Page 5 of Captured Heart

The second time I saw Victor, he paid me three thousand dollars. This time, I was not only required to ignore the fact that the car was stolen, but I also had to ignore the black duffel bag in the backseat with a finger and hair poking out at the edge of the zipper.

Once again, I kept my mouth shut and did what I was told to do because my mom had just received her diagnosis a few weeks prior. The combined wages from all my odd jobs weren’t cutting it, and I was desperate. Her well-being was more important to me, so I turned a blind eye to everything Victor brought into my workshop. After my uncle died, I took over the shop, but it was just a front by then.

The more loyalty I showed, the more I was rewarded. Victor started involving me in more high-level crimes, and I got sucked into a life I had no control over. I was trapped, and I couldn’t get out. I knew too much, had seen too much. And it escalated to a point where I couldn’t even claim that I was an ignorant bystander who didn’t know what was going on.

I had my hand in a few robberies, some jewelry heists. I even stole a couple of cars myself. With that kind of lifestyle, there’s bound to be a few casualties along the way, and I turned a blind eye to that, too. When my mom’s condition worsened two years later, I wasn’t the son she loved so dearly. Aleksandras was nomore. There was only John Turner, the alias Victor created to make it easier for us to evade law enforcement.

Even though everything I did was for her, the end didn’t justify the means, and I know now that the end was inevitable. She’s gone. And all the despicable things I did to keep her here were all for nothing.

“Leave my mother out of this,” I say, a biting edge to my tone. “Just tell me what the hell you’re doing here.”

“I’m just here to catch up with an old friend.”

I humph. “Yeah, I’m not buying that.”

His lips lift in a humorless grin. “Fine. I have a job for you.”

“Not interested.” I shake my head, crossing my arms over my chest. “The last time I did a job for you, I ended up in the slammer for four years. So, no thank you. It’s a hard pass this time. I’m done with you. I’m done with that life. From now on, I’m on the straight and narrow.”

“Uh-huh.” He slides his hands into his pockets, looking past me to the rickety old trailer behind me. “And how’s that working out for you, Johnny?”

Pretty shitty.It’s actually not working out for me at all. I’m broke. I’m distressingly close to being homeless. But my criminal record is my biggest obstacle. One background check and any potential job offers fly out the window. I’m basically on my ass, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that...especially because he’s the reason I’m in this mess in the first place.

“It’s great. Morty, my eighty-three-year-old landlord, he said I could stay here as long as I like if I fix up his truck.” I nod toward the pickup in front of me. “I’ve got a roof over my head...”True. “...food in my belly...”Partially true.“...and a new job starting next week.”Total fabrication.“So, as you can see, I have everything I need.”

His condescending snort slices through my bullshit like a hot knife through butter. “You can’t fool me, John. We both know you don’t even have a pot to piss in. You’re trying to get your life together, but you can’t find a job. You’re drowning in debt. It’s tough. I know.” He releases a deep sigh filled with fake sympathy. “I’m just trying to help you out a little...you know? For old-time’s sake. I think five hundred thousand could go a long way in helping you get back on track.”

Half a mil? Shit, the things I could do with half a mil. That’s more than enough to pay off my debt and start over. I could open my own shop, start a new life and—

I stomp that thought out right there. I am very well accustomed to Victor’s manipulation tactics, yet still I can feel the tug, the undeniable pull toward the dark side. The temptation is so great I can almost taste it. He’s luring me back into that life, a life I don’t want anymore.

I stiffen my spine and steel my resolve. I’m not going to fall for it this time. Memories flash through my mind. Four years behind bars, trapped in a concrete box. I can’t go back there. I have to figure another way out...alegalway out.

“Yeah, I’m still gonna pass, Vic. If I’ve learned anything in this business, it’s that half a mil comes with a shitload of risk. Find yourself another guy. I’m not doing any more of your dirty work for you.”

“It’s not that kind of job. No dirty work. Minimal risk. There’s no downside to this. It’ll be the easiest money you’ve ever made.”

Okay, now I’m intrigued, but I don’t want to give him the upper hand, so I remain silent.

He takes that as his cue to continue and pulls out a photo from the inner pocket of his suit. “Katelyn Akiyama.” He hands me the picture. “Her father, Kenji, is my lawyer, and I have it on good authority that he’s planning to turn on me. He’s got shit onme going back about a decade, and if he hands that over to the feds, I’ll be going away for a very long time.”

It's there, dangling at the tip of my tongue. The urge to tell him he’d deserve every second behind bars...just like I did, but instead, I say, “I’m still not sure how I fit into all this.”

“Katelyn’s a student at UC Berkeley. Biochemistry major. Lives in her grandfather’s old house near campus. It was vacant for about a decade after he passed away, but she moved in during her freshman year.”

“And?” I press.

“AndI think that’s where Kenji’s keeping all his files on me.”

“So, you want me to break in and steal them? I just got out of prison eight months ago for doing exactly that. You told me there was no downside to this, and that’s a definite downside for me. Isn’t this something you can get your goons to do?”

“No.” He lightly strokes his goatee, and I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve ever seen Victor look nervous. “I’ve already tried that, and it didn’t work. They ransacked his office a few weeks ago, took all his devices. Found nothing. Last week, I had them cut the electricity to his house and sent a mole in as a repair guy to do a sweep. He found nothing there either. He doesn’t own any other properties, so those files have to be at the house in Berkeley.”

I frown because this tiptoeing doesn’t sound like Victor at all. It’s not like I want him to hurt an innocent man, but I know how he operates. “Why not just take him out? Seems easier than all this cloak-and-dagger crap.”

“You think I haven’t thought of that? It was my first option. And killing him might solve the problem in the short term, but Kenji isn’t stupid. A guy like him doesn’t make a move like this without covering his ass. If I take him out, I risk triggering whatever backup plan he’s got in place. Maybe a third party he’s already tipped off. Either way, those files could still end up inthe wrong hands, and I’ll lose everything.” He sneers, hating the fact that this Kenji guy has got him by the balls. “And trust me, he will be taught a harsh lesson for betraying me. I will take him out...just not now. I need to be stealthy about my next move, or he may just panic and take what he has to the feds.”

I shift and lean back against the pickup as I try to make sense of the whole situation. “What’s stopping him from doing that right now?”

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