“It was his idea to present himself as your uncle, but Raymond Evans is your father, Mecca.”
“What!” Arjen and I yelled together as her words delivered another body-pounding blow. I didn’t know how many more of these truths I could take.
“He was much more reliable back then, made good decisions, and was dependable. He was already doing a good job of raising three kids on his own, so adding you to the group didn’t seem like a bad idea. His brother had died a few days before he took you, so to keep your identity hidden, I agreed to cast Raymond’s brother off as your father. Raymond doesn’t even know that you’re his daughter because I never told him. He went along with my plan because of his loyalty to me and the cartel. If anyone ever found out that you were my daughter, or even Raymond’s daughter, it would have painted a big red target on your back. I thought you being the daughter of a dead man would keep you safe, but I was wrong.”
The words she spoke had delivered a donkey kick that knocked a hole in my chest.
Raymond Evans is my father?
“No, I refuse to believe any of this shit.”
“Es verdad, lo siento,” she apologized. It had just occurred that she was how I knew Spanish.
“I don’t want your fucking apology.”
The anger raging through me had me seeing double.
“You skirted your responsibilities as a parent and sent me to live with a man that used me most of my life. Raymond had me out on the streets selling drugs by the time I was seven. How was that a fucking better life? As far as I’m concerned, you and Raymond can kiss my whole black ass, and I have a lot for you to kiss.”
She stood in place, frozen and staring. It was clear that no one had spoken to her the way I had as she appeared at a loss for words. I didn’t give a shit about all this family shit she was talking about. I gripped Arjen’s hand, turned, and was taking off, not caring what else she planned to say or do.
Arjen didn’t stop me; he was right at my side. What the hell was I supposed to do with all the truth I had discovered? The truth couldn’t do shit but complicate my already chaotic life.
There was one question I had yet to find an answer to. If the Cardenas Cartel were not the ones trying to kill me, who the hell was?