Chapter 376 - Black and white chips - mdfour
Roland
I finished branding some cattle and went to help Jacinto after dropping the kids off at school. In fact, the school administration had implemented a sensitivity action after what happened at the school when my two older children started the brawl. I saw Carlina's car next to Veronica's; she had just come from talking to Mrs. Josefina. Her shouting my name made me look at her, and she seemed worried.
"Jacinto, keep going. I'll be back if I can in a bit." I passed the corrals and reached where she was waiting with Veronica.
"I urgently need to talk to you."
"Let's go to my office."
"Honey, I'll tell you later what happened with Mrs. Josefina at La Reina. It was something strange."
"Sure, love."
We kissed goodbye, and I walked with Lobo's wife into the office.
"Now, tell me."
"Is there a way to listen to my calls?" I looked at her; we have everyone intercepted. "It's important that you hear what my sister told me! I won't get mad if you have me intercepted. I only have hot calls with my wolfie." I smiled.
"Yes, I just need to ask Simon. Is it your last call?"
"Yes. Look, we have a meeting at the headquarters in an hour."
"Then let's go."
We went down to the basement, entered through the invisible door, then the linear elevator, and in no time, we arrived at the headquarters. Simon, Arnold, Kevin, and Alfredo were already there.
"Luna, what are you doing here?" The spouses hugged. I looked at Rat.
"Dasha called me."
"Simon, pull up Carlina's last call. We need to listen to it."
He did, and while we listened, Gustavo, Miguel, Daniel, and Freddy arrived. Anibal would be a bit late; he had medical appointments with the neurologist today and would be here in a couple of hours. We stayed silent when the call ended. They looked at me, and Simon played it again.
"New strange mafia," I said. "Could that mean they're trafficking something new? They mentioned 'Checkmate,' if they know about us, those bastards are trafficking people. And they've identified Arnold and Kevin."
"Recent clues pointed to Turkey," Rat commented.
"In fact, Kevin was supposed to travel next week to look for leads with Arnold."
"They're not going." I was firm.
"Boss." Lobo was about to argue, but a look from me made him go silent.
"You're not going, and neither is Arnold."
"Kevin is the only one who knows the language."
"No, Alex, aka Cuajao, is in Turkey. I need to call Onur Aslan; we need to find out what he knows."
"He shouldn't know anything if he hasn't warned us."
"You might be right. In any case, we'll move up the trip. Alfredo and Freddy will go now and meet with Alex," I said. Carlina hugged her husband around the waist.
"Thank you, Roland," she said. "Is it a new enemy?"
"New, old."
I started talking and snapping my fingers, as I do when my mind is a torrent of images and conjectures.
"I left behind a past full of enemies..."
I snapped my fingers when a possible connection to our organization, Nikolay, and my two comrades came to me.
"Marcela! The damn bitch... she knew the link between the Russian mafia and my two infiltrators. She's about to get out of jail. I'd bet my balls that old hag snitched..." I looked at Gustavo.
"I'll call Cooper to find out who visited her."
"How do you do it, Roland?" My group smiled while she waited for an answer.
"It's the art of black and white pieces; everything has two sides. The world is zeros and ones, that's why it's good to master the game, to have friends and enemies. If you know how to see it, they tell you everything. The new mafia doesn't know we have the Turkish mafia boss on our side. Soon we'll know who wants to screw us, and then I'll bring them into my game."
"Thank you for protecting Kevin."
"It's my team, Carlina. I'm not going to send them as bait. Until we know what's going on, you all stay in Blanco."
We didn't train so hard and pay the best for years to then send them as bait. I won't have a single casualty on my team.
"Alfredo, you need to request the days you'll be away." I didn't hear a response; when I looked at him, he was lost in thought.
"He broke up with my sister, and while she's getting over her sadness, it seems someone else started entering her life." He didn't react even with what was said.
"So, they broke up?" It was Carlina who spoke.
"ALFREDO!" He looked at me.
"Sorry, Boss."
"Go to that door, get it together! We need all five senses here because your partner depends on it!" He turned red with embarrassment. "We'll deal with personal matters outside. Now, can we count on you?"
"Of course, boss. Sorry."
"We have work to do. Let's start with the Checkmate Turkey protocol."
……
Patricia
During the hour I spent with Maximo, I felt calm; he always gives me that warm feeling. This is definitely crazy, but even if my world falls apart, I'm going to do it. I've always dreamed of a family with Alfredo... I'm not going to think about him again! Even if they say I'm getting married out of spite, I couldn't care less.
I know that's not the case, I'm getting married out of commitment. Max has been my best friend, and I liked the kiss we shared. A few hours ago, I told Gustavo not to come, that I wasn't going to any new apartment, I asked him not to interfere and that I had already resolved my situation, I wasn't a child anymore.
If I'm going to hide my baby, I need to make it believable. Living with Maximo from now on was more of a guarantee to say that my child was his, so starting today, I'm moving into his apartment. I smiled again at his comment about not pressuring him because it wouldn't help his performance. I had everything packed, waiting for him to arrive. There was a knock on the door; when I opened it, there stood the man who would be my husband in less than a month.
"Hi."
He approached and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. I don't know what's happening, but I liked that he did it. He's always been so special.
"I thought you had changed your mind."
"Never! But I was late because I had to get something." He took my hand. "This is serious." He slid a beautiful ring onto my finger. "Now it's official, you're my fiancée."
I couldn't stop looking at my engagement ring the entire drive from the hotel to Maximo's apartment. I didn't know where he lived; he had been driving for half an hour. Ten minutes later, he entered the building, parked the car in the designated spot, and we got out and took the two suitcases.
"Do you need to go back to your old place for anything?"
"No, I don't have anything."
We entered the elevator, and he pressed the button for the eighth floor. Hand in hand, we walked to apartment three. The place was cozy, much smaller than where I used to live, but it was complete, though definitely masculine. He took my suitcases to the master bedroom.
"Tomorrow I'll ask Kate to move my things, and this will be your room, and I'll stay in the guest room, although there are only two."
"I'll take the other one, I don't mind."
"No. This one has a private bathroom, and as long as we don't have intimacy, don't parade around in a towel with wet hair because it would drive me crazy."
"The torture won't last long."
"For however long it takes. Are you hungry?"
"A little."
"What do you want me to order?"
"Don't you have anything in the fridge?" He shook his head.
"Patricia, single guy, can't cook. You'll only find milk and some juices. Kate just tidies up the apartment and leaves at noon."
"Then let's fix that. Let's go to a supermarket. I hate ordering takeout every day. Besides, money doesn't stretch that way." His eyes sparkled.
"You're the boss. From now on, this is your home."
He kissed me, and my heart raced and calmed at the same time... Why do I feel so comfortable with Maximo? I was pressed against the wall, and when he joined me, I felt how hard he was, and instead of scaring or embarrassing me, I liked it. But he was right; it wasn't wise to get intimate so quickly. I smiled as I felt his kisses all over my face.
"We'd better head to the supermarket."
"I'll cover the groceries."
"Not a chance."
"We're getting married, and expenses are shared." He stopped and looked at me, his gray eyes shining.
"I'm glad to see you're committed to this."
"Maximo, I don't love you, I consider you my best friend. I don't know what it is, but being close to you gives me peace. I like your lips, and I liked how you kissed me. I'm a woman of my word. I never break it unless it's for a major reason. We're in this together, and we'll get through it together." He smiled.
"Together?"
"Together. Even if my family raises hell."
"Your brother is a bit scary."
"He's a puppy in a lion's body."
"He can be intimidating." I laughed. "So let's go shopping because my child needs to eat." When he said that, my chest tightened. "Patricia..." He cupped my face. "If you want to tell him, do it. Either way, he'll be my child. If you want to keep it a secret, then he'll be only my child. Whatever decision you make, I'll respect it. Just take control with determination and think about what will make you feel at peace."
"I'm not going to tell him, I don't want to see him unless absolutely necessary."
"Then I support you. From tomorrow on, to the world, you are already my wife."
"Why do I feel so safe with you?"