Page 114 of Angel

“You checked on them a few days ago.” I remind her.

She keeps on checking on them ever since Ricardo was arrested.

“Yes, but they must be concerned they will lose their jobs, and with all that’s happening with, well, family, they must be worried about that.”

“You are a kind woman, Sophie. Many others in your situation would have cut ties with that family.”

“It’s not their fault.”

She glares at me. “They are devastated and I will not turn my back on them because one of their sons turned out to be disturbed.”

“What are your plans?”

I’m curious because we don’t talk about it and merely avoid it. Sophie has been living with me and hasn’t left since she agreed to move in while I helped her with her problem. That no longer applies, but we are still living together.

“I hold no plans aside from making it through this movie, the next trial, and coping with my guilt regarding Emilio.”

“You have no guilt. He deserved that bullet.”

I’m cold. I have always been when it concerns men like Martinez. Memories are still too raw inside me to ever allow them a break.

“Did he, Jason?”

She sighs. “Does anyone deserve to die at another person’s hand? We created a judicial system to punish them. It’s not the dark ages anymore. There are rules for a reason.”

“And if the system fails the victim, which it would in this case. Men like Martinez hold heat on the people in power and it’s unusual for cases like this one to go punished. You are aware of that, Sophie. You are proof of that. The person who shot your father was never punished for it. I’m guessing your father murdered many people during his career and yet never stepped foot inside a jail cell.”

“You know nothing about him or his, um, business.”

She turns her face to the window, and I immediately regret raising the subject of her family. It’s too close, too personal, and I say huskily, “I’m sorry. That was wrong of me.”

She leans back against the headrest.

“You’re probably right. Truth hurts, but I can’t change where I came from. At least one of us had normal parents. I can’t wait to meet your father.”

A knot is forming in my chest as I contemplate my normal family. They were hardly that.

* * *

We reach Gabriel’s palatial estate and as I enter the code into the gate and the lasers analyze the car, she gasps, “What is this place?”

“His fortress. Just be grateful there are no sniffer dogs and strip searches before we are allowed inside.”

The gate opens and as I drive through it, she whispers, “Why all the security? I mean, most rich families have it but laser beams? That’s a little extreme even for Hollywood.”

“Gabriel takes his safety very seriously.”

I wish I could throw her off the scent, but her questions will only multiply when she meets him.

“What does he do?”

“He owns a pharmaceutical company. There are many people out there who don’t agree with his work.”

“What is his work?”

“He produces drugs and cures for diseases. Obviously, he has a team of scientists all over the world working for him. However, he is very hands-on and always has been. Many people believe he tests his drugs on animals. He doesn’t.”

“I’m glad about that.”