Garret’s name popped up on my phone just as I was getting into the back of my SUV one evening. Frowning, I lifted it to my ear. “It’s about fucking time, dickhead. If you’re going to just disappear like this again, make sure to at least shoot me a text every few days so I know you’re alive.”
There was a small pause on the line before he chuckled. “Good to hear your voice too, asshole.”
“Well?” I demanded when he didn’t say anything else. “Did you find your mom?”
“How busy are you right now?” he asked, evading my question. “You got a lot going on, or could you possibly make a trip down here?”
“Where exactly is ‘down here,’ and how much trouble are you in?” I groused, figuring he needed me to bail him out of something.
“I’m not in any trouble,” he assured me, not even sounding offended. “And I’m in Colombia, actually. I’ve had a lot of shit going on, or I would have called you before now.”
“Colombia?” The word came out slightly strangled. I’d had my fill of that damn place, and I hadn’t even been there in forever. For the first few weeks following Nova’s death, I’d gotten countless prank calls from various Colombian numbers. After listening to that first voice mail and having my hopes lifted for all of five seconds, I’d refused to listen to another. I didn’t know who the fuck had been playing the sick game, but they had eventually gotten tired of it.
“Yeah, man. It’s a long story.”
“Did you find Felicity or not?” A thought hit me, and that gaping hole in the middle of my chest seemed to crumble around the edges. If something happened to Nova’s mom, she would never forgive me. “Is she okay?”
“My mom is fine. Great, actually. Look, can you come or not?”
I scrubbed my hand over my face. “If you need me, it doesn’t matter what I have going on. Just tell me what airport, and I’ll make the arrangements.”
“Perfect,” he said with a laugh. “First, fly out to California to get my dad before you come down. I have someone I want you two to meet.” Another laugh filled my ear, and it took me a moment to realize why it sounded so weird to me. It was because I hadn’t heard that kind of genuine happiness from anyone in a hell of a long time. “Don’t waste any time, man. Get your ass in the air ASAP.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I muttered. “Tell your dad I’ll pick him up later tonight, and we’ll be on our way to fucking Colombia.”
“Great. I’ll have Guzman meet you at the airport and drive you straight to the house. He’s our head of security. I think you’ll like him. If I’m not there, Maria, the housekeeper, will make you feel welcome. I’m rarely there between work and other shit, but it’s where I sleep most of the time. She will get you fed and put you in one of our best rooms.” There was suddenly a commotion in the background, several female voices talking excitedly all at once and then laughter. Garret groaned before lowering his voice. “See you soon, brother.”
After the call ended, I let the pilot know about the plans and then texted Mom that I had to make a trip. I didn’t explain where or why, because I honestly had no idea what was going on with Garret. But he hadn’t seemed upset about anything, so I figured there wasn’t anything to worry about.
The whole part about having a head of security and a housekeeper who would put me in their best room gave me pause, but it wasn’t in a bad way. It just made me wonder if he’d gotten into some other business and I wasn’t going to be bringing him home with me when I came back. Maybe he’d even moved on from Cali and was settling down.
It was almost a relief to have something to occupy my mind, though. Nova’s birthday was in two days, and it had been a struggle to make it through the nights as the date got closer and closer. In my gut, I didn’t think I would make it past her birthday. I didn’t know if I had the strength to go on when the moment arrived that I’d been planning for since I was eight years old.
* * *
Jet looked like death warmed over when I picked him up at the airport. He had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder as he boarded, his clothes wrinkled and his hair completely unkempt. His eyes were bloodshot, and his skin had an unhealthy tint to it. The man appeared not to have slept in days, and I wasn’t confident in guessing the last time he’d showered.
I knew Nova would have been upset if she saw her dad like he currently was.
“Garret didn’t say anything about why we’re going to Colombia?” he asked in a hoarse voice as he took his seat across from me.
“He didn’t give me many details about anything,” I told him honestly. “But he seemed…” I paused. “Happy?”
“Yeah, I heard it in his voice too.” The older man’s shoulders drooped. “I guess I should be thankful that someone I love is doing well.” He scrubbed his hands over his face before combing his fingers through his hair. Muttering a curse, he finally looked at me again. “How are you doing, son? Her birthday is the day after tomorrow and it’s been gnawing at me, so I can only imagine what you’ve been going through.”
I nodded to Oliver, who brought over a bottle of whiskey as I’d instructed. “I thought we could spend the flight drinking away the pain of not getting to celebrate her turning eighteen.”
Jet picked up the bottle. “Bring him another bottle,” he instructed the flight attendant. “This one’s mine.”
“Figured you would say that,” I told the man who was supposed to have been my father-in-law in two days’ time. “I prefer vodka myself anyway.” Oliver handed over the bottle then excused himself.
I uncapped the top and clanked the bottle against Jet’s. “To the most beautiful girl who ever walked this earth. May we be so lucky as to hear her sweet laugh one more time,” I muttered.
He blinked his green eyes rapidly for a moment before nodding and tipping his own bottle back for a deep pull. I did the same, gulping down the contents until the pain in the center of my chest was numb.
By the time the wheels touched down at the small, private airstrip an hour outside of Bogotá, neither of us was feeling any pain. Oliver had been trying to sober us up for the past two hours of the flight, urging us to drink some coffee or eat something. But I was enjoying the numbness too much.
Two of my guards were with me, and they exited first. I grumbled when Otto returned and said everything looked good. Jet stood, only stumbling slightly as we headed for the stairs. On the tarmac, a black Jeep was already waiting. A man with dark hair and a weathered face who was closer to Jet’s age than my own stood with my second guard. Nardo usually acted as my driver, but if I had to go out of town, I always brought him. No one could replace Pietro, but Nardo was who I trusted the most now that my other guard was gone. The two of them just stood there watching us, the man I didn’t know looking less than impressed.
“Who the fuck are you?” Jet grumbled when we reached them, his eyes narrowing as he sized up the stranger. “Why do you look familiar?”
“Mr. Hannigan.” The weathered man inclined his head slightly. “My name is Guzman. Your son sent me to pick up you and Vitucci.”