Page 13 of Deadly Scandals

Luckily, Mitch had purchased the truck after his divorce, so Joaquín wouldn’t recognize it. There were three people inside, and I didn’t need to see their faces to know one of them was Grant.

I wanted to run to him, but I didn’t dare. Instead, I raised my hand just a bit and waited. The driver flashed the lights just as Joaquín came out, and I was forced to turn away. Acting casual, I followed Joaquín to his truck, knowing Grant would follow.

Three hours later, we were back in my hometown of Marin and pulling in to a small apartment complex in the Canal.

Joaquín opened the truck door. “Wait here.”

I nodded, and he went to an apartment and came back in a few minutes with an older Mexican man. Joaquín got back into the truck. “Julián is at the neighbor’s apartment for a playdate, so you won’t have to worry about the grandma recognizing you. Tomás will take you over to meet him.”

“You’re not going to come?” Not that I wanted him to.

“Nope. Look, we can have other kids. But it’s best if we forget about Julián. His existence gives me a motive to have killed Tiffany. I’m going to let you say goodbye to him.”

Fuck you. The only person I’m going to say goodbye to is you.

“I understand. He doesn’t even know us.”

I scanned the parking lot, looking for Mitch’s truck, but it wasn’t there. And no other vehicle entered the parking lot.

After ten minutes, Tomás opened my door, and I followed him to a third-floor apartment, which was apparently his since he just walked right in. Tomás greeted the woman standing in the kitchen with a kiss. He motioned me over to the sofa.

Again, I nodded, but before I could sit down, Julián ran out of the other room dressed as a superhero. He was holding a little girl’s hand.

All I saw in his perfect face was Grant. The strong cleft in his chin, the devilish grin.

How had I not seen it before? Had Joaquín ignored this strong resemblance? Well, he clearly hadn’t seen him in a while, and Julián’s features must’ve become more developed.

I shuddered. If Joaquín looked at my boy now, it would be clear that Julián was Grant’s son, not his.

I wanted to scoop my boy up and run away. But I couldn’t, I had to wait. I knew that if I could buy myself enough time, Grant would be here.

Tomás handed me a bag of weed. The fake drug deal was a cover for my being in this apartment. My son was being babysat by a drug dealer.

My hand grasped the outline of the gun in my purse. I could grab my son and run, but where would I go?

Julián ran into another room, and I forced myself to thank Tomás as he ushered me out almost as quickly as I came in.

Fuck.

He escorted me back to my brother. I sat next to him, and he locked the door and drove away.

Tears welled in my eyes as the distance between my son and me grew greater and greater.

Please, Grant. Please find him.