Chapter Four How Complicated? #2
I sat there stunned at Gabriela’s story. After all the lies those two women told about Gabriela not wanting her own children. The cruelty of their brother, Santiago, reflected the same way of life his sisters lived. Greedy, cruel liars, black hearted until they died.
Just then, the twins came back into the kitchen.
I was glad they never heard any of what Gabriela just shared with us. My gaze met Gabriela’s and she gave me a nod as if to say she too, did not wish for them to know how terrible Santiago really was. Who would wish to hear that the devil was their grandfather.
We all left the kitchen to head to the twin’s rooms.
Gabriela led us to the stairway. It too was grand as they call it. Extra wide and with a swirl design that made it not as steep of a climb.
We all proceeded to step up.
Gabriela waved us away. “No, we shall take this…” She pointed to the far wall.
Looking over, we saw elevator doors.
“You have an elevator?” Alex exclaimed in total shock.
“In your house?” Hope added with the same shock as her brother.
Chuckling at their stunned expressions, Gabriela nodded. “It is new though. Alberto had it put in when we found out I was going to have a baby. He didn’t want me going up and down the stairs.”
One thing Gabriela was unaware of was that the kids had never seen an elevator before in their lives until we were at the hotel in Mexico City after they were rescued.
After we had been in our rooms, Henry and I took them up and down several times just for the fun of it…
Their fun of it. They’d acted like they were on a rollercoaster amusement ride.
We all went over to it and Henry pressed the button. The doors instantly opened.
The twins looked so excited.
“Yay!” Alex stepped forward to get into the lift.
Henry held his arm out and said, “Ladies first, ok Alex?”
He paused then nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“Do not be,” Henry replied. “You just need to learn a little more and you will be a perfect gentleman.”
Alex smiled at him.
Hope, me and Gabriela stepped in. Henry and Alex then stepped in last.
I really believed Henry was a good teacher. He kept his voice calm and warm. He showed patience uncommon for a male. He just always remained super polite as far as I’d seen. With those qualities, he would have made an excellent teacher.
Yes, that was what I had planned to be and what I’d gone to school for.
Then my life got derailed. I’d just got my first placement in a mid-school and I had been all ready to teach.
My specialty was languages, but I also taught piano.
I remember the shopping I did for supplies while feeling so excited.
Then my first day and the faces of the kids.
They were excited to learn a new language.
I was there a month when I got the news and I was forced to leave the job.
The elevator doors opened and Gabriela stepped out.
Hope followed her.
Henry bowed at the waist bit and motioned for me and Hope to step out.
We all followed Gabriela down a very wide plush carpeted hallway.
The kids were walking then they slowed down and stared at the carpet underneath their feet.
I paused behind them. Peering down I felt amazed as well. This had to be the thickest carpet I had ever seen.
Gabriela stopped walking and asked, “It is beautiful, si?” She now looked back and forth down the hallways as if to make sure no one else was there.
Then she slipped one sandal off then the other.
Barefoot, she squeezed her toes and sighed happily, “It feels so good.” Nodding at the teens, she urged them to follow her example.
They both immediately looked over at me.
I gave them a nod.
They then eagerly took their shoes off and slid through the soft carpeting as they both giggled.
I smiled at them and slipped my sandals off. Then I clenched my toes into the lush material and gasped at how it felt. “Fantastico!”
We all giggled like little kids.
I glanced over at Henry.
He stared at us and then laughed as his careful guarding expression seemed to slip.
I looked down to see that he wore boots… the lace up military kind. So, I could see why he didn’t follow suit, but he did seem to enjoy watching us do it.
We all enjoyed the toes on soft carpet dances as we openly laughed for several minutes.
Henry flipped around and aimed a gun at someone who had silently approached us.
The man held his hands up. “Whoa there, Sir Henry.”
Henry looked a bit surprised as he lowered his weapon then tucked it back into his jacket.
Gabriela glanced back and forth between the two men. “You two know each other?”
Henry slowly shook his head as if he didn’t want to say.
“Yes, we do,” the man told her as he gave us all a warm smile. His pronounced cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and severe dark brown eyes made him quite a handsome guy.
Gabriela smiled a bit. “How interesting.” She looked over at a very quiet Henry. “Have you been to New Orleans before?”
He nodded. “I lived in the French Quarter.”
I stared at him. He lived here before? This surprised me as he hadn’t said so when we made the trip here.
Especially since Selena and Carlos told us about some of the interesting spots here to visit.
Like the French Quarter and the old cemeteries that were actually tourist sites.
But then again, he was our bodyguard and he stayed fairly quiet as he watched everything like a hawk.
But he was Carlos’ friend too, so I feel like something would have been said about Carlos and Henry both living here.
“Oh,” Gabriela said as she laughed a bit. “I’m sorry. I didn’t make introductions. This is Michael, he is married to Alessia, my stepdaughter. He’s in charge of the house security too.”
Henry glared at him and took a step forward toward Michael.
Micheal stepped forward too.
They both faced each other. Unsmiling and wearing very serious expressions.
We all watched in fascination as we didn’t know what was happening.
“You aren’t a policeman anymore?” Henry finally spoke up as he stared at Michael.
Michael shook his head. “I left the force and married Sia. Best thing I ever did.”
“Which one? Leaving your dream job or marrying your dream girl?” Henry asked him as he raised an eyebrow at him.
The hall got quiet now as we all watched this odd meeting.
Both men broke into laughter as they embraced and patted each other’s backs.
Ok…now Gabriela and I were both surprised.
They stepped apart and regarded each other.
“I never would have believed that you would leave law enforcement,” Henry told him.
He shrugged. “I had to really.”
Henry looked stunned. “Oh, crikey. I get it. Yes, indeed.” He nodded. “Well, I cannot wait to meet your wife.”
The twins and I put our shoes on now as the two men kept talking.
Michael beamed and told him, “Sia is worth it, brother. I have a daughter now and life is good.”
“Damn, I’m floored. I’ve been traveling for almost two years and I never knew all of this had happened,” Henry told him. “Wow, I am an uncle now?
Gabriela and I looked back and forth now, both of us curious.
“Wait… hold up, Henry is your brother?” Gabriela asked Michael.
The two men swung their gazes over at us.
“We are half-brothers,” Michael replied.
“The same father, bless his cruel heart,” Henry added in a cryptic tone.
I just stared at them and finally, once the shock wore off…. I could see the resemblance between the two men. But this fact did not shock me. It would be that they were brothers in the middle of all of this…
Henry looked over at me and laughed. “Yes, I can see that you connected the dots. So Michael had been an American cop and he marries…” He paused then went on, “A notorious mafia gangster’s daughter.
Then there would be me, a British bodyguard with close ties to Carlos, who had been a Cartel gangster boss and terrible enemies of the very family Michael married into. ”
“What?” Michael cut in. “You have ties to Carlos Castillo?”
The twins looked back and forth as they gasped at the things the two men were revealing.
Henry saw the shock on their young faces. He shook his head and replied, “It is a long story, Mikey. We are getting the kids settled in their new rooms. Then maybe I can explain it to you later tonight?”
He nodded. “Yes, of course.” He looked over at Gabriela.
“Berto sent you to check on us, didn’t he?” she asked him.
He suddenly looked serious as he gave her a nod.
She smiled at him. “Don’t look like that. It is just like him to do so.” She glanced at the kids then bent over a bit to pick up her sandals. “We are about to do a small tour.”
Henry looked at his brother and added, “I have them.”
Michael gave him a nod. “I will tell him.” He gave Henry and me a brief smile. Then he suddenly paused and stared at me.
I went totally still. No… There was no way that he recognized me.
Blinking his eyes, he cocked his head at me. “Have we met?” he asked.
I tried to look calm and sound calm as I shook my head. “I do not think so.”
Henry looked from me to his brother. “She’s been in Mexico for almost three years. So unless you met her before that?”
Michael slowly shook his head. “No, I was mistaken I think?” He gave me, the kids and Gabriela a nod. Turning, he went back down the hall, then he headed down the stairs.
I actually let out a long, relieved breath.
Henry snapped his gaze over to me as he caught this visible relief.
I blinked at him then looked away. Things were getting so complicated here. I knew why Michael thought he knew me. I could clearly see that Henry would ask me about this too. Not out of curiosity but for the safety of the twins.