Chapter 44
ASH
All through the ride to my place, I urge the driver to speed up. I've been dispossessed of my phone by, probably Guilang's men, so I'm running blind here. Maybelline's words about Alicia, play on repeat in my mind.
"Fucking hurry up, man." I growl at him for what seems like the umpteenth time.
The man ignores me altogether, but I feel his watchful eyes on me through the rear view mirror. In all fairness to him, he speeds up, and in no time, he's swinging into the familiar residence of my street. Even before he stops in front of my gate, I'm opening the door and vaulting out.
"Hey, man, you haven't paid me!" The Uber guy's voice is like a whip crack stopping me in my tracks.
I dig into my pocket but come up empty. Reluctantly, I turn to look at him. "Hold on, I'll send someone to you."
As I step through the gate, two of my guards slink out from the grove of trees. The joy and relief on their faces makes me feel welcomed. Bad news travels fast, obviously.
"Welcome, boss!" They both chorus in unison as they get close.
I nod in response and jerk my hand behind me. "Smith, pay that man double of what I owe him."
"Right away, boss."
I don't wait to see what happens as he jogs away. I need to talk to Night eyes and find out why he disobeyed my order of not keeping track of Alicia. He was supposed to fucking guard her all the time. If I find out one hair, just one hair on her head has been removed, I'll slit his fucking throat myself.
I quicken my steps towards the door and step through, but collide with someone, and almost go sprawling. When next I steady myself, I see Koldis, Lobos, Moro, Rip, and even Night eyes, staring at me like they've seen a ghost.
"Ash? Is this really you?" Moro asks, stepping forward and touching my face like a love sick oaf.
I swat his hand away like it's an annoying fly. "What is this - the welcome brigade? Of course it's me."
"We thought you were-"
"Dead?" I ask, cutting Koldis off. "As you can see, I'm alive and well." Thanks to Maybelline. "What are you doing here?" I address Night eyes. "You were supposed to keep watch over Alicia, why-?"
"She's here." He nods, a somber look entering his eyes. "She's safe in your room, but-"
I don't wait for him to finish, I flit past them and walk into the sitting room, barely acknowledging Hilda's greeting. Taking the stairs, two at a time, I'm in front of my room almost within the twinkling of an eye. I stop short when I see the door is slightly ajar, so I open it wider and walk inside. My eyes immediately zone in on Hazel eyes lying on her side. She's on the edge of the bed, almost falling off from it, her long hair lying in wild disarray all around her body. I'm about moving forward to right her position when I see the bandage on her arm.
What the fuck?
What happened in my absence?
I walk further into the room, only to see several scratches on her other arm and a purple bruise on her forehead.
I stand and stare at her for a few more seconds before I realize if I don't act fast, she'll have a creak in her neck later on. I gently place her back onto the bed so as not to wake her. Then I try, as best as I can to arrange her hair so it doesn't get tangled all around her body. From the corner of my eyes, I see movement at the door. Night eyes beckons on me. I spare one more glance at Hazel eyes before walking out and shutting the door.
"What the fuck happened to her?"
"Please, let's talk in your office."
I hesitate, because I want to be in the room when Hazel eyes wakes up, but whatever it is Night eyes wants to tell me must be important. I nod and walk away, Night eyes dogging me behind.
I get to my office and immediately walk to the mini bar and mix a gin and tonic for myself. I throw the contents down my throat relishing the burn before I mix another one. I probably shouldn't be drinking this right now, but I need something to wake me up. The poisoning must have done a number on my body because I'm stiff as a board.
Note to self: Call the doctor first thing in the morning.
I turn round to see Night eyes waiting for me, so I take a seat. "Alright, don't hold back."
"Alicia was almost kidnapped."
I cant help it, I throw my head back and laugh up-riotously. "That's a joke, right?"
I expected something else, like hearing she was in an accident, but kidnapped? Unfortunately, he doesn't laugh along with me. His face is poker straight.
"This isn't a joke, Ash, she was almost kidnapped by a man called Chucho."
The name doesn't ring a bell. I coil my hands around the chair and will the anger inside me to calm down.
"I followed behind her in the Uber she ordered. It struck me as odd that the driver didn't take her through the normal route. I became suspicious because that same Uber picked her from home, and even dropped her off at school, three times this week. I did a search on the plate number and found out it belonged to this Chucho guy who hired him to drive his car., and get this - he's not listed as an Uber driver."
I stand and begin pacing, connecting the dots even before he finishes speaking.
"So someone hacked into the Uber system and got the same guy to pick Alicia up, thereby establishing her daily pattern."
"Correct!" Night eyes nods. "After they established that, Chucho ordered for her kidnap and -"
"Who on God's green earth is this fucker, Chucho?" I throw the contents of my glass down my throat and go for yet another shot.
"Here's where it gets interesting." Night eyes begins to pace. "Chucho is a Mexican mobster, a loan shark who lends money to poor unsuspecting people with high return on interest. The problem with that is even when they return the money-"
"The interest keeps increasing and they're bound to him for life until they die." Turning fully to Night eyes, I ask the obvious question. "Was it Alicia's sister who owed him?"
Night eyes shakes his head, a somber look entering his eyes. "It was their dead beat father. When he died, he left the family to pay for his debt and face the repercussions of his actions."
"And so then, Chucho came to collect the thing that caught his eyes." I say with a sinking realization.
"Yes! He came to collect me."
I whip round, silently berating myself for leaving my office door open.
"Hazel eyes, you should still be in bed."
She walks further into my office and I meet her halfway. Up close, she looks tired. I draw her to me and cup her cheeks.
"You worried me." She says, nuzzling my hand. "I didn't hear a word from you. You didn't call, no texts either, and there was this pain here." She points to her chest. "It refused to go, but now that I see you, it's better. What happened to you?" Her forehead is dented with deep ridges as she touches the needle site on my hand where a plaster has covered it.
She's worried about me when in all honesty, she should be terrified about what almost happened to her.
She's a fucking goddess.
"It's nothing. Just a scratch, kitten." I kiss her forehead and take her hand as I lead her out of my office. I'm putting her back to bed and coming right back so I can finish my discussion with Night eyes.
Tonight is Chucho's last night on earth.
*
I crack open an eye and shove my feet off my desk as Night eyes comes in.
"Is it done?"
He nods, and I can't help but notice red blotchy stains on his shirt. "Both Chucho and Capo are dead."
He slides his phone onto the desk and I catch it before it can slide away. I pick it and begin to scroll through the pictures.
There are ten pictures in all. Five are of the man called Chucho. One when he was alive and tied to a chair, two with a plastic bag over his head, and two after he was dead.
The remaining five are of Capo. All taken when he was placed on a stake, crucifixion-style, his bowels gutted and his innards spilling out.
I nod, satisfied with the outcome. Now I can go to bed and hold Hazel eyes, resting in the knowledge that no one will harm her.