Page 113 of Tony

The relief I felt after apologizing to her is gone now. It was never really about Belinda. Not as it relates to our past relationship, that is.

It was only about what I did to her.

What I brought her in to.

And, yeah. I understood the danger associated with what we were doing. I’ve heard the word prison mentioned so many times now, it has lost all meaning. And anyway, I figured the good outweighed the bad. That the righteousness of what we were doing would prevail.

So far it has.

We have prevailed. We saved those kids.

But we have never been the only ones smuggling kids into the United States.

We were just the only ones doing it for the right reasons.

So I know what Midnight is going to say before the words even leave her mouth.

“They set you up, Tony.”

“What?” Vann asks.

“Who?” Soshee says.

Midnight doesn’t say anything. She just stares at me with a very sad look on her face.

I want to object. I want to deny this revelation and make it go away. The same way I denied, for all these years, that I stole Belinda’s life from her when I had her sent away.

But I can’t.

Because both of those things are true.

Belinda steps forward and puts her arms out in front of her. Like she’s going to protect all of us from the girl called Midnight. “You need to explain that.”

“Do I?” Midnight asks. Still looking at me. “Do I really, Tony? Did you really not understand your role in all that human trafficking?”

“That’s not fair,” Belinda says. “They weren’t trafficking. They were saving those kids. And I know for a fact that these kids were saved. I saw them! I helped them! I was there! They have new lives, and new names, and new families—“

“They do,” Midnight snaps. Her attention on Belinda now. “You’re right. The ones you saw, do.”

“What?” Soshee asks.

Midnight looks back at me. “It’s hard. I get it. It’s sick. And none of us want to be involved with it. But we are.”

“No,” I say. Shaking my head. “Not us. We did not—“

“You’re right. You didn’t. You just covered for the ones who did.”

“That’s not true,” I say. Still shaking my head. “That’s not true.”

“Hey.” Midnight throws up her hands. “I’m not saying you did it knowingly. I’m just telling you that this has been happening, in your marina, for decades. And your little humanitarian missions were just cover. To make all the locals turn their heads. Blind eyes and all that good junk. If anyone got suspicious and started asking around. What do you think all those old sailors would say? Hmm? Oh, they’d be quiet about it. Make it into a big secret. Shhh.” Midnight puts a finger to her lips. “Don’t say nothing. Those Dumas boys are one of us. They do good works. Trust me. I’ve seen it. I know them.”

I turn away and walk over to the window. Leaning against it and press my forehead against the glass.

“I didn’t come here to spell it out,” Midnight continues. And I just want her to shut up. “I came here hoping I could get you all back into your normal lives without having to tell you the whole truth. But…” I glance at her over my shoulder and find her shrugging. “You wanted an explanation, so here it is. If you don’t do what you’re told, Tony Dumas, your whole family is going to be on the news by the middle of next week.”

“You’re going to lie about him,” Belinda growls. “About the whole family. Even though you know they weren’t involved.”

“Me?” Midnight points to herself and laughs. “Not me, Belinda Baker. I’m ex-Company, sweetie. Just like Vann’s little friend, Sasha. I’m one of the good guys here. I’m trying to stop all this from happening. I didn’t set the Dumas family up to take the fall for a disgusting child trafficking ring in the Caribbean. That was all them!” She points to the window.