Chapter 13 #2
“That’s right. The boss of bosses isn’t just the leader of the strongest cartel in a single country.
He is the ultimate boss of every cartel in Latin America.
It doesn’t matter what country it is. Every other jefe knows they answer to him if they step out of line.
He can call upon any of them and expect them to answer. ”
It’s that medieval fiefdom at work.
“My abuelo didn’t want to submit to your abuelo. I’m the collateral damage three and a half decades later.”
“I don’t enjoy agreeing with you, chica, but that’s right.”
She remains quiet as she digests all I’ve shared.
I decided I’m taking her to Switzerland.
We have a mountain property even more isolated than this one.
It may be summer in South America, but it’s the middle of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
It will be an arduous journey to the property.
More than just a plane ride. Tío Enrique assured me the weather has been severe enough to keep most people away.
She’ll discover just what wealth and power can buy us.
“I’ll call Daniel to bring over a meal. You must be starving, little one.”
We’re standing together in the kitchen. Each of us has a soda we discovered we enjoy more than any other.
It’s sugar-free, so I don’t feel guilty about extra carbs.
Not that I ever do, considering I work out twice a day most days of the week.
I can consume nearly thirty-five hundred to four thousand calories a day.
I’d wither away if I didn’t eat that much.
“His wife is a similar size to you, so I’ll ask her to bring some clothes for you.”
“No, Pablo, I won’t take from a villager here.”
I know what she assumes, since this is a lower socioeconomic area in Colombia because of its remoteness. But it is an agricultural area, so people are comfortable. However, that’s not Daniel and his wife’s situation.
“They’re distantly related to Papá’s side of the family.
Daniel’s worked for us since he was eighteen.
Tío Enrique put him through culinary school in France.
This man is trilingual. He was Tío’s personal chef for years in the States.
However, he and his wife, Esmeralda, prefer the quiet here, so they asked to be reassigned.
It’s not that he wanted to work less. He and Esme never had children because she couldn’t carry a pregnancy all the way through.
They prefer to be on their own more than to have watched my ever-expanding family.
It’s been thirty-two years since a baby was born into my family.
However, our size was a constant reminder to them.
They’re financially far more than just comfortable.
Same thing for his brother who’s our housekeeper.
They’re the only family they have except for their wives.
They wanted to live in the same town, so David and his wife moved here too. ”
Her expression shows she no longer feels guilty. She nods and even smiles.
“Where are we going next?”
I want to tell her, but something makes me hesitate. It’s not a lack of trust in her, but the flash of hurt across her face tells me that’s what she thinks.
“Chiquita, it’s not like I believe you’re going to run off and call your abuelo somehow or send a message by carrier pigeon or Morse code. It’s more about your safety and ensuring there’s no way this could leak.”
“Do you believe this house isn’t secure? Like someone could hear us talking?”
“No, but the less you know, the less you can share if something goes wrong.”
That makes her shiver. I know she doesn’t want to think of us being attacked on our way to our next destination, but I won’t rule out the possibility.
“It’ll be a long flight. That’s as much as I’ll tell you.”
We move into the living room and turn on a movie while we wait for Daniel to arrive.
Neither of us is truly paying attention, but it’s a distraction as she sits curled next to me with my arm around her.
She strokes my chest as I stroke her hair.
It’s soothing to both of us. It takes only an hour before someone knocks on the door.
I rise and check the security camera, already knowing it must be Daniel.
The guards wouldn’t allow anyone else on the property without asking me first.
He comes in, and I introduce him to Flora.
She didn’t expect him to be a man in his late fifties.
Too much time outside in the Colombian sun has weathered his kind face.
He’s a man who would’ve made an excellent father or abuelo to a passel of kids, but that’s not what life planned for him.
However, he sets Flora at ease, and they chat about the region.
He fills her in more on the biodiversity of the area.
I suppose it speaks to the scientist in her and why she appears to like this area as much as I do.
When she sat by the pool earlier, I could tell she enjoyed the landscape.
It doesn’t take us long to finish the meal, and now that she has fresh clothes, we take a shower together. It could’ve been much faster, but we got distracted. I could get used to this kind of distraction.
“Chiquita, we’ll leave in the morning. Everything will be arranged for us. The best thing we can do is get a good night’s sleep before we travel. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
I fold back the covers on my bed. I offered her a separate room earlier today, but I never expected her to use it.
It was a courtesy more than anything else.
She and I both know that now. We curl up together much like we did on the sofa.
I lie on my back, and she’s on her side, her head resting on my shoulder, her arm draped across my waist, hand pressed against my ribs as though to keep me close.
My arm drapes across her back while the other hand strokes her hip.
It’s not long before she’s breathing deeper, and I feel her twitch twice before she’s asleep.
I don’t let myself drift off because I’m waiting for a call.
It’s nearly midnight before it comes. I ease my arm out from beneath her and slip out of the bedroom. I head down to the office.
I’m certain if she wakes, she’ll know that’s where I’ve gone. If I were headed anywhere else, I would’ve woken her to tell her. I trust she won’t come near the room since I warned her against it.