Maybe Always (Maybe Series Book 3) (17 page)

I suck in a breath, but I try to remain calm and not give anything away.
 

“I don’t have anything to hide.”
 

“Yes, you do. Since you first came here, I’ve suspected that your intentions weren’t pure. I’m still not entirely sure what your intentions are. But I do know you care about the FBI agent more than you should, so you can stop trying to hide it.
 

“I no longer care about how you currently feel. I care about how you
will
feel. What future you will choose. I intend to show you what you could have if you choose me, if you choose a life of running the company your father cared so much about. If you choose me over him.”
 

“And if I don’t?”
 

“You already know what will happen to you.” He strokes my neck that is still sore from where he almost choked me. “You will both die instead of just him.”
 

He releases my arm, but I don’t move. I watch as he picks up his bag and stands. He smiles at me as he grabs my hand and leads me off the plane. I let him.
 

He’s giving me more time, I realize as we get off the plane. He doesn’t want to force me to kill Killian. He wants me to
want
to kill Killian. He wants me to want to choose him over Killian. So, I have to make him think I’m open to the idea of being with him.
 

When I glance up I expect to see another crummy van waiting to pick us up like before, but I guess we only ride in luxury in Paris as a black luxury sedan is waiting. I climb into the backseat and see that Santino is already sitting in the front. Nacio climbs in after me. This time, when he puts his arm around me, I lean into him just the slightest, enough that I smell his cologne. It is much too strong, suffocating me with the stench. But I don’t move away as much as my nose wants me to.
 

I glance out the window and notice two vans driving away. One of them must contain Killian. I try not to stare or think about him. I just try to pretend that I’m open to giving Nacio a chance.
 

The driver begins driving off the tarmac. The ride is beautiful. I watch historic buildings pass us by as we drive to the heart of the city. We pass buildings that I have been in several times while on trips here with my father. We pass restaurants. We pass the Eiffel Tower. We pass The Louvre. We pass everything that everyone cares about so much in this city.
 

It all seems so beautiful. I would give anything to go back in time and enjoy everything more. The food, the history, the people—I would have enjoyed all of it more. Appreciated all of it more.
 

But, now that I know a base of operations is here, I wonder if every visit here with my father was just another chance for him to smuggle. For him to meet with Nacio’s father.
 

Every time he ran off to take a meeting or phone call, was he really taking a meeting with Nacio? Was he dealing with an employee he had to kill?
 

Now, every memory I have of him, every single memory I have of traveling the world with him, is tarnished.

The car finally stops outside of a building. Santino jumps out, seemingly happy to spread his legs. Nacio climbs out next and makes his way over to my door. He opens the door to my side of the car, and I climb out.
 

The warm sun shines down on me as I glance up at the building that is so typical of Paris. In fact, if I didn’t know any better, I feel like I might have stayed at this building before. The building is four stories with white brick walls. Windows are scattered up the front with balconies protruding from each one.
 

I don’t understand how they can smuggle people in a building like this. I don’t understand how they think their men could go in and out of this building without others seeing it as suspicious.
 

I don’t think my grandfather, mother, or I could leave this building without being recognized. Not when we are all supposed to be dead.
 

I follow Nacio into the building, hating that there is such darkness living in such a beautiful place. As I suspected, the inside is just as beautiful as the outside. The entrance is simple, full of white with colorful pops of silk flowers. The building looks like it used to be an apartment building, but now, it runs as our headquarters.
 

Nacio guides me to a row of doors. He points to the first door. “My office.” He points to the second. “Your grandfather’s.” He points to the third.

“My father’s,” I say, already knowing the answer.
 

He nods and then walks to the second door. He knocks loudly on it.
 

“Come in,” my grandfather’s voice says.
 

Nacio pushes the door open, and I walk in behind him. I see my grandfather behind the desk. My eyes widen at the sight. I knew he would be here, but somehow, actually seeing him here makes everything real. It proves to me how horrible he really is.
 

Granddad looks at me but doesn’t really look at me. Instead, he looks through me, like I’m not really here. He turns his attention back to Nacio, who walks over and takes a seat in the chair across from Granddad’s desk.
 

“We have a new shipment coming in an hour. Are your men ready?” my grandfather asks.
 

“They will be. They are settling in the agent and the last shipment now,” Nacio answers.
 

“Good. We need to discuss what the agent is doing here. That wasn’t what we agreed to. He was to be killed and left for the FBI to find tomorrow when they raid our facility,” Granddad says sternly. His face is already becoming flushed red.
 

Nacio pulls out the chair next to him, and I walk over and take the seat, but Granddad still doesn’t acknowledge me.
 

“I realized that the plan we discussed was flawed. We needed security, so if we did fuck up and leave a trail for the FBI to our location here, we would have a way out. A way to protect ourselves,” Nacio says.
 

“We shouldn’t need a way to protect ourselves! You should have made sure you wouldn’t fuck up!” Granddad says.
 

“It was my decision to make!” Nacio says.

“No, it wasn’t!” Granddad stands, his anger overtaking him.
 

All I can think is, if he keeps this up, he will have another heart attack, but I don’t say anything.
 

“We need to change locations,” Granddad says.
 

“Oh, not this again. We have been in this location for years. It is perfectly safe here. There is no need to move to a different location,” Nacio says.
 

“No! It is not safe here. I’ve already looked into more suitable locations south of here.”
 

Nacio shakes his head. “Maybe it’s time I buy you out. You’ve lost your mind, old man. We can’t shut down our two main locations, not at the same time. We would never recover.”
 

“This is ridiculous! You don’t have the power here. I have the final say, and you know it.”
 

“No, you don’t. That’s where you are wrong. You don’t have any more power than I do. Not now that Robert is gone.”
 

Granddad glares at Nacio. “Perhaps it’s time we go our separate ways then.”
 

“Indeed, it is time. It is time for you to go since that is what you want so much. The Marlows will continue running things here.”
 

Granddad snarls at Nacio while Nacio leans back in his chair with a smug grin on his face.
 

“What are you doing here?” my mother’s shrill voice says from behind me.
 

I turn slowly in my chair and watch as she glances from me to Nacio and then to Granddad.
 

“I’m here to run the Felton empire. To gain money and power, same as you.”
 

“You…” She walks to me. “You shouldn’t be here. You ruin everything.”
 

“You must not be running a very good business here if one woman could bring down everything,” I say.
 

Her cheeks turn bright red, and I can see the alcohol lingering in her bloodshot eyes. She should be in rehab, not here.
 

“You’ll see, Nacio. You should have killed her when she showed up at your door in Mexico,” Mother says before walking back out of the office with a bottle in her hand.
 

I should cry at my mother’s words. I should feel sad or hurt or some sort of pain. I don’t though.
 

I feel free, knowing that I had every right to hate my mother all these years. I’m not her daughter, and she is not my mother. I feel a release at knowing that I no longer have to feel anything for my mother because I never had a mother.
 

Nacio glances down at his watch. “I need to go see that the new shipment gets settled.” He stands and then turns to me. “Sweetheart?” Nacio waits for me at the door.
 

“I need to speak with my grandfather.”
 

“You sure? I wouldn’t waste your time with him if I were you.”
 

“I’m sure.”
 

I look at Granddad, who is still standing behind his desk, pretending like I’m not even here.
 

“I’ll come find you when we are finished,” I say.
 

I watch Granddad keep his eyes glued on Nacio behind me. When Granddad looks back down at his desk, I assume Nacio has gone.
 

“I think we have a lot to talk about.”
 

Granddad takes a seat in his desk chair before and then leans back in the chair with his arms crossed in front of his body. His nostrils are flared, and his face is still red with anger. He finally looks up at me. “We have nothing to talk about. You shouldn’t be here. You should leave before you get yourself killed.”
 

I frown even though he’s right. I probably will get myself killed. He should be protecting me though. He should be telling me he wouldn’t let that happen. I don’t have a mother, and it seems I never really had a grandfather. Or a father. I never had a family.
 

“No. I have to be here. I’m here because my family does horrible things. My family kills and rapes and tortures. And I want to be a part of it.
 

“I no longer have a life at home. You ruined it. If I go home, I’ll be thrown in jail. My only hope for a real life is here, ensuring the family legacy lives on.”
 

Granddad laughs. “You won’t survive here. You would have more of a life in jail than here. Leave before you are too far in to be able to leave.”
 

I raise my eyebrows. “No. You won’t let me anyway. I already know too much to be able to leave. I want to do this. I want to understand my father. I want to work with the only family I have left.”
 

Granddad runs his hand through his hair. “You can’t do this work. You aren’t suited for it. It will kill you if you try.”
 

“It will kill me if I don’t.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I want to know the truth. And I want to be given a chance to be a part of the organization.”
 

Granddad laughs again. “What makes you think I would let you help run this organization when I wouldn’t even let you run the legal part of the Felton Corporation?”

“Because I don’t think it’s up to you to decide.”
 

He frowns. “You think it’s up to Nacio?” He laughs. “That boy isn’t much better than you are. No, the decision is mine to make.” He stands from his desk and walks to me. “You are right about one thing. You are in too deep now for us to simply let you go. You want to be a part of this organization? Then, prove it.”
 

My eyes widen. I’m afraid I’ve woken a sleeping giant. I’m afraid he will take me to Killian right away to put a bullet in his head. I shouldn’t have provoked Granddad.
 

I just want to understand why my family does this. I just want to find out the truth of what they do and how. As soon as I do, I’ll make the call to the police, and this will be over.
 

I stand and follow Granddad out of the office. He walks to the elevator and presses the button. I should stand and wait and let him tell me whatever it is he wants to tell me, but I can’t. I’m done waiting.
 

“I want answers. I want to know why. How? I think I deserve to know after everything you have put me through.”
 

Granddad doesn’t seem fazed by my questions. Instead, he walks into the elevator and presses the button for the second floor. “Why is simple. We needed money to start the casinos.”

The doors open to the second floor, and Granddad steps out and stops just outside of the elevator.
 

I follow him. “Why did it continue though after you got the money for the casinos?”
 

“We were hooked. The money was better and easier than anything the casinos could provide. We were good at it. The casinos were just a front and a means to find what we needed.”
 

I scrunch my nose.
 

“What did you need?”
 

Granddad smiles. “You already know the answer to that.”
 

“People to smuggle.”
 

He nods. “People, drugs, diamonds. Anything of value, we learned to smuggle and make a profit. The casinos simply provided us with a large group of people to choose from to smuggle and sell.”
 

I think back to a conversation I had with the executives at the Felton Grand casino after Granddad left. I remember something about employees not showing up to work. My eyes widen as I realize how they find the people. “You smuggled people from our casinos. That’s why employees didn’t show up to work. That’s why guests disappeared unexpectedly. You were taking them.”