Page 46 of Degrees of Power
“Here, too, but they had your dad and Emily’s son’s place surrounded, too. Thank God the last time it happened Don insisted they install a safe room.”
“Dad’s been in touch. Everyone’s fine,” Chase says.
“Chase, it ends now. Katarina, you’ll need to decide for yourself if you want to stay for the conversation, but what you hear needs to remain in the strictest of confidence.”
“I’m not leaving and completely understand,” I say.
“Carlos, Katarina, Jay just let me know that Brian and Jenny are secure,” Chase says, and I can feel my heart beat with the anxiety that I feel.
“Good to hear, Chase. As you know I contacted Vicenti this evening. We’ll be meeting at his estate in Brazil tomorrow evening. We’ve cut off all the suppliers that we can and Vicenti is in the process of pulling in some favors and eliminating others as we speak. The information you’ve gathered with your intel team has been invaluable in identifying them. I don’t know how they do it, but God bless them. I appreciate you allowing their support,” he says.
“Not a problem, Carlos. I have a vested interest,” he says, his green depths holding my own riveted.
“As we all do. He’s shown nothing but relentless determination to put our family out of business and now he’s trying to abduct someone close to our family in an attempt to gain control of the Larussio investments in the drug industry. It’s time to finish this. I’ll meet with Vicenti and put plans in place to move forward.”
“I don’t understand why Vicenti is involved. I thought he was a competitor?” I say.
“Katarina, Vicenti and the Larussio family have been in different territories for many years. Our fathers knew each other years ago and had a great respect for each other. Over the years we have come together to ensure that our interests were sustained as new and different products and suppliers tried to gain footholds into the market,” he says.
Chase regards me warily. Gangsters, mafia, doing what they needed to do to protect their piece of the drug industry. My mother’s husband, my father. I will myself not to look into his eyes for fear of what he will see. I am unable to listen to any more of their conversation and get up, feeling the burning of his eyes upon me, and walk to the door, closing it behind me.
I head for the safe room bedroom feeling emotionally drained. I peel out of my clothes and slip into the silky down comforter and text Jenny. Still no answer so I decide to text Brian who is usually online and working twenty-four seven.
Message:They said you are settled in for the night. How is Jenny?
His response is almost immediate.
Message:She woke up for a few moments as we arrived, but then fell back to sleep. She’s exhausted.
Reply:I’m sorry I can’t be there or that you couldn’t bring her here.
Message:No need, she’ll need your support tomorrow.
Reply:Of course. Thanks for taking care of her Brian. TTYT
CHAPTER TWELVE
I stir, stretch, and glance atmy phone. The time on the face registers nine a.m. I couldn’t have slept that long, but another look assures me that I have. I glance over at Chase’s side of the bed and am reminded of a previous time when he left me alone to contemplate my doubts about him, believing that I did not trust him. A slight tear rolls from my eye as I remember that it caused him to leave me. I wipe it away, but it is replaced by another and then another.
He has been completely honest with me. I wanted to know what was happening, what he and my father were involved with. Against my father’s own wishes he made sure that I was not kept in the dark. I should have stayed, maybe asked more questions, learned more about my father’s intent with Vicenti. I get up and throw on some clothes, brush my hair and my teeth and go in search of Chase.
I find him where I left him and although he is wearing different clothes it is hard to tell if he has slept at all. “I’m sorry, Chase. I should have stayed and listened to what was planned. You trusted me enough to let me be part of the conversation,” I say, pouring myself a cup of coffee from the carafe on the cabinetry.
“I came in to check on you but you were fast asleep. I didn’t want to disturb you,” he says.
“I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I sent Brian a text to see how Jenny was doing and he said she had woken up, but was already back to sleep,” I say.
“That’s what Brian said last night,” he says.
“Did he say how she’s doing or anything? He didn’t give much a way, but we were just texting briefly,” I say.
“Just what I think we already knew. She needs to see her counselor, routinely. It’s the only way she’s going to be able to deal with this.
“I thought she was going.”
“I’m no expert, but if the night before last is any indication she probably needs to go more often or talk more,” he says.
“So did you ask him how he ended up being so, well, involved with finding her and stuff?” I ask.
