THE RECRUITMENT

Ask yourself if it's worth it, hun.

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CHAPTER IV

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DANIEL OWNED MANY homes scattered across the country. The one we were headed to was by far, more lavish than the one I was so used to working in.

It was a sleek modern home with a flat roof and only one floor. It's windows we're large and overlooked the beautiful gardens he had surrounding the home and the colours were minimalistic. Just dark greys, brown oak and green vegetation.

It wasn't as large as Vincent's mansion, but the modern touch let me know that it was just as expensive.

“Now take care of him,” the doctor said through the phone as we all got out of the car and slammed the door shut. “Keep a constant eye on his wounds because without care, they can easily get infected. Make sure the stitches stay intact and as soon as you get back, take him to your nearest clinic immediately,” the doctor told us as we nodded religiously at the speaker phone. Daniel only rolled his eyes and fished for the keys in the nearby plants. She had just finished tending to his bullet wound after Pablo had called for her help and after leaving her house, we drove a few minutes away to this house that he owned.

“Okay. Thank you, Sarah. You've helped us tremendously,” Guillermo said, taking back his phone and switching it off loud speaker as he finished off the call and ended it.

“Nobody tell her that we're not going home anytime soon,” Daniel snorted as he threw the door open and let himself in. Within seconds he was lounging on the sofa with his hand over his eyes. He was pretty doped up on morphine, so we didn't think he felt the pain as bad anymore.

“We're not going home tomorrow?” I asked Pablo because I was too scared to look at Daniel. He was obviously in a grouchy mood and I knew better than to piss him off with too many questions.

“We're not going home tomorrow,” Daniel interjected anyway, pointing his finger to himself and to Pablo and then to me, “you are.”

“Oh.” I didn't know if that made me feel happy or upset, but I kept on my best pokerface.

“Because you can't just let someone shoot at you and then get away with it,” Guillermo said, joining the conversation. “And you, beautiful Araceli,” I glared at this, “in the midsts of all this getting revenge stuff, are like deadweight.”

“I am not deadweight!”

“Says the one who was literally doing nothing in her captors arms,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Oh, Daniel. Daniel, please come help me. Daniel.”

“I don't even sound like that,” I huffed, trying not to laugh from the extremely high voice Guillermo put on to imitate me.

“She's right. It's more like "Oh, Daniel. Daniel come save me.” Pablo dropped his voice an octave and I couldn't help staring at him in shock as all the guys started laughing.

“You asshole,” I said, about to attack him, but Guillermo wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled back onto the sofa. Struggling at his side, I don't let Pablo have the last laugh. “You want to laugh, huh? How about we talk about Big Breasted Betty? ”

I smirked as he immediately stopped laughing to scowl at me. “You shut up.”

“Oh we're not talking anymore?”

“Why don't we talk about your long list of sexual endeavours, too, huh? Because some of those people aren't great either.”

“Are you trying to call me a slut?”

“Well you're not virgin Mary.”

“You're right. I'm Araceli.”

“I'm just saying, you're aren't even twenty and you've already slept with half the male population.”

“You're just pissed because even though I've slept with half the male population, you're not among them.”

“Are you always like this?” Daniel groaned in annoyance while Guillermo muttered 'oh shit' from behind me.

“Yeah, but we're good friends,” Pablo answered, grabbing a beer from the table out of the six pack they bought and sat on the arm of the sofa next to me. He wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me into his chest. Running out of fight, I wrapped my arms around his waist and snuggled into him. “You see?”

“He's a brother to me.” My voice came out muffled as I buried face in his chest.

“Oof, there's no way you're getting on the list now, Pablo. You should've hit it before she friendzoned you.”

“Shut the fuck up, Guillermo.” Without even looking, I extended my arm and punched him in the shoulder.

“Ow! Why are you so violent?”

“Because you're stu—”

“Araceli.” Everyone's attention snapped to Daniel as he said my name as if it was their name or something.

“I didn't know your name was Araceli,” I sneered at Guillermo as he looked me up and down with pursed lips.

“If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're all three-year olds,” Daniel said, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked between the three of us.

“I thought it was obvious,” Pablo said sarcastically which made Guillermo glare at him.

“Shut the fuck up, I'm trying to find out why Daniel called us,” Guillermo said, glaring at the both of us before finally turning back to Daniel. We all shared a glance before looking to him with concern. “Are you gonna stop looking at me or something?”

“Anyway...” Daniel drawled out, giving Guillermo one last worried glance before turning back to us, his face completely stoic and serious, “I'm giving you the option, Araceli. You can either go back tomorrow with two security detail to escort you. Or you can stay with us and help us with the plan.”

Of course he already had a plan. Because it just wouldn't be Daniel if he didn't. I looked between him, Paulo and Guillermo who both also kept neutral expressions on their faces before turning back to him.

“What's the plan?” I asked, letting out a breath.

“It's simple really. If he wants you, he can have you.” My eyes widened in shock as I began to understand what he meant by those words. “Or at least we'll let him think that. You'll call him somehow on a payphone or something, tell him some sob story and make me look like the bad guy. He'll fall for it, come pick up and then you'll have the opportunity to let him trust you. He'll have his guard down. You'll lead him away from his security and closer to us and then we come in and capture him.”

“What if it doesn't work?”

“It will work.”

“Can't you just shoot him or something?” To my surprise, not only did Dabiel burst out laughing, but Pablo and Guillermo did as well. And I'm sure some of the security detail positioned at the door were also chuckling. There was a joke going around and I wasn't in on it.

“We don't do that here,” Pablo said, squeezing my shoulder as I looked between the three of them completely confused.

“You don't kill people?”

“Mm,” he placed a finger on his chin and thought about it. “No We don't. We hurt them so bad that they kill themselves,” Pablo answered, making a shiver run down my spine in trepidation.

What if I somehow found a way to fuck up and next thing you know, Daniel was hurting me so bad I wanted to die. Everyday he goes without realising my love for him hurt me enough as it was.

Shut the fuck up, you love sick idiot.

“Don't worry, once we get Vincent I'll let you watch what we do to him,” Guillermo said with a smirk as I turned to look at him, fearing the cold look in his eyes.

How could they be laughing one minute and completely expressionless the next?

“Should I say thank you?” I asked, looking up at Pablo as he chuckled softly, patting my head to comfort me when it actually did the opposite.

“You're welcome. Now answer.”

I looked between all three of them again, trying to gauge their reaction. Maybe find out what they thought I should do. I already had an answer in my head.

“You said he wants me, right?” I asked Daniel as he nodded once, “So, if I go back home, there's no guarantee that he won't just, I don't know, send someone there to get me. Or even worse, come there himself to get me.” They nodded. “But if I stay here, he'll think he has me and we'll be one step ahead of him. I'd be safer.”

“I didn't think of that,” I heard Guillermo mutter under his breath.

“You didn't think. Full stop,” Daniel bit back without hesitation before turning back to me as if he had never made the insult in the first place. “So... you're in?”

I looked around again, looking for any other reason why I should go but came up with nothing. Not only would I be closer to the man I loved, but I would also be further away from the guy who loved me. Even if I'd be right in his arms.

With a tentative nod, I answered. “Y-Yeah, I guess I'm in.”

When the fuck did I start to stutter?

The answer to that question came when Daniel gave me a brilliant smile and said, “Welcome to the team, Araceli.”

*****

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