The Golden Chalice Page 13

  “Listen to me!” Pops grabbed her face. “I’ll throw them off, baby-girl, but you have to do this. I’ve arranged someone to meet you in the canal. Swim toward the canal. Do you understand?”

  “No,” Michelle cried. “I don’t want to leave you.”

  Pops smiled. “Sometimes we have to leave behind the ones we love. It’s a matter of survival, baby. You do what your old man says. You do it.” He released her and smiled.

  She could hear the running of feet above them. The sirens blared like a macabre warning. She blinked and nodded she would do it. Pops gave her the bag of the jewels.

  “Now go! Jump!”

  Michelle sucked in a deep breath and climbed the wall. She heard Sasha scream a warning and just as she’d envisioned, Eddie raised his gun at her. In the chest, please, God, make him hit me in the chest.

  The blast came first.

  The pain, second.

  She was airborne. Like a punch to the lungs, the impact threw her over the wall. Michelle spread her arms and closed her eyes. She felt free. She floated for several seconds before her body crashed into the rushing waves. The water dragged her under, and she submerged several feet before kicking upward for air. She coughed out a breath and swam hard. The bulletproof vest was like a weight strapped to her waist. Several times she took in water and submerged. She struggled and swam harder.

  But the pain in her chest and the vest made her falter. She went under, thinking she’d drown. She almost laughed at the irony. A hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up. Another man helped, and she was dragged out of the water and yanked over the hull of the small fishing boat. A rank fishing tarp was thrown over her body, covering her, and she gasped in air. She rolled underneath the heavy canvas, spitting up water. Gunfire blasted but the fishing boat motor spun up and drowned out the sounds. She felt the boat zip away through the water.

  Cosmo lifted the tarp after a few seconds. He worked hard to free her from the vest. She managed a smile up at him, and he smiled down at her.

  “Are you okay? Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Yes, Cosmo.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m not hit.” She sat up, breathing hard, refilling her lungs with air. She looked around to see if they’d been spotted. The timing had been perfect. The exact same escape Pops had planned for them, years ago.

  And you been my little Chocolat princess ever since. Pops was a fool. A slave to the game he played all his life. But you’re different. One day, you’ll walk away. Use the Chalice to do it if you can. Don’t die like your old man, with regrets. I loved you. I love you both still. Always remember that.

  “I didn’t think it would work. This plan of yours was crazy from the start.” Cosmo chuckled, his belly rising and falling like Santa Claus.

  Michelle managed a smile. “I told you when you snuck your way into the hospital to visit me that it would. I just needed your help.”

  The boat made a circle up to a waiting yacht and she was helped onto it. Her legs were useless. The pain in her back was so severe, it traveled the length of her spine. “I need a minute.”

  “Rest…rest for now.” Cosmo helped her to the cabin.

  Michelle nodded and began to shed her wet clothes. “Give me a minute and we’ll talk.”

  Cosmo agreed and left her alone. Michelle collapsed in nothing but her wet jeans. Somewhere along the line, she’d lost a shoe. She looked down at her stocking foot and laughed. After the last of her laughter escaped her, she cried.

  ***

  “Did she say anything? This plan of hers. Did she tell you how she would pull it off?” Lee asked.

  Sasha shook her head no. She could barely talk; she was so stricken with grief. “I don’t know anything, Lee. I swear it.”

  “Bullshit! I say you do! She isn’t dead!” he yelled in her face. Up on his feet, wet, he paced. All’d he found in the river was a fucking sneaker. One tennis shoe. His men forced him and Sasha to leave in order to avoid Czech prison. He should have stayed in the river. Searched harder.

  Sasha broke down with deep sobs. “My sister is gone. You did this. You killed her, just like you killed Kumar! You did it!”

  Lee looked away. The guilt and pain were too much for him. He nearly staggered from the room. The only escape he found was in the bathroom. Behind the closed door, he sucked in deep breaths. Nothing happened. His grief had strangled him. Lee turned and slammed the heel of his hand into the door. He beat his fist into the door until the wood splintered and he thought his hand would crash through. In agony, he howled and tears he hadn’t shed since he lost his baby fell from him. “She’s not dead. She’s not dead. She’s not dead!”

  ***

  When Michelle opened the door, the men that had helped her board the yacht were gone. Only Cosmo remained behind, waiting. She smiled at the closest person she had left in the world. Cosmo had called in Pops’ old drinking buddies to pull this off. And if Lee ever knew he helped her, he’d kill them both. That’s why she needed to put distance between her and these men immediately. She changed into the clothes Cosmo brought and walked out toward the front of the boat, smiling at him.

  “You look better.”

  “I feel better,” she said softly.

  “Why do I hear sadness in your voice?”

  Michelle forced another smile and looked away. “A lot has happened, Cosmo. I’ve changed.”

  “No, you haven’t. Not really.” Cosmo reached across the table and squeezed her hand. She looked up and smiled.

  “Chocolat died in that river. She’s never coming back.”

  “Good. Good for you.”

  “Cosmo, did your cousin have the Feds on Kumar? Is he alive?”

  “He’s alive, Michelle. You saved that kid’s life. But you know they will pressure him to go after Lee.”

  Michelle sighed. “Lee can handle it. Trust me.”

  “You sure? I saw him at the hospital when he granted me permission to visit. The man, well, you know I hate the man. Still, he loved you. In his own way.”

  She gave a sad smile. “Lee could handle just about anything before he and I got confused by love. He’ll be stronger without me. We both will be. Sasha will grow up the hard way. Her choice. All of this is her choice. I’ve made mine.” Michelle sniffled. “Thank you for everything, for helping me, for believing in me.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “It’s best you don’t know.” She rose and walked over to hug him. He chuckled and hugged her.

  “Do you have everything? The money? It’s not much, but it’s a start.”

  “I will pay you back. I swear it.”

  “Just be that doctor we talked about. Start over. You earned this new beginning.”

  The captain came down and said something in Czech. Cosmo nodded. “We’re here. It’s time.”

  Michelle grabbed her backpack. She wore jeans and a leather biker jacket. She’d catch a flight to Greece and from there she’d find her way. To where, she didn’t know, but the adventure had her giddy with excitement.

  They emerged from the lower deck. Michelle accepted the hand of the man offering to bring her onto the pier. She looked over her shoulder at Cosmo, who stared at her in the night with tears in his eyes.

  “I love you,” she mouthed.

  He mouthed the words back to her. Turning, her eyes fell upon the ring Lee gave her. She had never broken her promise to him, never taken it off. She slowly removed the ring. She nearly tossed it into the river, but stopped. She opened her hand and stared at the jewel, her heart heavy with loss, with the memory of him still treasured in a part of her she’d visit again, when she was alone, when it was safe, when it didn’t hurt as much.

  Exhaling, she walked off into the night.

  ***

  Lee navigated Sasha through the airport, heading for the private hangar where his jet awaited. They’d just cleared customs. He hadn’t left her side since they’d driven away from the river. Sasha wore large, oval shades, her head down. Neit
her of them spoke. They moved through the crowds aimlessly, thinking of Michelle.

  When he looked over to speak his wishes, he caught glimpse of someone familiar, a short, stout man with big cheeks who seemed a bit confused as the Czech officer instructed him how to load his bag. The man pushed his luggage down the conveyor belt to the customs agent. Lee threw up his hand and stopped the men trailing him. He grabbed Sasha by the arm. “That man. Do you know him?”

  Sasha’s head slowly lifted. She looked about. Lee pointed to the man accepting his luggage.

  “That’s Cosmo,” Sasha said.

  “Cosmo? The guy that owned the diner, right?”

  “Yeah. What is he doing here?”

  Lee watched Cosmo shuffle along to catch his flight. A slow smile formed over his lips. The insufferable pain over his loss eased. He would know it if she were dead. He’d know it. She’d done it. She’d played the ultimate hustle, and won.

  He smirked. “Exactly. What’s Cosmo doing here?”

  Epilogue

  Sasha forced herself from the bed. A month of solitude made her depression complete, but another two months of living under Lee’s thumb had completely destroyed any hope she had of recovery. The alcohol helped. She understood why her father preferred it to life. She reached for the empty vodka bottle and groaned.

  “Dammit!” she cursed, throwing it across the room. Forcing herself to rise, she staggered toward the closet. There was a liquor store three blocks from her apartment. She’d get there in time to collect a few bottles and get in bed. The idea of it made her smile.

  She forced on a pair of jeans and pulled down a sweater. Turning, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The woman staring back at her shocked her awake. Her skin was an ashen shade of gray, and the dark puffs under her lids had aged, if not erased, her vitality. Her lips were chapped and raw. Her hair was a scraggly mess on her head.

  “Fuck you!” she shouted at her image. If she had something, she’d throw it at the mirror. Instead, she looked for her shoes. In the bathroom, she managed to comb her hair and gargle some mouthwash. It was the best she could do.

  “Now where the hell are my keys?” she mumbled.

  The phone rang. Sasha rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She’d heard one of Lee’s men say the other day, when he stopped by to bring her money, that the boss had returned. The damn fool thought her sister was alive. He’d been all over the world searching for her. It was so damn stupid.

  Sasha marched over to the phone and snatched it up. “Hello!”

  “I want to see you. Today. I’ll send a car in an hour.”

  “I, um, can’t, Lee. I have a doctor’s appointment,” she lied.

  “Have you been drinking?”

  Sasha smirked. “Why?”

  “I’m home now. I want to talk to you. I….” Lee’s voice trailed off. “This afternoon I’ll send a car. We need to talk about Michelle.”

  “No, dammit! No! My sister is dead. Get it through your damn skull. She’s dead. And you know what, Lee, so am I. Leave me the hell alone.” She slammed down the phone. She didn’t care if she incurred his wrath. She had no feelings left. All she wanted was another glass of vodka and some sleep. Maybe tonight she’d watch some of her favorite TV shows. Yep. That sounded like a perfect day.

  When she left her apartment for the short walk to the liquor store, she groaned because she didn’t have her sunglasses. She could barely see the sidewalk or the people moving to and fro in front of her. She kept blinking and frowning up at the sun. Sasha turned a corner and walked with her arms crossed. She needed a car. Problem was she didn’t have anything if she didn’t get it from Lee. Remembering how her sister had opened her eyes to that reality, she had to chuckle bitterly.

  “How much money do you have?”

  “Well, I got about six grand upstairs, in my suitcase. Why?” Sasha asked.

  “You worked on a job worth millions. On the street, it would have easily bought you three, maybe five mill, and you have six thousand dollars. Cash. Nothing in the bank? Nothing in your name?”

  Sasha shrugged. “If I want anything, a car, shopping, anything, I can have it. Lee gives us both what we want. You know that.”

  Michelle sat down. Her sister shook her head in disgust. “I thought you were dumb. Truth is, you’re just stupid.”

  “Wait a damn minute.”

  “Shut up!” Michelle yelled.

  Sasha sniffled. She wiped a loose tear from her cheek. She missed Michelle. She missed her father. Most of all she missed, Kumar. She went inside the liquor store and grabbed several bottles of Grey Goose. The man knew her well. She tossed him some bills, not bothering to count the change, and accepted her bags. With her head bowed, she was out the door and on the sidewalk again, lost in her memories.

  The screeching tires of a car didn’t alarm her. Neither did the sounds of running feet. In her misery, Sasha kept going. A hand touched her shoulder. She stopped, confused.

  “You need to come with me,” the man said.

  Sasha sighed. Lee had sent for her. She should have known he would. The man looked at her as if he was prepared to take her by force. There would be no need. As long as he didn’t try to take her bottles from her she didn’t care where she went to drink them. He turned her toward the car and she got in the back seat. When she glanced at the driver she frowned. The car didn’t look like Lee’s. These men were dressed too average. Off-the-rack blue suits and ties. They felt more authoritative than anything. “Are you with Lee?” she asked, and her voice trembled.

  “My name is Humphrey. Agent Humphrey. I’m with the FBI.”

  Sasha sighed. “Damn.”

  She was brought to an office building and led inside without handcuffs. No one seemed the least bit interested in her arrival. She looked around with fear, making the vodka in her belly bubble. She felt like she’d throw up.

  “Wait in here,” the man said as he led her to a room.

  There was nothing inside but a table and a few chairs. She nodded and went inside. Now her life would have the final chapter. Jail. She had a lot of fears and concerns when living as a thief, but jail was never one of them. If she thought of consequences, she’d never have been able to do what she’d done. What would prison be like? She’d be alone, but she was already alone. Sasha hung her head.

  She cried, something she did often.

  The door opened and closed. Sasha wiped at her eyes. “I want an attorney. You can’t hold me without an attorney. I know my rights!” she said, looking up.

  Kumar smiled at her.

  Sasha blinked. Her hand went to her chest. She’d seen Kumar before, when the drinking got the best of her and her mind conjured him.

  “Hi, babe. Miss me?”

  “Kumar?”

  He nodded.

  Sasha rose. “Kumar?”

  He walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace. Sasha threw her arms around him and wept against his chest. She held tight to him. “Is it you. Am I dreaming? Please, God, don’t let this be another dream.”

  Kumar lifted her chin. He smiled down at her. “It’s me, sweetheart. I’ve found you. At last.”

  “But…how?”

  “A long story. I’m alive, and we’re going to be okay.”

  “No. No. The Feds?”

  “They want to talk to you, Sasha. I want you to talk to them. Listen to me. This is our chance. I told you I’d find a way for us to be together. I have. Do you trust me?”

  “You let me think you were dead!” She shoved him away. “I thought you were dead!”

  Kumar dropped his head in shame. “I know. I wanted to find you, to tell you, but I couldn’t. I told them I wouldn’t help them. I’d go to prison if they didn’t cut me a deal.” He cupped her face and stared into her eyes. “And my deal was you, babe. I want you and only you. They can put us on the moon as long we’re together.”

  “I….” Sasha sniffled. “I’m different. I’ve, um, I’ve started drinking.”

  “We�
��ll get help. The both of us. We’ll do whatever it takes to be whole again. Together? Okay?”

  Sasha closed her eyes and felt the relief of his love fill her to the brim. She nodded sadly and he kissed her. His arms closed around her and she reveled in the feel of him. “I love you so much, Kumar.”

  “I love you, too. Always and forever.”

  ***

  Six Months Later—Gostei, Portugal

  The dusty blades on the fan spun hot wind. Even with her hair pulled back and pinned to her head, she constantly found herself fanning or wiping to cool off. The students, however, flourished. Today they were all abuzz over the pending weekend and festival in Carnunca.

  “Señora Miller. Señora! Mira lo que hice!”

  “English, Pedro.” Michelle smiled.

  “Sí, look at what I done.”

  “Did. ‘Look at what I did.’”

  “Sí. Look!”

  Michelle accepted the paper. She scanned the sentences for structure and punctuation. He had improved. The school bell chimed and the kids all screamed. She didn’t bother to stall them as they raced out of her classroom. Pedro, however, stood before her grinning, waiting for her approval. She cupped his chin and smiled down at him. “Very good. I’m so proud of you.”

  Pedro nodded. “My mother say you can come for dinner. No?”

  “Not tonight. Maybe some other time. Tell her gracias. I think she’s outside waiting for you.”

  Pedro raced past the small school desk to the window. With burnished brown skin and dark hair cut into a pageboy, he was the sweetest little boy out of thirty in her class. Pedro was always so thirsty to learn. He grabbed the window ledge and looked out. “Sí! Minha mãe!” Pedro hurried and got his books. He waved and rushed out the door.