The Lies I Believed

One Step Behind

Asher

"Took you long enough. We've wasted enough time. I've been watching the place and there's no one there."

"Are you sure?"

"I've checked it out twice, but it's not it. He took her somewhere else."

"Well, can I at least see what the place looks like?"

"Sure, sure. You can tour the place. It isn't much. I wonder what made Lexi think she was out here. It's pretty desolate, but it's a bit too close to the city. She definitely would have heard everyday traffic."

"I don't know. I was checking out the house I'd wanted to buy. It's still empty. If he ever took her there, she should have noticed a musky smell. Everything is old and falling apart. He'd definitely risk breaking the house more."

"Aaron knows what he's doing. I can't say we should put an APB out for him. I don't remember what the guy looks like. We have an old photo of him, but it's been years. I'm sure he's wearing a disguise. He's a high-class assassin."

"A-assassin?" I almost fell. "So, no one was going to tell me that?"

"I assumed you'd put two and two together. Honestly, Asher, the married life ain't for you. You've gone soft. The Italians aren't going to like that."

"I haven't gone soft. I'll prove it."

"I don't need you to prove anything. I'm just saying you really need to focus. Aaron's good. So good that people have only heard about him. If you've had the honor of meeting him, then you could risk getting killed by him later."

"Please--"

"Hey, Jackson." Jenni peeked into the room. "I'm going to check out the rest of the property. Maybe even go outside the city limits."

"All right. Phone me, if you find anything."

"Will do."

I sighed. Jackson raised a brow.

"Lexi and I had a fight about her two weeks ago. I'm surprised she still wanted to come here with me."

"She's your wife..."

"You know, I never understood why Lexi did that favor for you back in 2012."

"What favor?"

"When she stole that flash drive."

"Oh." Jackson chuckled. "Lexi owed me a couple of favors from a few years back. I worked on a case as a policeman back when she lived in New York."

"Huh..."

"Yeah, she was pretty young. One of her friends had been spewing nonsense about the mafia and how he had control over her. I was in charge of contacting her father. He never showed up."

"Because, my aunt and I did," I said. "Lexi and I weren't close. She didn't exactly like my aunt, but we had wanted to tell her something. If her father had shown up, he would have ruined her life a bit more. I don't think she and I would have seen much of each other after that."

"Ah, well, fate has its ways of bringing people together." He began looking around the place again. "Anyway, after a follow-up, she promised that if I needed anything from her in the future, all I had to do was ask. I didn't know I'd be working closely with the mafia when I reached out to her."

"And the first thing you wanted was the drive?"

"Yup. I'd heard about it from a lot of people. Cameron was the type of brag. Once he left New York to work for himself, I decided it was time to step up as a leader. I took over his position at the NYIA. It was supposed to be Sha'Kera, but she hasn't complained about it."