Chills & Thrills: Three Novel Box Set (47 page)

Afraid to further press the issue with an already cross Antonio, Javier remained quiet for the rest of the flight home. A thought crossed his mind several times on the way back to Mexico, and upon seeing his distraught daughter and hearing her cries, this thought, he knew would have to put into effect. It was time for him to part ways with his best friend and partner Antonio Espinoza.

****

AFTER FLYING FOR FIFTEEN HOURS, ANTONIO HAD HIS
 driver take him straight to the prison in Mexico City, where Alex was being held. Javier had gone to the hotel to see Isabella.

“Alejandro Peña is not allowed to see visitors.” The warden met Antonio at the entrance. He was a tall man, slight in build, with narrow dark eyes, and greasy hair. His eyes seemed to nearly close as he spoke.

Antonio immediately sized him up as a miserable functionary. “I believe you will allow me to see him.”

“No, 
Señor
, as I have already explained, no one is allowed in to talk to him.”

Antonio got in the man's face and stared straight into his eyes. “My name is Antonio Espinoza. Does that name mean anything to you? Because it should. I am allowed to see 
Señor
 Peña. Odd, but people who give me a difficult time always have such terribly bad luck. I would certainly regret your having bad fortune the rest of your life.”

The warden's hands shook as he nodded his head. He turned around, and motioned for Antonio to follow him. When they arrived at the small interrogation room and Alex was seated across the table from him, Antonio was shocked to see the cuts and bruises on Alejandro's face and noticed that he looked much thinner than he had ten days before, when Antonio had left for Germany.

“My God. What have they done to you?” Antonio blurted.

“Tried to kill me,” Alex answered in a weak voice that sounded as if it was coming from a broken heart.

“I know you didn't murder Miguel.”

“You're the only one who does.”

“And the murderer, of course. Do you know who that is?” Antonio placed his hands on the table.

 “I don't know.” Alex looked away from Antonio.

“Are you positive?”

“Yes. I know, or I think that the man who was supposedly his bodyguard was involved.”

“Do you know the man's name?”

“No.”

“I'll find out. I'm already working on getting you out of here. Whoever did this to you probably would go so far as to have you killed, if needed. With me, you'll be protected. You stay here and I'm certain that you'll die.”

“But how? There is no way they're going to let me out. The entire country is seeking my blood.”

“There isn't anything money can't buy. Including innocence.”

“But I 
am
 innocent.”

“I know that. If I didn't think you were, I might let you rot in here. Killing a priest is a terrible sin, indeed. I wouldn't want to be any part of that. If things go the way I want them to, you will be out of here in forty-eight hours. No trial. Nothing. You will be vindicated on all charges.”

“Can we keep this quiet?” Alex asked.

“We'll have to, for awhile.”

“Good.”

“Stay careful and awake. I have a lot of work to do. I'll be back tomorrow. Don't worry, though. No one is going to hurt you anymore.” Antonio walked over and placed his hands reassuringly on Alex's shoulders.

*****

“
BELLA, I LOVE YOU AND I WANT TO MARRY YOU. I PROMISE
 that I'll take good care of you,” Pedro beseeched her, knowing that time was of the essence. With the return of Javier and Antonio, Pedro felt the chase of fear in his stomach. If they knew what he and Emilio had done, they would be killed.

After Javier had shown up at the hotel, Pedro played it like Emilio had told him to. Emilio had promised Pedro that he would get Bella, and in return Pedro would help in handing over the business to Emilio. This part had not been as difficult as Pedro thought when Emilio suggested it.

“Once Javier is there, tell him that you think maybe it would be best for him to sever ties with Antonio. That if the people of the country wanted someone to blame and started looking into Alex's ties, then it would all come back to Antonio and not Javier.”

Javier had said that it was already a consideration.

Now all Pedro had to do was convince Bella that he was the right man for her. Once this was all behind them, he would take her back to France where she loved the country and they could have a different life than what they'd been leading in Mexico. By taking her there, she would never find out the truth about Miguel's death. It was something that still pained Pedro. He hadn't liked Emilio's idea, but he'd gone along with it, seeing that the ends did justify the means. He'd done as Emilio advised that day at the outdoor café in Los Angeles.

“I've already spoken to the man who is Miguel's bodyguard. Seems his loyalties can be swayed with the right amount of money. You're to take one hundred thousand American dollars in cash, which I have right here.” Emilio had patted a leather briefcase, next to him.

Pedro set down his cola. “Am I to buy Miguel's death?”

“No. You're to buy Bella's love and your freedom from the nuisance that has been infiltrating 
your
 family. Alejandro will have that knife he always carries, the one Bella gave him. I have already instructed the bodyguard on how to handle the entire situation. All you have to do is take the money to him.”

“Why can't you do this?”

“I have other business to conduct. As you are putting your plans into action, I have some things to do here to make sure my future goes as planned.”

“I don't know. I don't like having Miguel murdered.”

“What will you hate more? Isabella with Alejandro's ring on her finger? He 
will 
marry her if you don't do this. Can't you see the way they look at each other? Don't be a fool.”

Pedro had taken the money and flown to Mexico City that evening, where he met with the man who had been Miguel's bodyguard and gave him the money. He would be damned before he'd let his princess marry a hoodlum like Alex, even if it meant shedding the blood of a man he thought highly of.

And now Pedro heard his Bella say,” But Pedro, you're like a father or a brother to me, not a husband. I can't marry you.”

“In time you will learn to love me that way. And until then, we don't need to be physically intimate, if that's what you're worried about.”

She blushed and looked away. “I can't walk. You wouldn't want me as a wife.” She couldn't believe what he was suggesting. She was trying to make excuses and be kind to him, but the thought of being his wife was upsetting. She had no idea he felt this way about her. She hoped her father would hurry back from the hotel restaurant where he'd gone for a cup of coffee.

“Stop that. I've seen you with the physical therapist and I know you've been holding out on your family.”

 “You've been spying on me?” Anger welled inside her. She had been taking a few steps here and there with the therapist, but she had made her promise to keep it from her family. She wanted to surprise her father on his fiftieth birthday, which was only a couple of weeks away.

“Of course not. I saw one day when I was taking a walk through the garden. I didn't say anything then because I know you, and I knew that you would want to be the one to tell the family. I'm sorry.”

She studied him and continued to listen.

“I will take care of you. You know I will. Your father would be so pleased.”

“No. I don't want to marry you. I can't think of you like that.”

Pedro's face turned an angry red. “Are you still thinking of Alejandro? Let me tell you, Alejandro is going away for a very long time, for the rest of his life, if they don't put him to death first. He killed your brother. He is a beast, an insane beast. You don't love him and he never loved you. Get him out of your head. You will be happy with me. Don't be foolish.”

A knock sounded at the door.

“Yes?” Bella asked.

“It's your godfather.”

“Go and let him in,” Bella ordered Pedro.

He walked to the door and as he opened it to let Antonio in, he turned back to her before walking out. “You don't have to make a decision right now. Think about it. I know how unhappy you've been lately.”

“What was that all about?” Antonio asked after Pedro left the room.

“Nothing.”

“Would you care to join me for a walk? I think we have something to talk about.” Antonio asked.

Bella nodded and left the hotel with her godfather, hoping he would have the answers she was looking for.

*****

JULIO MOVED LYDIA INTO THE STUDIO HE'D RENTED IN 
downtown Calí, within six weeks after meeting her. At first she'd been cold and difficult. But he'd found common ground in talking with her about her faith. And now, he knew more about this woman than any other he'd ever met. Their faith was a common ground. But they'd found a passion in each other that, although many would have considered it sinful, they'd found it heavenly.

After not having been with a man for eleven years, Lydia craved him by her side. She matched his insatiability perfectly.

One night lying in bed after making love, Julio began to question her about her background and where she was from. They'd had several 
cervezas
 and he'd told her he loved her. She hadn't replied, but he didn't expect her to. Instead she told him about her life and what had happened to her over the last ten years.

She told him about the kidnapping, the whorehouse, the drugs, the convent, Father Miguel, and then her determination about retrieving what was rightfully hers. In particular, she wanted to take back the love of her daughters.

Julio told her about working with the DEA and being a part of the Guatemalan militia, along with their plan to wipe out drug dealers. He told her about his involvement with Father Miguel.

Lydia smiled at him knowingly. Although she'd never alluded to it during all the years she'd been with Antonio, she knew all about his business operations. She also knew that anything could be done for a price, including getting drugs into neighboring countries. She felt sure that Julio was part of that corruption in his own way, but it didn't really matter to her. What mattered was that she was lying next to this man whom she felt comfortable with, and he loved her.

“What do you want from me?” she asked. “You're not in my bed only for love.”

“Maybe not, but you do know that I love you, Lydia.”

“Yes.” She sighed.

He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. She smiled sadly at him. “But this here, what we have between us isn't solely about love, is it?”

He shook his head. “Maybe you can or can't help me. Maybe you know or could tell me something about Antonio or his crew that I haven't heard. What do you have to lose? They think you're dead.”

Hearing this from him upset her and reinforced her anger. The thought of her children thinking she was dead infuriated her. “I can't believe he went to such lengths to get rid of me. Why not simply ask me for a divorce if he hated me so much?”

“Not his style, but neither is what he's done to you. It seems far too cruel to even be the work of Antonio. His family is very important to him. He's ruthless, but…” Julio paused. “Do you know anyone else involved who might have wanted you gone?”

She considered the question seriously for the first time. Although she hated the thought, one name came to her: “Emilio.”

“Emilio? His brother?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“The baby.”

“Baby?”

Lydia had left that one detail out of her story. She'd never told anyone this story — not the nuns, not Father Miguel, no one. But here she was, pouring out the last eleven years of her life to a near stranger, who had taken over her life with passion and a sense of renewal. The relief that engulfed her after she told him the story about the affair with Emilio and then her pregnancy and what had happened afterwards made her positively euphoric. She'd released it, and together they held each other, as she cried tears of freedom.

After that night, Julio and Lydia joined ranks. Julio taught her the ways of his world, how to spy, tap phone lines, and investigate potential informants. She learned quickly, like a child greedy for knowledge.

On the days when he was out, he asked her to keep a low profile. “You're too close to your old home,” he told her one evening. “I know that you ventured out this afternoon to spy on your daughters out shopping. I was watching.”

“I am sorry. They didn't spot me. I know how to disguise myself well now. I really want to see my girls.”

“In time, love. Keep patient.”

She abided by his rules for a couple of weeks, until she could no longer wait. She found a spot near her old home where she could park the small car Julio allowed her to use and then she'd follow whichever daughter would leave first, if only to get a glimpse.

Felicia had a certain pattern: she liked to shop. She bought a lot of makeup, clothes, and lingerie. Lydia smiled as she watched her bounce along the streets of stores, still every bit the mischievous girl with the flirty eyes. She was captivating. It was impossible not to notice all the men leering at her. It made Lydia want to slap their faces, but Felicia smiled back at her admirers, unfazed by their blatant stares. In fact, she seemed to welcome them. This troubled Lydia, who prayed that her youngest daughter was not too promiscuous, even though she suspected that Felicia was.