Emiliano
AQUí ESTOY
Taina was restless all night, and when she finally woke up this morning, I asked her again if she was sure she could make it today.
Again, she answered with a nod.
I offered her all the space she’d need to get ready, busying myself with cleaning out the barn and taking Papasote and Esther out for a ride.
I’ve just put Esther away when I get a call, my phone chiming in my back pocket. The latch sounds as it locks the stall, and I pull my phone out, grinning when I see Papo’s name.
“You’d better not be bailing,” I tell him, knowing his ass would love any excuse not to have to put on a suit. “ Mami will never let you forget it.”
She invited his parents and sister as well, but they’re hosting a wedding at his ranch.
“Nah, man. I’ll be there.” His deep chuckle rolls out him easily, and once it fades, he continues. “Aye, so Carlos isn’t coming, right?”
Pressing my lips together, I rub the back of my head with my free hand.
Of course I know he doesn’t care for my brother.
They’ve butted heads more often than I can count, starting as early as seven years old with the last run-in being at my father’s funeral when he showed up drunk with his new wife on his arm.
Mami was embarrassed but avoided seeing or speaking to them.
Papo almost threw a punch to keep his ass in check when he tried to run after Mami .
Instead, Carlos ended up hoisted over Papo’s shoulder and dumped onto his childhood bed to sleep it off while his wife got into it with one of the capos’ wives.
Mami calmly told one of the drivers to drive “that callejera ” back to where she came from.
The rest of us had been in a meeting and walked out just as chaos erupted.
Nina started in with her own broken Spanish, and she was yanked out of the house by Fabián.
I thought my brand new sister-in-law was going to exit the family in a body bag.
We’re here a year later, and I doubt it’d go much better if they were in attendance today.
“Nah, he’s in México,” I confirm, Tío having talked with Mami earlier. “And I get it, Papo. He’s a pain in the ass.”
“No, Paloma—” He pauses, and I can hear someone talking in the background. “I gotta go, but we’ll talk there.”
“Is she’s coming too?” I didn’t know Mami knew to extend an invite.
“Of course, she is. Nas made sure,” he explains, but I’m still confused. “Talk to you later, güey .” He hangs up, and I still have no idea what our entire conversation was about.
I’ve just finished showering, and I’m sitting on our bed in a towel when Taina walks into our bedroom.
She’s in a bra and panties, her makeup done to perfection. How do women know how to put those lines over their eyes? Is that what a cat-eye is? Whatever it is, it makes her brown eyes sultry. Paired with her red lips, she is fucking stunning.
“We’re gonna be late if you don’t start getting dressed,” she warns me, reaching for a pair of earrings. She puts the little gold studs in her ears and steps back to see if she likes them.
I like everything I’m seeing.
“Come here,” I say softly, holding my hand out.
For a moment, her gaze locks with mine in the mirror. She peers back at me, like she isn’t wearing underwear that barely covers her ass. What does she expect from me?
“No funny business,” she warns as she walks over, her breasts impressive in her black strapless bra. I reach for her wrist and pull her toward me.
“Let me taste her,” I breathe out, slipping my hands between her legs to cup her perfect pussy. “You can sit on my face. We haven’t done that yet.” My words have a playful lilt that makes her smile, even as she tries to fight it.
“Yeah, because I’d suffocate you.”
“It’d be an honor to die eating your pussy,” I tell her, watching her lips part as I drag my fingertips up and down her slit.
“Thank you,” she says, taking a breath as she tries not to react. “But I won’t be sitting on your face.”
When she starts to stand, I grab her by the waste and lower her onto my lap so she can feel how hard I am for her. I toy with her nipple, tugging slightly, catching her reaction in her reflection.
“Fine. Come sit on this dick, Princesa ,” I say into her ear.
She wriggles in my hold as I kiss her neck before running my tongue over the spot I know she likes.
With her hair up, it’s easier to catch a whiff of my favorite scent.
Whatever she wears makes her smell edible and sexy.
“Let’s see how many times I can make you come in ten minutes. ”
I’ve always loved a challenge.
“Don’t fuck up my makeup,” she says, but she gasps when I pinch her clit after pushing her panties down her thighs.
“I’m the boss here, Taina. But yes. I will keep your makeup intact.”
She nods as if I’ve asked her a question.
I know I don’t have much time so I yank the towel away from my waist, my dick springing free. I pool saliva on my fingertips and rub some on the head of my cock before using the rest to play with her pussy. When I smack it three times, she arches her back.
“Mmm, hurry up,” she mewls, lifting herself on the balls of her feet as I position myself at her entrance. I doubt I’ll last long, watching her ass bounce against me, her facial expressions, and the way she’s about to spill out of her bra. But I’ll try to hold back from coming too quickly.
As soon as I’m about an inch in, I know it’ll be pointless to fight it. She’s so tight, already slick, and her round ass jiggles with each contact. If I never fuck anyone ever again, this would be the perfect way to go out.
She sits herself fully on my dick, groaning as I play with her clit. She reaches down and rolls my balls in her hand, leaving me panting and bucking my hips.
“Ride me,” I instruct, trying to make sure she gets a few before I get mine. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
She lifts her ass before dropping back down, and I lean back to watch her. Cono , she’s perfect.
She’s everything.
Her first orgasm comes without much help from me, and the way her pussy pulsates makes me grit my teeth to keep from succumbing to the pleasure. I reach forward and rub her clit, waiting until she releasing little breathless sounds before I start to smack it again.
She screams, “Fuck,” and her wetness drips down my thighs. She comes with fervent shakes, and I can’t help the way my body jerks at my release. I swear I could feel it in my fucking toes.
We’re breathless as I hold on to her tightly, like I’m trying to force her into my body, just to keep her safe.
“I can’t breathe,” she squeaks out, and I loosen my hold, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. When she stands, I wince as I slip out of her.
I want to live inside her pussy.
If I’m being as honest as I strive to be, it’s a miracle we made it to this event.
The moment Taina walked downstairs, I wanted to caveman carry her back up to our bedroom and spend the night sharing bodily fluids. But I recognize how important meeting my family is to her, so I adjusted myself and walked us out to her car where Berto stood, ready to drive us to my mother’s.
We haven’t even gotten inside yet, and I can feel her hands shaking.
“You know everything is going to be okay, right? ”
She takes a breath and turns to look up at me. “No one knows that for sure.”
With my brows drawn, I want to ask her what the hell she’s talking about. Why does it feel like everyone is on some full moon bullshit and I’m standing around, confused?
“ Mijo ,” my mother says from the door, a small smile on her face. She wears black, a sleeveless slip dress that hits her ankles. Her hair is pinned up, and pearls rest on her lobes. “ Y bienvenidos… ”
“Taina,” she offers, walking toward Mami . “It’s very nice to meet you.”
They do a sort of handshake using both of their hands and begin to cross the threshold, as if they’re old friends.
I follow them inside and lean in to kiss my mother’s cheek. The dull hum of voices in another room has me curious about who is in attendance. This is what happens when your soulmate dies, I guess. You have an abundance of time you meant to spend with them and love you were meant to give them.
So if she wants to make this a gala for Papi , so be it. Her time and love have to find their way out someway.
We maneuver inside, and immediately, I see Nas standing next to Papo, who’s slightly facing him. I’m glad to see them potentially rekindling their friendship. Nas needs someone who isn’t a part of all of this to help keep him sane. That’s what Papo and Cesár have been for me.
And if Cesár figures out things with his lady friend, Taina could befriend her.
So many relationships stand to be formed, and I’m watching everyone, remembering where we were just a year ago. It’s bittersweet, how life goes on.
Taina sees Paloma and excuses herself before walking off in her direction.
“Please thank Regina for the case of Divin she sent over,” Mami reminds me as a cocktail server walks by. “And if she ever wants lunch with an old lady who knows what it’s like, aquí estoy .”
I grin, knowing Regina would likely be delighted. For all of her stoicism, my mother invokes fear pretty effortlessly. They have this in common.
“You’ll tell me what you think of Taina the moment you form an opinion?” I ask, curious to know if she sees the things I see. It’s an odd position to be in, bringing a woman home to meet your family for the first time.
I no longer need my mother’s approval, but I yearn for it.
Mami reaches up to pat the side of my face, making me nervous. Is it the nostalgia? The grief?
What is going on?
“ Por supuesto ,” she tells me, removing her hand from my face and placing it on my chest. “But you have my gift of discernment. Trust yourself, mijo .”
Fernando walks up and leans in to whisper in her ear. Her lip gives the slightest of twitches, and she turns on her heel, headed to the kitchen.
Someone fucked up, and I’m glad I won’t be in there.
Scanning the room, I see Taina talking to Paloma, Nas is listening to a few capos who made it in from other states with their spouses chatting, and Berto’s eyes are on Taina.
Though no dress code was given, aside from requesting cocktail attire, everyone is in black.
Nas is on his phone just outside the doorframe.
When he turns, he begins spinning his ring, gesturing with his chin for people who meet his gaze to come over.
They start walking off, and I take stock of the room to make sure it’s safe to follow them.
The women and Berto all stay behind, and I hold my hand up to signal that he should remain where he is as I run to catch up with the men who left toward Nas’s office.
“What’s going—” I start once inside, my heart pounding.
“I need two of you to head to the shipping container to stack up the new shit we got from the Morelli’s.
Grab anything you can and meet us at the warehouse.
You’ll be walking into a shit show. The rest of you get down to the basement, arm yourselves with whatever you can kill with, and prepare to get shot at.
The Russians are blasting holes in our warehouse as we speak. ”
He speaks evenly but rapidly, and thankfully no one asks questions. The last two capos to leave the room say they’ll head to the get the weapons.
Papo and I remain, and I await his instructions. I know I can be an asset out there, and if it’s my time, it’s my time.
Ignacio glances up at us, removing guns from drawers in his desk. “Pick one, both of you.”
I grab whatever’s nearest and Papo takes one, too, testing its weight. Nas tucks one in his waistband and removes his suit jacket to put on his bulletproof vest. Once the Velcro is fastened, he takes a smaller gun and checks the ammo.
“You both stay here—” he begins, his voice not much higher than a whisper, but we’re not having it.
“Come on—” I start just as Papo begins his own refusal.
“Man, fuck that—” he argues.
“I don’t want to hear shit from either of you,” my brother spits out, his face reddening.
He runs a hand over his close cropped hair and lets out a shuddering breath.
He looks at me before locking eyes with Papo.
“You two keep the people I love safe and make sure they’re here for me to come back to. ”