Page 25 of Spider
“Human trafficking?”Fox asked.“You think he’s swapping drugs for girls?”
“With the way he treated his daughters?Yeah.Women are nothing but pawns to him, only good for what he can get from them.I also want to find out all we can about every business he owns in Colombia and elsewhere in South America.”
“Am I looking for something in particular?”Fox asked.
“Brothels.Luciana said her father’s men whored her out for a night when she disobeyed.I doubt he had customers come to his house.”
“And for him to have that sort of clientele on the ready it means he knows where to find them,” Fox said.“This fucker makes my stomach turn.”
“You and me both,” I said.
“I know that look,” Fox said.“You’re not looking for just your everyday brothel, are you?”
“Nope.The girls were young when they were first raped and sold.Too young.Luciana mentioned how much she feared her father getting his hands on her baby, what he’d make the kid do.”
Fox turned a little green, and I knew he was following me now.Gomez was a sick fuck, and those under him seemed to be every bit as evil.As much as I hated all this international bullshit that the clubs kept getting involved in, it was time to do something about the fuckers coming into my damn country for this shit.I might sell drugs and guns, but I made damn sure they didn’t get into the hands of kids.If I heard someone dealt my drugs to teens, I took care of it.I might not walk on the right side of the law, but I still had a few morals.Since my club had a permanent tie to Colombia now, thanks to my wife, it might be time to do something about the issues over there.Or at least set up a few men to keep an eye on things.
“I’m on it,” Fox said.He drained the last of his coffee and stood, but he hesitated before leaving.“I know I’m your VP and you’re in charge, but I’m also your friend.When this shit is settled and you know Luciana is safe, you should take a vacation.A real one.Take your woman on a honeymoon or something.Go to a resort somewhere nice.You haven’t taken a break in over twenty years that I know of, unless it was medically necessary, and I think Luciana would appreciate a change of scenery.”
I nodded and waved him off.Fox was right.He wasn’t just my VP, and I knew he made the suggestion for my benefit and Luciana’s.The fact he was thinking of my wife, trying to ensure her happiness, made me smile.If anything ever happened to me, I knew Fox would keep an eye on her.She’d found a home here with the club.I just hoped I was around another thirty years to enjoy my time with her, watch that kid grow up.But in this life, nothing was ever guaranteed.
I heard the front door shut and I finished my coffee, enjoying the silence for a moment.I contemplated waking Luciana but decided to get more coffee and let her rest.She’d been so worried about me I hadn’t been able to convince her to see a doctor yet.While I enjoyed the second mug of java, I looked up doctors on my phone.As good as Dread was, he wasn’t the right type of doctor to ensure Luciana and the baby were doing okay.There were a few OB-GYNs in the area, so I picked the one with the highest rating and called to set an appointment.I’d learned early on that money talked so I offered to pay extra if they’d see her today.
After I disconnected the call, I sent a text to Knox.
Get insurance for the club.Need to make sure Luciana is covered, and Violeta.
It only took a moment for him to respond.On it.
I hoped the insurance would cover the baby.From what I remembered of Ryker’s birth, that shit was expensive, and probably triple the amount it had been back then.Not that my bank accounts weren’t pretty flush, but there was no sense throwing money at doctors when an insurance policy would cover the majority of it.I was frugal, not cheap, or so I told myself.Maybe it came from being born to parents who had lived through the Great Depression.Not that all their lessons had stuck, obviously.
I smiled faintly as I thought about them.My mother would have loved Luciana.Both of my parents would have hated how I turned out, but I knew they would still love me.I’d lost both of them too soon.Even Ryker hadn’t had a chance to know them.Luciana’s kid wouldn’t have grandparents from either side, which was rather sad, but I knew plenty of kids never met theirs.I hadn’t.Ryker didn’t remember his.If I had any say in the matter, Mateo Gomez wouldn’t be drawing breath much longer.Even if he did manage to get out of this alive, I’d never let him anywhere near my family.I’d rather spend the rest of my life behind bars if it meant that Luciana and the baby would be safe.
Speaking of my beautiful wife… she wandered into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes as she blinked sleepily.Her hair was disheveled but she looked adorable, especially wearing one of my shirts and nothing else.Well, almost nothing else I amended as she stretched to reach for a glass and the shirt rode up, exposing a pair of pink panties.
“Morning,” I said.
“I didn’t sleep too long, did I?”she asked.
“You can sleep as long as you want.You’re growing another person, Luciana.It’s going to make you more tired than usual.”
She nodded and pulled the orange juice from the fridge, then filled a glass.She set the carton down, then stared at it.I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh.I’d learned that Luciana wasn’t much of a morning person and it took a good half hour before she became fully alert.She seemed to shake it off and put away the orange juice, then sat at the table with her glass.
“I made an appointment for you this morning,” I said.“Just to make sure everything is all right with the baby.”
“Should you --”
I held up a hand and cut her off.“I’m perfectly fine, Luciana.I’m not dying, the stitches dissolved nearly two weeks ago, the infection is gone.I’m plenty capable of driving you to an appointment, but since I still don’t know what’s going on with your father we’ll take a few men with us.Better safe than sorry.”
She nodded.“I’m sorry.I’ve just been so worried about you.”
“I know.”I reached out and grabbed her hand.“It’s nice to have someone worry over me, but I’m perfectly fine, and all the stress isn’t good for you and the baby.”
She dropped her gaze.“Violeta should have an appointment.”
“Because she’s pregnant?”I asked, wondering if she’d known about her sister and had kept quiet.
Slowly, she nodded, then chanced a glance in my direction.I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
