Chapter Nineteen
Selena
An hour later…
After using his key fob remote, Rainmaker summoned Spartacus to pick us up at the front of the mall.
Not even three minutes later, the Escalade with the warrior name, pulled up to the place where we waited.
Henry shook his head and said, “Blimey, I want one of these.”
“If you got one, what would you name it?” I asked him.
Rain laughed and cut in with his answer to this, “Excalibur.”
Henry gasped and looked over at him. “How did you know?”
Rain gave him a wink as he replied, “I know everything about you, sweetcakes.”
Henry blinked hard at him. “Can you stop with the stupid ass cheeky nicknames?”
Rain slowly shook his head in a seeming disappointed manner. “My, my someone is grumpy. And that is the thanks I get after all that I have done for you, baby?”
Carlos and I kept shaking our heads as these two really kept up the cover act well. Even though we were highly aware that this was not THE act. This was how they always treated each other.
“And what, may I ask, have you done for me, baby?” Henry snapped.
The doors on the SUV popped open and we all got in. The doors then shut by themselves as soon as we settled into our seats.
Now, behind the wheel, Rain answered Henry’s question, “You need to be grateful for the fact that I haven’t punched you square in your annoying face, Sir Henry.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Henry groused.
“We can throw down anytime you—” Rain halted as my blade came right up between the two front seats.
Both men stared at the deadly, shiny, sharp object.
Suddenly, a buzzing alarm rang out through the vehicle.
Rain immediately reacted as he called out, “Spartacus. It is safe!”
The buzzing got louder.
I lowered my blade.
The loud alarm halted.
I put my knife away and asked Rain, “Was that the car alarm?”
As the SUV drove through the lot and out to the street, Rain nodded. “It was. It has onboard sensors and cameras, remember?”
“And what would have happened if you did not call it off?” Carlos asked.
“It is set to electrify the seat the dangerous offender… is sitting in. Sort of a taser approach, like a cop uses. Then if it still perceived her as a threat after that, it would have pulled over and gone into Defcon 5.”
“Wait, wait,” With his hands up, Henry interjected, as per usual. “Defcon?” He laughed. “Like the levels the US has for war? You gave the car levels of Defcon?”
Rain smirked. “Da.”
“Do we want to know what these levels are?” Carlos asked.
“Probably not,” Rain replied. “If Defcon 5 did not work, then it would move to 4.”
“Dare we ask?” Henry now looked spooked and nervously gazed around at the interior of what he had perceived as the coolest vehicle up until this moment in time.
“Net.” Rain shook his head. “It is probably best if I do not say.”
“Defcon, Rain?” Carlos exclaimed. “Don’t you think you have maybe gone too far with this Spartacus-automated-vehicle thing?”
“Well, you know what they say,” Henry quipped before Rain could answer.
“Often, men with tiny…” he paused for emphasis.
“...Intellects have to make up for their lack of inches by driving large trucks and vehicles. And in Rainmaker’s case with this overkill of a vehicle, it must be teeny-fucking-weeny. ”
With a gasp, I smothered my laugh.
Carlos wasn’t quick enough to do the same as he laughed loudly.
Rain shrugged as if the comment didn’t bother him in the least. Calm and collected, he watched the road ahead. “And those who cannot rise to the occasion, talk too much.”
Carlos and I simply shook our heads as we snickered.
The pair made the day move swiftly and the laughter was constant.
I felt sure that neither of us had ever laughed so much, not since we were kids.
I could only imagine what it would be like when they actually played their cover roles.
While I felt sure they were great guards, they were also highly entertaining.
And they should be paid just for that skill.
I now felt very glad that Carlos had called them.
The trip would move swiftly. Time flies when you are having fun, they say.
I paused and realized this trip could kill all of us.
Then again, I suppose living with the axe of death over your head for years tends to make a person numb to the danger.
Then it occurred to me that we would be weaponless against this looming danger. “What about weapons?” I asked.
“You can wear them,” Rain replied. “But do not try to use them while in the vehicle. Blin, had you whipped a gun out?” He made a face and shook his head.
“No, I mean in Catemaco,” I clarified. “We cannot take ours on a plane.”
“I have contacts there and we can get a few guns. Then as for blades? That town makes them and there are many shops where you can purchase them outright without even a raised eyebrow.”
“Really?” I asked while feeling a bit excited over this. “Blade shops? Que magnifico!”
Henry looked back at me from the front seat. Then he swung his amused gaze over to Carlos. “Well, I can see that choosing her gifts for birthdays and holidays will be easy, mate.”
Rain agreed, “No jewellery or baubles would make Selena look this excited. Just gift her with a deadly weapon and you cannot go wrong.”
Carlos smirked and got in on the joke, “Maybe a diamond layered handle? With a precision weighted steel blade. That perhaps has some gold swirls in it?”
“Ohh baby, now we’re talkin’,” I cooed at him.
We all laughed together.
We arrived back at the hotel and only had a half hour before we needed to leave for the airport. The flight would be in a couple of hours but Rain told us we needed to be there early. We all got our new purchases separated in my room then the loving-couple left to pack.
Carlos removed the sale tags from his suitcase and commented, “This flight will take a while. But at least we can relax and get some sleep. Bien, I only sleep a few hours like you do anyway. But we shouldn’t have to worry about enemies on the plane.
I am hoping that First Class will truly be as comfortable as we believe. ”
“I don’t mind flying but it wouldn't matter where we were. It’s always hard for me to relax.”
“Chingar, Selena. Just this morning, you had jello in your legs.”
I paused and stared at him. “Oh, yeah…” I nodded. “Yes, being sexxed like that? Hmmm… who needs tranquilizers? But I remember a time when I was a teen and I could fall asleep in thirty seconds. Be passed out for hours and have no worries.” I nodded and finally finished my packing.
“I can’t remember being that way. Ever.” Carlos paused and looked over at me. “When I first arrived in New Orleans, I thought that at least I wouldn't have to see…Santiago very much.”
I gazed up at him.
“Then after I found out about Alex and the kids,” he went on. “He called me almost every day. He didn’t trust me and I would have to agree that he shouldn’t. If I could've beaten him back then and gotten those kids, I would’ve never hit that tree.”
I went around the bed and wrapped my arms around him. “I would never wish that on anyone, your accident and that coma. But if things hadn’t happened the way they did, we wouldn’t be together right now.”
He smiled. “The best thing that ever happened to me was when you decided to kidnap me.”
“I would have never believed you would end up saying that.” I chuckled.
“Me either but just look at you. A guy cannot complain. My napper is sexy, smart and a badass. Where else would I have found a girl like you?”
“I am just sickass cool, ya know?” I stepped back and did his flip your hair thing.
We both laughed.
“Chingar, you do that better than I can. Add that great sense of humor you have and you are a definite 10.” He tugged me close to him and kissed me deeply.
He took my breath away like he always did as the kiss went from zero to sixty in an instant. My body melted into his. My mind drifted to that place of bliss. I now realized he was the only man to ever take me there. His kisses were a high for me and I couldn’t resist them. Not that I wanted to.
My phone beeped and we instantly broke apart. Breathless, we locked gazes.
Those dark intense eyes of his burned through me and if we had the time, I know what we would be doing right this second.
The beep went off again.
I took my cell out and tapped the screen as my brows drew together in confusion. “How did Rainmaker get my number?”
Carlos shook his head and shrugged. “He’s really good at tech as you could tell.”
I tapped accept call then snapped at Rain, “You will be telling me how you hooked into my phone, Mr. Rainmaker.”
“A magician should never reveal his—”
“I will find out. It may take an hour long torture session, but I will.”
Silence on the other end, then Rain spoke, “I wouldn’t usually be afraid of a female saying that. However…”
I chuckled. “You are amusing, but I will need you to block my phone from anyone else doing this, got it?”
“Si, Senorita. I called to let you know we will be waiting by your door.”
“Ok. Give us a minute.” I ended the call.
Carlos came out of the bathroom and looked around. “Are they ready?”
I nodded and did what he had just done. I took a look around the room to be sure we didn’t forget anything. Then I pulled a hundred dollar bill from my pocket and set it on the motel notepad that I had scribbled– Muchas Gracias– on.
Finally, I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, rolling it toward the door.
Carlos cocked his head at me. “You are super generous to service people, Selena.” He shrugged. “I think it is muy chulo but I don’t think I’ve seen anyone tip so well before.”
I looked up at him. “For most of her life, my Abuela had been a housekeeper at a tourist hotel back in Mexico. Some of my relatives on my mother’s side are food servers and cooks.
Often, tips bought dinner for their families every night.
I suppose I will never forget living day to day, like a lot of our people do. ”
He reached over and took my hand in his, raising it to kiss my palm. “You said you lived in darkness. But I believe that you were the light in that darkness.”
His words hit me in the chest, where my heart was located. No one had ever said such things to me before. I blinked my eyes at him.
With that dazzling smile of his, Carlos released my hand then took my suitcase handle and added, “And it will be my pleasure to serve you for the rest of my life.” He turned and wheeled our luggage to the door.
Ok…I admit it. This man kept surprising me. He made me feel so many things. He invoked a feeling of being home, being safe and loved. He made me want to give him his normal-cotton-candy life. I vowed to myself that someday, I would make that happen.