Chapter Nine
Selena
I stared at him and asked, “Do you really mean that?”
He rolled his eyes. “I told you before that I always mean what I say. And about this I am more than sure.”
“H-have you ever been in a relationship?” I asked him.
He paused, then handed my clothes to me.
“No. And you already know why. I was young when Santiago plucked me up and planted me right into the ranks. Right into the killing and drug dealing. I never wanted to be there but I did as he ordered. At first, it was just because he was my stern father so I did as he said. Then when I came back to Mexico, I found out what he had been doing to my sister’s life and…
” He sighed. “...killing Alex, I knew I’d better not ever get close to anyone else. ”
I turned and headed to my suitcase. I didn’t know how to feel about any of this.
Yes, we talked about it before we had sex.
But I didn’t think it all the way through.
He had taken me to the moon like I told him and my body still felt well loved, but I needed to get dressed before I faced this situation.
I smirked to myself. It wouldn’t be proper to have a naked conversation.
If I tried, I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on the words.
The man was too damned sexy. I pulled out a long t-shirt and shorts.
“Boooo!” Carlos teased. “Mierda! You’re gonna put clothes on?”
Laughing, I put my other outfit into the suitcase. “I should have set up my perimeter already. I have to be dressed to do that.”
“Nah, you don’t have to set up a…” he paused as he sat down on the bed, a towel around his hips. “Perimeter?”
I nodded at him. “If we are to get any sleep at all, I need to set this up.” I tossed the t-shirt over my head and tugged it down. “We cannot be safe if we do not have some traps set.”
“Traps so we can sleep…” He shook his head as he sighed. “Maybe someday…”
I quickly pulled the sweats on and pulled them up over my thighs. Looking up at him, I asked, “Someday?”
“After this is over, we can be free. Like go out and have fun. Relax. Without looking over our shoulders. Just rest without having to set a trap. You know, be normal.”
I opened my backpack, grabbed my tool kit and unrolled it on the chair.
“Normal?” I snickered. “We aren't normal people, Carlos. Haven’t you noticed that yet? Normal people do not have assassins after them. They do not have crews of men ready to kill on their orders. Being in the dark life has made us different.”
“But that doesn’t mean we cannot change,” he argued. “That we cannot enjoy life. Maybe live in the light? Like go to a carnival, play like kids, eat cotton candy. No fucking guns—”
I raised my hand up at him. “I will always carry one, Carlos. I do not trust the world. No matter what.”
He slowly nodded his head. “Si, I suppose the world is dangerous now. But you know what I meant. Maybe we could move to Iowa or some small town somewhere.”
“The town where Alex was killed had 200 people in it, Carlos. It was just a small village. The violence can come to you.”
He looked away toward the window. “I don’t know why I think the way I do now.
I used to be just like you. Guarded and wary.
Skeptical and even logical. I mean when I was in the life, I refused to dream about being out of it.
Too elusive really. You know what I mean.
Constantly watching out for someone to sneak in and kill you. ”
I nodded at him. “Hell yeah, I do.”
“Then the dreams came…” He paused again.
I really felt curious now as I asked, “Dreams? Like when you were in the coma?”
Nodding, he reached over and grabbed his boxer briefs.
“I would hear this voice. It would tell me that there were other ways to live. I resisted that though as I had only been taught that there were better ways to die. But it told me that if I truly wanted it, I could fight for it.” He slipped his briefs on and looked over at me.
“The thing is I don’t know how to fight for it.
I mean I can fight hand to hand combat and I’m good in knife fight.
” He smirked. “Not as good as you but I’m fair at it.
But fighting as a principal? As an ideal? I have no idea how to do that.”
I turned to the pack again and dug out my mini camera.
“Did this voice tell you how to do it?” I sure as hell did not know how to do what he said either.
Give me a weapon, a target and I would be on top of it.
But to be carefree and unguarded? Nah, not possible.
I checked the battery on the camera. Full.
Raising my head, I stared at him as he didn’t give me an answer.
Shaking his head, he sighed. “It told me to do honorable things. Nothing for self-promotion.”
I scoffed at this ideal as I grabbed my tripwire. “Most human beings are self-promoting, Carlos. It is in our nature to do so.”
“True but it is odd that I had always planned to get Gabby’s kids when I could. And that is an honorable thing.”
I turned around to look at him. “Ok and we are gonna do that. So besides eating cotton candy, what else could make you an honorable man?”
He smiled at the reference, then he replied, “To never take another life.”
I halted at this. “But there are people who want to kill us. Ones who will kill us, given the chance.”
He nodded. “I know, so you see the hard part then?”
I kept shaking my head as I went over to the window by the door. “I’m not sure either of us are angelic enough to actually be a saint. Or die as a saint actually. Because that is what not defending your own life will do. It will make you dead. Period. Like not defending our own lives?” I scoffed.
He smirked at me. “You are saying ‘us’and ‘our own’, like you want to be honorable too.”
I peeked out of the curtain, my gaze spanning the stairs then the parking lot.
I saw a few cars and vans in the lot but that told me nothing.
I used my trained eye to span it again, looking for anything odd, anything out of place.
So far, nothing looked suspicious and at this moment I saw no movement.
“I was speaking um.. how do they say it? Metaphorically.” Or was I?
I still felt conflicted about us getting serious as a couple.
And that could be because I knew how dangerous being together could be.
My boss would have a god damned conniption fit.
Which would seal my fate to being put six feet under.
His family would probably come after him if they knew he and I were together.
I wasn’t sure if they would kill him, but it could happen.
“Ok, I have a couple of things to do.” I slipped my sandals on then looked up at him.
“And they have nothing to do with cotton candy.”
“Too bad. I like the pink and blue kind.” He smirked. “Need any help?”
“No…” I paused, then changed my mind. “Bien, maybe?” I went over to hand him my phone. “The screen will light up, then I want you to make sure the camera view is pointing downwards at both sets of stairs, ok?”
He nodded and tapped the screen.
Grabbing my gun with the silencer, I stepped to the door. Opening it just a crack, I peeked out through it. In my line of work, you couldn’t be too careful. Not ever. My crazy but very smart mentor used to say, ‘Being paranoid was much better than being dead.’
Finally stepping out of the room, I took another look around.
Just then, someone came out of the door next to ours.
I immediately tensed as I hid my gun behind me.
A young woman, in very short-shorts and a bikini top, shut the door behind her and looked up at me. “Oh, hey. Have you seen where the ice machine is?”
I nodded and replied, “Down at the bottom.” I motioned to the cement stairs with my free hand.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course, it is.”
I stepped closer and asked, “But where are you going to put the ice?” I had my weapon hidden but ready to use. She could be part of a trap.
Pausing, she stared at me. “W-what?”
“Where’s your ice bucket? You know, the one they put in our rooms?”
“Oh, that,” she replied. “They forgot it I think? Cause I couldn’t find it.”
I looked into her eyes. No coldness, just curiosity. I also did not feel any abnormal tension. Stepping back, I motioned for her to pass by me.
She furrowed her brows at my odd behavior then passed me. “Thanks.”
Yes, I acted odd and paranoid but I was still alive.
I waited until she went down and was already at the second set of stairs before I really let go of my suspicions.
I was not a fool about to die. I was smart and alive.
I looked around again, of course. All quiet.
I needed to set up the camera before anyone else came along.
I swiftly pegged it above the door, then opened it and stepped in to ask Carlos, “Does the screen show both sets of stairs?”
“Um…” He seemed to be studying the cell phone.
I waited a few seconds for further reply.
He then nodded. “Yes, it does.”
I shut the door, locking it and the upper lock too. Next step…I took out the tripwire from my sweatpants pocket. “Can you bring me the little drill from that tool pack on the chair?”
Carlos looked over, then got up to grab the small drill, bringing it to me.
I took it from his grasp and knelt down. Lining up the tripwire with the screw on it, I drilled it in. Then stretched it over to the other side, leaving a bit of slack. Finally, I drilled the other end into the wall there.
“Wow,” Carlos said.
I grinned at him. “Not done yet.” I stood and went over to my backpack. I took out a metal lined sack and then carefully opened the zipper to take out the contents. Turning, I went back over.
“Barbed wire?” Carlos exclaimed when he saw it.
I nodded. “If they get through the locks, they will trip.” I knelt down and lined the barbed wire piece up about three feet past the trip wire. “He, whoever he is, will get a nutsack full of pain.”
“OUCH!” Carlos hissed.
I snickered. Yes, it might have been an evil snicker, but this unknown enemy who might try to break in, deserved every bloody cut. “Hopefully by then, we will have our guns trained on him.”
“Do I have a gun?” he asked.
I nodded. “I have one for you.” I moved over to my bag, took out a small case and handed it to him.
Grabbing it, he sat on the bed and opened the case. He actually sucked in his breath as he stared down at the weapon. “A Colt M1911?” he exclaimed.
I gave him a nod and listed its stats, “Single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol. Chambered primarily for a .45 ACP cartridge.”
“You knew this was my favored weapon?” He stared at me.
I shrugged. I did know. I just never thought I would ever hand it to Carlos Castillo, the Mexican Mafia leader.
But I wasn’t doing that. I was handing it to Carlos, the man who wanted to find his sister’s and my brother’s kids.
I skipped answering his question, “So from now on, you need to use it if you have to. Protecting our lives is more important than sainthood.”
He chuckled softly. “Like anyone could make me a saint. I do have to admit it though. Hitting a tree with my car might have been the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“I saw pictures of it. You almost died, Carlos.”
He sighed. “I deserved it. I’ve committed some dark sins, whether I wanted to or not. I still committed them.”
“That makes me and you unsaintable,” I told him. “I’ve killed more people than you, I think?”
Shrugging, he chuckled. “I hope no one kept score.” Then he looked from the trap to me. “But I do know one thing.”
“And what’s that?” I asked him.
He motioned to the door and the cutting trap. “Remind me never to make you mad.”
I burst out laughing. “Come on. It isn’t for that. It is in defense. Not many assassins are good enough to check for traps. Normally, they will be looking at us, the targets. You and I need some sleep.”
“Is this more training from The Wasp?” he asked.
I snorted. “Yes. She had many different kinds of traps.”
“Do I want to know about them?” he joked.
I laughed. “Probably not. Because none of them involve cotton candy.”
He laughed with me and stepped over to grab me up. “You need to watch it. That laugh of yours is an aphrodisiac.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled at him. “I never knew a laugh could ignite a flame.”
“You lit it, fueled it and now I burn for you.” Carlos leaned closer and crushed my lips with his.