Page 28 of Ace of Swords

But here I was, outside my office, looking across the parking lot illuminated with flashing red lights. Marcus was in the back of another car parked nearby. Sergio was leaning into the backseat, having an intense conversation with him. I could see them both from where I waited.

Life really was unpredictable. That damn Ace of Swords tarot card popped into my head. What had Tatiana said? To expect a “shift in perception?” I couldn't stop a laugh from bubbling up. I wanted to tell her she was right. Everything had shifted. I didn’t care about what Marcus was telling Sergio. I didn’t worry if I’d have an office to return to the next morning.

Everything seemed secondary to Tatiana’s safety, and I knew she was safe. She’d texted back that she ended up at a movie after our disastrous “date,” and security had already called her father and he was on his way.

Sergio was walking over to me now, and although my perspectivehadshifted, I was still wary. He looked angrier than I’d ever seen him. “Care to explain to me why I’m here tonight, and not at home in bed watching the evening news?” he asked. “Marcus told me quite a few things already.”

“Sergio, some of what Marcus said may be true, and some may not. I promise you I’m being truthful with you. I found discrepancies in your books; from the new accounts you had me look at. Someone had created phony vendors and they were siphoning money out of the company.” I grimaced. “I thought it was you. Before I confronted you, I wanted Marcus’s opinion, but then I realizedhewas the one rippingyouoff. And then he threatened me and he threatened Tatiana.” The memory of that made my blood boil. “You probably trust him more than me because you’ve know him for ages. And in a minute you’re going to trust me even less.” I took a deep breath, bracing for his fury, his fists, his disgust.

“Why am I about to trust you less, Rolland?” he whispered. Sergio stared at me, silent and brooding, but I didn’t have another option. There was just one path.

“Because I’m falling in love with your daughter. With Tatiana. And I’m going to tell her the next time I see her in person.”

Sergio looked at me with the same expression that Tatiana had earlier in the evening. Like I was an alien. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“I’ll admit, this isn’t an ideal situation,” I started. Sergio laughed sourly, but I continued. “I couldn’t continue seeing Tatiana while lying to you, and I can't stop seeing Tatiana. And I realize you may want to break my legs... but you’ll never break my desire to be with your daughter.”

Sergio walked a few paces away. He ran a hand over his face, clearly exasperated. After a few minutes, he approached the security officer. They spoke with their heads together. With interest, I saw the officer approach the police car with Marcus in it. Then it drove off. To take him home? To the hospital? To jail? I didn’t know. This situation was unfolding before me and I couldn’t predict where it was heading.

Sergio returned, his expression grave. What he said next left me speechless. “I trust you, Rolland.” He motioned at the cop. “Unlock this bastard’s handcuffs.” I bent forward and my hands were free. I rubbed at my wrists vigorously to get the blood flowing. “Walk with me, Rolland,” Sergio said, leading me towards his car parked across the lot. Maybe this was the part where he broke my kneecaps.

“You really trust me?” I asked.

“Marcus threw you under the bus. He told me he’d discovered you’d been siphoning off the money to run away with my daughter. It sounded like total bullshit. I expected to come over here and listen to you deny everything. But then you admitted it. Who would be dumb enough to admit tomethat they were...” he trailed off, a pained expression crossed his face, “with my little girl.”

I was glad he hadn’t completed that thought. It was enough that he trusted me, trusted my account of events; I didn’t need him to be comfortable about Tatiana and me. Yet.

He jingled his keys, no longer looking at me. “I’ll see you here early tomorrow morning. We have a shitload of things to go through, a whole mess to figure out, and I expect we’ll need to involve the cops. I’ll need you on your A game,” he said, sliding in the driver's seat.

Standing tall, I nodded sharply. “I’ll be here.”

“I know you will.” He paused a second, finally looking up at me. “You really care about Tatiana?”

“Yes,” I said instantly.

“And this whole time, even though you thought I'd break your legs, you were seeing her?”

My heartbeat quickened anxiously. “Yes.”

Sergio crinkled his forehead, chuckling dryly. “Then I guess you can turn off your brain sometimes.” He revved the engine, shutting the door with the window down. “Good luck. She's as stubborn as I am.”

He was right.

But it was part of what I loved about her.

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