Chapter Ten
Carlos
My eyes popped open. I remained still as I had to figure out where I was.
I still wasn’t used to this. Waking up in the morning.
I turned my head just a bit and saw the motel room.
Then I smiled as I stretched my body out.
This was all real. Damn, it was good to see mornings now.
I slept like the dead for months…literally.
I also felt glad to be past that first awakening.
The tube in my throat was awful and it hurt for several days after they removed it.
My body felt sluggish like I could barely make my limbs move.
The nurse did help with that as she had me doing exercises to get my strength and equilibrium back.
I did notice Selena in a chair across the room as she watched everything that went on.
Mainly, she kept a close eye on the doctor and the nurse.
I couldn’t see her very well for the first couple of days.
Then she finally came close. I hid my initial reaction to her beauty.
Her eyes were cold and she didn’t speak to me right away.
No, it had been at least a week after I had awakened before she sat in the chair closer to my bed and handed me that phone with Gabby’s voice coming from it.
My life then changed forever.
But finally, life was here for me to live it too. I got a second chance most would say. Then I found that Selena was the woman I would live it with.
Yes, I noted how evasive she got when I let her know I wanted her to be with me for always.
She nearly bolted. I understood it though.
People like us never believed we could be with someone steady.
Yes, living the mafia life meant you couldn’t have any other family.
You never knew who would come along and hurt them, because of who you were and what you did for a living.
It was dangerous and that was why I had to find a way to get both her and I out of the dark life as we called the criminal world.
Reaching for Selena, I found only empty space on the bed.
I sat up and looked toward the bathroom.
I hoped that was where she would be. I knew she wouldn’t leave me.
At least not until this was all done. After we returned the kids to Gabby, I would make it my life’s work to convince Selena to stay with me.
I had meant what I'd said. I knew she was the woman for me.
I also knew I could be the man she needs.
Coming out through the bathroom door was Selena. Smiling at me, she came over and stood next to the bed. She still wore her sweats and t-shirt.
“Damn, I was worried there for a minute.” I smiled back at her.
“I wouldn’t leave you unprotected, Carlos.”
I shook my head. “So the Warrior Goddess is my protector?”
She smirked. “Warrior Goddess? Mierda, that’s quite a title. But I did take the traps off the door because I called for food delivery.”
I immediately looked over at the door and saw that it looked normal again. No cutting barbed wire. “Oh hell, I feel naked now. But I am starving.”
A beep sounded.
Selena took her cell out of her pocket and stared at the screen. “Looks like Uber’s here.”
“Great. As you may have guessed, I am starving.” I climbed out of bed and hurried over to the bathroom.
After a couple of minutes, I was washing my hands and face when I heard a scuffle in the room. It sounded like trouble so I rushed out and stopped in my tracks.
Selena had her gun tucked up under a man’s chin. “Who do you work for?” she demanded.
Tall and thin, dressed in a flannel shirt with jeans, he looked white in the face. In addition, his widened eyes were full of terror and he was already sweating. “I-I brought your food, ma’am,” he answered breathlessly.
She hissed at him as she asked, “Why are you armed?”
“I’ve been j-jumped three times in the last t-thirty days!” he exclaimed nervously as he stammered. “I-I’m tired of getting r-robbed.”
I came over in my boxers and stared at him. “What kind of gun do you have?”
He stared back at me while looking confused and asked, “W-what?”
“Is it a thirty mil? Or a 45?”
He blinked at me in confusion. “Um, it’s just like a small one.”
Selena shook her head and lowered her gun. “Yeah, he’s just Uber.”
We both knew a true assassin would know about guns. This guy seemed to be clueless. Besides, he was too young and looked like he was gonna piss himself. Damn, Selena could be a scary woman. I tried to hide my grin.
The man let out a huge breath and knelt to pick up the bags with shaky hands. “I-I hope your drinks d-didn’t spill.”
Yeah, he was just a delivery guy for sure.
He went over and set the bags on the small table. He still looked nervous and shaky. He then stepped over to the door.
“Wait,” Selena called to him.
Turning, he backed up as he still looked terrified. Obviously, he’d thought he would get away in one piece and without a bullet to the head.
Selena then tossed his small revolver to him.
With a panicked, “Eeek!” He hopped away from the flying gun. It landed on the carpet as he covered his head and raised his leg up with a bended knee to protect himself. Once he didn’t hear a gunshot, he slowly dropped his arms and exclaimed, “Damn lady, it could have gone off!”
“The safety’s on and I took the bullets out.” Selena shrugged.
I let out a huge laugh. I couldn’t help it, the scene was too funny.
The man looked comical, with his arms over his head and his legs shaking… poor guy. He grabbed the weapon up and clumsily opened the door.
Selena called to the fleeing man, “I will add another hundred bucks as your tip!”
He kept running.
We were both laughing as she went over and shut the door.
“Poor man. You scared him almost to death. And you almost had him ruining a perfectly good pair of jeans.” I laughed then raised my head to look at her. “But how did you pay for that?” I asked as I went over to the bags to see if there was some coffee. “You can’t use cash with food deliveries.”
“A Visa gift card.” She shrugged as she double locked the door and came back over.
“Smart. Then again, you must have the highest IQ of anyone I have ever met.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, I’m a real scholar.”
“You are. I mean I’ve never seen anyone so resilient and clever.
You could major in like Spy class or something.
” I paused while digging into the bags. “Yes! Cafe!” I cheered as I raised the foam cup of coffee up like I’d just found gold.
Then I looked down at the bags again and gasped.
“Egg McMuffins? And those awesome hash browns? Fucking yum!”
She smirked as she came over. “You are… like a kid sometimes, ya know?”
“Yes, I think it's because I am now free to be one. And believe me, I was not like this before my date with that fucking tree.” I sat in the chair and tore the wrapper off then took an eager bite of the Egg McMuffin. “Oh, and you bought four of them for me? A huevo...Hell, yeah.”
“You are talking with your mouth full,” Selena admonished even though she smiled at me.
I nodded as I swallowed. “Sorry, I got too excited.”
Shaking her head she said, “I guess I can savvy that. You didn't get any decent food for how long?”
I shrugged. “I may not remember being hungry during my coma but I wanted to strangle that damned nurse after I woke up.”
She barked out a laugh as she dug into the bag to get her McMuffin. “Yes, I saw the anger on your face whenever she brought your meal to you.”
I chewed enthusiastically and swallowed then snapped, “Meal? Hah! Soup and jello? No woman. Chingar, that was NOT a meal.”
She kept laughing.
I continued with my rant, “No manches! That first time when she spooned that watery poop broth into my mouth? I was imagining some very bad things happening to her and that fucking spoon!”
“Poop broth?” She snorted a laugh out through her nose at my complaints.
“And that jello tasted like burnt rubber from a flat tire.”
Selena kept shaking her head. “I would ask how you know what burnt rubber tastes like, but I think not.”
“Good, cause I would never tell you anyway. But like if evil was a meal?” I went on then gulped my coffee and added, “That exact thing would be served in hell.”
She let out another laugh as she almost choked on her food.
Concerned, I went over and slapped her on the back to try to help her. “Estás bien…Are you okay?”
She nodded and finally swallowed. “First off, slapping my back did not help. Secondly, you need to keep your jokes locked up until I’m done eating.”
“But I love to hear you laugh.”
She took a sip of her coffee then replied, “And I love your humor, but shhh!”
We then ate in silence, well except for my occasional groans of ecstasy over the hashbrowns and the meal in general.
Selena kept snickering at the sounds I made though.
I finally finished and reached over to take her hand in mine. Raising it up, I turned it and kissed her palm.
Staring at me, she asked, “What was that for?”
“For being so generous.”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on, it’s not steak and lobster. It's just fast food. Although, I did get a hint that you love McDonalds.”
I snickered. “How did you ever guess?”
She smirked at me. “I thought you were gonna… well ruin your boxer briefs over those McMuffins.”
I laughed at this. “It is sort of an addiction. I admit I am an addict. I used to belong to the MA.”
Looking curious, Selena cocked her head at me. “The MA?”
“Yes, McDonalds Anonymous.”
She grinned.
I went on with the joke, “We would tell our stories. Like how McSorry we were that we were addicted to those little apple turnovers. And how we forgave them for never fixing their milkshake machines.”
“McSorry?” she asked with a laugh.
Nodding at her, I decided to clean up. I stood and grabbed the bag. “It really has deep meaning. At least to me it does. Because as you could tell I cherish Mickey D’s like no other fast food in the whole freakin’ world.”
Nodding, she finished her muffin and said, “I did get a hint or two of that. Like yesterday… When you saw that double yellow arches sign in that parking lot, I thought you were gonna faint.”
“I think I almost did. Just remember I almost left this world and would have missed out on partaking in their heavenly delights, ya know? I also happen to know every fact about that chain. Thanks to that laid up time with my spleen, I studied everything that had my interest. Like the fact that after the McDonald brothers opened a BBQ stand, they realized that most of their profits derived from the sale of hamburgers. So they made it into a carhop place and established a streamlined system with a simple menu that consisted of only hamburgers, cheeseburgers, coffee, ice cream, soft drinks, and…” I smacked my lips. “… apple pie.”
Selena chuckled. “Ok, ok. I get the hint. Next up, I will get you a whole bag of them.”
I bowed my head to her in a dramatic reverence. “You are most gracious, my queen.”
Smiling, she kept shaking her head at me.
A noise went off in the room.
I paused and looked around.
“It’s the burner phone,” she told me.
I still looked around. Hell, if I knew where I put it.
She shook her head and reached over to my jeans to get the phone out of the pocket. Handing it to me, she said, “Has to be for you.”
I took it and answered, “Yes?”
“Where the hell are you?” the deep voice snapped.
I chuckled. “Well, hola to you too, Lancelot.”
“Come on man, you know he was a fake ass knight. I’m at the Executor. What’s the room number?”
“We aren’t there anymore. We’re at the Best Western.”
“Aww, I was looking forward to the ritzy rooms they have.”
“So sorry, Mr. Jetsetter.” I chuckled. “We are on the third level. Around the back.”
“I need the room number, Carlos.”
“Oh, yeah. I never noticed it though.” I looked around then asked Selena, “What room are we in?”
She took the fast food bag from my hand and handed me the keycard.
Looking down at it, I read it out loud, “One-eleven.”
“Be there in a few minutes, Castillian.”
A click from the cell sounded in my ear. Looking up, I saw Selena had cleaned everything up.
She walked over and sat in the chair next to me. “Which one was that?”
“Hotspur.” I nodded. “The bodyguard. He’s a cool guy but a bit um…”
“What?” she asked.
“Like I said before he’s…Eccentric.” I shrugged. “I told you about the knight thing and he really is a Brit. He even lives in an actual castle.”
“And that makes him eccentric?”
“Kind of. I mean who lives in a fucking castle? It’s full of knight armor, 14th and 15th century paintings, candelabras and the works. He has a moat around it for fuck’s sake. But besides all of that once he finds out where we are going, he might bolt. He has some strange superstitions.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“You will soon.” I smiled at her. “I just hope he remains on board.”
“Maldito Carlos, where the hell are we going?”
“I want to wait until all four of us are in the same room. I only plan to explain this once.”
She shook her head. “What is there to explain? You give us the coordinates then we make our plan and proceed to break the kids out of there.”
“Santo inferno, if it were only that cut and dry.”
Selena blinked at me. “Hell, now you are making me feel superstitious.”