Antonio

It was a week since my encounter with Val. She still remained nonchalant as if nothing happened between us. Since that day I had wrecked my mind thinking of ways to have her again. It was only a one time thing but it did a number on me.

I had become a predator, stalking her moves. She knew what I was going through. Withdrawal. Her withdrawal. Yet, that vixen never showed an ounce of mercy. Why would she? After the way I treated her, ignoring, like some garbage than what was bestowed by her title. She was the future head, just like me and I never gave her that respect or considered her for the position.

"Are you ready?" Agustin walked in. Closely following him was Alejandro and not far behind them, the woman who had taken over my mind space. She smiled, walking in and plopping on the corner of the couch she always sat at.

Alejandro opened his books, scrolling his closed pen over numbers. His lower lip softly recalling all digits. It was our payment, all in books like old school. A thing or two we retained in tradition. Old mansion and the ledger keeping. Uploading on the system was easy, convenient. But with that lingered the fear of hacking, someone monitoring us.

Alejandro moved the books to Val who mirrored his expressions. Her right index ran over the sheet, muttering while her left fingers played air piano, with her thumb running over them. Since Val joined us, we had seem some fatal calculation errors and got a chance to rectify it.

Pulling her head up from the book, she shut the heaviness that lay in her lap. With a smile, she tuned to both my brothers. "They tally."

After our in-house accountant's seal of approval, we moved onto more serious topics. I walked over from my chair onto the couch where my bothers sat. I sat opposite to Val. A part of me envied Agustin who sat beside her.

"How are we with the Spain plan?" I glanced at Al who fished his phone, checking.

The silence in the room was marred by the muffled sounds from Agustin's phone. He hid the earphone in his left ear, facing me from his right. With soft gunshot sounds, his attention would divert towards the phone screen he held in his hand.

Val noticed my discomfort. I wasn't against playing games on phone or for that matter, any game. God knows the times I had enjoyed a game of snooker with my brothers. But there was always a time and place for it. Coiling her hand over Agustin's phone, Val slipped it beneath his thigh. Agustin shoot her a look before their eyes whispered silent words to each other. He understood, nodding at her.

"Nico is good there." Al drew our attention back to the plan. Valentina's eyebrows shot up, hearing her cousin's name. She leaned forward, intending to know more about him. Al moved onto the next topic, leaving her with a fallen face. "Now stage two of the plan," he smiled and tuned to Val.

She nodded, knowing very well what was demanded of her. With his undivided attention over work, Agustin interrupted. "Val won't be safe there. Salazar had always wanted us to be weak. Imagine how weak would we be, with one of our own in his territory."

I smiled at Agustin's words, the way he displayed the cluster of concern in his mind. He was a ruthless man but for Maria and Val he would always remain a kid. I still had no clue how Valentina managed to get his puppy love off of her. She was good not only with weapons, but also in getting men to leave her alone. Ironically, I it had an opposite effect on me.

"I will be fine, Agustin." She patted his hand and ran circles with her thumb. Mere gesture of her, being comfortable with my brother yet ignoring me was unnerving. I wanted to pull her out of the room and into my place. With her words, I was trying hard to focus on the plan. "And besides, Santos wouldn't do anything. He knows better than to play with me again."

She looked over to me. My nod was her assurance. No harm would come to anyone in my family, least of all, my wife. 

Al placed documents onto Val's lap. She scanned each page up and down and repeat before turning them. Occasionally she raised her head for a doubt. By the end of it, she turned to Agustin. "See, its all fine. I read all the things that I need to do there which is basically meeting Santos and checking his goods."

Al let out a soft giggle. He had a pervert mind since his childhood. With a stern look, she shut him down.

I stared in disbelief. Al was a man uncontrollable by anyone. Even Elena used to maintain her distance from him. But Val seemed like a ring master, taming each wild animal with her charm.

"Agustin. We have people there to take care of her in case things go south." I said. Val nodded in affirmation. I felt like a father, pacifying his child to let go his mother. "Alejandro would be there for her. He is travelling with her."

Agustin straightened, skipping off the couch. "Why can't I go? I have been to that place like a million times. I don't want her to be in danger."

"There won't be any danger, I am there to take care of her. I will ensure-"

"I don't care." Agustin cut short Al. "The last time this happened, you people didn't listen to me. I don't want.." He was hinting at Elena's death. Agustin had warned many times before, his apprehension of our allies taking an interest in Elena's involvement. Yet, we didn't listen. I didn't listen.

"ENOUGH," my voice boomed through the place and back to us. Val straightened up, watching over the two men who by now were standing and squaring each other. Upon my voice, they fell back on the couch. "I don't care if there is danger or not. I have decided Val would go and she would. No more questions."

I walked out of the room. Behind me, both my siblings continued their argument. With heels clacking over the floor, I slowed my pace. Val caught up, her chest rising and dipping softly.

"Why is Agustin worried?" She walked with me. As concern swirled in her eyes, I stopped at my steps, turning to her.

"He is just... There is nothing to worry about. All things are taken care of." I placed my hand over her shoulder.

She gazed my hand before snapping back at me. I could see her twinkling eyes and and reddened face. It brought back memories of the party, of the washroom and of our aligned moans. "I don't believe you Antonio. Seems like you are pimping me out."

Her words felt like a slap on my face. I lost control, holding her against the wall. The impact was hard. She winced as her head hit the hardened surface and her eyes teared up. Every inch of me screamed with guilt of hurting her again. I fucked up again.

Pushing me aside, she struggled to move. Statue, I towered over her while she tried her best efforts.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Hurt me," she growled, grinding her teeth. "Get over yourself Antonio. Seems like you are a sadistic man who enjoy hurting others. I can't believe I decided to help you with this.."

As anger flared inside her, spewing through her mouth, I remained calm. The worst I could do was already done. All I could do was apologies. "I didn't mean to hurt you Val and neither will you be hurt in Spain. I have taken care of everything for you."

"Then why am I going alone. Why can't you come too?" She watched my expressions. I ran a hand over the back of my neck before caging her in my arm prison.

"Because I am needed here. Santos has fallen for you. He wouldn't harm you."

Valentina uttered a vicious laugh, echoing through the halls. She looked back at me, eyes glistening with residual tears. "So you are pimping me. What do I have to do after checking his goods, Antonio? Sleep with him?"

Her stare burned over my face. I pushed her back onto the wall, feeling her warm breath over my face. Her reddened lips were inviting me to take the plunge. She saw my urge to have tiled her face away.

I couldn't understand, why wouldn't she kiss me?

"Nobody would touch you there. Nobody. Everyone knows who you are."

"Your fucktoy," she smirked.

"My wife."

Words had power to move mountains. In my case, it moved Val's mindset. Her expressions softened. Her hand slid over mine. It felt like a pull from her, her body and heart. Before I could proceed to read her next move, sound of throat clearing emanated from behind us.

I moved besides Val. Agustin and Al watched us like eager puppies, wide eyes and grinning. I waved my hand up in submission and walked away. What remained in my mind was my own confession.

A while back, I didn't want to acknowledge Val as my wife. Heck, I didn't even acknowledge her presence or her name. I wanted someone else to impregnate her like she was a cow I got at a market place.

How could I be so blind, unable to read a person? What was Valentina doing to me?

My mind floated over to her every time she was around. Her ignorance to my existence was driving me mad. Not that she'd accept any of this but she was enjoying the attention I was giving her. Crazy little vixen.

Something darted towards me. My peripheral vision registered it and I was quick to dodge an incoming object. All my attention tunneled, streaming straight. Pulling my gun, slung on my side, I searched for the entity. A pillow lay on my feet.

"I should have thrown the vase at you," Maria voice came floating.

Like a fire breathing dragon, she walked over to me with flared nostrils and anger in her voice. It only lacked her breathing down fire. She held my hand tight, staring into my eyes from below. "How dare you decide to let her go to Spain? To that vile man. You know what he did to us."

"I know. But she is going for that exact reason. He would never suspect her. If I go then Santos would be on alert," I whispered. She somehow came to know of my plan. I already knew the culprit.

Maria's eyes misted. She drew a cross with her gold chain that rested with a Jesus's figurine on its pendant. She muttered a prayer, Val's name was uttered quite a few times. I held her shoulder which she was quick to shrug.

"Val is a big girl. She can take care of herself." I spoke in a soft tone, trying hard to pacify my fuming mother.

God I had to babysit everyone in this family.

"But he wants her. I have heard," Maria whined, pulling me close for a hug.

Patting her back, I opted for silence as the way to calm her. Maria rarely broke down in front of me. She only turned into a ball of nerves whenever any of her children were about to embark on a dangerous mission. 

Agustin was the favorite member of her cry and whine club. Not me, not Al but him. But for Valentina, her concern seemed to be on a higher level. Maria wasn't wrong in bringing her tears. It wasn't a cakewalk, Val was undertaking. Santos territory was like a minefield. One wrong move and it would all be over. With him blowing the news of his attraction towards her, things had become more complicated.

Santos was playing his power move, telling the allies that he would have Valentina one way or another. Sending her to the lion's den maybe a wrong move for some. But not many knew that Val herself was a predator. A vicious carnivore on prowl. I had seen her moves, seen her records and her kills. But still, the nagging feeling emanated from my gut. I was sending a lion into a lion's den.

She was right in a way. I was indeed pimping her. The thought of it made my mouth turn sour.

When Maria looked up for comforting words, I whispered. "Nicolas is there, Al is going with her. You don't worry." I patted her back, kissing her forehead.

"Still..if something happens.."

"Nothing will happen to her. Nobody will touch her. She is mine. She will not to be messed with."

Maybe it was my dick that didn't get any satisfaction in a long time and was craving for Valentina or the fact that I had indeed ignored her for too long to notice that she had made her way onto the title of my wife. Either that or the fact that she remained on my mind for long, being an enigma.

Whatever it was, saying out loud and acknowledging Val's existence as a member of the family and my wife made me feel a rush of respite. I felt the fire had rekindled inside, smoldering everyday with her presence. Mere presence.

Maria patted my face with her soft hands, signing in contentment. "I am happy to see you talk about her like that."

As was with fire, it soared up suddenly. Elena's face erupted again in my thoughts. She made her way back crashing through Val's image and crying betrayal at my face.

Was I betraying my dead wife with Valentina?

~

Dearies

Liked the chapter? Let me know in the comments.

Also, do you think Spain travel would go as smooth as Antonio calculated or will it have troubles?

Guess..

Love

S