Chapter Thirty Three

Stephen

Stephen - (Phone Call) Can you repeat that?

Philippe - (Phone Call) Sergio found him, Stephen. He’s in Northern Ireland. We thought you’d want to be here before we make a move.

Stephen - (Phone Call) Yes, I do. I mean, no. I mean, yes! Of course, I want to be there. Phil, can you give me an hour? I need to make a few calls. Trinity is thirty weeks pregnant now and I can’t leave her. I need to check if it’s okay for her to travel, and see if Clint can come too. I just need—

Philippe - (Phone Call) Stephen, take a breath. Sort out what you need to and call me back. We won’t do anything until we hear from you, okay?

Stephen - (Phone Call) Thanks, Phil. I’ll get back to you today.

Philippe - (Phone Call) Talk to you soon.

I end the call and run my hands through my hair, feeling a mix of relief and stress. I look up to see my wife, Trinity, and our friend Benji watching me with curious eyes.

Trinity - Are you okay, baby?

Stephen - That was Phil.

Benji - Barcelona Phil?

Stephen - Yeah, that’s the one.

Benji - Should I be worried?

Stephen - No, Benj. I meant it when I said I was done with all that. My family comes first now.

Benji - Okay.

Stephen - He needs us to get to Barcelona as soon as we can, doll.

Trinity - Why? What’s going on?

Stephen - Sergio is back.

Trinity - And he couldn’t just tell you over the phone?

Stephen - No. He found him. He’s in Barcelona, waiting for us.

Trinity - Oh, fuck.

Benji - Whoa! Watch your language, young lady.

Trinity - Shit! Sorry.

Benji - Haha, it’s okay. I just don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear like that. So, what’s the deal? Do I want to know?

Stephen - Long story short, you know Chad caused a lot of problems, right?

Benji - Yeah, he’s the reason for all this mess with Peters.

Stephen - Exactly. Sergio found him in Northern Ireland.

Benji - That’s good news, right?

Stephen - It is. But what about this IRS issue?

Trinity - What!

Stephen - Fuck! Why is everything happening at once? I can’t keep up.

Benji - Dude, sit down.

I sit next to Trinity, taking our daughter from her to give her a break.

Benji - You okay now?

Stephen - I don’t know, Benj. It’s all too much at once. I need a minute.

Benji - Okay, to answer your question, Trinity—Stephen called me earlier, which is why I’m here. While we don’t have proof, we’re pretty sure we know who tipped off the IRS. They showed up at Capulet today after an anonymous tip about tax fraud. They’re auditing the books of Capulet and Montague. But don’t worry, I’ve got it under control. There’s nothing wrong with those books, and I think we can all agree it’s safe to assume CPD made the call.

I lean back in the chair, holding my daughter, as I feel Trinity’s hand on the back of my neck, her nails gently scratching my scalp. God, I’d be lost without her. She knows just how to calm me down.

Benji - I can handle the IRS issue if you guys need to go. You already told Janson to go through me.

Stephen - Thanks, Benj. That would be a big help. I just need to talk to the staff and make sure they’ll be okay while we’re gone. Dave can’t be there all the time, and Felicity is due any day now.

Benji - How long do you think you’ll be gone?

Stephen - A week, tops.

Benji - Give them my contact details. If there are any major problems, tell them to call me first. If I need to escalate it to you and Clint, or if I can’t reach Dave, I’ll make that call.

Stephen - Thanks, Benj. Our duty managers should be fine, but I want a backup plan in case Dave can’t be reached.

Benji - What else?

Stephen - Trinity, I need you to call Dr. Cater and make sure it’s okay for you to travel. If it’s not, I’m not going.

Trinity - You have to go, Stephen.

Stephen - No, I don’t. You’re my priority right now. If you can’t travel, Clint and Mia can go on their own. Clint can handle things with Phil and Eddie, okay?

Trinity - Okay, baby. Give me a second. Can you take Nate too while I call?

Benji - Hand him over, Trin. I’ve got him.

Trinity - Thanks, Benji.

Benji - Hey, little buddy. Are you going to come work with Uncle Benji when you get older?

I watch my son laugh at Benji, but his eyes are glued to his momma.

Benji - So, call Clint and let him and Mia know. That should sort everything out, right?

Stephen - Yeah, mate.

Benji - Okay, you do that while I call Janson back and let him know you’ve had a family emergency but give full permission for them to carry on in your absence.

Stephen - Thanks, Benj. I’ll call Clint now.

I dial Clint’s number while Benji talks to Janson.

Clint - (Phone Call) Hey, bro. What’s up?

Stephen - (Phone Call) Are your and Mia’s passports current, mate?

Clint - (Phone Call) How the fuck would I know? That’s why I have Mia. Hang on.

I hear him shout to Mia, who confirms that their passports are current.

Clint - (Phone Call) Yeah, she said they’re current. Why?

Stephen - (Phone Call) Phil called. I need you guys to come to Barcelona with me. Please tell me Willie has a passport so we can leave ASAP.

Again, I hear Clint shout to Mia, who confirms that Willie has a passport.

Clint - (Phone Call) Yes, mate. She said it’s fine. So, are you going to tell me anything?

Stephen - (Phone Call) Phil called. Sergio’s back. He found Chad.

Clint - (Phone Call) When do you want to leave?

Stephen - (Phone Call) Trinity’s calling her doctor now to make sure she can fly. If she can, we’re all going. I’m not leaving her and the kids behind right now. I’ll fill you in later, but Peters is causing trouble again. He sent the IRS to investigate me for tax fraud.

Clint - (Phone Call) Cünt.

Stephen’s voice came through the phone, clear and decisive. “Fishing trip, buddy. Both books are squeaky clean and Benji’s got it covered. He’ll keep an eye on things while we’re gone. If everything’s good and Trin’s okay to go, I want us all to leave in the next day or so. If she can’t, I’ll need to send you and Mia.”

Clint’s response was immediate. “Got it. I’ll let Mia know and we’ll start getting ready. Just let me know as soon as you have a definite answer.”

“Will do,” Stephen replied. “Talk to you soon.”

I returned to the table, letting Benji know that everything was sorted out. He’d already spoken to Janson and everything was fine on that end. Now, we were just waiting for Trinity to finish her phone call so I could update Clint on the flight situation. After about ten minutes, she finally came back over.

“How’d it go, babe?” I asked.

Trinity smiled, her relief evident. “All good. Dr. Cater said it’s fine for me to fly now, but she wouldn’t recommend it after thirty-seven weeks. I told her we had an emergency and it should only be a week, tops. She was okay with it, but she wants us to make an appointment when we get back so she can check on our little man. The twins are good to fly, too. They’re up-to-date on their shots and we have their passports, babe. So, no issues there.”

I grinned, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. “Okay, babe. Looks like we’re all going to Barcelona then.”