*****023:

What I like about John, is he's professional, and he doesn't waste my time. He ordered succinctly, knowing beforehand what he wanted, sipped his mixed drink whatever it was, I'd stopped paying attention so that my inclined taste buds would not start salivating at the first thought of alcohol. And he did away with PR schpeels, very little friendly chit chat.

I held Aubrey's hand which was shaking slightly, but she too could be professional, when she forced herself these days, Mommy-hood had made her slightly more emotional.

My eyes slid to hers, and hers were calm as sea breezes, so that meant turbulent. The presence outside today of paparazzi and music photojournalists was downright annoying. I called Kevin and asked him to get rid of them if possible. Knowing it wasn't completely possible. This meeting would have been better held at his offices.

"Gomez Nemesio was a big time cartel leader. But he was old school, and had a certain funny honor system you might associate with the Italian Mafia back in the days of the Godfather." John started. "Carlos Aquinas was not his brother, but a trusted advisor and bodyguard, however, he does have two living biological brothers. Roberto Jimenez, a half-brother on his mother's side who has steadfastly in the past eschewed any connection to the cartel, and Maximino Gutierrez, the leader of the CJNG in Sonora, most likely involved in the murder of his brother. His cartel has now taken over what was left of Gomez's and wiped out any old timers who stood in the way. He is the leader of the most dangerous and prominent cartel in Sonora."

He paused for slight affect, even though his words were chilling enough and needed no real umph behind them. I twirled my fingers for him to go on. We got it. Danger. We got it.

"It is not likely that Roberto is after Felicity to promote a new cartel or gather supporters for the old one, nothing of the sort. Most likely he wants to protect her. You see Gomez had North American and South American drug contacts. People high up in the governments of many countries who dealt with customs and were paid to liaison between dealers and the cartel. This information is dangerous, and worth a lot. If it fell into the wrong hands it could be a death sentence for many careers, the scandal of which you are not equipped to handle."

"Scandal not involving us?" Aubrey said. "Felicity doesn't have any such information."

"It is likely she inadvertently knows where it is."

"How is that possible? She's four."

"Almost five."

"Oh, for Pete's sake."

"I realize you are unfamiliar with these cultural things, and so am I. That is why I have recommended a team of professional International Criminal Court Lawyers, and the appropriate International adoption attorneys." He handed over a list. "I have actually retained them in your behalf."

"To do what? Adoption is permanent." I said matter-of-factly. Marshall and I had discussed this at length, as his was a foreign adoption. I suppose we could talk to Richard and Tracy, they'd adopted five such foreign children.

"You will win the adoption issue, but this man is dangerous, and may not accept the outcome. Felicity may be in danger." John looked at me meaningfully, and I pulled out my phone and texted Aidan to beef up security around the kids.

"We can go to Rosewood." Aubrey said instantly. "Rosewood is safe."

"I can't go to Rosewood right now. The show-----." I glanced at her and she bit her lips and nodded.

"You're right, leaving SoCal right now wouldn't be good for the kids anyway. They are into their routine and their counseling. We can't just uproot them."

"Why do they think Felicity would know where these lists are anyway? She wouldn't have a clue where her dad kept anything, kids don't at this age. It's far more likely that one of the other cartel people ----."

"The key to a safe deposit box, and to her father's safe---two keys were on a necklace she was photographed wearing just days before the incident. A kind of charm necklace." John had become very still, his hands stopped shuffling and lay calmly on top.

"Do you have this picture?" I asked, and Aubrey sat up as straight as she could with her tummy.

John nodded, and pulled it up on his phone. This wasn't a simple online photo, but something that had obviously been given to him.
"How did you get this?" Aubrey and I leaned over studying it carefully. It was Gomez holding his daughter, as she reached for a balloon with a huge happy grin on her face. She had no idea that the necklace she wore was loaded with such terrible important icons. Why would a man as smart as Gomez load his daughter up with something so dangerous? It was a horrible place to keep these things. I was appalled.

"And these charms--they're all keys? Do they all actually go to something?"

"They are not all charms. I'm having a forensics lab dissect the photo and come up with a replica of the necklace to the best of their ability."

"You don't think I'd actually allow her to wear that thing!" Aubrey slapped her palm on the table, her eyes wide and stricken.

"No, heaven's no! But replicating it might give us clues to its veracity, and let us know exactly what we're looking for."

I stared at the picture. "You've hired the proper detectives? Have you notified the authorities?"

"Well, now that's the thing, isn't it? If we turn this over to the FBI or the CIA, don't you think it would alert those who could be most affected in the government. I believe honestly Rafe, that it would put her in even more danger."

"At least until we know what we're dealing with." Aubrey and I stared at the picture. Both of us felt the same things, and it was written in our eyes as we tried not to cloud up, or become emotional.

"What is your strategy?" Aubrey asked.

John blew out his breath. "We need to locate Roberto himself. He is not a well-known public figure and his only communications have been in writing, not even on the internet. There are no pictures of him, and no history we can draw from. That is why I say we need to give it time to flesh him out. The US International Adoption Courts are notoriously slow. This can back shelf for a certain amount of time. Hopefully, we'll amass a dossier worthy of taking to the proper authorities when the time comes, but we need that list before either Roberto or Maximiliano get to it."

"And that is your strategy? To get a hold of those keys?"

"It gives us something to work with. If we have possession, we know who we can and can't trust." John blew out his breath. "And this, like I said, is mainly over my head, although I'll stay apprised of things."

I swallowed hard. "Okay then." Our food came, but I was not a bit hungry. I really just wanted to get home to Felicity.

We picked at our food, all of us, and then I told Aubrey she had to get that calorie count up and insisted on eating so that she wouldn't feel alone in scarfing down a whole meal. John was affable but certainly preoccupied, thanked us for the meal and left sooner rather than later.

"So, what should we do? Stay home? Just stay home?" Aubrey laid her arms on the table, even though it meant leaning over her tummy uncomfortably.

"No. We can't become recluse's waiting for a strike. I think we should go get a necklace, today, now. I mean seriously."

"A necklace?" She looked completely baffled.

"Aubrey, how easy would it be? We have the kid. We buy a similar necklace and we ask her if she's ever seen anything like it, and where she last put it."

"Rafe, she won't know! That was so long ago, almost a year ago!"

"I know! I know. It's a long shot, but it's a long shot for this Maxi guy and his half-brother, Roberto." I helped her up, not resisting the urge to run my hand down her hair, her side, and the swell of her hip.

I think my hands have become hypersensitive since my marriage--- just the touch of her skin or her curves sends my brain into dopamine overdrive. Crazy huh? For a guy as sexually charged as I'd been most of my adult life, you'd think being married wouldn't have exacerbated the issue, but possibly settled it. Not. Aubrey's no sex before marriage really only solidified the draw. It made her tantalizing, kept me aching for her all those months without her, or lying next to her and restraining myself, something I had never expected to do. It was novel and impressive, meaning it had made the biggest impression on me out of all the women I'd dated and loved. So, I'd married her. I had to, right?

We got outside and had to be ushered through the crowds, waving, smiling, hurrying to take a couple of pics, racing to the Explorer. Not driving--- it kills me I'm not driving right now.

I asked to be taken to the jewelry district. If nothing else we could have it made or ordered.

******