I was done with that girl. Jed could have her.
So why did I still feel so angry, thinking about the two of them together? And why did I just want to grab a fistful of hair at the nape of her neck, pull her toward me, cover her mouth with mine? And why couldn't I stop thinking about burying my head between her legs?
I needed a drink.
My fists clenched, I felt anger boiling up inside me. No, not a drink. I balled up my fist and punched, hard, at a rough plank leaning up against the wall of the barn. Once. Twice. Three times.
Until my knuckles bled and my fist hurt so much I couldn't think about June anymore.
I needed to let go. She wasn't mine.
West Bend wasn't part of my life anymore.
I needed to get the hell out of this town.
It would be dangerous to stay here. I'd stretched it out for far too long already, staying here.
But being here any longer would be dangerous for Crunch and his family. Dangerous for my dad. And dangerous for me.
For my heart, anyway.
RECONCILIATION
I felt a spirit of love begin to stir
Within my heart, long time unfelt til then.
~ Dante's La Vita Nuova (The New Life), Rosetti's translation
Malibu, California Benicio’s Home "Maurice." Benicio rose as one of his men entered the room, impeccably clad in a suit tailor-made for his broad frame, and stood at attention in front of his desk, arms behind his back, his military experience and training oozing from every pore. Benicio sought men with military backgrounds, not only for his security team, but for his household staff as well, appreciating the precision and self-discipline that came with that background. This man, Maurice, was one of the best.
“Sir,” Maurice began. "I have a full brief for you."
Maurice was a well-built man, built like a tank to be more precise, and he was one of Benicio’s most impressive soldiers, loyal and disciplined to a fault. Maurice had been with him back in the early days, in the glory days when Benicio and his brother Guillermo were key political players in Panama, getting rich under General Noriega. When Noriega was ousted in the American invasion, Benicio had been set up by his traitorous brother; connected to illegal smuggling; and imprisoned for twenty years. Still, Maurice was loyal to Benicio, even when he came with Guillermo to the United States, where Guillermo's shipping connections made him a force to be reckoned with in the smuggling market. Maurice continued to provide intelligence to Benicio, waiting for the day when Benicio would return to deal with his brother's treachery. Last year, he had returned.
And Guillermo had been dealt with, with the help of Benicio's daughter and the Inferno Motorcycle Club. The same club that Benicio suspected was now betraying him.
"At ease," Benicio said. "Have a seat. Tell me what you found." Benicio sat behind the large mahogany desk.
“Sir,” Maurice began. “We were able to acquire the reports from the medical examiner's office and the fire department, as well as video footage from security cameras on a building in the vicinity of your warehouse. In addition, we interviewed a homeless man who witnessed some of what happened."
“And what did you find?” Benicio was eager to clear up what had happened at the warehouse. Maurice had carte blanche when it came to tracking down intel, greasing palms or blackmailing whoever needed extra incentive to provide information. And he was very good at what he did.
“The coroner has identified the body, but the office has not made the information public yet.”
“Ours?”
"No, sir," he said. "They've identified the body as one of theirs - Jonah Wilson. Goes by the name of Tank. Dental records confirmed."
"You found security footage?"
Maurice nodded. "The owners were happy to hand over the originals."
"Excellent," Benicio said. "I trust they were well compensated for their willingness.”
“Of course, sir.”
"You said there was something interesting you wanted to show me."
“Yes, sir, on the video footage.” Maurice opened the cover for his tablet and slid his finger across the screen, then turned it to face Benicio. “This is footage from 10:30 am on the day of the fire.”
Benicio watched as the video played, and three bikers parked their motorcycles behind a row of dumpsters adjacent to the warehouse. “The men Mad Dog tasked to the warehouse, the protection detail. That was all kosher." He waited as the bikers removed their gear. "Well there's Axe. I recognize him. I don't know the other one."
"One of them is the one who was killed. The other is Joe Holder - goes by Crunch. He does the books for the club."
"I see."