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“I do.” I glance to Jack. I haven’t mentioned my sister to Jack. If this therapist specializes in addiction, I have an idea how she knows Indigo.
“Indie?” she asks.
“Yeah. That’s her.”
“She may be coming to stay with us.”
“Us?” My sister is doing better, but to my knowledge she’s not ready to transition. I haven’t authorized any other treatment facility.
“Well, I met with her yesterday,” she says with a soft smile. “She mentioned she needed to talk to her family.” She tilts her head up to look me in the eye. “You. Her brother.”
Right. Because there’s no one else.
“Do you have apartments?” Jack remains frozen, so I might as well learn what I can.
“We have a small community of apartments and townhomes. Mark Sullivan,” she looks to Jack, “your uncle has been incredible. We wouldn’t have been able to build our center without his help.”
“Nueva Vida,” Jack says. I give him a once-over, looking for signs he’s had too much to drink. His pupils are abnormally large, but I suppose we did just come inside after staring at the sun.
“Right. He’s our number one donor.”
“What’s Nueva Vida?” I ask.
“Well, it’s designed to be a secure and safe place for recovering addicts to adjust to real life. We help with job-training skills and placement. We strive to provide a clean, safe environment because transitioning back to life is hard enough without worrying about your next meal or living in a dangerous place.” Alex and I planned to visit Indie tomorrow. I wonder if she plans to tell us then. “We subsidize rent payments until each person can afford the full rent. We let them live with us until they’re ready, financially and emotionally, to fully re-enter the world. Rushing to return to normal can be a trigger for relapse.”
“How do you know my uncle?” Jack’s squinted eyes lend him a vicious expression that has me doing another double take.
“He’s…Patrick,” she begins. Jack’s eyebrows practically join in the middle, and he crosses his arms in a bouncer pose. “Patrick is an incredibly close friend. He’s like family to me.”
“And Patrick is…?” Jacks asks her.
Her eyelashes flutter and surprise registers, but she pulls it together. She mirrors Jack by crossing her arms over her stomach. “He’s a close friend of Mark’s…your uncle. I’ve known your uncle for a long time.”
Jack’s head tilts, and he studies her for what feels like far too long. “My uncle said you’re the best.”
“I don’t know about that.” A light color seeps through her pale skin. “I don’t force any one methodology. I support as much as I can. Ultimately, it’s the individual who has to choose recovery.” She tilts her head, once again mirroring Jack. “If you don’t want me here…”
“I’ll go check on Alex,” I say, stepping back. I’d rather not witness Jack kick this woman to the curb.
Jack exhales. “Ask Sophia to come up.”
“Nice to meet you, Ava.” The center she described sounds perfect for Indigo, so I hope Jack doesn’t screw anything up for my sister by being a complete jerk. I’m not sure what’s up with him. Maybe he treats anyone who might come into contact with Sophia aggressively. If so, it might be a good thing her friends haven’t been coming around.
I can’t blame Jack for being suspicious. His right-hand man backstabbed him. For that matter, so did his wife.
So far, no other employees from Sullivan Arms have been exposed for involvement with the scam. According to Ricky, he began working with Killington and Reyes on a plan using high-end yachts to smuggle guns into Mexico. They’d been working together for years when Wayne approached him about assisting with Sophia’s abduction. Ricky claims Wayne instructed them to both drug and rape her, but not kill her. He wanted to ensure she would need her father to take a leave of absence. Of course, there is no documentation of Wayne’s instructions or the agreement between the men.
Wayne’s lawyer has indicated he’ll strive to prove innocence, so I assume his story will differ greatly from Ricky’s.
Alex has her back to me as I approach her on the beach. Sophia kicks her feet through the water, sending salt spray splattering. Alex glances over her shoulder at me and smiles. When I reach her, I loop an arm around her waist.
“Here’s my woman.” Sophia smiles over at us. She’s standing about ten feet away with the water lapping her ankles.
Alex loops an arm around my waist and grins. “My woman? Are you for real?”
I shrug. “Want a different title?”
I smack a kiss on her temple. She lifts her chin, and I place another on her lips for good measure.
