Chapter 12

Adam

It was late by the Time Daniel and I flew into London. After our trip into Hobbit world, I felt better about our relationship. Most of our conversation focused on going to college but at least Daniel was talking to me about a neutral subject. He wanted to know what I thought about Oxford. I couldn't tell him I had no idea. The closest I ever got to Oxford was sleeping with a girl who went there before Jennifer came into my life.

When we arrived at the Corinthia Jennifer and the twins had already checked in.

As the receptionist gave me the key I noticed Jennifer had gotten two rooms right next to each other.

Strange.

Daniel was dead to the world as I carried him into the elevator to climb up to the penthouse floors. I don't think not since the time he was born have we been this close.

Ding! Ding!

The elevator doors open and as I turned left I saw Thomas standing outside in the white and red hallway.

"Evening, boss".

"Evening", I said. "I didn't know you were coming to London with us? Your wife is going to hate me".

"I couldn't let Mrs. Caffery travel alone. It didn't feel right".

"Thank you, you're a good man. I mean it".

"I know you're probably tired but can I talk to you for a second boss?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Alejandro came by the house and spoke to Mrs. Caffery just before we left. I don't know exactly about what but you always say you want to know when he drops by".

"I do", I'm sure Jennifer was going to tell me in person. I don't know if that should concern me more.

"And ummm... There's one more thing".

"Yeah?"

"Well, I don't know how to...umm... You see...."

"Thomas, don't be polite or proper I've known you for how many fucking years. Just say what you need to say".

"Mrs. Caffery had a pretty hard day. Kids are tough at that age believe me I went through it. Umm, yeah, uummm yyyeahh.…".

"I feel like I haven't learned a lot but I feel like you're also trying to warn me about what I'm about to sit up into", I said connecting the dots. "How bad of a day was it?"

"Mrs. Caffery has been staring at a wall for 2 hours".

"What the hell did they do?!" I said hearing the sound feet stomping around on the other side of the door Thomas was guarding. I pressed my foot against the door to make sure it didn't open.

"You know kids. They're trying to find themselves outside of themselves".

"Hey! I'm locked in here!" Fitzgerald shouted.

"Go to bed!" I shouted.

"I'm hungry!"

"Order room service. You two stay in there. I don't know what you did to your mother but...."your punishment is to stay inside of a five-star hotel room that has a butler on call and will cater to your every whim. "You stay in there".

I was really laying down the law.

"Okay", I could hear Fitz walking away from the door with all the grace of a bomb going off.

"Thomas, get some rest. Maybe a drink on me too".

"Good night, boss".

"Night", I walk to the door next to the twins sled my key card and open the door to a dark room playing Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Op 20 softly. I stood in the chinoiserie-style entrance and called out for"Jen?"

She didn't respond.

I went to lay Daniel found in one of the guest bedrooms in the suite that connected to the twins' suite. It didn't take me long to find Jennifer standing on the roof terrace, observing the panoramic view of London, like a monarch of all she survey. I walked across the Oak Parquet flooring rolling up my sleeves to Jennifer. The regal suite that was, truly unrivalled in its grand elegance.

I step on to the terrace to see Jennifer staring down at the River Thames. She wore a black long slik nightgown and her feet were bare. I came up behind her wrapping my arms around her cold body.   "A bit cold for taking in the view?"

"I hadn't noticed".

I kissed her cheek rubbing my hands up and down her arms hoping to warm her up a little faster,"Rough day?"

"We're entering a new phase in life", she said turning to face me.

"And what's that my love?"

"The I hate being a Caffery phase", she explained. "Fitzgerald is struggling. Had he ever talked to you about going to a boarding school?"

"With his grades?" I joked.

Jennifer did not find it funny,"I'm being serious".

In a way so was I,"No, he never bought it up to me".

"We can't send him away".

"That wasn't even on the table, love".

"I'm trying to find a balance in his life. But...I'm getting lost", Jennifer explained The long journey to London. Fitz and Maria argued and fought all the time that was normal but I had never heard Fitz complain about our family. If anything I always thought the twins, well really Maria understood they're a lot of pros to be us but they are some cons. "Adam, he's not asking for the world. He's asking for a friend who isn't afraid of who he is. And somehow in his mind the only way to achieve that is to separate from the problem which is---"

"Stupid", Jennifer didn't like my response but it was true.

"His feelings are valid".

"Love, this is just pre-pre-teen angst. Fitzgerald, will get over it. He's just in a funny place right now of wanting independence but he's not quite ready for it".

"It's not about independence It's about having an idea of the self".

"I don't know how to fix this".

"Exactly", she agreed.

Jesus, it feels like I get on a good terms with one kid another one falls off the wagon. "I'll talk to him in the morning".

"You may not have time".

"Why?" Then she told what Alejandro stopped by the house for and about our new neighbors. I should have just bit the board and bought the useless piece of property. Now the trash has moved in,"Fuck".

"Yeah, I have Alejandro on standby watching the Conrad's, his militia of unseen are already in Colombia".

"Have you told Michael?"

"No, I think this is a conversation you need to have face-to-face with him. It's his territory but its your trade that it's going to hurt. What do you want to?"

"I have to go down there and make sure that they remember not to fuck with us", I groaned. This is what I get for taking some time off. The world loses its fucking mind.

"You and Michael install Javier as President for a reason. If he's not going to play right you can always find another", she reminded me. "Get rid of Javier, in the wake of his death the military will rise up to take power and once they fucked everything up good and well a Savior will appear to save the people of course backed by you and Michael. If you decide to go down this route you can't let Javier's family live after this. The price of doing business is high he knew that going in".

"That he did".

"So what would you like us to do in the meantime?"

"Bring everyone home. This could take a while and I know you don't want to hear it but----"

"I'm not going to Monterrey. I have no desire to go back to the place it almost killed me", Jennifer was right she hadn't been back anywhere in Latin America since the last major showdown we had. "I'm definitely not letting you take Lara with you".

"I don't need an accountant for this. But, I could use an assassin".

"O great, Now we can invite them mercenary boyfriend into the in ner lockings of all your financial gains".

"It's a joke, my love. You're going to have to accept Lara's lifestyle. This could be a phase, this could be forever I know you don't like it but you have to at least respect her choice. She's not going to let two idiots play her. Lara gets  just as much out of the relationship as they do".

"Thats easy for you to say isn't that the ultimate fantasy for a man to have two women on his arm", She said with a roll of her eyes. Yeah this was going to be an adjustment. But we had to get on board or we risk losing any relationship with Lara.

"I can barely keep up with the one on my arm", I said kissing her forehead. "I know you don't want to go down south, and I wouldn't ask if I didn't truly need you. I need someone I can trust to test the waters to see how deep this thing runs. Can't ask anyone else to do that without giving away that we could be in trouble. We need to take care of this quickly and in-house. You still have a lot of connections from Ismael Zambada García and Alex".

"That was almost 15 years ago".

"And the cartels still know your name. What did they give you the nickname of...?"

"Queen of blood", Because everywhere she went there was a trail of blood following her.

Jennifer leaned against the concrete terrace wall with apprehension in her eyes,"I want to help. I would do anything for this family. But, every time we take any trip down south it never ends well. I don't want to put the kids at risk. And that's exactly what we would be doing if we go".

"We have the best security in the world. We haven't had an incident since---"

"We picked up Maria from school?" I wasn't really counting that because it didn't go that bad. "That was in Paris imagine what would happen in Mexico?"

"We were both there and nothing happened to her", Jennifer gave me a dry stare that could only say are you kidding me. "Physically, nothing happened to her".

That was a threat answer. I could see it in the twitch in her eyes,"Love, a month and you would never have to leave Monterrey. It's still the richest city in Mexico completely developed you wouldn't be in the middle of the desert or a jungle".

"And what about the kids schooling?"

"They have schools in Mexico".

"So tutors", whatever she wanted I would give her in this moment. Jennifer was very particular about the type of education the kids received. She exhaled hard before saying,"I want Liam and the unseen for security with Alejandro".

"That's fine".

"I want Brandon to handle all the cyber security".

"I wouldn't have it any other way".

I could tell Jennifer wasn't completely sold on the idea but she reluctantly agreed. "Let's take a trip down south of the broader".

Maria

I'm so glad I came out to the terrace to get away from Fitz! We're going to Mexico! That mean we got to see Uncle Michael and all the other drug lord stuff.

I didn't get my mom was so against going. She never wanted to go see Uncle Michael at his place He always had to come to us. Who cares about school There's drug lord stuff to do! Maybe dad will take me with him!? A whole month to be with Dad.

"Love, we may get lucky and you may only have to be there for a week".

"Luck doesn't live on that side of broader".

What did Mom mean by that?

From the tone in her voice Mom made it sound like she was going to have to do something. Mom wasn't a drug lord. She is... mom. She doesn't have anything to worry about. She's just being dramatic like Fitz.

This is going to be the best trip ever!