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It's true. I won't force her to go back, even though I wish I could. Her return helps guarantee Faye’s safety, but Faye would never forgive me if I made her go back. Ana’s willingness will keep me from having to be the bad guy.
“I need to go back,” she finally says, her hand rubbing her belly. “It's not fair for me to keep the baby from him. and…” Her words trail off as her tears start again.
“You miss him, don't you?” Faye asks. At her words, Ana drops her head into her arms on the table and cries harder.
Well, that answers that question. If she misses him, getting her to go back might not be hard after all.
“Y-yeah,” she says between sobs. Faye rubs a hand over her back before standing and pulling Ana into a hug. They stand there a long moment before Faye pulls back, leading her to the couch and helping her settle back with a throw pillow and a fuzzy blanket.
“Rest awhile, Ana. We can talk more later,” Faye tells her, sitting beside her friend as I watch from the hallway.
“I love him,” Ana says so softly that I almost miss it.
“I know you do, honey. And if he doesn't love you back, then he's just stupid.”
Ana giggles a little and reaches out for Faye's hand. “Thanks for being my friend, Faye,” Ana whispers, using the hem of her sweater to wipe the tears off her cheeks.
The smile that crosses Faye’s face is brilliant. “Thanks for being mine, Ana.”
I leave them to rest and talk for awhile, and go back to my office to call Blake and fill him in. Seems like we will be making a trip to Vegas soon, and I'm going to want him with me. I don't anticipate any trouble, but for some reason I have a bad feeling.
Faye
“Do you wanna talk about it?” I ask Ana when I hear Travis' heavy steps going upstairs. She shrugs as she sits up and hugs the pillow to her chest.
“Not much to say…”
There is obviously so much to say that I laugh a little, and she smiles, rolling her eyes at me.
“How about...I don't even know where to start.”
“That sounds more truthful,” I tell her and she releases a heavy sigh. I hesitate, not wanting to push her too much. “Maybe just start at the beginning?”
She takes a trembling breath. “I've been crazy about X since I was a kid. My dad worked for his, so I was always part of the family. When I was being bullied in middle school X stepped in and made it stop. That’s when I really started noticing him. When X's dad died, he didn't want to take over running the New York family. So he moved to Vegas and brought some guys with him. Vince, my dad, says Xavier is going into legitimate business. He wants nothing to do with the bad stuff his father and his uncle, Dominic, were into.”
“What stuff is that?” I ask. Whatever it was got my mom killed, so I’m prepared for it must be pretty bad.
“Xavier Senior was into running guns, from what I understand. Drugs and women were Dominic’s thing. Prostitution was his cash cow in Vegas. I think the New York family dealt with trafficking women and girls, but I don't know for sure. My dad is pretty small change. He mostly ran errands and did bodyguard work for the family in New York. I was surprised when Dad told me he had been asked to relocate to Vegas.”
“How come?” I need to get a better handle on what is between her and Xavier. “Maybe Xavier didn't want to leave you behind?”
The look on her face tells me she never thought of that possibility before. “Do you think so?” she asks, her voice betraying her hope.
I shrug. I don't know the guy, but I can't see any other reason he would have brought Ana and her dad with him if her dad wasn't a particularly important employee...er, gang member? Mobster? What is the correct terminology?
“I dunno,” I tell her. “Maybe… did you see him a lot? Spend time together?”
She shakes her hand back and forth, lifting one shoulder like she doesn’t really know. “I saw him around the neighborhood, and I saw him sometimes when I was working. He didn’t move away for college even though I heard he had scholarship offers. I figured his dad didn’t want him moving away from the business.”
That was not the answer I expected at all. “You didn’t date him? Ever?” She shakes her head no. “So how did you end up married to him?” I finally ask, desperate now for her answer.
Ana lowers her head. “He bought me from my dad,” she whispers, a bright flush coloring her pale cheeks. Her eyes flood with tears that don’t fall.
”He what?” I shout. “What in the actual fuck do you mean, he bought you?” Ana glances away from me, biting her lip. “Ana, what do you mean, he bought you?” I ask more gently as she starts crying again.
“My dad got himself into trouble with gambling once we got to Vegas. X bailed him out in trade for marrying me.”
“That doesn't make sense, Ana. Why wouldn't he just bail your dad out and make him work off his debt? Your dad already works for him…”
