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The entire plane ride home was silent. Every question I asked went unanswered as Teddy stayed deep in thought or on the phone with the twins, telling them what happened. They seem just as confused about Omar knowing who I am as Teddy.
“Are you going to talk to me now?” I ask as Teddy ends another call and tosses his phone to the center console of his car.
He shakes his head and grips the steering wheel. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to close you out, but I don’t know how much this complicates things. People like Omar don’t deal with the cops. The most they do is pay them off to get what they want, and now that he’s made it clear he knows who your dad was, I wouldn’t be surprised if he knows about the deal I made with him too.”
I cock my head to the side. “I don’t understand what the big deal is.”
“If he knows about me conspiring with your dad, even though I never had much contact with him, he will see me as untrustworthy. No one does business with pigs, especially not good ones.”
The weight of his words crushes my chest as I’m reminded who I am. “But I’m not a cop,” I whisper.
“Your dad was, and that’s just as bad in this business,” he murmurs.
Tears sting the back of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. When I was younger, I was proud to be the chief’s daughter, but as I got older, I realized it wasn’t something to be as proud about as I was. I was labeled a snitch and fake all through high school and my adult years, simply because of my dad. No one ever took the chance to get to know me. If they had, they’d know, unlike my dad, I sleep perfectly sound at night no matter what I do. Fuck the law. If I feel something is right and just, I’m not going to wait for a jury to determine it. I’ll handle it myself.
“Why did you take me there, then?” I ask, letting the anger in my voice crack through.
“I needed him to see you. I need him to tell the cartel I have a woman in charge. They will think I’m becoming weak and make a move. We can’t just keep sitting around hoping for them to show themselves.”
“So, I’m nothing more than a pawn for you?”
Teddy slows the car and pulls over to the shoulder. He jerks it into park and unbuckles his seat belt to face me. “You’re so much more than a pawn. In order to figure all of this out, we have to play their game. We have to try and determine how they’ll react to certain things and hope for the best.”
I inhale through my nose and let it out. “That’s why Omar knowing who my dad was is bad? Because then they’ll think there is more to me than meets the eye?”
“Exactly.” He squeezes my knee. “But we can still hope Omar won’t tell them. I know the cartel knew your dad, and I’m positive that’s why they killed him, but I guarantee they don’t look into things the same way I do. I’m hoping they won’t know he had a daughter; I’m hoping they don’t know it’s you.”
I nod as everything finally starts to click together in my head and make sense. “Omar won’t tell them,” I remark as Teddy fastens his seat belt again.
“Why do you say that?” he asks, pulling away from the shoulder and back onto the road.
“I can just feel it. When he looked at me, I saw something in his eyes. He may hate me, but he wants them gone too. Why else would he drop the small bombs he did about them? I’ve sat and watched enough interrogations by my dad to know the only time anyone gives you anything is because they want something in return. His whole reasoning of not wanting to lose them as buyers is nothing more than covering his own ass for when shit goes down.”
Teddy chuckles and glances to me before looking back to the road. “Let’s hope you’re right.”
After a few minutes of driving, we pull up to Victory Bank, one of the largest and most well-known banks for criminals. I mean, it isn’t well-known to the public, but it is to everyone who works in law enforcement. Many men and women who have gone down for various crimes have something in common. They generally have accounts here and safety deposit boxes filled with millions.
Teddy pulls up to the curb and kills the engine. He reaches into the back seat and pulls the black duffle bag from this morning into his lap. “Come, Monkshood.”
Without any question, I exit the car. He meets me by the hood and grabs my hand as we walk inside.
He pushes through the glass doors and takes a few steps inside before stopping. I look around and marvel at the inside of the building. Although I’ve known this place, I’ve never been inside. Gold bars separate every teller at a long counter, giving each person who comes in their own space. Glass walls encase a few small offices, each with their own personal touch. Some have couches and pictures sitting on their desks, while others have nothing more than a few succulents and books on theirs.
“Mr. Hale, it’s so good to see you.” I look to my right and see an older woman with blonde hair standing a few steps behind us. I glance to the golden name tag pinned to her shirt. It reads “Eden” in a pretty cursive font.
“Indeed,” Teddy replies with a nod. “Eden, this is Charlotte.”
Eden beams with a vibrant, genuine smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
I shake her hand and return the smile.
“Did you gather what I need?” Teddy asks, drawing her attention from me.
“I did. You can come to my office to sign all of the paperwork.”
Teddy shakes his head. “I’d like to see my deposit box first.”
“Sure thing.” She reaches into the tight pocket of her pencil skirt and pulls out a golden key, then hands it to Teddy.
