Chapter Thirty-Nine - Victoria
West has been different ever since Mr. Mysterious showed up, but right now, as we drive in the car that will take us to wherever Mr. Match is waiting, he’s silent and withdrawn. Last night he was silent and attentive, so silent and withdrawn is yet another change that tells me something big is about to happen.
I look over at him, but he doesn’t even notice. He’s staring out the window.
I look across from me, at Mr. Mysterious, and he doesn’t notice either. He’s looking out the window.
I look at Five.
He shrugs and shakes his head, as if to say, Don’t bother.
All of a sudden Weston sits up straight. “Where the fuck are we going?”
I look out my window as we pull up to a gated community not far from the beach. It’s so close, I can smell the salt and feel the way the sea air changes things as soon as the driver opens his window to talk to the guard.
“Nolan Delaney is expecting Mr. Vance and Mr. Conrad,” the driver says to the guard.
“I thought you said Nolan wasn’t a part of this?” West asks as the guard opens the gate and waves us through.
“He’s not,” Mysterious answers. “But Oliver and I use this house for business.”
“Do you now? Somehow I have a hard time seeing Nolan saying yes to that little arrangement.”
“I guess that’s why we don’t tell him.” He says it with a straight face too. Like this is no big deal. He uses houses that don’t belong to him all the time. “Besides,” he continues. “Nolan has enough houses for everyone. He doesn’t come here. He’s down in San Diego or out in the desert. What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him, now can it?”
“You know what I don’t get,” West says. “Why the fuck you think that what’s ours is yours all the time.”
Mysterious shrugs. “That’s just how I roll, Corporate. Anyway,” he says, suddenly looking over at West with a very serious glare. “You and him are alike, right? Silver spoons and all.”
“Says the guy who grew up taking pony rides on horses worth two million dollars.”
Mysterious doesn’t even shrug it off. Just replies, “Maybe you and Nolan really don’t have anything in common? Isn’t that what you always said back in the day? You’re so different.”
I look at Five and he’s pretending this conversation isn’t happening.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” West asks.
And this time Mysterious directs his reply to me. “You’re about to find out, Mr. Corporate. And so’s your little girlfriend. So if I were you, I’d enjoy this reality for a few more minutes. Because it’s all about to come crashing down.”
I reach over and take West’s hand. Give it a squeeze. “It’s OK, West. Whatever is happening, it won’t change us.”
“You better not make promises you can’t keep, Miss Arias,” Five suddenly says. He’s been quiet in front of me almost this entire trip and now is the time he chooses to speak up?
“Well, Mr. Five,” I say, sneering his fake name. “I’m just letting my boyfriend know that I’m on his side. Especially since the two of you are so dead set on ganging up on him. We’re a team, and nothing you have to tell me can change that.”
“You don’t know anything, Victoria Arias,” Five says back. “Nothing about what’s happening here. So I’m gonna give you a small piece of advice. Wait until you hear the facts before you make any more declarations.”
“Fuck you. You know what? We’re out of here.” West drops my hand and pulls out his phone, his fingers running through his contacts.
“Put it away,” Five says. And when West doesn’t listen he says, “Does the name Stewart Manchester mean anything to you, Weston?”
It must, because someone is talking on the other end of West’s phone and West ignores the voice next to his ear to stare at both Mysterious and Five. He ends the call and puts his phone away.
What the fuck was that about?
I look over at West but he won’t meet my gaze.
“Don’t worry,” Mysterious says. And when I look at him, I realize he’s talking to me. “This is his big moment, Victoria. Twenty-five years of lies are gonna come pouring out in just a few minutes.”
I take West’s hand back, squeezing it again, only this time harder. “Don’t listen, West. I’m not going anywhere. It’s us, remember? Us against the world.”
West looks at me with a frown. “Maybe he’s right. You should probably stop making promises, Tori. You might regret it in a few minutes.”
“What?”
But there’s no time to get any more information out of him. Because we pull up to a massive house and when I look out the window I see the last person in this little gang-up. Mr. Match is standing in front of a glass-front double door. He opens it at the same time Mysterious opens the door closest to us, and walks towards the car.
I get out, then Five and West.
Mr. Match greets me with an extended hand. I just look at him, refusing his gesture. He looks over at his friends and shrugs. “What’s up, man? How was the trip?”
“Went as planned. As you can see.” Mysterious points to me and West, who has come up next to me. West does not take my hand.
“Oliver,” West says.
“We missed you at the last meeting back at Perfect’s house.”
“I work. I can’t be taking off every time there’s a problem with one of you guys.”
“Well,” Match says, “I think that’s about to change.”
“Is that right?” West asks.
But Match just waves his hand towards the house.
“Are we staying?” I ask West. “We don’t have to stay, Weston. Let’s just go.”
“Sorry,” West says. “But we do.”
“We’ve got a lot to talk about,” Match says. “So please, come in and make yourself at home while we hash it all out.”