Page 12 of Consume

8

Grant

I didn’t wantto leave her alone, but I knew she needed space, so I texted Ashley to meet me at Point Loma Seafood in twenty minutes.

When she got there, I was already seated. She was out of her NCIS business suit and back in her Autumn summer casual clothes. I ordered us some fish tacos, and we sat and gazed at the pelicans and seals playing in the harbor.

Ashley’s eyes narrowed in on my hand. “Please tell me you didn’t marryher.”

I flashed my band at her. “Best decision I’ve ever made. You know where I stand. You’re wrong abouther.”

She shook her head. “Grant, look, I hope you are right, for your sake, and your son’s, but something isn’t addingup.”

“Look, I need your help getting my son back. You said you are working on it, but honestly, that’s not good enough. Joaquín is a psychopath. I’ve learned some new information, which is so fucked up I won’t repeatit.”

“Come on, spill.”

“Nope. It’s not about drugs or the Teams, so none of your business. Do you have a date for offering theplea?”

“Sometime in the next month. We are still negotiating the offer with his lawyer. He does have a pre-trial hearing tomorrow, so I think everyone is waiting to see what happens withit.”

A month? My son could be dead in a month. No way. “That’s not acceptable. I need to find my sonnow.”

“I’m well aware, Grant. I need you to trust that we are doing our best. We can’t jeopardize the investigation. You have no legal claim over the child at the moment. Third-party testing isn’t admissible.”

Fuck this shit. I stood. “What’s the time of the hearing?”

“Nine in the morning, but I won’t be there.” Her eyes narrowed, and she added, “If I hear that you try to interfere with the proceedings, I’ll have you arrested.”

“On what charges?”

“Obstruction of justice.”

“Do what you got todo.”

I walked away from her and got in my borrowed truck. I stopped at Liberty Market and picked up a vegan tofu bowl for Mia and some flowers.

When I showed back up at our place, she greeted me with a sleepy kiss and an apology.

“I’m sorry. I know you are just trying to protect me. I still think you are wrong. By the way, Joaquín called while you weregone.”

I ground my teeth. “Yeah. What did hewant?”

“Just to talk. I asked him why he name dropped Julián. He said it was because he wanted me to find him. Don’t you see? He told us about him so we could discover him. I’m more certain than ever. I think that maybe Rafael kidnapped him, and Tiffany told Joaquín that she had his nephew and he lostit.”

I understood how Mia thought that. But she didn’t know that Tiffany was working for NCIS. And I wasn’t at liberty to say. “Did he say anythingelse?”

“I asked him to tell me where Julián was, but he refused. Said he would take me to him if he was free. I think that’s the only way we are going to see Julián again. We have to get Joaquín out ofjail.”

And for once, I agreed withher.

“I already ate. I’m going to take Hero on a run. I’ll be back in abit.”

I leashed up Hero and left again.

I made several calls and put my plan into action. No longer would I be the pawn in Joaquín’sgame.

I was done letting everyone else make the decisions.