Chapter Eight
Just then, Andreia showed up and she had a cup of tea with her. She smiled and nodded at Celina then handed her the tea. “You may not be able to eat but you need something in your tummy. It's only tea but it's good and strong. You need something to warm you up.”
“Thank you.” Celina nodded. “I love tea and I bet that it will taste good right now.”
Andreia nodded then patted her on the shoulder. “I thank you for having the courage to come here and warn my family. I know that decision couldn’t have been easy to make, knowing the men coming were your own brothers but I thank you anyway.”
Celina shook her head. “No ma’am, it wasn’t a hard decision to make at all. My brothers are stupid, taking orders from a madman. Montoya is stupid and dangerous.”
Andreia sat down on a chair beside the sofa and reached out to take her hand.
“I’ve met men like that, I’ve also watched such men.
I don’t care for them but they all, every single one of them, always think they can’t be stopped until the moment they are.
Then they are shocked but it's always too late for them at that point. And they are stopped by the one man they never thought would be able to stop them. Hondo is such a man. I know he tries to be a better man but when you threaten his children or his grandchildren that is a threat he will not stand for. One of Isobel’s daughters is our grandchild.
A grandchild we are only beginning to know.
Isobel killed our oldest son and he was holding our baby granddaughter in his arms at the time.
Isobel just turned and walked away leaving them both to die.
” She shook her head. “We didn’t know what happened to our son or granddaughter until recently.
All our sons mean the world to us and we were in a twenty four year limbo, wondering what happened to them.
That was yet another cruel thing that Isobel did to us.
Hondo retired from his work and we moved here to get closer to our granddaughter.
We wanted a new life here, a clean start.
” She sighed hard. “We wanted a quiet life but just when you think you can step away, trouble finds you and the old life creeps back in.” She got to her feet slowly and added, “You are right my dear, it's time to put Montoya under the ground and everyone that comes with him or after him. This has to end sooner rather than later.”
Celina peered up at her. “Well, thank you for helping me. I need to heal up fast and then I can leave.”
With a sweet smile, Andreia gave her a nod, then looked over at Walter.
He gave her a nod.
She turned and walked back to the kitchen.
“That’s your mother?” Celina asked.
Walter smiled at her. “Yes, she is.”
Celina nodded. “She is really wonderful.”
He smiled again. “Oh, yes. She really is great. We are all lucky to have her as our mom.”
Celina sat and sipped her tea. “This is so good.”
He nodded. “She has several kinds and I bet yours is the one she uses for healing.”
Celina laughed a little then she winced. “Healing? I bet I look terrific. I saw my face in my rearview mirror then I refused to look again. All I could do was drive. I heard my brothers say the Malverde Inn, so I punched that into my GPS.” She shrugged.
“Can I ask you ...” Walter’s voice fell away as he shook his head.
She took another sip and then stared at him. “How did I get into this trouble?”
He nodded.
“I suppose I’ve been in this mess ever since my mom died when I was only four. I’m the youngest and I had my Aunt Tabby as she took care of me as a kid until I was sixteen, then...” she paused.
“Then?”
“She disappeared.” She raised her gaze up. “I never knew what happened to her until years later. I overheard my father talking about it to someone that worked for him.” Now she lowered her head and whispered, “My mother and my Aunt Tibby were both murdered by his men.”
Walter sucked in a breath and reached over to take her hand into his.
“I never told anyone. I don’t doubt that my father would have killed me too, if I had.
But he said that he just didn’t need my mom anymore and that she was an annoyance.
” Celina scoffed. “Who kills someone for that reason? Then he killed Tibby because she somehow found out about him killing her sister.”
Walter looked disgusted by her story. “So, where is your father now?”
“He’s in Europe. He joined his brother over there. Seems they have a very successful racket going on there. I’m sure it is illegal too. He’s actually in Spain. I don’t know much else. Just that my brothers are running things here.” She looked down at his hand holding hers.
Walter realized this and pulled his hand back.
Celina shook her head and kept a hold of his hand.
“You are safe now,” Walter told her in a soft voice as he squeezed her hand.
She stared at him. “I hope so but I have vowed that I will die fighting back if they ever try to hurt me again. I may end up like my aunt and my mother but I don’t care anymore.
I am done with being meek and scared. I had a job for five years now and I’ve been saving up to be on my own.
My brothers were told by our dad that I had to stay.
But I’m done with having them as my family.
” She scoffed. “What kind of family beats you senseless?” A lone tear rolled down her bruised cheek.
Walter reached over and swiped her tear away. “I am sorry that you have had to go through all of that. But you don’t have to worry.”
“I do!” She looked even more upset. “They are coming here! They will hurt you all.”
He grabbed both of her hands and assured her, “That won’t happen. We have more protection than you know. Just stay beside me so that I can do my work and watch out for you, ok?”
She looked into his eyes as if to ascertain if he meant his words. Then she slowly nodded her head.
Walter reached over and scooped her up.” I work in the security room and there is a comfortable sofa in there. I have cold drinks and even snacks.” He stood with her in his arms, swinging her over, he headed past the stairs and down the hall.