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I looked around to find Zade looking at us. “No, not here. I guess you do not want Zane to know about it?” I murmured back. She nodded her head in agreement. “If we talk here, there’s a 75% chance he’d find out what we said. For not, let’s shop for other things.” Eventually, we got only one necklace for Anna, nothing there suited my taste. I had wanted something to get my mom’s necklace from my mind so I could confidently reject it but everything I saw was lacking. We stopped at a café to eat burgers and tea. Then we decided to take a walk. Zade grumbled at the idea but eventually gave it. I was the boss’ woman. This felt good. I made sure there was good enough distance between Zade and us, I also did well to ensure he was walking behind us, that way, he would feel more at ease as he watched us, and not be alert enough to catch on to whatever Anna wanted to tell me. For the first fifteen minutes, we didn’t talk about anything important, we passed a park and waved at dogs and kid
The drive was slower than Anna would have preferred because Zade kept warning her to keep watch and yelping whenever she swerved. I wondered where she had learned how to drive, she held the wheels with certain confidence while I had never been in the driver’s seat. He kept warning me to make a park and drive himself, I understand how unsteady he felt because it was very likely his first time he was being driven, and wasn’t used to sitting in the passenger seat. I buckled his seatbelt and told him to stay put but he still looked in pain and under torture. Anna had to drive calmly and carefully before he finally let her be. We made one stop to buy Coco’s favorite muffin and then we drove straight home. They smelled nice and were tempting enough for us to make an unplanned stop. “We should do this more often,” I said as we began to head home, I loved being outside. I also missed my husband, I wanted to go on a walk with him. I wanted to hold his hands a walk boldly in the street with
The whole rest of the day was grim. Carlos disappeared into his study after Anna’s uncle left. He didn’t look without a plan so I was a bit at ease, but my heart went up again when I concluded that even if my husband had his back on the wall, lost and hopeless, I would never find out by merely looking at his face.Zade just stayed quiet watching over us while Anna refused to talk. She faced the wall and chewed on her lips.Coco was having her own great time eating the snacks I had bought her and said nothing too.I hated being like this, just being a spectator, watching the whole drama unfold. I wanted to be in the drama, I wanted to play an important role.“Why did you guys bring Anna back?” I asked Zade in frustration. All these would have been avoided if they had simply left her there till she was eighteen. From what I saw and heard; she was doing very well there. She had her life in order and wasn’t too willing to come back. It was her love for Zane that had manipulated her to com
“Who was her father to you?” I asked Carlos later that evening. Curiosity had been eating me out, but I wanted to act mature and simple, so I initially decided not to ask.It wasn’t late but after the drama that had happened that day, everyone had retreated early, and Carlos went to our room with me.I wasn’t sleepy so I sat on the bed while he lay down with his eyes closed. He opened them when he heard my question.“I like to think of him as my sponsor.” He replied, sitting up and looking into my eyes.“Sponsor?” Why is that? “I wasn't expecting that answer, of all things.”“When I left home. He was the one who took me in.” Carlos said simply.“Wait! Did you run away from home? From your dad? Frank?” I was shocked. “Why am I always the last to hear things like this? You only tell me the boring stuff.” I whined.He smiled and pulled me close, placing a kiss on my forehead. “I tell you all the important stuff.” I was distracted for a moment when he kissed my forehead. Not because of t
CHAPTER 88I couldn’t complain because he gave me a lot.Teasing my boobs till I came and still had me begging for more. I was glad I hadn’t shied away and stopped pressing for his.Soon, I wanted more than his hands and mouth on my breasts, I was more frustrated than that, I desperately needed to feel him inside of me and I had to accept things had changed because I was brave enough to voice my needs.“I want you inside of me, Carlos,” I begged, I felt him smile on my boobs and knew that this was what he had been working towards, to make me beg for him.I didn’t have to beg again, he parted my legs with one swift move and deep thrust inside me.It wasn’t long till I was close to my release, “I love you.”The words blurted out of my lips on their own accord. It was long overdue. I knew I loved him, I had loved him from the first day I saw him, I was his even before he touched me. I was grateful he hadn’t let me go. I was glad he never let go of me.“I love you.” The words came out with
I think I heard Carlos make a small laugh behind me. Anna lifted her ringed finger into Monday’s face.“You stupid girl, what have you done?” He shrieked. Monday turned to Carlos, “What on earth is happening?”The man was dumb because he didn’t ask for proof or even my marriage papers, he didn’t even bother to ask who the husband was, but then, he didn’t care, all that mattered to him was his plan which had now been sabotaged.“Ask your niece this is the first time I am hearing this, or else I wouldn’t have wasted my time having this conversation with you at all.” Carlos had assumed his hard look, the one that always intimidated Monday. Once again, one day this week that wasn’t Monday, a buy called Monday left our home disappointed.I turned to my husband and the supposed love of my life, “You knew.”He folded his arms, his face still hard. “So did you.” He spat back. I felt anger rising inside my chest. While I had been pondering whether to tell him or not, he had known and not bothe
There was no serious talk after that, we drove, we sang, we laughed, but most importantly, I called her mother, and she called me daughter.The birthday we delivered cookies for was for a very beautiful 6-year-old. Her mother seemed very nice and invited us to the party, Coco was sad she had brought no presents, but we stayed, nevertheless.It was the evening before left.The house was quiet when we got home, I didn’t see Carlos, but I couldn’t help but wonder where he was, he didn’t text me all day neither I he.“Rayna?” Coco called.“Yes?”“Can you spend the night in my room? Just tonight?” She asked in a small voice. I had been hoping to talk to Carlos tonight, but it would have to wait.“Sure.”We ate the cookie we had kept aside for Carlos together and talked. Coco had a big heart, but as much happiness she had in her, there was so much pain too and she had no one to tell.“Are you still in love with him?” I asked later that night, I wondered how she must have coped all these yea
Monday, I collected the keys from Coco and switched seats with her while I was held down and taped in the mouth by a man I didn’t recognize.They tied both mine and Coco’s hands after collecting our phones. Coco’s mouth was left free while mine was taped.Where was he taking us? I looked at Coco, but she was still and calm, she probably trusted Carlos to come to save her, but he didn’t even know where we were. They might have not even gotten home yet.“You might be wondering why or where I’m taking you. Where I’m taking you doesn’t matter, but what matters is why I am taking you.” Monday began rattling, very dumb man. I could guess what he wanted.“I intend to make an exchange—a woman for a woman. Kavinsky gets to take one of you if he gives me Anna, I haven’t decided what to do with the second person but I’m first excited about who Carlos is going to choose. His wife or his mother.“I’m not his mother,” Coco said quietly. It was the first thing she said since the ride began.“You’re
EpilogueRAYNAI smoothened my hands over my off-white dress. It had been a long and dramatic year but even through it all, this day had come.My wedding day.Because I was married once, I couldn’t wear a white gown so I decided to stay put with off-white instead of baby pink. I still wanted to feel like a bride.Planning for the wedding had been fun but I didn’t like how I didn’t get to see much of my new husband.Juan came in the door with a small smile on his face, he’s been smiling more lately, Surprisingly he was also good friends with the couple. Anna and Zane.They both had moved out after everything settled and were now staying in their own home. We tried convincing Anna to have an official wedding but she insisted the one she had was enough. She was married and satisfied.“You look pretty.” He said tentatively. I raised my brows at him, it was almost the first compliment I’d heard from him.“I just wanted to do this one more time.” He breathed, “Are you sure about this?”I sm
CARLOSIt would have been insensitive for me to ask Zane to check the car for the remains of his brother’s body so I managed to do it myself.Even as we raced down as we heard the explosion, there was nothing we could do other than to watch the car burn into crisps, they would have been dead even before we got there.We had to wait for the fire to be completely put out while Rayna was taken to the hospital, She had been given excess sleeping pills but they had been too strong for her body, and we could do nothing other than wait for her to sleep it off, it was torture watching her look so lifeless.Louis and Juan didn’t leave her side all day, I knew they would insist on taking her back to Mexico as soon as she was unconscious but at this point, I knew I would just have to live with whatever choice she made.Zade had disappeared as soon as Rayna was settled in the hospital, both of us were hesitant to return to the side, not ready to see or collect the bodies. Zade might not show his
CARLOS“None of your business, where is my money?” He barked.We stood approximately 10 feet apart. I tried to look at Coco who was behind him, she looked okay, not bruised or injured, but I had learned that wounds were beyond the physical, they were mental and emotional bruises too.I raised my hands to signal for Zade to come out of the car with the briefcase, which he did. I had a trick waiting for him in it.Zade came forth and handed the money to him, while he tried to open the box, Zade brought Coco over to us, Monday didn’t even try to stop him because he had sighted the many that had been neatly arranged in up the box, little did he know that there was a surprise awaiting him if he searched a little further.“Are you okay?” I asked, holding her face up and searching for any form of wound on her skin.Her lashes were already wet with tears as more threatened to escape. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her. I told her to stay, but now he’d taken her away.”Even at this m
CARLOSMiguel Sinclair“He used to work for me, He was a big man, skilled, good with guns, knives, anything, I used to wonder where he came from but I appreciated his skills. That was why I put him to guard my daughter, she had just clocked 16, I couldn’t keep her locked in forever, she wanted to go out to make friends, so I needed someone to watch over her. He wasn’t the first I put to guard her but she hated it, she had hated them all before she met him. I could tell she liked him. It was fine with me, she was a kid, and this infatuation would die before long, but I began to feel wary when I noticed it wasn’t one-sided. It wasn’t her at all. It was him. He was obsessed with her.” He covered his face with both hands. I could feel his pain, the guilt, that It was all his fault, he brought Miguel into her life. I placed a hand on his shoulder because I knew he wasn’t alone, I had my share of faults too.“Now isn’t the time to point fingers and blame, we need to find him.” My voice came
CARLOSReinforcement wasn’t here yet, but calls had been made and strings had been pulled. I held the list of every active member of the cub for the past few years, I had gone through it twice but there was no familiar name or word, there was nothing fishy about the organization I had to admire whosoever was in charge, he did a very good job, he did well to pay necessary taxes and maintained order.The gambling club might rid people of their wealth, but it didn’t try to rob the government. If anything happened and they were taken to court, there would be nothing to use against them.I was getting frustrated, it was almost dawn, and all the leads we had led to dead ends. Blueblood was doing his best but no result seemed to be showing forth.“I’ll go through the names again, you should eat.” Zade took the papers from me, and I let him take them, I had gone through them over and over, and I could almost recite the names offhand, I stood up to brew myself a cup of coffee. Sleep wasn’t an
RAYNAMonday came in with a smug smile on his face.“I’ve decided to treat you well since I’m getting a huge sum of money after this, it wouldn’t have been possible without you.” For some reason, I had the feeling he was talking to Coco and not me, which was strange considering he had both of us.“I’m about to get dinner, What would you like to eat?” He finished.Just to test my assumption, I spoke fast. “I would like a sandwich.” It was a safe choice, sandwiches were sealed in their pack, and I wouldn’t eat them if the seal was broken.“I wasn’t talking to you.” He shot back without even looking at me, his eyes were all for Coco.I remembered when he had said earlier that one of us was for exchange, I knew at that moment that he had no plans of sending me back, no matter how this turned out. But why?“We would both like a sandwich,” Coco said, I could tell the attention he was giving her was freaking her out.He smiled at her, “If you insist.” He turned and left smiling.“Something i
CARLOSIt’s been six hours and there were no traces of Coco and Rayna’s whereabouts. It was an easy guess that this was Monday in action but he was yet to contact me, and it was not an exaggeration that I was freaking out.Monday was normally dumb but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was up to something this time around. I had expected him to give up on the whole inheritance thing a long time ago. Ordinarily, the guy lacked tenacity, but when he kept coming back, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone was behind him. He was getting advice and help from someone and the fact that the person was yet to show face meant there was more to come.I hated not knowing what I was dealing with, especially now that the two most important women in my life were in their care.It was also unnerving that both of them had been taken, they could have taken one and left the other, but no. he took both of them.I had a sick feeling that I could have to make a choice, that I might be able to
Monday, I collected the keys from Coco and switched seats with her while I was held down and taped in the mouth by a man I didn’t recognize.They tied both mine and Coco’s hands after collecting our phones. Coco’s mouth was left free while mine was taped.Where was he taking us? I looked at Coco, but she was still and calm, she probably trusted Carlos to come to save her, but he didn’t even know where we were. They might have not even gotten home yet.“You might be wondering why or where I’m taking you. Where I’m taking you doesn’t matter, but what matters is why I am taking you.” Monday began rattling, very dumb man. I could guess what he wanted.“I intend to make an exchange—a woman for a woman. Kavinsky gets to take one of you if he gives me Anna, I haven’t decided what to do with the second person but I’m first excited about who Carlos is going to choose. His wife or his mother.“I’m not his mother,” Coco said quietly. It was the first thing she said since the ride began.“You’re
There was no serious talk after that, we drove, we sang, we laughed, but most importantly, I called her mother, and she called me daughter.The birthday we delivered cookies for was for a very beautiful 6-year-old. Her mother seemed very nice and invited us to the party, Coco was sad she had brought no presents, but we stayed, nevertheless.It was the evening before left.The house was quiet when we got home, I didn’t see Carlos, but I couldn’t help but wonder where he was, he didn’t text me all day neither I he.“Rayna?” Coco called.“Yes?”“Can you spend the night in my room? Just tonight?” She asked in a small voice. I had been hoping to talk to Carlos tonight, but it would have to wait.“Sure.”We ate the cookie we had kept aside for Carlos together and talked. Coco had a big heart, but as much happiness she had in her, there was so much pain too and she had no one to tell.“Are you still in love with him?” I asked later that night, I wondered how she must have coped all these yea