180 Degrees-Tae & Vicky's Tomorrow

Surprisingly, I didn't get much of a hassle once I identified myself. But when someone picked up the line after a brief pause, it was not my grandfather's voice on the other end.

"Taegan?"

It was a gruff, Hispanic voice, deep...somewhat familiar, but not really. It was too young to be my grandfather's, of that I was certain.

"I'm trying to reach Don Carlos?" I insisted.

"Taegan, this is your father."

The words stunned me. Absolutely and utterly stunned me. First I saw images of a smiling, playful man with perfect white teeth who smelled of a wonderful musky scent, tossing me up in the air and laughing as I squealed with laughter. I saw him tickling my mother in the kitchen one morning as she cooked breakfast for us. I saw him sitting beside me, helping me put together a jigsaw puzzle. But then I saw my mother lying in the hospital, dying of cancer, riddled with pain...and I was sitting beside her alone although I knew he'd been released from prison by then. That image erased my earlier memories of him. I couldn't bring myself to say anything to him.

"Taegan—"

"My name is Tae." I said with unmasked hostility.

He paused, "your grandfather asked me to take this call. Is there a problem?"

I licked my lips, trying to force myself to speak, remembering Vicky needed me to reach out to my family, "why can't I speak to him?"

Another pause, "Taegan, he's not feeling well. Please, talk to me."

I closed my eyes, dropping down heavily onto the stairs. It took a few minutes for me to get past my anger.

"I have a problem," I started, and then I let it all rush from me.

He didn't interrupt, only asking a brief question here and there. When I was done, and feeling quite exhausted, there was a very lengthy pause on the other end of the phone. I only knew he was there because I heard him swearing softly in Spanish periodically. I just waited.

"Fuck." He finally offered.

I don't know why, but the expletive made me smile, considering I'd said the same thing to Vicky. I heard him take yet another deep breath.

"This woman, who is she to you?"

I hesitated, not sure if he knew about my proclivity for women, "a friend," I finally hedged.

"Are you sleeping with her?"

I raised a brow, glancing down at the cell in my hand. I guess he did know. "Yeah."

Another round of Spanish curses.

"Taegan," he started again.

"Tae," I reminded him, although with a little less hostility.

"Taegan," he insisted, just like my mother had always insisted on using my full name, "she cannot turn them in."

I closed my eyes. Yeah, I knew he was gonna say that, but I had been hoping...

"No other option." I told him.

"She walks away. Starts a new life somewhere else."

"With what?" I snapped, "tits and ass?"

He didn't say anything for a moment and I knew, based on the little my mother had shared with me about him, he was probably taking a deep breath to avoid cursing me out. So, I took a deep breath and tried to be an adult about this.

"Sorry," I muttered. "She doesn't have the money to do that."

"Taegan, the minute she goes to the D.A., they will find someone to put a bullet in her head."

I didn't appreciate the graphic imagery, but I knew he was right.

"I think they'll offer her witness protection." I countered.

He laughed bitterly, "and? Do you know how large the organization is now?"

I sighed. Actually, I did know how extensive the Neta organization had become since my departure from New York. I scratched my head, wondering what I should do now.

"I already convinced her to go to the D.A. tomorrow."

"Un-convince her."

I bit my lip, undecided for a moment, but then making up my mind. "I can't do that. It's her only chance," I hesitated, "and I'm going with her into WitSec."

"Absolutely not."

I laughed into the phone, "you're kidding, right? You lost your parental right to tell me what to do a long time ago."

"Taegan Elba Marie...they will hunt you down and kill you. Do you understand? And that will start a war between the two sects, you know that."

"Then tell me what to do," I demanded harshly.

That was greeted with more silence. I thought he'd hung up until I heard, "bring her to New York. We'll see you tomorrow."

And he ended the call.

***

I explained most of it to her on the drive to New York. She sat silently, trying to digest the information. I was taking her to New York, the one city she was trying to avoid, to meet the man Jimmy worked for. Even after I told her he was my grandfather, it didn't sit well with her. I held her trembling hand for most of the two hour drive.

The brownstone wasn't really that familiar. Not surprising given the circumstances under which I arrived when I was 19. Things only began to look familiar when the elevator doors opened and I vaguely recognized the door we now stood in front of. When I knocked, someone opened the peephole and then the door. I didn't recognize this man, but he was Latino and huge, muscles upon muscles. I assumed he was a bodyguard. He motioned for us to follow him.

The den was even more familiar. It hadn't changed much, the burgundy leather sofa and chairs, the desks...I was pretty certain the computers were new. When we entered, there were four men already seated. They all stood. I recognized my grandfather, who walked over to me, more slowly than he had so many years ago, and hugged me. He rubbed my back a little and whispered for me to relax and sit down.

They were good instructions, because I had tensed up immediately. The other man in the room that I recognized was still attractive with his rich, dark hair, cut close to the scalp now and peppered with gray, his dark eyes and those thick brows I remembered. He was clean shaven now and still quite muscular. Marcos. I would never forget his face. He sized me up as I entered and smirked a bit. I wanted to punch him in the face, but I did as my grandfather said, guiding Vicky to the only empty sofa.

The other two men in the room? One was seated beside Marcos. He was also Latino, his hair long and braided into cornrows. His face was rugged and hardened. He was rather young and the only reason I recognized him was because I'd looked up his mug shot once before. James Lasher, better known as Jimmy L.

Finally, I turned my gaze to the last man in the room. Much like the voice on the phone, I vaguely remembered the face. He was very handsome, tall, not too thin, with piercing, dark eyes, a head full of rich, thick black hair, my hair, and a jagged scar from his temple to his chin. I had the flashback of him tossing me into the air again as he nodded to me and smiled...his teeth were still white and perfect. I nodded back although I didn't have much to say to him...my father.

"Gentlemen and ladies," my grandfather started the meeting, "we have a dilemma. You're all familiar with the details. I have found a solution."

He turned to Vicky, "Ms. Longman, you will turn in your boyfriend and testify against him in court." He turned to Jimmy, "you will tell him to do the time and keep his mouth closed or we'll cut his fucking heart out." He turned to Marcos, "you will compensate the boyfriend and reign this asshole in." He said, indicating Jimmy. "My granddaughter is not to be touched. Her friend is not to be touched. ¿Comprendé?"

His voice was clear and strong and allowed no room for arguments. Marcos and Jimmy each nodded once. When my grandfather turned to us, we also nodded.

"Perdón, Don Carlos, what about the money she stole?" Jimmy asked.

My grandfather turned to me and I shrugged, "her boyfriend owed her that money."

I could see Jimmy was about to protest, but my grandfather held up a hand, "fuck the money. Anything else?"

No one said a word. Minutes later Marcos and Jimmy stood to leave. My grandfather made his way over to us, "Ms. Longman, would you join me for a café?"

Vicky looked at me and I nodded. She stood and followed my grandfather out of the room. That left me and my father, who had been ordered by his father to "talk to your daughter" on his way out of the room.

I didn't help, not interested in helping this man to follow his father's orders. Instead, I simply sat, staring at him coolly. He licked his lips and sat down across from me. I wondered what he would say. What would make his decision not to contact me once he was released, his decision to allow me to deal with my mother's death alone, all better? I couldn't imagine. We sat in silence for a little while longer before he cleared his throat.

"Your mother asked me not to contact you."

Okay...that might work. I simply raised a brow.

"I was with her during the last month. I stayed at a hotel...I only left the room when you were coming. You always came at the same time, before work and after work. I would just wait until you left and then stay with her."

I was...dumbfounded. I already couldn't think of a thing to say.

"She said you were doing well. She didn't want me to interfere. She didn't want you to have anything to do with this life..."

I closed my eyes for a moment...yes, that sounded like my mother. Just like her, actually.

"She asked me not to contact you. That I should only communicate with you if you needed me, if you reached out to me first. I agreed."

I could still think of nothing to say, so I simply watched him.

"Look, I don't expect miracles. I know you think I haven't thought of you in years, but it's not true. I was there when you graduated from the academy. Sitting right beside your mother."

I wracked my brain trying to remember anyone sitting beside my mother, but I was so preoccupied on that day, it's possible I'd missed him. I was still silent, but I looked at him through new eyes...open eyes.

"My father is not doing well. He has demanded that I make amends with you. Again, I don't expect miracles. Just don't...shut me out, okay? I mean—" He licked his lips again, "I just want to check in on you, make sure you're okay...if that's okay with you."

He reached out and took my hand...I didn't resist. I couldn't really process what he was saying. It was all too...confusing. I was really focused on making sure Vicky was okay, not trying to resolve things with my father. In fact, I had been so convinced he was an asshole, I never thought about the possibility of reconciling. I sighed, nodding when he simply stared at me. He smiled and squeezed my hand. Then he stood and I followed.

"So, this girl? Your mother was worried about you being alone. Is she...?"

Now it was my turn to lick my lips. I had reached out to my well connected family to save Vicky's life. What was she to me? I had no idea quite honestly.

"I don't know. Right now I just need to get her through the next few weeks with the D.A."

He nodded. I stared at him for a moment longer and then turned to leave the room.

***