Chapter Ten The Blood Moon
Maya
I felt so many things… Scared, frustrated and excited.
Yes, excited because this sexy man seemed to be very interested in me.
Scared because I was afraid to let someone get close to me.
Frustrated, because he simply would not accept my refusal of his help.
I looked over at Rain and tried to divert the subject away from Catemaco Mexico, “You were looking for me?”
Rain nodded then he paused to glance at Henry.
“How can I help you?” I asked so he would not ask Henry anything.
“No, it’s how I can help you, Maya,” Rain replied.
I paused and cocked my head at him. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I hope you don’t mind but I had a short conversation with a man named Michael? He’s…” Rain swung his gaze back over to Henry. “…your brother?”
Henry nodded at him. “Yes, he is and I’m wondering why he mentioned that.”
“Seems he knows a bit about…” Rain again looked over at me. “…your family’s disappearance.”
I shook my head. “Why was he discussing this with you?”
Rain shrugged. “He asked me about my profession and I told him what I do, then he pointed out that you might need assistance.”
I just could not believe the boldness of these men. “And why would he tell you that?”
“Because at first, he assumed that I was already helping you.” Rain paused and chuckled. “Ok, so I admit that men do gossip. We um, saw you and Henry with your heads close together at dinner and he believes that maybe you could use my help after all.”
Henry laughed. “And so, we get back to when you knocked on the door just now, Rain. I was telling her that we need to help her with this.”
I tossed my arms up and retorted, “And my reply is still NO!”
Rain stared at me. “Why no? I saw what you did for those kids. And that means you are a decent person. And I can tell Henry um... well, cares about you.” He slid his amused gaze over at Henry.
Henry stared at him and then he replied while not looking amused at all, “And you are right, I do care.”
Rain’s amusement slid from his expression as he looked stunned for a few seconds then he covered that look with a blank one.
“Bene, you are both decent men,” I told them. “You helped Carlos and Selena and you helped the kids to find their mother. So, I appreciate the offer but the answer is still no.”
Rain again looked amused as he explained, “We are not all that decent. We owed Carlos, so we had a reason to help him. Then I can speak for Henry as well as myself when I tell you that we deal with problems and solving them. We do it for a price. We aren’t monks or do-gooders as they call them.
We are willing to help people who deserve it, but mostly we have been in association with less than stellar groups.
” He glanced over at Henry. “At least we used to be. We both have avoided most of the lawless kind for a few years now.” He now glanced at me again.
“So why would you help me?” I asked them as I planted my hands onto my hips. “I cannot pay you…well, I could but I’m sure it wouldn’t be close to what you usually make.”
Henry and Rain glanced at each other.
I stared at them, wondering what they were thinking, but knowing that I was probably not going to like it.
Rain looked at me now. “We wouldn’t charge you.”
“And why not?” I asked.
“Like he said…. We do help people who deserve it,” Henry told me.
Rain nodded. “I usually speak for myself, but for once, I agree with Sir Henry.” He chuckled. “And that is a huge surmise in and of itself.”
I released a sigh as they just did not seem to get it. “And I really appreciate the offer. But as I told Henry already. This… my family’s case, has gotten six people killed.”
Henry stared at me. “No, you said a few.”
I shook my head. Why were they being so stubborn? “The number doesn’t matter. You two are not joining that count.”
“Blin,” Rain said. “We are not easy targets. We are also the best there is at what we do.” He again gave me a smirk. “In fact, I am surprised that he hasn’t bragged about that already.”
Henry shook his head then he told Rain, “I’m glad you are onboard. Because this is also down your alley.”
“Da, I have tracked quite a few people that became foreign hostages or as they call them… International Abductees.”
“Yes, that and you know Catemaco well.” Henry nodded at him.
“Catemaco?” Rain asked as he looked puzzled.
I shot my gaze over to Henry. “Why are you telling him that?”
He shrugged. “If he’s gonna help, he needs to know what, where and when, Maya.”
I almost growled. “Che palle…He is not going to help!”
“He is,” Henry replied.
“Ma dai! Why aren’t you listening to me?” I demanded as I glared at Henry.
He stepped up close and took my hands in his.
Looking me in the eyes, he softly told me, “Do you honestly think I will just say goodbye to you while you go off to Catemaco to find your family? I can’t do that…
Not after getting to know you. Do you think I could live with that?
Wondering if you lived or died? Hating my shabby self for not being there to protect you. No, Miss Maya. The answer is NO.”
I swallowed heavily at the tender look in his eyes and his heartfelt words.
“Besides,” Rain cut in. “Henry is bull headed and bossy. He will just follow you there anyway, so you might as well give in and tell us all that you know about this.”
I lowered my head. “You are both very cretini testardi…” Stubborn morons.
“Vy govorite po-ital'yanski?” Rain asked me. You speak Italian?”
Henry dropped my hands and looked back and forth at us. “What are you two saying?”
I didn’t answer Henry. Instead, I smiled at Rain. “And you speak Italian too?”
He shrugged. “Speak it, not really. Understand it? A lot. I had an Italian girlfriend once. And man, did she have a temper. So yeah, when I messed up… I learned a lot of Italian. Like the word moron.” He laughed.
Henry grunted when no one answered his question. So he took out his phone and tapped the screen. He spoke into his cell, “Translate: A cretin’s testicles.”
Rain and I swung our gazes over at him.
Rain laughed loudly. “Not testicles, Henry!”
I had to laugh too.
The phone beeped and replied in Italian, “Testicoli da cretino.” A cretin’s testicle.
Rain and I laughed even louder.
Henry scowled at us. “Oh, do shut up. But it did sound just like she said.”
Our laughter then faded a bit as I turned to Rain and explained, “I am Italian.”
Rain swiped at his tears of hilarity and looked over at me, confused. “But we thought…”
I nodded. “It’s ok, I look the part. It helped that I speak several languages too. Like Spanish. The tías would have never hired me if they’d known I was anything else other than Mexican.”
Rain nodded. “So please tell us why you are returning to Catemaco?”
I slowly shook my head at him.
“We will just follow you there and get the answers ourselves, Maya,” Henry stated.
I went over and sat down on the sofa. Staring down at my hands, I replied, “I have to be there during the blood moon.”
Rain snapped his head up. “No, my girl. Your family aren’t part of the Luna de Sangre Consegrado?”
I stared at him and asked, “How do you know about that?”
“I know a lot about Catemaco.”
“So do a lot of locals and tourists, but they don't know about that.” I kept my gaze on him.
“I lived there for a time and I go almost every year for the festival.”
“They have a festival for this?” Henry exclaimed while looking horrified.
Rain scoffed at such a silly notion. “Net, Henry, this ritual is as private as can be. As in do not go, unless invited… upon the threat of death. Blin, I meant the magic festival we missed when we rescued the twins and Maya.” He then looked back over at me. “Please go on.”
I slowly shook my head then launched into my story, “I hired a private detective to help me find my parents and sister. After a few months, I felt disappointed, like he took my money and did nothing. Then he finally called me and he said he had a good lead on it. He asked me to fly to Mexico City to meet him. When I arrived, he told me a wild story about this Luna de Sangre Consegrado. I had trouble understanding it. I also asked him why my family. He said he did not know. They could have just been picked out by chance and opportunity.”
“But you didn’t go back to Italy?” Henry asked.
“No… because the next day, the policía found the detective’s body on the bad side of town.
Someone had murdered him then dumped him there.
My brother had called me just after I found this out and I told him what had happened.
He knew of our parent’s disappearance, but he did not know I went all the way to Mexico to find them.
So, he flew into Mexico City and said that he was gonna look into it with me.
I pleaded with him to just go back home.
And he said, ‘I won't because you won't.’ So, after a couple of days of him searching for clues, he said that he had an idea. Then he put an ad in Mexico City newspaper De Reforma. He mentioned our parents and my sister and said that he would pay a hundred thousand dollars to have them returned. And I don't know if he got a call on it or not, because he––he disappeared. He didn’t call me or answer his cell and he didn’t check out of his room either.
I was so worried. I looked and I searched for him.
I was so scared, but I didn't want to hire another detective.” I went quiet as I remembered that terrible period in my life.
“What happened?” Henry asked.