Chapter 19 - He's my assistant - mduno
Since nine o'clock, I had been waiting at the airport for Verónica to arrive. I glanced at my watch every minute. I shouldn't have treated her that way yesterday... But she needs to understand! I'm not like the people she knows. I'm different from other men.
"Do you think she'll come, Rata?"
And if not for me... she arrived with her friend. I had never been so desperate until I saw her arrive. She was very pretty, incomparable to the women I usually deal with. She was simple, and that was where her incredible beauty lay. I smiled when she saw us, but she didn't return my greeting. She just made a slight hand gesture, didn't approach, and stayed with Lorena.
"I told you that you went too far with the car thing. She knows you screwed up big time, yesterday you acted like a real jerk," Simón scolded.
"Now you're going to defend her? The women's lawyer?"
"No, Boss, just your conscience. You're throwing away the only good thing you could have in your life." I looked at him. "Roland, I once loved, and it's the best memory I have of my miserable life. She was 'the woman,' my Sara was an oasis in the hell of my existence."
Eight years ago, Simón had become a widower and lost his son in a car accident. It was a very painful time; Sara and little Joaquín's deaths devastated all of us in the house.
"What seat is she in?"
I asked, needing an hour to clear my head and then talk to her. Who was she to make me so nervous?
"Next to you."
I was puzzled. They called for first-class passengers heading to Santa Marta, which was our flight.
"You'll pay for this, Rata," I laughed.
"I think, Boss," he commented, grabbing his backpack. "That from this trip, I'll owe you a lot." I took my bag and approached Verónica.
"We need to board."
She frowned, looked at her ticket, sighed, and said goodbye to her friend. I walked beside her without saying a word. She wore shorts, sandals, and a green tank top that matched her sandals. Do I notice these things now?
This is messed up. We handed over our boarding passes and showed our IDs. The first-class waiting room was much better. Rata sat down, and Verónica sat next to him, leaving no space for a third person.
The second-in-command gave me an apologetic look, and I gestured that it didn't matter. But the truth was, it was driving me crazy. "Me, Roland Sandoval, in this shitty situation?" What? Now I have to apologize? I sat in front and looked at interesting topics on my phone. I needed to calm down, to hide my nerves. Someday, Verónica, you'll pay for this.
And it will be when I have you naked in bed, screaming my name hundreds of times. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye; she spoke calmly. I knew Rata felt uncomfortable; he didn't know how to handle her, just like me. They called us to board the plane, and I entered as if nothing had happened. I gave her the window seat, Simón sat behind after storing the bag in the overhead compartment, and I sat next to her.
"You shouldn't have bought me a first-class ticket," she commented, still serious.
"Rata handles the logistics, not me," I replied.
"Okay, Mr. Roland."
Mr. Roland? So that's how we'll address each other? That was my favorite game, Verónica; indifference.
"No problem, miss."
I picked up a magazine; people started boarding, and a group of prostitutes entered the plane. She looked at me occasionally but said nothing. They closed the doors, and I opened the magazine while the flight attendant gave instructions. I checked the seatbelt, and finally, the plane took off. I closed my eyes; I needed to rest. After a few minutes, she couldn't hold it in and broke the silence.
"Umm..." She didn't say anything. I opened my eyes.
"Did you say something?" I looked at her.
"Nothing, it's just that..."
"I didn't sleep much last night, and I know I won't sleep for the next four days. Don't interrupt me unless you have something interesting to talk about."
She bit her lower lip, looked out the window, and didn't speak again. When we landed, she stayed to the side until she saw her friend, then walked towards her. I waited for her to say goodbye, but she didn't. She headed to the van with the prostitutes. How stubborn and headstrong that girl was! It irritates me.
"Verónica!" I approached. "That's the van for the prostitutes, come with me."
"Why? They're human beings, they're women, Mr. Roland." Now what crap was she going to come up with?
"Don't mess with that now, please, come with me."
Her look was defiant, and she smiled, turned her back, and got into the van with the prostitutes. I saw Simón raise his arms to the sky. That was one of his expressions in recent days. This girl is going to drive me crazy.
"She drives me nuts!... Girl!" My right-hand man was trying not to laugh... if he did, I'd kill him. He just shrugged. "She'll get over it, and she deserves it. She needs to learn; it's a dangerous event. Does she find it so hard to understand?"
"Did you apologize?"
"Yes, Simón heard me, but I wanted to let her get what she deserves so she wouldn't mess up my life and would listen to me. She was unconscious!"
"Should I keep an eye on her?" I took a deep breath.
"For now, leave her. She'll learn from the hard knocks about the different world she's gotten into."
"Are you sure, boss?" I shook my head. I don't want anything to happen to her.
"Keep an eye on her."
I got into the truck. My team had arrived last night. Rata gave the order, and we headed to one of the most luxurious hotels in Santa Marta. We checked in, got the keys, and I was escorted to my room.
Rata took the room next to mine. I took a shower, more to shake off my bad mood than the heat. At lunch, we would discuss superficial topics. The serious meeting would be tomorrow. Today was about meeting the girls, having sex, partying, and letting loose as much as we wanted.
We had the hotel at our disposal for the weekend. Accommodating the bodyguards and the prostitutes wasn't easy. Rata didn't like any snoopers getting in.
After getting ready, I headed to the restaurant. I hadn't heard anything about Verónica; she must be having a great time. I laughed at the thought of what situation the partners might have her in, imagining her reaction and discomfort as we analyzed the girls we chose for pleasure. However, when I got to the restaurant, things were very different.
"Don Roland must have set up this pretty doll for us to enjoy."
Verónica's face was very red, with her friend standing in front of her. I liked her again. Credit to that Lorena, she had protected her well. The scandal at the farm the day Verónica hid was huge.
"She's not one of us, and she doesn't offer herself for money," her friend argued.
"Shut up, bitch!" Hugo, the Spanish partner, shouted. "You know they always have a surprise for us. We'll share her to fuck. She must be hot." I smiled discreetly. There you go, for being so presumptuous.
"She's not one of us!" Lorena shouted again. Yan Lee grabbed her, squeezed her breasts, and then her crotch without stopping laughing. He spoke in Japanese, and from the way Verónica looked at him, I imagined the vulgarities he was saying. I crossed my arms. She tried to get off the stage where the merchandise was displayed.
"No, no, no. You're not getting away so fast, slut."
Hugo blocked her path. Jhon was watching the spectacle next to him. At that moment, he noticed my presence, and once again, she pleaded for my help with the same look she had when we locked her up at the farm, the same look before the attempted rape, that fear that makes me want to protect her.
"Let her go, Hugo!"
He looked at me, and I approached without losing sight of him until he couldn't hold her anymore.
"Don Roland, why didn't you show her to us? I'm telling you I'll pay a ton of money for her to suck my dick and..."
"Lorena told you she's not for sale."
"Damn it! All the women on the bus were the hired prostitutes, and I want her!" I looked at Verónica with a face that said, "I warned you." She clenched her jaw while looking at her feet, holding back tears. I turned to Hugo.
"Let me put it this way." I walked firmly without looking away. "There was a mix-up, and she took the wrong car. She's not a prostitute. She is..."
"She's a whore, and I want her!"
I clenched my fists. My expression changed, anger consumed me. With my look, I made it clear I would kill him if he didn't shut up. I confronted him.
"Are you implying I'm lying?" I raised my head. Hugo looked away a bit, though not enough. "Are you challenging me now?" He shook his head. "Don't get confused, idiot. If you don't want to go back to Spain with a bullet in your head and with the certainty that I'll take down your entire cartel and family, don't offer her a penny again! She is not that kind of woman, and don't mess with her because you'll be messing with me."
"Don Roland, is she your woman?"
"She is my assistant."
I looked at the people around. Rata and Cebolla had come closer to me. The rest of my team had positioned themselves strategically. The partners listened to my speech. I extended my hand to Verónica and pulled her along.
I dragged her, not slowing down until we were far away, near the pools. My pulse was trembling.
"Now do you understand why I didn't want you to go with the prostitutes? I just threatened a partner to save your skin! And all because you acted all high and mighty and didn't talk to me because I didn't apologize for yesterday."
She tried to speak, but her tears got the better of her. She completely disarmed me. I stepped away a bit to breathe. What is Verónica doing with me?
"They treat them... like cattle, picking them just like slaves were sold, all to the highest bidder."
Tears streamed down her face one after another. I approached her, wiping them away with my thumb. The tickle from touching her returned.
"Thank you, Roland." Now I was Roland again? And I liked that she called me by my name.