Valentina

The casinos have always been Moralez's symbol of power and oppression.

I remembered attending the so-called crowning ceremony of Carlos Moralez after his brother's untimely death. Not that I knew any better but papa always thought it was very convenient of Carlos to have taken over the Los Zetas empire only a couple of days after his brother's death in an accident.

"What are you doing here?" Papa's voice floated from behind. He stood leaning against a table. "You should stand with Antonio, not alone here, giving company to your whiskey."

I looked around before gulping the leftover contents in my glass. It left a burn in its wake but warmed my belly. "Does it look like they care?" I raised my empty glass and a nearby waiter refreshed my drink. When dad grabbed my hand, my eyes burnt over his face. "They are not missing me and I wouldn't impose into their family matters when not asked."

With teeth grinding and a muscle twitching in his jaw, he barked. "It's your family and yes, you will follow them like a puppy if that'll get us what we want." He looked around for any wandering ears. I moved away from his table, feeling the heat rising inside of me. Dad was driven with hated to see reason and my patience ran dry to tackle him today.

I craved for Nico's company. In events like these, his anecdotes rescued me from boredom. I still lay awake at night, running assumptions on what he wanted to tell about my mother. With him in Spain and deciding not to entertain my calls, all I could do was try to suppress the tsunami of worst-case scenarios that rose.

My cousin's wellbeing was the paramount question that remained unanswered. Antonio didn't tell what Nico's job was with the Salazars. He also never answered to me why my cousin was sent instead of any of the hundred men, Moralez had under their payroll.

Anytime the news of Santos Salazar killing our men drove up to my ears, my heart ached, hoping to avoid hearing my brother's name among them.

When I felt a hand lowered on my back, I turned around, holding on and twisting it. Agustin's winced, his lips pursed to avoid a sound.

"Quite a grip you have there," he smiled, rotating his clutched fist. "Mind joining the family? We are about to make the announcement."

I walked with him and sat at the front table with the family. For the world, we were united but in reality, I would always be the outsider. Every ally and potential enemy eyed me as I slid next to Antonio.

"Took you long enough," he whispered, gritting his teeth.

Fueled with rage from papa's confrontation, words floated. "I don't come to places uninvited." I kept my eyes glued at the podium where Carlos delivered his speech.

Antonio's hand slid into mine from under the table. For the onlookers, a husband was having a loving moment with his wife. In reality, he was torturing me, tightening his grip around my bracelet that dug into my skin. I would feel the hard pulse beating against my skin, ready to burst open from my wrist.

Flashes from the past danced up.

I wasn't a slave. I deserved respect.

Picking a fork from the table, I poked into his tightened knuckles.

He unclenched, lowering his head into the table. Blood streamed towards my wrist, warming the pale gripped area. I cradled my trembling hand, lowering my head for his hearing pleasure.

"Try that again and the next thing I poke would be your eyes."

Antonio looked ahead, clearing his throat, ignoring my words. I didn't scrap his knuckles, it was his ego that was bruised. This was the second time when El Demonio suffered the consequence of asserting his dominance over me.

Carlos called us up on stage. Like a doting wife, I walked hand in hand with Antonio but my insides seared upon his touch. Had it not been for these allies, I would have taken my beretta and loaded it up in his body.

Little did I knew, I would be doing it shortly.

The spotlight focused on our steps as we moved forward. Our allies sat beneath the stage under the aura of their scented candles. They clapped and murmured to others while we ascended.

Antonio, like me, was bred for this role. With ease, he held the mic and made a speech about unity and alliance. I gazed at the men seated below. Most of them nodded at his speech. Once done, Antonio placed a hand over my lower back, gently nudging me forward.

I delivered a superfluous speech on empowerment, about including women in business. The crowd began chattering. Carlos was quick to dismiss them, grabbing the device from my hand and mocking my words as mere ideas. Yes, they were ideas. Ideas that he wasn't aware of were already in action. Eventually, the much-awaited announcement was made.

"I present to you, your new head. Antonio Moralez," Carlos announced, embracing his firstborn.

The new head of Los Zetas waved at everyone. All hail the King. Long live the King.

God save the King.

The party began shortly after the speeches concluded. I walked with my namesake family, smiling at everyone till my jaws ached.

Even in dim lights, I could see men being attended to by the hostesses. I expected Antonio to be one among them, taking the prettiest piece of flesh, ravaging her for the night.

Against my notions, he stood afar, eying each member in the crowd.

Maria waved her hand, rushing to my side. "I loved your speech. I was surprised that you said that." She patted my arm, a smile flashed across her face.

"Apparently it wasn't good enough for father to let me have my way with it."

Yes, father. I had fallen victim, calling Moralez members by their designated relationship with me. It was a one-time slip up but Maria was delighted beyond measures, so I continued. Somewhere disappointing her was harder than I assumed.

Maria waved her hand in the air, pulling me closer. "There are times when we'll have to not make speeches about things that need changing. We'd simply do it." Her lip tilted up, revealing a smirk. "Men wouldn't understand when changes are wrapped in the form of games in bed. Play well, and get your thing done, Val. You're the new head after all. These games should be now at your fingertips."

I was at the receiving end of pearls of wisdom that trickled from her. Maria was unaware, I didn't require tricks in bed to have my way.

When I sat at the bar, Agustin accompanied me. Unlike my uncaring husband, he was courteous enough to run ally introductions.

"The Italians twins - Castros' were our drug purchaser and transporters. That boy and girl twin were any man's worst dream," he said, eying the chiseled jawed man and the slender looking woman. "Deceptive looks were an epitome of the Castro twins."

True to Agustin's words, the twins seemed devious. The man was a carved Michelangelo in the flesh while the girl could have given any Victoria Secrets model a run for their money. Yet, it wasn't the looks we should be scared of.

I had a dry mouth, listening to them talk about their rules for mules; ones who carried drugs across borders.

"We don't commit errors, Val," the Castro girl boasted. "An error only meant death. So we always had children and women as mules because they work more effectively."

I consumed an uncountable number of shots, listening to them brag about killing humans as if it was a sport. Agustin maintained a stoic face all while the twins yapped. Once they moved towards the dance floor to what seemed to be a sex play shared with a hostess, Agustin turned my bar stood towards him.

"Are they about to fornicate here?" I pointed to the unveiling scene in front of me.

Agustin rendered a sideways nod. "No. I mean, we don't know. They might be sleeping together but hey..." he tipped my chin up to face him, "...who are we to judge. It's not like we are the most pious of beings."

I chuckled and chugged another shot, warming my belly.

A while later, Agustin moved away, talking to some acquaintances. I sat alone at the bar, nursing my drink when a heavy voice called out my name. Turning to see the man who possessed such a gruff voice, I saw a pair of emerald orbs scanning me. When the bar light hit his sculptured face, he looked like a pairing between good and bad, angel and devil.

Adjusting his muscular body to fit into a bar stool, he lent his palm. I took it, whispering my name.

"Oh, I know the new queen all too well." His face enveloped a smile.

I slid my hand back, trying to read the man who was confident enough to talk to me. Throughout the night I witnessed men deviate from their steps while approaching me. I assumed they were either scared of Antonio to dare talk to his wife or were too drunk.

But this man wasn't scared. He was different.

"So are you waiting for me to guess your name or will you at some point divulge it?" I asked, watching him order the same amber-colored drink as mine.

He placed his drink on the side, straightening. "Santos," he picked up my hand again, kissing my knuckles. "Santos Salazar, at your service."

The name thundered against my ears. He was the one who tried betraying us. The reason why Nicolas was out in Spain, mending severed ties. Santos stood poised as I bit down the rising bile.

I was sitting with a man who carried the same motives as me. Yet, in this place, he was my enemy and I, his.

"Seems like you've heard my name," Santos said, moving closer. Inches between his face and my ears, he smiled. "Your reaction says it all, cariño."

As his warm breath hit my neck, I clutched onto my shot glass, breathing slowly. One wrong move from him and he would be dead. One wrong word from me and I would be named the ambitious bitch who resulted in killing an ally. Heat radiated between us as we stared at each other.

"I have heard your name from my husband." I smiled back. "You are one of the most important people for us."

"Well, I hope it's all good that you've heard." Santos chuckled, sipping his drink and peering back at me. "Because your husband can be a very partial man." He eyed the side where Antonio stood before turning back. "He can be quite unreasonable at times."

Santos's finger trailed over my uncovered arm and played with the strap of my dress. He was playing in dangerous waters. Maybe he wanted to be seen as a man who loved taking risks. A man who was willing to touch another man's wife. El Jefe.

"What do you mean? Has Antonio treated you wrong?" I pretended to be confused like I wasn't aware of the feud.

Santos's face straightened with his smile vanishing behind thin-lined lips. "I'm not the one on the wrong side here, senora. It's you, who's being played this time."

I held his hand, pinning him in place. "What do you mean?"

I scanned the man for any word, any expression that would give me a hint of what he meant. Santos patted my hand and ran circles around my knuckles.

"Elena." That word caught my attention. "She was Antonio's first love and she'd always be his last." His gaze travelled down my body. "And you are wasting your life with the man. He'll never love you, never touch you either."

Not that I wanted to be touched by Antonio but Santos words burnt me. As a burnt being, all I could do was alight him too. Clutching his hand over mine, I peered.

"Next time you want to talk, talk like a man. In the daylight and not like one who lurks in the darkness to find his moment." Santos smirked but I continued. "And yes, I know about Elena. But what you don't know is that she isn't here. I am. She isn't the one defending him. I am. So next time you go around telling me whom my husband loves, be very careful. Those may become your last words."

Unclasping my hold, I hopped off from the stood. Santos watched me as I straightened my dress. A voice called him through the crowd before emerging in view. She stood beside him, a petite girl wearing red. Her hand curled around Santos, she smiled and watched me from his shadows.

I extended my hand to her. "Valentina Ramirez Moralez. And you are?"

She smiled and took it, cold soft palm touching mine. "Sofia Salazar."

My eyes travelled to Santos. His lean towards her was unquestionable. She was his sister. What his gesture gave away was the answer we sought all along. His weakness.

Santos Salazar walked in our place of business with his weakness served up on a silver platter. I patted Sofia's hand and walked away towards the restroom as the sound of music engulfed the moans from upstairs, filling the place.

At that moment, all I could think about were dad's words and Sofia's face. How we both were mere collaterals. Pawns, ready to be sacrificed for the games of power. Determination drove up in parallel. I wasn't weak, I didn't carry a weakness either.

I wasn't a pawn, nor a slave - a man's dirty secret either.

I was born to rule and rule I would. 

Wanderers...

As promised, this chapter marks the beginning of Antonio's rule and Val's queendom. The next chapter will be hot and heavy and I promise you, there is nothing better than to see the two power houses come together in a mutual agreement. 

So stay tuned and read and find out, what happens to Antonio at this party..

Leave a comment for your guesses..

You know I love to hear from you all.. Right..

Love

S