Chapter Sixteen
Carlos
Turning, I looked up at Selena.
Her expression looked…Angry.
I stared at her to be sure of what I saw. If I pissed her off, I surely wanted to know.
Suddenly, the look of rage disappeared from her face.
I blinked and felt like maybe I had imagined it.
She had finished dressing and was putting on a pair of light tennis shoes. Standing from the chair, she looked at me.
I traced her body with my eyes. A pair of jeans, a white tee and her white tennies.
Her dark hair was up in a ponytail and she wore no makeup.
Lightly tanned, sleek skin. Otherwise, she looked…
Cute as hell. If she beamed at people today, they would believe she was just a young college student or something.
They would never know her true identity.
The Blade, right hand woman to Quanto Diego of the dangerous and very deadly cartel. No, they wouldn’t believe it either.
I for one, could not wait until she wasn’t in that life anymore.
I hoped with the highest of hopes that Quanto kept his word.
That he would let her leave when the time came.
I still did not know our future, despite my hopes for a brighter, more wholesome life.
I knew one thing for sure though. I intended to fight for it. I was ready to fight for it.
Looking down at her phone, she stated, “I got the text from Uber and I see our guards are coming in too.”
I glanced over at the door. “Hell, when did you remove our safety net?”
“I did it before you got dressed.” She smiled. “I can dismantle it in seconds, Carlos.”
“Si, I know. Again, quick, beautiful and ingenious.” I turned and went over to open the door.
My two friends stood there.
I stepped aside and said, “Buenos Dias, mis amigos.”
“Oh, wow,” Henry said. “He is speaking Spanish this morning. Means he is in a good mood.”
“Da, dobroye utro.” Rain nodded at me then at Selena as he greeted her with good morning.
“Spasibo, Rain,” Selena greeted him too. “Dobroye utro i vam.”
“You speak Russian?” he asked her.
“Da, some.” She nodded. “It was a needed skill since Quanto does have dealings with the Bratva sometimes. But do not expect any deep dialogue or rapid words from me. And I cannot recite Russian poetry.”
“Blin, neither can I, that stuff is long and complicated,” he replied with a laugh.
He and Henry came in.
Then the Uber order showed up as well.
Our two guests turned and took the bags from him.
Rain handed the Uber guy a twenty.
“Thanks, man.” He looked happy. “There’s butter packets and syrup in the bags. Then lots of napkins. Thanks again and have a great day!” He turned and walked away.
“I already tipped him forty on the gift card,” Selena told us. “He did well this morning,”
The guys brought the bags in.
Henry nodded at Selena. “Maybe it’s time for me to become an Uber guy.”
Rain shook his head and commented, “Too much work for you.”
Henry scoffed. “I can work as hard as the next bloke.”
“Ihop?” I exclaimed when I saw the bags. “Hell yeah!”
Selena grinned at him. “Of course, I knew you would love it. Bacon and pancakes with syrup. The eggs are the only healthy part about it.”
“That’s exactly it! Down home cooking. Like farmland stuff,” I cheered as I went over to the table. “I am glad you get it. Lots of boxes too…Awesome. I could eat a full banquet this morning.”
My friends backed up and allowed me to grab what I wanted.
“Thanks amigos. I did without real food for far too long and I now enjoy every meal to its finest. Oh and cafe!” I grabbed a styrofoam cup of coffee.
“Better than that crap in the rooms,” Rain muttered.
“Amen!” Henry agreed. “That is simply brown water. Not coffee.”
We all got boxes and silverware. Using the square containers of syrup on our pancakes, we all enjoyed the breakfast.
I couldn’t seem to help it, I kept moaning and groaning, like I did with every meal.
My friends kept laughing.
“He is serious about his food,” Selena told them.
I raised my head as presently, my mouth was full. All I could do was nod.
“Seriously insane, you mean,” Henry joked.
I swallowed then swiped my mouth with a napkin. “Seven months…That’s how long I vegetated. I’m surprised I didn’t wake up as a skeleton.”
“We are too,” Henry told me. “But nooo…Still got your abs, shiny silky hair and that skin! Why do Latins have such smooth skin? Damn.”
Rain laughed. “Practicing your gayness there, Sir Gaylord?” He then took a swig of his coffee.
“Maybe but I noticed you do not need to practice.”
“Ohhh, snap,” I exclaimed as I laughed.
“Boys, behave,” Selena said even though she smiled hugely.
The two men nodded and shut up to eat just like she said.
I snorted. Funny, what a knife blade 2 inches from your face could accomplish.
We finished our breakfast and talked about what would be needed for this trip.
“I don’t need anything,” Rain said.
Henry looked over at him. “Vacation, remember? Like we need swimwear for the pool.”
Rain stared at him. “The pool? Are you joking?”
Henry shook his head. “People always lounge around pools in Mexico.”
Scoffing, Rain retorted, “We cannot lounge around anything, Sir Speedo.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it.
“Don’t encourage them,” Selena told me even as she snickered.
Henry shook his head. “I bet that you already packed your speedos.”
“You wish.” Rain rolled his eyes then as if he dismissed the little boy in the room, he turned to look at Selena. “I booked four first class seats, heading out tonight. I rented an SUV to travel the roads. We will be staying at a small but high end hotel. Adjoining rooms, meals and the works.”
“Sounds like a real vacation,” I replied.
“It will certainly look like one.” Rain nodded then he looked over at Henry. “I repeat …it will only LOOK like one.”
Henry scoffed. “I will be doing my job. These two will be safe. I have taken bullets for people that are not as wonderful as they are.”
“On that note, let’s go shopping,” I announced. “I mean we have a Black Card!”
The two men laughed.
“Nothing like credit,” Henry agreed. “Well, the kind you can use then forget it.”
“You can buy anything that suits you,” Selena said.
We men cleaned the table up and tossed the trash away.”
Looking up, I saw Selena grabbing her tool kit and extra weapons.
She gave me a nod. “I’m not sure if the housekeeper will understand the knives and man traps.” She shoved everything into a backpack.
I smirked. “Probably not.”
“Man traps?” Rain asked.
“Yeah, aren't those like lingerie, lace bras, stripper poles and such?” Henry nodded.
Selena and I swung our gazes over to him. Then we both laughed.
“Only if barbed wire and pain is included,” I replied.
Rain’s brows rose as he asked, “And a tripwire?”
Selena stopped and stared at him. “You have used this trap?”
“I sure have. I call it Whan, Bam, Ow.”
I nodded. “Si, I felt just like that when I saw it. Good name for it.”
Rain went on, “I found that it works better if the tripwire is four feet from the barbs.”
“Oh?” she replied. “I have it at about three. But I’ve never tested it out on a real man.”
“I’m not a heavy sleeper but I did drive for thirty hours on the road one day. So at the motel, I caught a burglar in one.” He winced. “Worked just like I thought. He probably won’t be fathering any babies though.”
As they talked they both strolled out the door.
Henry and I trailed them out.
After he shut the door, Henry looked startled as he asked me, “What the blimey are they talking about?”
At the surprised look on his face, I laughed. Then as we walked down the stairs, I explained it. The locks and the tripwire along with the well placed barbed wire.
Henry seemed to not really be listening to me now as he looked distracted. He may have even heard me but he didn’t respond.
Then I figured out that he was doing his job.
Hand in his jacket, most likely on his gun grip with eyes moving over the parking lot below us.
I did the same as I checked the area. Yes, I had the gun Selena gave me. It was tucked into my back waist band. I hated carrying it after swearing off cartel life but I wasn't stupid. We had enemies and you could never be safe enough in our business.
The area seemed clear.
Rain motioned us over to a black SUV. “Meet Spartacus. I have safety enhancements on it. So we will be using it today.” He pressed his thumb just below the door handle. It hummed then beeped. The doors all opened.
“Wow a thumbprint scanner?” Selena asked.
We all got in. There was plenty of room inside.
Once the doors shut, Henry asked him, “What other enhancements?”
He got behind the wheel and replied, “Mostly tech.” He motioned to the onboard screen.
“It has surround camera views. Also perimeter alarms. The exterior and window are bullet proof. You cannot see into the vehicle at all, yet the widows do not appear to be tinted. Tint is illegal in most states now. My onboard PC has scans as in facial scans, and license scans.”
“Hell, and here I thought, I was paranoid. When Rainmaker here thinks he’s Double O-Seven.”
Rain chuckled dryly and said, “So says Sir Superspy. Just admit it, you are jealous.”
“Me? Jealous over a vehicle?” Then Henry seemed to realize what Rain had just said. “What do you mean by superspy?”
Rain changed lanes and tapped his console to say, “Spartacus…Drive to the Oceanside mall.”
“No way!” Henry looked startled. “It has self-driving capabilities, just like a Tesl—”
“No, not like that. Spartacus is much more than that brand of car. I will oversee it but you will note how smooth this goes.”
Initiating the blinkers, the SUV made turns as prompted by the GPS. Stopped at three stoplights and then it finally pulled into the very large parking lot of the mall.
“Color me impressed,” I said.
Selena agreed, “Just amazing!”
Rain smirked and tapped the console again. Then he spoke to the vehicle, “Spartacus, drive us to the front for the drop off then find a parking spot.”
Henry looked back and forth at the outside then he looked up at Rain. “No fucking way!”
Rain nodded as the SUV pulled up to the entrance and stopped. “Yes, fucking way. Ok, wait a minute or two as it scans the area for dangers.”
“Scans the area?” I felt surprised too. Capabilities like this were only futuristic or so I had believed.
We sat for a couple of minutes as the car hummed. Leaning forward, Selena and I looked at the waterfall at the front of the mall with its dolphin metal statues. There were several very cool sights outside
“Did it go to sleep?” Henry snarked.
“Spartacus never rests,” Rain replied. “Even when I park it at the airport, it will be subliminally awake. You cannot key the exterior of this vehicle as that initializes a shock, nor vandalize it or steal it.
Finally, the doors unlocked and popped open.
“Orale!” I exclaimed.
“Fantastic!” Selena nodded as she stepped out. “I sure wish we could take Spartacus with us.”
Henry got out too. He remained silent as he did his gaze around the area. In bodyguard mode, he waited for us to step out.
Rain stepped to the other side of me as Henry stood beside Selena.
“I admire the careful, keen watching, but it is too obvious to any serious onlooker,” Selena told them. “You both look exactly like bodyguards. When we are on the plane and then when we arrive at Catemaco, we will need the cover personalities to hide it.”
“No worries,” Henry said. “We can act cool while doing it.”
“Da,” Rain agreed. “He has hidden his true self for years. Henry will show us his true gayness, here at the mall.”
I shook my head and of course, I laughed at that answer.
“And Rainmaker will show you just how flamin’ he is,” Henry added.
I wasn’t sure about either of them being the least bit gay. I knew them pretty well. But I did know one thing…This would be amusing. “Aguas! I can’t wait to see this.”
Selena smiled as her eyes sparkled with mirth. “Me too.”