CHAPTER 179 Epiphany

*Pete*

Lorenzo and I were seated beside each other at the back seat of an SUV being driven by one of the Colonel's men while the Colonel sat beside him in the passenger's seat. We were all seated quietly except for Lorenzo who was muttering curses under his breath as he desperately tried to brush the dust off from his expensive suit.

The driver's frequent glances through the rearview mirror annoyed the hell out of me. After each glance, he would grimace making me feel conscious of my appearance.

*I didn't need to be constantly reminded of how hideous I looked*, *especially in daylight*!

It took all of my self-control to restrain myself from shooting him. If he wasn't the one driving, I would have shot him the moment he grimaced the first time.

Lucky for him, the infamous biker's lounge located alongside the highway caught my attention. The exit to New Salem was just up ahead. I felt my heart race in anticipation. After being gone for almost two weeks, I was finally home.

I suddenly felt that familiar sentimental yearning for the one place I had come to call *my home*. It felt like an epiphany of sorts, making me realize that New Salem was special.

*Unfortunately, New Salem was also Liam's home and I was moments away from facing him*.

But he wasn't my main problem...

Lorenzo's grim words from earlier began to resonate in my mind and that sudden feeling of nostalgia from the thought of being home quickly turned to dread.

*Being back home meant my death at the hands of Joy Taylor*.

Earlier this morning, the Consigliere and I were seated around a round wooden table near the tall windows of his room, finishing our breakfast, while we waited to leave for New Salem.

"Pedro, we need to reopen our business. I believe you said you have someone who could become our new star," Lorenzo said after swallowing his last piece of toast.

"Yes, I do and her name is Virtue. But considering the circumstances, *I* won't be able to *take* her if I'm under lock and key," I pointed out. "My initial plan was to have her delivered to me later tonight, however Nestor poses a problem."

"What do you mean?" Lorenzo asked, feigning ignorance and avoiding eye contact.

"He will not allow me to wander off, now that he is in charge," I answered harshly, unable to hide my displeasure.

"No need to worry. I will deal with Nestor," Lorenzo assured me. I scoffed at him.

"You wouldn't have to deal with Nestor if Doña Ortiz hadn't granted him authority in the first place!" I bellowed. Lorenzo calmly took a sip of his herbal tea, then looked me straight in the eyes before he spoke.

"You are mistaken if you think Nestor was granted absolute authority, Pedro. Nestor understands his limitations. Since New Salem was left without a leader, Doña Ortiz had no choice to appoint him as Capo Bastone Tempore," Lorenzo explained. "As I see it, there is no reason for you to be angry. I assure you this is all temporary. If you had not left New Salem, then this wouldn't have happened. Your rashness is what got you here in the first place."

"I left because Nestor told me to leave," I answered through clenched teeth. "It was his idea. He explicitly told me to go on a vacation to allow things to cool down."

*Apparently*, *it was just his way to get what he wanted*... *control of New Salem*.

"He did?" Lorenzo asked, surprised. "I was under the impression you fled New Salem after abducting Theodore Cohen."

"No one in New Salem knows I abducted Theodore. And I didn't abduct him. I just used him as collateral," I replied, exasperated.

"Well, Nestor apparently knew," Lorenzo stated, his eyebrows raised. "Are he and Mayor Cohen... close?"

"In a way. But Liam sees him more as an associate rather than a friend," I answered coyly. "Consigliere, I apologize for leaving, but I was under the impression everything was in order. When I spoke to Theodore before I, uh, used him to negotiate with Liam, he said he remained steadfast to the organization and he agreed to keep the status quo." Lorenzo chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you are this naive, Pedro. Do you know what happened when you left?" I nodded my head in response.

"Theodore Cohen died in the hospital. Then Liam had all my loyal drug runners assassinated at the Ol' Barn before taking over the pharmacy and the laboratory," I replied, shrugging my shoulders like it wasn't at all important.

"That's it? That's all you know?" The Consigliere asked, surprised I wasn't updated with my current events. "It seems you left out a few *minor* details."

"I don't understand, Consigliere. What happened in New Salem when I left?" I asked. Lorenzo placed his cup back on its saucer, then stared at me, his eyes cold as ice.

"Shit happened, that's what," Lorenzo growled angrily. "Theodore Cohen mysteriously died while under the care of Tomas Martín's son, Ford. Ford Martín was then arrested for Theodore's murder, providing Liam Cohen leverage for a negotiation. He was about to acquire the pharmacy from Tomas when Norma's aunt's dead body was discovered in the hospital parking lot along with a note confessing her involvement in Theodore's death-"

"Nurse Lindsay is dead?" I squeaked in disbelief, interrupting the Consigliere. Once upon a time, Lindsay Hartman, who nursed me back to health when I had gotten terribly ill with pneumonia during my teens, was commissioned by my mother to kill Joy Taylor while she lay bedridden in the hospital after her rape. However, Nurse Lindsay failed to get pass the watchful eyes of Joy's parents nor the meddling Dr. Williamson.

Lorenzo nodded his head. "Lucky for us, she committed suicide. A noble sacrifice for an old woman to do for her grandnephew. Anyway, after Lindsay Hartman was found dead along with her written confession, Ford was subsequently released from police custody. All seemed fine until the Martíns found themselves in the middle of a brutal massacre in the safest neighborhood in New Salem. They luckily escaped the blood bath, however, they were consequently named as the primary suspects by New Salem authorites and if they are found, the Martíns will be charged for the murders of over thirty people," Lorenzo said, narrating the shocking events that had transpired during my absence. "It sounds like a plot taken from a *telenovela* I watch, but I assure you those events occured while you were, uhm, recovering from your injuries. Sad to say, this was as much my fault as it was yours. This is the main reason why I am here... to right my mistakes. Rest assured, I have already sent some of my own men to deal with De Vega."

"And what are we to do with Liam?" I asked curiously. He sighed.

"We've clearly underestimated Mayor Cohen, his scheming criminal mind and his group of men. To execute those events in order to become the sole proprietor of the best crystal meth in the country has left me utterly dumbfounded," Lorenzo remarked. "I will negotiate a truce. If nothing comes from the negotiations, Doña Ortiz has plans to purge New Salem. She is already discussing the matter with the *El Consejo Superior*." Lorenzo took a sip of his tea and cleared his throat. "Pedro, you should have stayed. Things would probably be different. Doña Ortiz would have sent her best men to assist you. Then, maybe, I wouldn't have made the mistake of sending you to De Vega," he pointed to my scarred face, "nor would Doña Ortiz have had the chance to accept payment from Joy Taylor." I grimaced as Lorenzo uttered her name.

"This payment you say Joy Taylor offered, it isn't really a substantial amount, yes?" I asked, praying De Vega had heard wrong.

"In your opinion, Pedro, what do you consider a substantial amount to be? Is one million dollars a substantial amount for your head? If you were to ask me, you aren't worth half that." I laughed at his insult. "I'm sorry. Did I say something funny?" Lorenzo didn't look amused.

"Joy Taylor can't possibly afford to pay one million dollars nor the two million De Vega claims. My mother practically bought her father's land at the going rate of a few hundred dollars for an acre." Before the Taylors left, George Taylor sold all his assets for dirt cheap, so I knew Joy didn't have that kind of serious cash.

"Pedro, a decade has passed. She must have done well for herself over the years. And yes, she did pay Doña Ortiz two million dollars in cash delivered in wine crates," Lorenzo confirmed, his eyes daring me to laugh again.

But I didn't laugh. Instead, I stared at him with my mouth open, shocked at the bit of information he just conveyed.

*Our shipment of cash from our drug sales were delivered in wine crates*! After Liam received the delivery, Dan would ship Veronica's share in honey crates.

"What does it say on the wine crate label?" I asked. "Does it say Dakota Maple Winery?"

"Come to think of it, yes, it does," Lorenzo answered, bewildered. "Why?"

"On the night my mother died, one of my men informed me that a delivery mishap occured at New Salem lake. I disregarded it since I received my entire share of the profits without delay. But now that I think about it, the delivery..." My voice trailed off as I tried to recall the deal I made with Liam in exchange for Virtue's protection.

Unbeknownst to Liam and his father, I always had one of my men watching over our cash shipment. During each delivery, one of the boats would always go to the opposite side of the lake and dock at New Salem Park. I suspected the Cohens were stealing from the organization, but I knew Doña Ortiz would never believe me. One, Theodore was so well-respected in the organization that no one would ever suspect him of stealing and two, Doña Ortiz always received her fair share of the profits on time.

Liam must have used whatever money he had stashed in his basement to pay our cut of the profits so he could avoid suspicion.

But that shipment from that particular night could have been used to pay off-

"You were saying?" Lorenzo asked impatiently, interrupting my thoughts.

"That delivery was the biggest haul of drug money we were susupposed to receive, Consigliere. I can't remember how many crates, but I believe the delivery mishap could have been orchestrated by Liam himself. I suspect he took the money in order to pay Joy Taylor off so he could protect himself, while he shifted the blame of her rape on me and my mother!" I exclaimed, realizing that I had lost my mother to a big-nosed, brown haired geeky girl like Joy Taylor.

I pounded my fist against the table, furious at the implications. Joy, that skank, killed my mother!

"Let's not be too hasty. Stealing from the organization is a grave offense. If you received your share of the profits, then it's safe to assume that Liam had nothing to do with the mishap." He pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders. "So, Joy Taylor has finally figured out that it was you and your mother who conspired against her and her father. I understand why Joy would want revenge, however, I don't understand why you of all people would be angry. You and your friends did such reprehensible things to that young girl and the proof is all over the dark web, *hijo*."

"She killed my mother!" I yelled, slamming my fist against the table again.

"*Calma*, *calma*," Lorenzo said, placing a hand on my shoulder to help calm me down. "Let's think things through, shall we? Alright, let's assume Joy Taylor did kill your mother. Swiping cargo from De Vega's arms shipment can't be done by one person alone. You need a team. And if I remember correctly, the money that was delivered to Doña Ortiz was sent in Joy's behalf by the *Tres Caballeros*."

"The Three Gentlemen?!" I screeched. "She has three men helping her?!"

"I'm afraid so," Lorenzo replied, slouching against his chair, looking utterly defeated. "You and your friends should have killed her when you had the chance all those years ago. Sure, your friends may not be killers, but you, Pedro, you should have finished her off. You are your father's son, a-"

The unmistakable sound of bullets hitting glass suddenly erupted, cutting Lorenzo off. We both instinctively fell to the floor, crawling away from the tall windows of his room, desperately in search for cover.