Chapter 158 - We Started Our Marriage (Part 2) — mddos
Roland got into bed naked.
"Yes, that's so you, Verónica," he said, stretching out his arm to invite me to cuddle with him. "You're a variable in my life that I haven't been able to decipher. When I think I've figured you out, you surprise me again. You always catch me off guard, never the way I want or need, like with memory.
"I've always been able to identify or understand people's gestures, attitudes, or actions since I was a child, but you're a mystery. You have such strong foundations that I thought you couldn't waver, but it turns out you can. And the more I delve into your reactions, the more I realize how much you love me. You do it in such a damn way that it's hard for me to comprehend.
"I won't justify your suicide attempt. It seems like such a low act of cowardice for someone as spiritual as you. However, I understand. If I were in your place... I would have done the same, with the only difference being in the reaction. That would depend on how you died."
"What do you mean?"
"If someone killed you, before killing myself, I would destroy them and their entire damn lineage. I would take half the world down with me out of revenge. And if you died naturally, I'd shoot myself."
"Don't talk like that."
"Promise me you won't try to take your life again for any reason."
"I promise." His lips claimed mine.
"I love you. I'll never stop wondering if I deserve you or not, but I swear I'll try to be a better person for you."
"And for the children to come," I said.
"Verónica..." The way he said my name was a sign he was still stubborn about the topic. I'll leave it for now. "You should sleep. You must be a little sore; I haven't been gentle. And I assure you I won't be for the next few days."
"Honey, when did you build the cabin?"
"I did it while my mom's ranch was being built. There are three rooms. Ours, Rata's..."
"Simón, please, get used to calling him Simón."
"As you wish, Mrs. Sandoval. The cabin has 'Simón's' room; he'll use it with my sister. And 'Miguel's' room, though I had thought it for your friend." I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm glad. I'm not against sexual orientations, but I'm glad Miguel found his path."
"I hope Diana is strong enough to help him against his demons."
"I'll talk to him soon. I never saw any signs, and he enjoyed women a lot during our escapades."
"It's a disorder from something he experienced."
"Was he raped?" I wasn't going to deny it. He figured it out, and Miguel would tell him the truth. So I just nodded. "Son of a bitch! Who was that bastard?"
"His stepfather when he was just a boy. He already avenged himself. Diana came into his life like..."
"Like a breath of fresh air," he interrupted. I looked at him. "You came into my life that way when you yelled at Negro and Cebolla that you weren't a whore or something like that. You caught my attention. Let's talk, beautiful. I want to know what your life has been like these past seven months."
"As I told you, Diana was kidnapped by Contreras's organization. She was a girl with a strong past. In short, her mother hated her for ruining her body and no longer having clients.
"Her mother was a sex worker. She abused her in every possible way until Child Protective Services intervened and took her away. She went through several foster homes and orphanages. She studied as best she could. She's very intelligent, with a nobility, Roland, that makes me bow my head.
He stroked my hair. I turned to face him, resting my head on his chest. The light was still off; we only had the lamp next to his nightstand on.
"With the help of teachers and the town priest, they found a way for her to validate her high school diploma in Bogotá. She worked in the afternoons and sometimes at night, and she studied in the morning. One day, the organization I told you about kidnapped her, forcing her into prostitution." Roland closed his eyes.
"Things happen for a reason, Honey. It's true, sometimes the trials are too hard, but each one has a purpose, and those obstacles only prepare us for a specific end. If Diana hadn't gone through everything that being forced and violated entails, she wouldn't have developed the character necessary to catch Miguel's attention.
"You needed to meet someone who represented purity to you. Miguel needed nobility. Simón needed a bit of many things." I saw him nod. He kissed my wrists.
"I never sought satisfaction in that practice, nor did I oppose it when it happened. I intervened with the children, but I didn't oppose it with the women until a lovely girl at a gathering in Santa Marta made me understand. And look, now, that happened to my friend's woman."
"Miguel told me that, in those moments of blind rage, he can be rough. While Diana has managed to channel those reactions, I have no idea how she did it. That doesn't mean she would accept degrading treatment from him if an episode were to occur."
"She would be able to overcome it and somehow help him. There's love involved. You have no idea how crude Miguel can be when it comes to winning someone over," she let out a beautiful laugh. "You are arrogant, boastful, self-sufficient, and you think you're the last Coca-Cola in the desert. Your friend is rough, ordinary, as Diana herself says, he's a beast when it comes to love. Anyway, she is the perfect match. Just like Luisa is for Simón."
"I never knew about those attacks on my friend."
"He was never homosexual, he can confirm that for you. I got off-topic. After the shock of reality and returning to sanity, I went to save that shipment of women."
"You went? Those bastards exposed you to danger? They could have shot you!"
"Yes, I was stuck with them until the will was read. By the way, Miguel is a beast at driving, I call him Dominic Toretto." Another loud laugh echoed in the dimly lit room.
"I surround myself with the best, I always analyze their skills and qualities. He has a great history here in the United States related to illegal racing. For five years, he was the undefeated king, and he still follows them online."
"No one has broken his record. He never gave himself a nickname and always wore a mask. No one knows him, rumors are they think he's Mexican. I understand those races have immortalized him, and that was eight years ago. They know him as the Nameless One. These men are full of surprises, all of them. They are the best at what they do and in their professions."
"I discovered that too when I took over the companies," he raised his eyebrows, distracting me. "Do you know how damn sexy you look doing that?"
"Verónica..." his voice was hoarse. "Continue, because a certain friend of mine is starting to rise." I blushed. "And that lovely expression doesn't help."
"Alright, that night we saved several girls, including a pregnant Diana who was beaten to a pulp. Miguel was the one who carried her. Her face was swollen, her arms and legs were bruised, it was clear she had been severely beaten."
"Most of the girls went in one truck, we took the pregnant one and a couple of young women in another. The rescue took place in Villavicencio, while Simón coordinated to get Diana into the clinic."
"Miguel held her hand. It wasn't her best version, but their souls connected. Things got complicated, Diana's water broke. We helped her give birth as best we could. There were two; the girl was born dead, she had taken most of the blows. Only Isaac survived. That was the night Simón fainted. Tell Miguel to recount it for you, he always jokes about it. You guys bully each other a lot."
"I can't believe it."
"That girl is turning twenty in a little over a week and has shown me what it means to be brave. She gave birth on the road inside a truck with some blankets, had two deliveries; with two broken ribs, a disfigured face, bruises all over her body, and still, she adores that boy. She says it's not his fault."
"Others in her place would hate him for being the product of a rape. By the way, the father was Jaime Jaramillo." I saw Roland's face twist. "Simón settled scores with him." I saw him nod.
"She should be resentful of life, but no, she always smiles. She was raped, drugged to keep her from making a scene. At first, they took her to be beaten. She has an admirable self-esteem. Despite her short stature, she has more character than anyone."
"That's what stirred something in Miguel. He was raped by someone and took it out on the world by killing, beating, and raping homosexuals when he had those fits. He never got over what happened. Then this smiling girl came into his life despite everything she had been through. I think that created an internal conflict for him."
"Wow... I imagine, threesomes, drugs, lesbianism, orgies."
"That's why I say, love, the obstacles God puts in our path are often misunderstood. But there's a reason we live through them. We can bring out the best or worst in ourselves. He leaves it up to us. Do you understand when I say she will be able to face Miguel when he has an episode of rage, and I trust that the love between them will overcome it? Besides, they look beautiful together."
"What do you think God expects from me?"