Avenues: The Finale, Part 2

“Do exactly as I say or she dies,” Oliver started, then gestured for me to move away from Susie. I obeyed, not willing to let my pride get either of us killed. I wondered how the hell he got up here when Luey’s men were parked downstairs, keeping watch and on the staircase. A disguise maybe? Whatever it had been, it worked and I was trying really fucking hard not to lose my shit and tackle Oliver to the ground. He could get trigger happy and shoot away at Susie.

“We’re going to go for a ride.”

“Where are you taking him?” Susie asked, her voice trembling as she tried to remain calm, for the baby’s sake.

“To visit dear ol’ dad in prison,” Oliver answered sharply as he gestured for me to move towards the rooftop door and Susie and I shared a look, wondering what the hell my father had to do with this.

“Emilio….is he your father as well?” What the hell was Susie doing? Why was she stalling him? I had to get Oliver out of here. And there was absolutely no way this guy and I were related. Emilio would’ve said something. Or would he?...

“Move!” he ordered, pushing the gun into my skull. I heard Susie gasp for air and cry out in pain. Oliver and I both froze and looked in her direction.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” I asked and moved to reach for her, but Oliver pressed the gun further into my skin so I wouldn’t move another inch.

“It’s the baby. Something’s wrong…” she cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked up at Oliver. “Please, let us go. Whatever you want, we’ll get it for you. Just please let us go….”

I hated hearing her beg, but it seemed to be working since Oliver cursed and placed his gun down. For a big time gangster, there was a deep desperation within his demeanor and it seemed I was the only one who could help him get what he wanted. Did he deserve to get it? Hell no. But I had to do whatever it took to make sure at least one of us made it out of this alive and I wanted it to be Susie.

“Say a single word about me being here and you and wifey over here won’t make it through the night,” he warned, aiming his gun towards Susie this time.

“I’ll be in touch.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You were faking it?” I asked incredulously, as the nurse checked Susie’s pulse at the hospital and Susie asked her for some privacy. As soon as the nurse left us and closed the door, I pulled up a chair beside her and shook my head.

“I had to do something. Desperate men are dangerous,” she answered, her fingers caressing my cheek as I leaned into her palm.

“You think he and I are really related?” The question kept nagging me all the way to the hospital. We looked nothing alike. But I also knew that Emilio had other kids I had never met before. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible. But then, why wouldn’t Emilio say something? We’ve been talking for months and he never mentioned anything. Maybe he didn’t know?

There were too many questions to answer and there was definitely a migraine forming.

“It would make sense. Why he’s been trying to destroy you. Why he hasn’t been able to. Your father must be behind this, Julian. You have to get the truth out of him.”

She was right. It was the only plausible reason that would explain why Oliver had tried to singlehandedly ruin me. Whether it’d be through Diana or by sending a hundred of his men after me and my family. And why he had failed both times. Diana might’ve gotten the shorter end of the stick, but at least she was still alive. Susie was still here. Marissa was happy and moving on with her life. Luey was doing better than ever. If only Oliver could move on too…

“Sweet Daisy….for some reason, that name brings me back to high school. Diana’s friend...the one who died on that bridge...I think that’s what her street name was back then. She used to sell to the rich kids on the west side. That’s what they used to call her,” I recalled slowly, and nodded as I showed her the text Luey sent me confirming my suspicion. He’d spoken to Diana and she claimed her friend did go by that name back then and that she had also disappeared a few weeks prior to her death.

What would make a party girl with all the street connections she could ask for want to disappear?

“She disappeared for a few weeks before she died. She came back home and then what? Oliver killed her because she wanted out of their partnership? It makes no sense…” I spoke out loud, trying to make sense of it all.

“Mention her name to your father. See how he reacts. If he doesn’t look surprised, then he’s definitely behind all of this. If he does….then we’re back to square one.” Susie added and I nodded in agreement, bringing her hand up to my lips to kiss.

“By the way, since the party was kind of ruined, I convinced Marissa to tell me what the gender was,” I confessed, and smiled when she laughed.

“You were never a patient guy, Julian Cortez. So, what is the gender of this baby?”

“We’re having a girl,” I answered, trying my best to contain my excitement, but it wasn’t working. My entire body was radiating joy and I jumped up to hug Susie when she began to cry. The hormones have really done a number on her these past few months and she really hated that.

“You remembered the name we picked out for the girl?” I asked her and she replied with a nod against my cheek before I kissed her temple and took a seat.

“Lena Cortez will be here in a few weeks. Are you ready?” Her question was a loaded one. I was so unprepared for what was coming. But thanks to my parents, I already knew what not to do, so I guess that was a starting point.

“With you by my side, maybe sixty percent,” I teased and she laughed her way into another crying session.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emilio looked especially tired today. I sat across from him as I normally did during our weekly visitation. I did my best not jump right out and ask about Oliver’s paternity and if he was really in fact his son and my half brother. There was no doubt in my mind he'd clam up and shut down the window of communication we had if he knew I was on to him.

“We’re having a girl,” I announced to him. This seemed to brighten up his mood a bit and he smiled proudly.

“Congratulations. I hope you’ll send me pictures. None of my other kids ever send me any of theirs,” he confessed, sounding disappointed.

“Can you blame them? How many other kids do you have any way?” This was the perfect time to bring this up.

“As far as I know….six. You’re my second oldest.” Did that mean Oliver and I were born around the same time?

“Sounds like I definitely got my charm from you,” I threw in a compliment and it seemed to work because he relaxed into his chair and laughed.

“You only have one. Try and keep it that way. What did you decide to name her?” he inquired.

“We were thinking of….Daisy. It’s sweet,” I replied and watched for his reaction, like Susie instructed. His eyes lowered to the table momentarily and he looked away before looking back at me.

“Yeah...yeah that’s definitely a good name.” He was now sweating. I got him. I got the fucking bastard.

“So, did you ever mess around with Oliver’s mother?” I continued my questioning and his eyes narrowed in my direction.

“If you’re accusing me of something, come right out and fucking say it,” Emilio exclaimed angrily. I smirked and relaxed into my own chair.

“I’m accusing you of being behind all of this fucking mess, Dad. Oliver wants something you fucking took away from him and he’s taking that shit out on me. Since apparently we’re fucking related, so, if you care about me, or your granddaughter at all, you’ll tell me whatever the fuck it is so that I can keep my family safe from this bullshit you fucking started,” I explained with as much calm as possible, considering we were in a room full of guards and all I wanted to do was put a few bullets in his chest.

Emilio stood quiet for a moment, and took a breath before he spoke.

“I hired him to run things for me while I was in prison. But I cut him loose once his mother sent me a letter claiming he was mine. He went nuts when I denied him...so I had no choice but to put him in his place.”

Of course he did.

“What the fuck did you do to him?”

“I may have kidnapped his pregnant girlfriend at the time and gave up that baby for adoption. But I swear, I had no idea she was going to kill herself,” he continued, and I rubbed my face from the frustration and anger this man was causing me. I knew from a young age what kind of horrible and detrimental person he was, but not to this extent.

“Oliver went after her, Emilio. He must’ve thought she aborted his kid to piss him off and he killed her for it. Made it look like a fucking a suicide and now we’re all fucked because of you,” I slammed my hand on the table and raised them quickly so the guards could see I was nice and calm.

“The boy is obviously out of his fucking mind. Why don’t you just kill him and get it over with?”

“Kill him? Do you even hear what you’re saying? I’m not like you! I never have been and never will be. Now, you can either help me find out where that baby ended up or I can refuse to testify at your hearing next week for your sentence review. Your choice, Emilio,” I threatened him. I just wanted all of this to be over so I could create a life where he didn’t exist.

“Testify and I’ll tell you where he is,” Emilio bargained, as if this were the time to be negotiating. People’s lives were at stake and all he cared about was his own. I looked up at him then, and looked into his aging brown gaze, finally realizing my father had been playing me this entire time. Both of them had. Oliver and Emilio must’ve struck a deal. Emilio needed someone to testify for him in front of the judge, so they’d be able to reduce his sentence for good behavior. Meanwhile, Oliver had been running things from prison, and causing turmoil in my life just so that I’d end up here, begging our father for help, just so that I’d give him the information he wanted from this man.

I was going to need a shrink after this. Lucky for me, I was sort of dating one. And it's because of her and the baby girl growing inside her that I had to do my best and not react, when all I wanted to do was to give into my anger and end this man once and for all.

“Deal.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My testimony barely made a dent to my father’s life sentence. The committee only took off five years, but apparently that seemed to be good enough for Emilio. He completed his side of the bargain, and gave me an address where I could find Oliver’s son. The place was about an hour’s drive out of the city, closer to Connecticut. Luey had some of his men check it out, and legitimize the address. Oliver’s son did indeed live there with a nice couple, with a nice white picket fence and a dog. I even took a drive up there to see him for myself. I watched him from the inside of my car, while he played tag football with his friends in the park across the street from his home. He looked...well...happy. I almost envied him.

I couldn’t do this to him. I couldn’t allow someone like Oliver to fuck up his life. And if anyone knew Oliver, that’s all he knew how to do. I knew what the implications of my actions would be if I backed out of the deal I made with him and my father.

But didn’t this kid’s life matter too?

“Is that him?” The question came from none other than Oliver, who of course, had somehow tracked me all the way over here and was now resting up against my car. He was looking out towards the park where his son was running across the field, scoring a touchdown.

“Oliver, he doesn’t deserve this. Let’s just go home and leave him alone,” I insisted as I got out of my car and tried to reason with him. Not sure how possible that was, but I had to give it a shot.

“Doesn’t deserve what? The boy needs to know who his father is.”

“He has a father. And he’s far better than the one we were given. Trust me on that one,” I added, while he responded with a short laugh and a nod.

“You talk shit about a man who’s done nothing but protect you? While he treated the rest of us like garbage on the sidewalk, you were off living the dream, making money, banging your pretty girlfriend, gaining respect from the streets. I had to do it, Julian. There was never any other choice,” Oliver ranted, the fury in his eyes aiming towards me.

“Do what?”

“I had to take it all away from you. The streets, Diana, Willie….your mother. And I’d do it all again in a heartbeat,” he spit out venomously, getting in my face. The moment he mentioned my mother, it all clicked into place. My father had claimed someone had told him about my mother’s affair with his best friend that day. Now I know who’s fault it was that my mother’s life had been cut short.

I should’ve known it was Oliver all along.

All the anger I’d been suppressing had finally reached the surface and I used it to take a swing at Oliver, my fist hitting his jaw so hard, I could hear it crack as he grabbed it. I didn’t stop there. I tackled him into the middle of the road and kept beating on him until my knuckles were filled with his blood. I didn’t back away when he managed to pull out his gun and aimed it straight at me. If this is the way I went out, at least I’d go out knowing the truth about the day my mother died and that she’d be there waiting for me, along with Willie.

“You made the mistake of coming here alone,” Oliver muttered in between coughing out blood and laughing at me as he pushed me off him when he saw a car heading in our direction. Two other guys came from behind two other cars, both aiming guns towards me and I cursed out loud. I hadn’t planned on an ambush. No one knew I was here because they’d insist on coming with me. And by the time help arrived, I’d be dead.

This was my fight and mine alone.

“Time’s up, brother. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your daughter ends right where she needs to be.” His words only fueled my anger and I made the mistake in moving, causing all three of them to shoot. I closed my eyes, waiting for the hits, but quickly opened them when I realized they had all missed their shots and were now sporting large wounds on their hands. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if they had faulty guns, and if they had been stupid enough not to check them before coming out here.

“Leave him alone!” Matthew, Oliver’s son, shouted at him and the other men as he and his friends aimed their old school slingshots at them. The police cars swarmed us within seconds, cops pouring out of their vehicles as they aimed their guns at Oliver and his men before handcuffing them and placing them in custody.

I looked around for Matthew, so I could say thank you to him and his brave but reckless friends, but they were now in the company of their scolding parents. I decided a simple nod across the road would have to do. The kid waved at me and I smiled at him before his parents dragged him back inside his home.

The next thing I heard were tires screeching close by, and they came from Marissa’s new Mercedes Benz, courtesy of her new job, and mine as well, since I had decided to take her up on her offer. Only, I kept my car. But only because I was used to it and I knew all the ins and outs.

She stepped out of the car first, Luey next and Susie after. The three of them walked over to me and held back their heated comments to hug me instead.

“I’m fine. Just almost died. No big deal,” I informed them, as Marissa and Luey pulled away, while I kept Susie at my side and my hand on her stomach.

“No big deal, he says. I’m going to kick your ass! You scared me half to death. I really thought they were going to kill you,” Marissa claimed, and I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering how she and the rest of them knew I was even here for that matter. I had special firewall built into my GPS a few weeks ago so I wouldn’t suffer from Marissa’s paranoia.

“Oliver had someone hack into your GPS, so I hacked into his. Oh and also, Luey knew where Oliver’s son was a week ago. Who do you think taught him how to use those slingshots?” my cousin explained, while I shook my head and laughed. I wasn’t surprised at all. Funny how fate worked.

“You taught the kid how to use a slingshot? Did you even ask his parents first?” Susie chimed in and I kissed her temple, doing my best to calm her down.

“I know his adoptive mother’s sister. My grandmother used to babysit her. She was in the city last week and we bumped into each other. So technically, she gave the kid my lessons. I only suggested it since the kid was getting bullied in school,” Luey admitted, a proud grin splashing across his face.

“I called the police. I know you hate them but I--” Susie began but I ended her sentence with a deep kiss. She had nothing to be sorry about.

“For a second there, I thought I was going to lose it all again. But that kid saved my life. All of you did. I’m not sure how I could ever thank you, but pizza and beer are on me tonight,” I offered and Marissa and Luey smiled at me and then at each other. While Susie grabbed my hand and placed it on her stomach while she grabbed her lower back, a small moan escaping her mouth as she stared down at a puddle settled between her two feet.

“Pizza party will have to wait. My water just broke!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Five Years Later…

“Is she here yet, Daddy? I want to meet her.” The impatience Lena Cortez carried would’ve been perceived as cute if she hadn’t been asking about meeting Diana every five minutes on the ride over here. Susie tried her best to calm her down with singalongs and snacks, but our daughter’s curiosity was hitting its peak and I knew it was only going to get worse as she got older and started asking about our past.

“She’ll be out soon, Lena. Come, climb up on my shoulders and chill out for a bit,” I suggested and she happily obliged as she climbed up and I held onto her hands. Susie smirked beside me as we both stood by my car and shared a look. Lena had grown more attached to me now that she was older and Susie had called it years ago. She thrived on being right and I didn’t mind it so much anymore.

“There she is,” Susie announced, pointing towards the gates surrounding the penitentiary that had been housing Diana for the last six years. They opened to let a handful of former inmates out, including Diana who had finally served her sentence and had been scheduled to be released today. She had no idea we’d be here to pick her up. I only hoped she didn’t mind sharing the backseat with my inquisitive daughter.

“Diana!” Susie shouted for her and the two women ran to each other and pulled each other into a tight embrace, both of them struggling to keep themselves from crying as Diana noticed the big elephant in the parking lot hanging from my shoulders.

“Cute kid, who’s the father?” Diana teased, as I pulled her into a hug myself and held onto her tight, while Lena climbed off me and moved in to hug her as well. I had often thought about this moment and hoped it would have come sooner, but the system was ridiculously unfair. Diana had been a big part of my life and I wished having Oliver in prison for life would bring her some kind of solace after all that she’d been through. She’d have plenty of time to figure it out at our place in Pennsylvania. It wasn’t exactly New York City, but close enough to visit Marissa, who still lived in the city and who was now happily married with a baby on the way. And Luey, who had decided to give his brother back his throne once he got out of prison and moved on to live the suburban life in Connecticut with his girlfriend.

I wondered what the future had in store for Diana now that she was free.

That would have to be an avenue she’d have to walk through on her own first. I had no doubt she knew I'd always be there to meet her at every corner store and every milestone in between if she needed me to.

“Are you ready to go home?”