up his keys and shakes his head no.
“Fine. If anything shows up while I’m gone, text or call. I want to know every detail those two have planned out. I’ll see you in a few days, hopefully with more answers.”
“Do you want me to tell father? He needs to know.”
I nod, “Yeah, and tell him I took the plane. I’ll be back in a few days. For what it is worth, Sebastian, I am sorry. I know you cared for her, but she is a fantastic fucken liar.”
He comes up and hugs me. “You are far too calm, and that is scary as hell. And I’m sorry too. I really thought she was the one for you. You looked so; I don’t know. Right, I guess when you’re together.”
He shakes his head and backs away, “Fuck, it right?”
I smile, “Fuck it!” I climb into the back of the car, and Sebastian closes the door. Carlos doesn’t say a word; he just drives off. I undo my suit jacket and settle back into the seat, pinching my lip between my thumb and forefinger and staring out the window. If you were to ask me how I feel right now, I couldn’t answer.
Fucking numb is all I can come up with.
That’s what I feel, numb. Before I met her, I knew what was happening in my life; I knew what I wanted. She came into it and fucked it all up with her soft, lily-scented skin, filling my nose. I would look at her sitting beside me at the table. Picturing what it would be like to be an actual couple and to have what my parents have. She almost had me convinced that we could do it. I just thought I had to work a little harder at being kind.
But I am who I am, and I’m not about to change, as I told my father. I’m not sure how this weekend will turn out. Carlos is right. I should have planned for the worst, but I didn’t. I kept clinging to that stupid small sliver of hope that she was innocent, because I wanted her to be. And I will not be a coward. I’ll admit it to myself. I wanted her to be mine.
Maybe Sebastian’s right. I should file this under the fuck it folder. I can’t do anything about it right now until I know more. Right now, she’s locked in her room and Sasha will take care of her. Danny’s there, and he can watch her when Sasha is off.
We arrive at the airport, and Carlos pulls up beside the plane. Stepping out of the car, I grab my duffle bag out of the trunk and head up the stairs, passing Janice as I walk by and tossing my bag in the overhead compartment. I sit down, buckle my seatbelt, and focus on the window.
Carlos comes in, speaks to Janice, and takes the seat opposite me. He puts his finger across his mouth and looks out the window. I love him like a brother, and he knows I don’t want to talk about shit. I just want to get this job over with, come home, and drink myself into oblivion until I get the orders from my father.
My stomach turns and I feel queasy at the thought. She’s goingto die. There is no way my father will let her live. There is no way the organization will let this go, either. I feel like my chest is caving in and I rub that bloody spot that keeps getting tighter. I can’t save her even if I wanted to, and as incensed as I am, a world without her in it seems...hollow.The pounding in my head starts all over again.
I have to get my act together because the flight to Redding takes six hours, and I can’t afford to take my anger out on this plane. My father likes his leather seats just the way they are. We’ve reached altitude, and they have turned the seatbelt sign off. I take off my seat belt and tell Carlos that I’m going to sleep in my bedroom. Just go to sleep, and you’ll be able to put these feelings somewhere else, anywhere else. I don’t want her to die, but I’m going to have to face the fact that she will because there is nothing I can do to save her.
Carlos wakes me up once we land in Redding. It’s eight at night and even though I slept for a few hours, I’m tired as hell. The car is waiting, and we climb in. Once at the hotel, we grab a room with two double beds. I don’t need a fancy suite. I want to be in and out as soon as possible and get home.
I toss my duffle bag on the floor and face plant on the bed. “Fuck.”
Carlos tosses his bag at the end of his bed and sits down; leaning back on the headboard, he flips his feet up, crosses them at the ankle and folds his hand on his stomach, notching his fingers together.
I lift myself up on my elbows and look over at him. “Hungry?”
“Starving” He doesn’t move, just stares at the wall. He is in process mode. So, I sit up, grab the phone, and call the front desk. Burgers and fries with a couple of cokes. I stand up and go to the closet to hang up my suit jacket as I kick off my shoes, undo my tie, and toss it on the nightstand. I sit back down on the bed and rest my elbows on my knees, just looking at thefloor.
“So, there’s no way out for her, is there?”
I asked him the question burning in my head for the last six hours. I already know the answer, but I just want to hear him say it, or maybe he can find hope where I can’t see any.
“Only one, and it depends on tomorrow.” He says coldly.
I bite the inside of my cheek. He has more faith than I do. Without her, the whole thing wouldn’t work; the money wouldn’t be transferred or accepted. The accounts are all in her name.
“Food should be here in 15 minutes. I’m going to take a shower. Wash this fucking day off.”
Carlos just nods. I grab my duffle bag and dig through it, grabbing my jogging pants and t-shirt. I close the bathroom door and turn on the shower, letting the water run. I take off my suit, slip it on a hanger and climb in and let the hot water slide down my back.
I grabbed the tiny little bottle of shampoo and put some in my hand to wash my hair. No matter what I do, no matter how many scenarios I come up with, I can’t think of a way to save her. Even though she’s my wife, and Robert made damn sure she would be.
That ring on her finger doesn’t mean shit when you’re stealing millions from an organization this big. No one is immune to the punishment for that kind of disloyalty, not even if that person is my wife.
