Chapter 151 - I Don't Know Whether to Laugh or Kick You - Fears
Simon
I entered the house at five in the morning. I had stopped by the clinic to check on my people. Churrusco stayed hospitalized and Cereza drove from the clinic, claiming his wound was just a scratch. The house was burned. Mojon and Rasca culo walked behind me. They said they hadn't found any traces of the dogs, alive or dead. The library was emptied out.
They knew about the basement, but they were forbidden to enter, and what was down there was a secret only Roland and his two most trusted men knew. But that didn't matter anymore. They had all been part of the boss's inner circle for many years and had earned our trust. They were surprised to see me descend and not tell them to stay behind; before I entered, I signaled for them to follow me.
The interior was in perfect condition; the fire hadn't touched it. They isolated this place, left it intact, only looted it. I closed my eyes, and my mind, like a video channel, started flooding with images one after another: four cell phones, he planned his death, he needed to leave us out to make it believable and save us.
The wills, you handed over the properties from drug trafficking, saved the others, your sister asked me for the IP... A chill invaded my whole body, and the urge to laugh, cry, and kick at the same time overwhelmed me. Only three people knew the access to my security system, "you blocked me, you bastard." Like a madman, I started laughing, leaving my companions bewildered.
You burned this house, with Luisa's help you took the important information from the library, the basement, and the dogs. I started crying and laughing at the same time. You bastard, you did it, you son of a bitch.
"You're alive, you bastard!"
"Rata, are you okay?"
Arnold spoke, and I nodded. The lady didn't have another crisis, Roland showed himself, and what Cebolla saw was surely him. Who knows what passages or escape routes he has in his ranch. I couldn't respond; I kept crying and laughing while walking back and forth in the basement.
"What's so funny?" I looked at Gustavo.
"He's still alive... our Boss is still alive, this must stay between us, well, we can tell Churrusco and Cereza, but no one else."
"Thanks for trusting us." They looked at me with a mix of astonishment and distrust.
"Gustavo, arrange my trip to Texas as soon as possible, you will stay to support Luisa, but I need to talk to her before I leave."
I needed to confront her, have her tell me the truth. I should be angry, but I know Roland forbade her, everything was perfect, the only thing I won't forgive is that she should have told us after a few days, she left us suffering all these months and... God, if the lady had died in those suicide attempts... I laughed again.
"You are a fucking genius."
"Are you sure?"
"So sure that without him giving us orders, we've been working for him all this time."
"Can we travel once Miss Luisa organizes the Barranquilla operation? I'd like to see him," Arnold commented.
"If everything goes well, I'll be back in two days. I'll return to take care of my future wife, in the meantime, you will only be there for her protection. I don't want a single scratch on her beautiful body."
"Yes, boss." They were still wary.
"Don't look at me like that, Roland is alive, only he and Cebolla knew how to access my security system, the house had a fire system that only activates with the fingerprint of three people." I took my laptop. "I can prove it."
I entered the information, my best friend's fingerprint was recorded. They widened their eyes, and I smiled.
"Look at the date, the day, and the time on Sunday, how did I not see it before? Arrange my trip, I need to confront him. Gustavo, talk to Gladis, have the reports ready for next week."
"Why do I have to tell Gladis?"
I smiled. Arnold patted him on the back, that guy was the youngest of us all, he would turn twenty-three in a month.
"You have an excuse to see her and not pressure her."
"I see there are interests," I said.
"She said she didn't want anything with me."
"And your clairvoyance doesn't help with that? You were right about the boss." I saw him smile.
"I won't answer the first question, then they'll say I'm cocky, but she will beg for me, her last comment was hurtful. I understand, but I won't allow her arrogance, she trampled my pride."
"It seems only Churrusco and I are left to introduce our women."
I laughed at Arnold's comment, Cereza had been married for five years, with two beautiful children, Clarisa was a sweetheart, Ines adored her.
"Rata, give the boss several hugs from me."
"I will, but first I'll give him a beating for what he did to the lady."
"For not telling her the truth?" I looked at Gustavo. "Boss, he did it for us, it's evident."
"Maybe, but that almost cost Mrs. Veronica her life."
They affirmed, and Arnold moved away to coordinate my flight. We went up to the upper floor. I had mixed feelings; deep down, something told me everything had his mark.
"I'll give him a beating."
"Until he comes to his senses."
Gustavo commented. They knew how well Roland fought; during training trips, they always lost.
"I'll ask Onion for help." We laughed.
"The flight leaves in two hours."
We left the house. I had my suitcase in the car where Cherry was waiting; it was the only thing I had left. Roland's gonorrhea had burned my clothes. I called Luisa.
"Hello."
That voice made my penis rise; I was about to force her, not even cold water would lower my erection when we got lost in kisses and caresses.
"Black-haired, are you in Bogota?"
"We're getting off the plane."
"Wait for me, I have to go on a trip."
"What?!" I smiled. "We still need to organize the last city."
"I have to go on a trip. You'll stay with Gustavo and Arnold until I get back. At most, I'll be gone for two days."
"You'll leave me alone for two days? Where are you going?"
"If I tell you that, can you keep it a secret and not warn him?"
"I don't understand."
"I'll see you in an hour. Wait for me."
Luisa waited in a café; seeing her made me smile like an idiot. That black-haired woman with subtle freckles in that strong and tough role that misled men, when in reality she was a fragile, fearful, and innocent woman.
I had slept with her all these days, and although nothing more than subtle caresses and many kisses had happened, it had been enough for her to get used to me. She no longer trembled out of fear; now she did because of my caresses, which grew more intense each day. When she saw me, she gave me that beautiful smile that made me drool.
"Hello, beautiful." My friends stayed outside the café; I didn't have much time.
"Now can you tell me what's going on?" She kissed me softly on the lips.
"I don't want you to warn your brother that I'm going to find him to give him a beating." Her eyes sparkled.
"I just lost a bet with him."
"What?"
"Love." It was the first time she called me that.
"What did you call me?" She blushed.
"Love." She repeated slowly. I took her by the waist and pressed my lips against hers. When we separated, she said, "My brother said you would find out the truth before my stay in Colombia ended. Now I owe him a trip to Brazil." She crossed her arms.
"He always liked betting. You have no idea how happy I am to know he's alive. But I'm going to give him a beating; his little joke almost caused Mrs. Veronica's death."
"What do you mean?"
"Beautiful, the lady tried to take her life twice."
"That's why you protect her so much." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and I affirmed it.
"Even before she was Roland's girlfriend, Onion was her shadow. While I traveled with your brother, he stayed to take care of her. He only trusted the two of us with her safety. When he faked his death and handed her to me, I felt it was my duty to protect her, even with my life. Onion had already developed that same feeling. Luisa, never feel jealous of her. When you spend more time with her, you'll understand, and you'll end up protecting her in some way too.
"The lady entered a schizophrenic state on the verge of madness after the supposed death. She spent a whole week doped up. One day Miguel took care of her, the next day I did. We witnessed her dreams and nightmares; she only calmed down in my arms or Onion's.
"Two weeks later, she climbed to the clinic's rooftop and tried to jump. We had followed her; I managed to catch her in the air while Onion grabbed her legs. We almost died, or who knows, maybe all three of us. Luisa covered her mouth. We had to admit her to a rest clinic, in other words, a place for the insane.
"She pretended to be okay. That night, I was taking care of her. In a second, she locked herself in the bathroom, and I felt something. When I looked at the cameras and saw her enter and say 'thank you,' I knew she was going to attempt suicide. I wasn't wrong; she cut her veins." I wiped my girlfriend's tears.
"You have no idea how I felt when I saw her on that white floor with a pool of blood around her. Don't ask me how I did it, but I attended to her as quickly as I could and ran with her in my arms until the doctors arrived. Onion came in like a madman. That night, we felt like we were losing her too. The lady is like my sister, the one I never had."
"She adores my brother," she whispered.
"In an absurd way. That's why I'm going to give my best friend a beating."
"You fight very well."
"Roland fights better. Between Onion and me, we'll make it difficult for him."
"Do me a favor."
"Tell me." We moved away; I had to board the private flight.
"When Maluco..."
"Maluco?" She smiled.
"I've called him that since we were kids. He used to pull my ponytails or braids. He calls me Freckles."
"What do you want me to do to him?"