Page 64 of Cartel King

“I get why you have to be cautious of anyone new coming near you. You told me about your ex-wife. But I didn’t google you, Enrique. Not even after you told me who you are.”

“Obviously, you didn’t need to.”

“But you had your nephews dig. Did you suspect me of something?”

“I didn’t know what to think. Your home’s owned by an anonymous LLC. You have no fingerprints under Elodie McCann in any system. You disappeared on a trip that you’ve been evasive about.”

“When were you going to confront me about this?”

“I wasn’t. I hoped you’d tell me when you were ready.”

“And your brother and nephews were fine with that?”

“Not particularly. But not finding your past didn’t change how I feel about you now and what I want in the future.”

“Didn’t. Not doesn’t. So, it changes everything.”

“No. Don’t put words into my mouth and don’t misconstrue them. Ask me.”

“Like you did with me?”

This is potentially insurmountable. We’ve broken each other’s trust, and that single fragile thing has been the barrier between us since the start.

She inhales and blows out the breath loud enough for me to hear. She rubs her right eye before glancing at the quiche behind me. She’s unsure of herself, but she reaches out her hand. I take it, and she leads us into the living room and to the sofa. She’s even more unsure. She doesn’t know if I’ll stay. Normally, I wouldn’t sit until she does, but I do. She looks at my lap as my hand tugs her forward. She straddles me, and we gaze at each other before she closes her eyes.

“I’ve used Elodie McCann as a pen name since I started writing. I couldn’t have people digging into my past and discovering who I was. Because you can file copyrights under pen names, I always did that. I started an anonymous LLC and made an accountant I know who lives abroad my Registered Agent.”

She opens her eyes and looks at me.

“I’m certain you know that since you mentioned the LLC. When I divorced Tim, I knew it wasn’t enough to legally change my name. I didn’t want a paper trail if I did that. It would defeat the point. My driver’s license and car registration are the only things that have my real name. I carry them in a pocket under the driver’s seat in my car. If I get pulled over, I have the legit ones to give them. I have a fake driver’s license for when I know it won’t get run.”

Her thighs flex against mine. She appears relaxed, except for that tell. This is a woman used to lying with ease.

“If you look up my real name, you’ll find everything you wanted. I’m Elodie Vizzini.”

The name tickles a memory, but I don’t know why.

“You’ve heard it before, haven’t you?”

“I think so.”

“I’ve known Tommaso, Francesco, and Victoria since I was a toddler. Tori used to babysit me. We always got along, and I adored her. She always said I was the little sister she would’ve traded Tommaso and Frank for. Once I was fifteen and she was nearly twenty-five, we became more like peers. She was about to get married, and she made me one of her bridesmaids. When I got to college, she and I were best friends. We still are. She’s going to be the most pissed about this. Not because she’ll disapprove. She’ll be the first one to congratulate us.” She points between us. “She’s going to throttle me for not telling her.”

She smiles, but it droops a moment later.

“Since I grew up around them, Tommaso and Frank know me better than most. Frank and I are close in age. I used to do impersonations because I was a snarky kid. I’d do them of all the adults we didn’t like. It didn’t matter where they were from. I mastered all the accents I heard. I knew Tim because he’s their second cousin, but I didn’t pay attention to him because he and Tori weren’t close. I didn’t hang out with Tommaso and Frank much once I got to middle school. Tim and I dated in college, then got married a week after I graduated. Two weeks after he did. I told you I’m an accountant.”

She watches me expectantly. It’s my turn to close my eyes for a moment.

“Brazil. That’s where you really were. You stopped in the Caymans on the way home. You didn’t lie. You just didn’t tell all the truth.”

She nods.

“Did you volunteer?”

“Hell no. I never volunteered for any of the jobs Tommaso sent me on.”

“What?”

---