“Who is this?”
“My name is Desi. I worked for Mr. Branson.”
My fingers curled around my phone with a punishing grip. Desi was the one who helped Branson commit all his atrocities. He was also the man who set my wife free.
“I have him.”
Briefly, time stalled, and all the gruesome things I thought of doing to Branson when I got my hands on him rose to the surface.
“No, you don’t. Branson is on his way to Venezuela.”
“Mr. Branson’s body double is on his way to Venezuela.”
“Body double?” I repeated in disbelief.
“He found it necessary to employ a body double—not particularly for instances like these, but it came in handy.”
“He sent his body double to Venezuela to throw the police off his scent,” I whispered.
“Incorrect. I sent the body double to Venezuela so that you and your family can dispose of Mr. Branson.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I wouldn’t either if I were in your position, but I’m doing this for Anna, Pete, and my brother.”
“He killed Anna, didn’t he?”
“Both times… yes.” He paused, taking a breath, then continued. “Anna and I were… involved. I loved her, and she found out she was pregnant with my child. We planned to flee together; however, she was anxious and wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She didn’t stick to the plan, and everything fell apart. He hunted her down and ran her over withhis vehicle. She wasn’t breathing when I arrived. I performed CPR and brought her back. Mr. Branson took the car and left. I stayed behind and called 9-1-1. It was cruel of me to bring her back, but I didn’t know it at the time. I didn’t know he would use her as a prop for his campaign, and I didn’t know he’d pull the plug.”
“But you knew everything else, and you’re just as fucked up as he is. So don’t sit here and try to spin me some bullshit love story,” I hissed.
“I did what I had to do to keep myself and my loved ones alive.”
“And my sisters?”
“Their attack was ordered by Mr. Branson. He eavesdropped on a conversation Kiyah had with Daisy and Nori, and he wasn’t fond of how they spoke about him and tried to convince her to leave. Mr. Branson had threatened to send my brother to prison if we hadn’t complied. My brother was in prison once before, and let’s just say, he wouldn’t survive a second stint. We did what he had to do to survive. And if it makes you feel better, Daisy killed Sutton. I harbor no ill will toward your family. I just want to disappear.”
“Disappear with all of Branson’s assets, huh?”
“I’m not a greedy man, Mr. Baker, but I did take what was owed to me for pain and suffering,” he replied.
“And what about Pete?”
“Kiyah loves him. You will care for him and his massive fortune. Pete is now the sole owner of Sentinel Security and other business ventures.”
“Did Branson have Mr. Stone killed, too?”
“No. Mr. Branson told me to do what I wanted with Mr. Stone. He is alive and well, and anxious for Mr. Branson to cross over. Once that is done, Mr. Stone will return as the head of Sentinel Security until Pete can assume the role.”
I exhaled slowly, the weight of the decision settling into my bones. This wasn’t about protecting my family anymore. This was about making sure no one else ever lived through what his victims had.
“I’ll meet you. But I will not be alone.”
“I didn’t expect you to be,” Desi replied. “I’ll text you the coordinates.”
“No, you bring him to me. I’ll text you.”
The line went dead, and I stood there in the hospital room with the phone still pressed to my ear, and my heart hammering with clarity and resolve. I understood that whatever came next, there was no going back.
