Chapter Two

 

RJ sat quietly while Tovar screamed at the guard who stood before him. He made no noise other than the drumming of his fingers on the armchair where he sat, wondering if today would be the day he’d felt was coming for weeks.

Tovar had been on the edge of sanity since his son had been killed. The once nerves of steel and cold hearted kingpin suddenly wasn’t thinking with the calculated and methodical thinking that would be expected from one of the most powerful drug czar’s in the world. He was acting more like an erratic serial killer than a man who’d spent the better part of his adult years building an empire.

RJ barely batted an eyelash when he saw the guard fall to his knees after being hit in the face by Tovar. He’d seen this display far too many times throughout the years to be shocked by the site of a bloody mouth on a whimpering man.

“Sácalo de aquí!” Tovar shouted.

A few of the lackey’s standing by dragged the man out of the room as he pleaded with Tovar for another chance.

“What was that about?” RJ asked.

“One of the others caught him spying on Monica in the shower.”

Monica. Of course. Why else would you be acting like a raving lunatic?

“And how did they find this out?”

“They caught him.”

RJ crossed his hands in his lap. “And how would that even be possible? She locks her room constantly.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that it’d be awfully damn hard for anyone to peek in on her when she’s showering, or doing much of anything else in her room. She always keeps it locked.”

“You mean they lied to me. That’s what you’re saying.” Tovar walked over to the bar and poured himself a shot of Medellin Reserve. “Do you think I’m stupid, Rodrigo? Is that what you think?”

“You know I’m not saying that.”

Tovar gulped the shot down without even wincing at the punch the whiskey packed. “Do you think I’m a fool?”

RJ held back his urge to roll his eyes. He’d been so close to getting what he needed to complete his mission when Jason’s murder happened and ruined everything.

“Boss, you know I don’t think any of these things. I’m just saying, it seems odd that they were able to tell you something that, if it were to be true, that would mean that they also were someplace near Monica that they shouldn’t be.”

Tovar looked at him for a long moment. It was a blank and expressionless stare that he’d grown used to. It didn’t intimidate him like it did the others. RJ knew what he was capable of, and he knew how to match the glare with his own.

“I want you to keep on Monica. Find out what she’s doing. Where she goes. That type of thing.”

“I’ve been doing that, boss. There’s nothing to tell. She goes to the library, the shopping center, the occasional art exhibit, but she’s always alone.”

“Perhaps that is because you are always there.”

RJ doubted his theory, but humored him regardless. “Meaning?”

“Don’t escort her any longer. I want you to tail her.”

“She’s pretty smart, boss. I think she’ll catch on pretty quick.”

“Don’t argue with me, Rodrigo! Just do it!”

He nodded. “Very well. I’ll start today. Unless…?”

“What?”

“Yesterday you asked me to remind you, you wanted to discuss our Mexico operations, remember?”

“Maybe tomorrow. I need to get on the phone with my U.S. contacts. That Chloe Powers, the one that savagely murdered my boy, Jason has gone missing again. Someone is hiding her. Probably her Senator father.”

Here he goes again.

“Boss, I know Jason’s death was hard on you. But, this obsession you have with revenge for his death. It’s getting –.”

“Get out!” Tovar screamed

“Boss, look… I’m only trying to keep you focused on bus –.”

“Get the fuck out, Rodrigo! I gave you a job to do, now do it!”

RJ held in his frustration. He had lost traction these past few weeks and there was no sign of things moving forward as long ass Tovar was hell bent on avenging the death of his son.

Before leaving the room, he turned, “I’ll keep on Monica. Call me if you need me.”

Tovar waved his hand in annoyance, dismissing RJ from his presence.

He stepped out into the hallway to find Monica standing there with a grin.

“How much did you hear?”

“Enough to know that you have your work cut out for you.”

He sighed. “Why do I have a feeling that you mean that more than I care to find out?”

She stepped closer to him and ran her fingernail along his chin. “Because, my dear Rodrigo, you know me well.”