Antonio

The days succeeding the ally meet had been good for us. The Castros' had sent more men to help with the shipment and the consignment delivery seemed to have fallen back on track. Although till the shipment was delivered, there is no means to tell what all could go wrong, I knew better than to put all my faith in the Italians.

With Val keeping an eye on each finality of the shipment, I knew her help would be required more with each passing day. If this consignment was delivered successfully, we would be one major power in the kingdom; ones to have a upper hand with the allies.

All that was still a plan, the successful execution still remained a dream I hoped to materialize. With only a few weeks till the D day, the household was buzzing with new people. Although Val and Agustin weren't in agreement over the Brazilian proposal, they had set their differences aside. Gabriel was the one whom I was most concerned with.

With every day that etched closer to the shipment, he seemed more distant than ever, even lost at times. I had rarely seen him distracted. Having always been a man of gathered thoughts, I was worried for his state of being. But the loyal man that he was, I knew never to doubt him. Whatever it was, I would know soon.

"Antonio," Gabriel walked in, holding a piece of paper in his hand. Talk of the devil, I thought. "You would want to read this."

I picked up the parchment, he placed on my table. The writing was clear, speaking the man's words.

Dear Antonio,

We had our differences in the past. For the time being, let's put it on hold and meet up on a neutral ground to decide what we want for our future.

Hurt or happiness.

Santos

I looked up at Gabriel who matched my expressions of confusion. Why would Santos want to meet me right before the deal? Was it because he wanted to concede to my dominion or was it another card play he held up closer to his chest?

I wasn't clear on the intent but knew that the man was desperate. Maybe the allies must have informed him of Sofia and Alejandro's marriage. With his arm twisted, pushing him into a helpless state, this might be his attempt to get his sister back with a parley.

"Tell Val," I looked up at Gabriel, who was lost in his own state of reverie. "She is coming with me."

Gabriel tilted his head, questioning my move but refrained from speaking. "I will get things ready for you two."

Two days passed in a blur. Val was aware of Santo's previous experiment when she met him in Spain. Being her cautious self, she ensured that we were thoroughly protected even though the meet was in a neutral territory. Her instructions to Mateo were specific to the point where I felt she was going to hunt for Santos herself.

When we arrived at this villa in Argentina, Valentina's calm expression dissolved into what I could fathom as cautions. She was once played by the man whom she assumed would be played by her. They both had their hands burnt, trusting each other. I wasn't surprised when Santos didn't come out to receive us. Valentina's smirk was a confirmation how she won this mind game round.

Upon entering the room, Santos greeted us, hoisting off the chair. The place seemed to be his meeting place with bare minimum furniture. A carved and intricate detailed desk and a few chairs alongwith a faded crème couch were the only things, the room contained. That and a small bar in one of the corners. The room had more bottles than books.

We shook hands with minimum spoken words. Our hostilities emerged since the dawn of our father's rule. We son's merely followed the legacies.

Santos moved back to his chair. Val eyed the whole place, her lips curved up to a crooked smile. "This is better than the place you had last," she mocked.

"I know it is. And hopefully, this wouldn't be burned down like last."

I knew that Santos told everyone that it was us who turned his home into ashes. What he hid was the truth. It was his doing to portray us bad. Moralez, the people who burned homes and kidnapped women.

"Let's not go down that part, who burned whom. I'm sure we all have firearms packing with us but we aren't here for that, are we?" I said, watching Santos and Valentina boring holed into each other's bodies. My words were the white flag they needed to begin. Santos pulled up a tab, tossing it towards us.

The video of Valentina being poisoned was playing in loop. I turned to her, watching her face redden. Reliving that fateful night didn't end us. It only built us back together.

Knowing Santos, we were aware of him playing us even before the meet. The only thing we didn't think of was to what extent.

"What the hell is this?" I tossed the screen. It splashed across the floor, sending pieces of glass and plastic in the air. "Is this why you called us here?" I was burning on the inside with a rage that blinded me.

"Relax," he leaned back on his chair. "We have all done things that we regret." Pulling up from his seat, he poured a drink for himself. "All I wanted with you was peace, Antonio."

"You screwed up on peace when you decided to insult my wife." I gritted my teeth at his carefree demeanor. This man was playing us and we were at his mercy.

"You think I played you?" his voice echoed through the room. "Your wife played me. She played us all."

Contents of his glass spilled across the floor as his hand waved in the air, accusing Valentina. He tossed the glass aside to massage his hands into his hair. I knew that he was coming undone. All that was needed was a little more fire for him to unravel.

"Santos," I called out. "Why don't you tell us why we are here?"

Walking towards us with a shrunken height, he feel on the couch next to us. He placed a piece of paper on the table. The deal he wanted us to sign. It was Valentina who read it quick before passing on to me. We both smiled at each other, unable to believe the narcissisms the man held.

"You want us to free Sofia? I asked. He nodded, letting a half smile cover his face. "What do we get in return, Santos?"

The man that Santos was, seemed to be lost in alcohol. The one that sat beside us was a monster, created by alcohol and drugs that ran in his blood.

"I won't give you anything? Why would I? You destroyed me, my family. Sof was my everything and you took her away," he hollered, anger spewed through his bloodshot eyes. "I want her back and you will get nothing."

Valentina was calm for all the exchange, until now. A muscle in her jaw twitched as she tore the paper into pieces. "You think you are bigger than us," she scoffed. "You think that you would call the most powerful family to your shambled home and trick us into accepting your deal, when you have nothing to give us."

Inside Valentina, fire from Santos's act stocked her anger. She tossed the pieces of paper onto the table. Santos wasn't in his right sense to act sane. It was his time to dominate and he decided the best route was by tossing things off the table.

"You can have her, Sofia. She was adopted. My father took pity on her and so did I. If that bitch can't understand how to survive and come back to us, then she deserves that hell hole."

Sofia had become a part of our family, just like Val. These two had etched their way into our hearts. And nobody insulted my family in front of me and survived.

I bolted off the chair, thrusting Santos onto the wall, holding his jaw. His strength had reduced with drugs. A man without a mission was a lost cause, dad used to say. Watching him struggle under my hold, a weakling, I knew what dad meant.

Valentina's hand travelled over my back, pulling me off the man. She smiled at me, running the back of her hand over my jaw. It always made me feel like the proud lioness, stroking me with affection.

"You both will regret this. Valentina, mark my words." Santos yelled out. "You will be his widow soon and I will be the one to kill him and then you will be mine."

Val was walking away with me when those words halted her steps. Turning back, I knew her wrath wouldn't be contained. Moving closer to where Santos stood, she crossed her arms onto her chest and shifted her weight on one leg. In her tilted pose, she reeked power and pride.

My wife.

"You think I'd be scared of your empty threats, Santos?" She scaled his body, top to bottom before spitting her angered words at him. "You won't even come inches near us. That's how weak you are. And even if you manage to get me away from my husband, you'd never be able to get me away from the Moralez bloodline that I carry inside of me."

The ground beneath me shook as I heard her state the confirmation. It was music to my ears. My heart thumped erratically, wanting to hold her onto me, never letting her go. The mother of my child.

"So don't you dare, even think of hurting us or your sister," she moved a step back, cringing her face. "Sofia is a Moralez from now on, not a Salazar."

Walking away, I placed my hand over the back of my queen. She walked with a flair which no other woman possessed. Inside the jet, she shot a look at Mateo. "Tell everyone, the marriage would be after our shipment."

Leaning onto my shoulder, the lioness sought comfort. I kissed her forehead, sighing at the news she delivered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Valentina pulled up, turning herself to fall on the opposite chair. Her eyes were dark when she looked down. With hooded eyes, she whispered. "I am not pregnant, Antonio. It was to tell Santos to get away from me." Leaning back, she tossed her heels to a side. "I knew he wouldn't come after a woman who was carrying the heir of an enemy."

Valentina's strategy was perfect, her execution was perfect too. What I wasn't able to understand was why it left a pang in my chest.

Was I ready for a family with the woman, I was scared to even confess my heart to?

~

The things we are scared to confess..