Hot & Enchanting (De La Cruz Saga) (37 page)

Carlos is observing the entire situation thanking dios that his best amigo and familia are not involved with the Mexican Cartel.
I knew that they were honest and hardworking. I need to still keep my cover for now until I figure out how to help them
, thinks Carlos.

“Amigo what’s wrong? Who is that caller? What do they want?” asks Carlos trying to play ignorant of what is happening.

“He’s un hijo de la chengada that called on Friday asking us to associate with him in money laundering. He said that one of our new clients referred us, highly recommending our association. He told us not to involve the police because they would hurt la familia. I told him on Friday that we are not interested. Ricky and I thought or hoped that it was a prank call,” says Jose Enrique looking out the window wondering what will happen if they don’t associate.

Everything that I and mis padres have worked hard for will go down the drain. We will be slaves to the Mexican cartels whims
, thinks Jose Enrique with anxiety.

“We don’t know what to do. Everything we work for will go to hell if we associate with the Mexican cartel,” roars Jose Enrique hitting the wall with his fist in anger and frustration.

“Hermano, are you okay? Are you sure it is the Mexican cartel? Why would they want us, we don’t do anything illegal,” asks Paty looking at all of them for answers.

“Prima, they want us because they can hide their drug money with our profits and also they can think of a million things to involve us in that will make us criminals,” responds Ricky pacing back and forth attempting to think of a way out of this huge problema.

Paty sits down staring out of the window thinking and praying that this was only a nightmare. Knowing the law as she did, she knows that they were a step away from being forced into becoming criminals?

“We need to call Claudia, she’s a FBI agent, she can tell us what to do?” says Paty pacing with Ricky and Jose Enrique. “Have you told our padres?” she looks at her hermano and primo that shake their heads no.

“Prima we were praying that it was a joke,” answers Ricky standing still, grabbing his nap that is throbbing painfully. “Why would we tell our padres? They will have a heart attack, look at us,” states Ricky taking deep breaths.

“Do you think that they’ll hurt la familia or cause issues with the constructions?” asks Paty looking at them waiting for some answers.

“Hermana, I think that they have started causing issues with our constructions. The materials at the job site this morning didn’t arrive. I’m talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars lost today because the concrete didn’t arrive to start pouring,” replies Jose Enrique looking at his watch.  

“The job site manager is scheduled to report here at three to give be the breakdown of what happen to the concrete and if the other materials were ordered incorrectly. This could be happening because of them, I don’t know,” says Jose Enrique with frustration.

“Primo that’s a lot of money that we are losing. We need to go and keep track of the jobs. If this job manager is not doing his job we need to can his ass,” exclaims Ricky with frustration in hearing this.

“I will go out and monitor the job sites like I used to. Paty can do the building contracts,” states Ricky pacing. “When this job site manager shows, I want to hear his report. I will can his ass if he fucked up,” says Ricky looking at his watch.

“We have everything scheduled to the day. We have been doing this for years. We have great suppliers. There is no reason for this to be happening. I will start manana taking care of the job sites. I know that Christian will take the job that you offered him on Friday,” says Ricky. “Christian told Tony that he’s taking the job. I will do it until he’s here working.”

Jose Enrique is happy to hear that Christian will take the job as the job site manager
. It’s a good thing that we all worked each position as we went through college
, thinks Jose Enrique.
We all have the knowledge and skills to work each position. Our padres believed that
was the only way to know how to build a building
.
I’m just happy that I’m not alone in this mess,
contemplates Jose Enrique.

Jose Enrique looks at his amigo. “Carlos I’m sorry that you had to witness this mess,” says Jose Enrique looking at his amigo and knowing in his heart that he’ll be marrying Paty.

“Amigo, no worries I just wished I could provide some help,” replies Carlos feeling helpless and frustrated in the role he has to play.

“Maybe I should leave. You need to have a familia meeting,” says Carlos suggesting, attempting to provide a direction for la familia. 

“I’ll take you to the elevator,” says Paty knowing that he didn’t know his way out.

Paty enters the office and notices that Ricky and Jose Enrique are still pacing and frustrated. She looks at her watch.
Hmmm it’s a few minutes after three. That’s why they are so frustrated,
thinks Paty.

“We need to call Tony, Bella and Jessy,” asks Paty looking at Jose Enrique.

“Si hermana call Tony, Bella and Jessy,” says Jose Enrique looking at his primo to see if he wants Jacki there.

“No primo, I don’t want mi reina to get scare and she went to her casa. I think that Monique will be the same case. I don’t think that Christian will want her to know,” says Ricky running his hands through his hair pacing thinking of a plan.

“Primo, Jose Enrique needs to talk to you. Can you please come to the office?” asks Paty.

“Si prima on my way,” says Tony surprised with the request.

“Bella we need you to come to Jose Enrique’s office, its important,” says Paty looking out the window praying that this was a nightmare.

“Si prima, I’ll be there in a few,” says Bella leaving her office.

“Jessy we need you to come to Jose Enrique’s office,” says Paty looking at Jose Enrique pacing like a loco.

“Si Paty, I’m leaving now,” says Jessy leaving her office wondering what’s up.

Paty went to stand at the window thinking.
What can we do? What should we do? This is so surreal
.

Jessy and Bella arrive at
the office at the same time looking at how Ricky, Jose Enrique and Paty look.

Tony walks into the office right after his primas and looks around at the meeting.
This looks like something huge has happened. Mis primos look about to croak,
thinks Tony looking real close at them.

“What’s happening?” asks Bella getting scared, going over to her primos.
They look like they are about to have a heart attack,
thinks Bella.

“Do you want me to call the paramedics?” asks Jessy getting worried at how Jose Enrique and Ricky look.

“This asshole is not showing,” exclaims Ricky with frustration and anger.

“What’s going on?” asks Bella getting real scared.

“Mi amor please close the door,” asks Jose Enrique looking at Jessy. “Please lock it.” going to get the phone and calling the secretary.

“Ms. Jones I need you to call all the numbers that we have to contact the site manager Jefferson and tell him I need him here now,” bids Jose Enrique controlling his anger

“Yes Mr. De La Cruz,” responds Ms. Jones

“Mi amor, prima have a seat,” says Jose Enrique looking at Tony and then going to his desk looking at them and not knowing where to begin.

“We have a crisis that will jeopardize our entire vidas if we don’t take control now,” declares Jose Enrique looking at them.

“Yes we have a situation that we need to have some mind storming to arrive at a reasonable path for la familia,” says Ricky pacing, thinking.

“Primas, primo, la familia is being pressured by the Mexican cartel to associate with them and don’t want to take no for answer.” says Paty pacing along with Ricky.

“The cartel has called us twice and we thought or should I say prayed that it was a prank call,” says Jose Enrique standing to pace.

“Tony, Jessy, Bella they called about half hour ago to threaten la familia and the constructions that we have in progress,” says Paty looking at her primos. “We need to come up with a plan to discourage their interest in la familia compania.”

“We think that they have started with our constructions. One of our job sites did not receive the concrete this morning to start pouring. This has cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars,” states Jose Enrique stopping at the window to look out trying to see if he could see the site manager Jefferson.

“That impossible, how can that happen? We have been working with our suppliers for years. We have constructed thousands of buildings. We don’t make these huge mistakes,” asserts Bella standing to pacing.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this call before this? I think that you should have allowed us to help you. Where is that job site manager?” asks Tony with frustration on learning about the risks that la familia is in with these events. Tony unties his tie and runs his hands through his hair.

“Jefferson was supposed to arrive at three o’clock to give us a report on the material orders and the job sites,” says Ricky with frustration. “He has not arrived. It is passed three,”

Jessy tries to think of a plan. “How can we stop the Cartel?” she asks.
If we don’t know them or what they would do next, how can we stop them
?

“We need to make sure that they don’t have any opportunity to mess with the orders. I’m starting today to monitor all the orders, supplies,
contractors, our employees; everything,” states Ricky looking at Jose Enrique. “We need to split this up.”

“I will monitor the inside employees closer and the orders if you want me to make calls,” says Bella starting to pace with los primos, thinking.

“Why don’t we have employees that we can trust, I mean a security department to monitor the job sites in the day and maybe it will be a good idea to have patrols at night to make sure nobody is messing with the sites,” says Jessy smiling, hoping it’s a good idea.

Jose Enrique looks at his amor with happiness,
yes she’s also smart,
I
love her idea
. “That’s a great idea,” says Jose Enrique looking at his primos to get their feedback.

“Yes that’s a great idea, we should have thought of these years ago,” replies Ricky, smiling at his sister in law.

“I’m on it,” says Bella going to the phone to get some security in place on the job sites.

“How many job sites do we have in progress and starting this month?” asks Paty trying to help Bella get enough security in place for the entire month until this situation is over.

“Yes, this sounds like a great idea, we should have the site secured for at least four weeks to make sure that nothing happens,” agrees Jose Enrique pacing. “We still need to continue doing our jobs, monitor the ones that we have started, and are scheduled to start.”

“I don’t want our padres to find out and get stressed out,” says Paty looking at the job sites schedules for the month and giving dates to Bella for the security.

“I can also help Ricky on the job sites when I’m not drawing up a design,” says Tony looking at his primos.

“I agree we need to have someone monitor the sites when I’m off on my honeymoon,” says Ricky thinking how this is going to happen.

“Don’t worry about that, Tony and I can do the monitoring, you will be out for only ten work days,” says Jose Enrique. “We will just have to schedule new clients for after you come back or later in the day, we will work it out.”

“Manana we will need to split up our suppliers and
advise
them not to take any orders, change orders, or cancel orders if it’s not one of us,” states Ricky.

“We need to make sure that all the orders that are in place now are correct,” says Jose Enrique. “We can split that up and call.”

“At the very least it will make it a little difficult for the Mexican cartel to interfere with the jobs,” states Ricky breathing a little easier. 

“Okay we have the security set up starting tonight. We only have a few that are in progress. The other sites are scheduled for next week,” says Bella standing to pace.

“What else are we missing?” asks Tony walking to the window, thinking.