“Of course it did, but you say it as if it’s past tense?”
“Right well, I don’t think he’s cheating anymore. I’m actually thinking Italy sounds nice. Tuscany, maybe. Somewhere remote that I can just clear my head.”
Snapping back to the present, something strikes me as odd. She thought he was cheating, but she didn’t want to get away. That doesn’t seem like a natural reaction. And yet, she declined protection and wants me to drop the case. But then again, she did do a one-eighty in that conversation. I think back to the dinner once more.
“Is Dad involved with Waters, Mom?”
She slides her plate away. “While snooping over the assumed affair, I overhead some things. That’s why I wanted to meet here. I’m afraid our house is bugged.”
“What things?” I ask, trying not to sound as urgent as the thundering of my heart suggests I am.
“Somehow, I suspect through Logan, your father got involved with Waters and is now trapped, held captive by that monster’s demands. He can’t get out and basically, Pri, honey, if you don’t drop the case, they’re going to implicate us all and send us to jail.”
My eyes go wide and the room spins. “What? No. How do you know that?”
“I recorded a meeting your father had with some man I don’t know. Your father never said his name, but he made it clear he didn’t even know Waters was a client. The other man made it clear that the firm had laundered money for Waters for years now. Your father’s implicated.” She slides a tape recorder over to me. “Listen to it and drop the case, Pri.”
Blood rushes in my ears. “I think you need to leave the country.”
“I don’t need to leave the country if you drop the case.”
“And then what? Waters continues to control us if we don’t stop him?”
“Maybe not,” she says. “Maybe he’ll move on.”
“Move on? No, Mother. You’re not being realistic. It’s just a matter of time before he threatens us again.”
“I told you,” she snaps. “The man on the recording told your father that if you drop out of the case, Waters will free your father.”
“Until he’s not free,” I say. “I’m going to get you on a plane out of the country in the morning. Pack a bag. I’ll be by to pick you up.”
“Dad—”
“Do not call him and tell him, Mom. The wrong people will find out. I’ll tell him when he returns and try to get him to go and meet you. Okay?”
“I can’t leave you and him here. I can’t. What if something happens to you? If you two go, I’ll go.”
“Damn it, Mom.”
“Drop the case, Pri.” She motions to the waitress. “We need to-go boxes, please.”
I squeeze my eyes shut against that memory. Yes, my father is being blackmailed, but only because he was already in the sewer with Waters. I’d like to think Logan got him into this, but for all I know, the opposite might be true.
I fear the family I knew is now the family I never knew at all. Family is supposed to stick together, but how do you stick with those who are doing bad things?
I think back to Adrian’s torment over his brother and I understand all too well how he felt. He wanted to protect Alex, even when Alex didn’t deserve his protection. That almost got him killed. I want to protect my family as well when they don’t deserve it. Not at all. In fact, I have this horrible feeling that my father would choose Waters over me. That perhaps he already has.
In my mind’s eye, I see me and my father, holding guns on each other. If it came down to it, who would pull the trigger first?
Will it come down to just that? Has it already?
Chapter Thirty-Eight
PRI
For the moment, I force myself to refocus on my phone, not the daunting task of a war with Waters.
I refocus on my message, and the next one is from Ed: We need to talk. Call me. I frown. I also don’t call him back. I want to hear what Adrian and Blake have to say about him first.
I glance at the final message, which is from Grace. She works for the DA’s offices, yes, but she’s also a friend who is dating Josh, who we believe might be dirty. He might have left the DA’s office for a private security company, but he showed up at the office and inserted himself into this case when he was never hired to help, which sits wrong. I quickly hit the play button to listen to the message: Pri, what is going on? Everyone is talking about you and Ed being in protective custody. Well, except Cindy, who won’t call me back.
Cindy’s an ADA on the case, working beneath me.