Page 25 of Enigma: The Final Chapter
After Isabelle fell asleep in my arms last night, I investigated her brother as I stated I would. The two-hundred-thousand-dollar payment Enrique secured from Col for kidnapping Isabelle was wired into Isabelle’s bank account yesterday afternoon. If he’d intended to harm her, he would have never transferred the money to her account, or he wouldn’t have gained access to it.
Hunter also discovered that the bullet that killed Col Petretti was not from a government-issued pistol. It was from the gun Enrique had pointed at me. I have no doubt the forensic reports will show Col’s gun wasn’t even fired before he was shot by Enrique because he wanted to protect his sister as stoutly as Isabelle fought to defend him last night.
What Enrique said about needing to use Isabelle as a ruse to force Col out of hiding was true. Col’s usually impenetrable qualm was gravely faltering. He was making sloppy rookie errors that gained unwanted attention from his unforgiving competitors. His desire for revenge was nearly as great as my desire to protect Isabelle, but it was his recklessness that blinded him from seeing who Enrique really was.
After talking to Regan, she advised that the DA would only consider a plea bargain if Enrique gave them everything on Vladimir. That would have made him a dead man walking, even with an offer of protective custody. Talking from personal experience, Enrique wouldn’t have lasted a week before someone in Vladimir’s crew found him. That’s why I invoked Henry’s favor that's been precariously dangling between us the past seven years.
Although hesitant in working with a member of the Popov entity, Henry agreed to get Enrique out of the country. He supplied him with a passport, a new identity, and a healthy bank balance to get him established in his new hometown in Russia. Cooper snuck into Enrique’s room last night to finalize the documentation. He must have mentioned details of the ruse to Enrique because Henry generally keeps the finer details on the down-low. “The less you know, the less chance you'll have of incriminating yourself” is a saying he regularly quotes.
“Even though you've handed in your last card, you're still my family, Isaac. Don’t become a stranger.” Not waiting for me to reply, Henry disconnects the call. He may be a mob boss, but just like in any industry, there are good and bad people. He's one of the rare good ones.
I house my phone into the breast pocket of my jacket while walking around the corner. Isabelle has her shoulder propped up against the wall. When she notices my approach, a smile spreads across her weary face. I was hesitant with her wanting to talk to Enrique this morning because I was unaware of Henry’s intentions, and I needed to ensure she wasn’t around when his plan was executed.
I also couldn’t guarantee how much Enrique knew about my business dealings with Vladimir. Although I'm planning to disclose everything to Isabelle when I can, at the moment, some things can’t be fully divulged until they're set in stone. Isabelle doesn’t need more instability in her life.
I increase my pace, eager to get Isabelle away from this perilous lifestyle she doesn’t belong in. My life has never been anything close to ordinary, but Isabelle instills balance. She keeps me level and reminds me that my empire isn’t the most important thing in my life. She is.
My brows furrow when I stand next to her. Her gaze is hazy, and she's a little unsteady on her feet. “Are you okay?”
After I brush away strands of hair that have fallen in her face, she nods. “Yeah.”
I arch my brow and peer into her glassy eyes.
She swallows again. “I’m a little bit dizzy.”
Once I have all the hairs removed from her sweat-drenched face, I press the back of my hand on her forehead. She doesn’t have a fever, but she certainly doesn’t look well. Suddenly, her pupils widen as her hand shoots up to slap her mouth. When she spots the women’s restroom halfway down the hall, she pushes off the wall and paces toward it. Her strides are wobbly and slow.
I scoop her into my arms and clutch her close to my chest.
“I’m going to be sick,” she mumbles through the hand covering her mouth.
“I know, baby.”
A young nurse wearing hospital scrubs with tongue compressors and stethoscopes printed on the faded material peers at me with bulging eyes when I enter the bathroom. She takes one look at Isabelle’s ashen face before advising she’ll return with a doctor. I kick open the stall door and hoist the toilet seat up with my shoe before shrugging off my jacket to lay it on the tiled floor.
Isabelle drops to her knees and leans over the bowl, her back bending harshly as she heaves the minimal amount of food she snacked on while issuing her statement. I hold her hair back with one hand, while the other rubs in a circular motion on her back. Goosebumps follow the trail my hand makes, but I’m too worried to pay them any attention.
Once her stomach is empty, Isabelle leans back until her bottom is resting on the balls of her feet. I rip off two squares of toilet paper from the roll then hand them to her. “Thank you.” She runs the paper along her bottom lip before dumping it into the bowl and flushing the toilet.
By the time I have gathered her back into my arms, Jae enters the bathroom. “From the student nurse’s description, I thought it sounded like you.” Her eyes drop to Isabelle. “Has she rested at all today?”
“No. She had court this morning and now this—”
Sighing, she shines a flashlight into Isabelle’s massively dilated eyes. “She was severely concussed, Isaac. If she won’t rest, I’ll admit her again.”
“It’s not Isaac’s fault,” Isabelle mumbles, her voice relaying her queasiness. “I insisted on coming here.”
Jae’s lips twist as the sternness in her eyes eases. “Have you taken any pain relief since this morning?”
The strictness returns to her face when Isabelle shakes her head. Any excuse I attempt to formulate is cut off from Jae’s wry look. She is usually a happy-go-lucky type of woman, but she’s a stickler when it comes to matters relating to personal health.
“Let me complete a more thorough examination of her in my office. If she passes those tests, you can take her home. If she fails, I’m going to admit her.”
Chapter 11
Isabelle
An hour later, after having a full check-up by Dr. Jae and an impromptu visit with Hugo, I'm bundled into the passenger seat of Isaac’s car. I don’t need to ask him where we're going. I can devise a response just by looking at him. His every desire and want is pouring out of him, making the interior of the car sticky with a damp mugginess, while also making my insides quiver with anticipation.
