“Chiquita, before you decide anything, I need to tell you what’s going to happen to yourabuelo.”
Chapter Thirteen
Pablo
“Part of me knew Humberto would follow us. It’s not that I wanted to jeopardize our safety. But it lured him from Bogotá and prevented any allies from helping him. I knew he’d be selective about who he brought with him because as much as he wanted to find us, he wouldn’t want to violate the sanctuary of this place. Since he intended to take it over, he’d want to maintain the privacy here so no one could find him any more easily than someone besides him found us.”
She steps back so she can see me as we talk. “You banked on the fact he wouldn’t bring an army with him.”
“Chiquita, he had no army. If he ever had, he wouldn’t have spent thirty-six years under house arrest. He would’ve mutinied if he could. This was a small-scale attack.”
“But he had to know if he killed you, then your family would retaliate. He knew he’d never see his power without killing your uncle and everyone else first.”
“We both know that, but he’s never been a reasonable man of sound mind. He proved that when he thought he could kill his brother and both his nephews, or that he could subjugatePapáandTíoEnrique into working for him.PapáandTíoEnrique were born before myabuelotook control. He and myabuelamarried while they were in college.TíoEnrique came along the year after myabuelaandabuelitomarried. They’d graduated a month earlier. Two years after thatPapáwas born.TíoEnrique was six, andPapáwas four when myabuelotook control.”
It makes me think about how I came to be heir.Tíowas married beforeTíaElle. He married for the first time when I was entering college. It was political and a disaster. We all heaved a massive sigh of relief when he divorced the lying, cheating bitch. We assumed he wouldn’t remarry, which meant he wouldn’t have children. But that’s not part of the story Flora needs right now, so I continue with what I was saying.
“Abuelohad an heir before he assumed his role asjefe de jefes.TíoEnrique may have only been in kindergarten, but his future was set.Papáwas a preschooler, so no direct threat to Humberto at the time, but he still existed. It pushed Humberto down to third in line whenAbueloassumed his position. Humberto knewAbuelowas far too powerful from the beginning. It’s why it took him twenty years to succeed. He had to amass a small fortune to pay all the people involved in myabuelo’smurder.”
“And you don’t think he’s done that again? That he hasn’t been saving money to attack you and your family now?”
I shake my head. I’m prepared to share some of my family history since she’ll learn it anyway if she becomes part of it. However, I’m still cautious about what I say since she’s not officially one of us yet.
“When Humberto encouraged your father to make his first move againstAbuelo, he failed.TíaLuciana left a party withTíoEsteban. She chose him, and it infuriated your father to watch them drive away. Domingo shot at the car, knowing the bullet wouldn’t penetrate, but he did it to make a point.TíoEsteban obeyedTíoEnrique’s order not to kill him. He still served a purpose. However,TíaLuciana wasn’t safe.TíoEsteban couldn’t ignore that, so he drained Domingo’s accounts and would’ve hospitalized him for two months ifTíoEnrique had allowed Domingo to go to one. Instead, he had doctors who visited and nurses who worked around the clock since he was in a coma for half that time. When Domingo refused to take the hint and targetedTíaLuciana again,TíoEnrique sanctionedTíoEsteban’s revenge.”
“That’s when my father died.”
“Yes.”
I feel no remorse admitting that to her, but it’s still unpleasant.
“Pablo, he tried to rape a woman. He’s lucky all Esteban did was kill him.”
Our gazes lock, and her mouth drops open.
“Oh.”
She exhales the word.
“Mytíodid far more than just kill Domingo. He made sure thepedazo de mierdaknew why he was dying. He made sure Domingo understood exactly how it would feel to do what he intended toTíaLuciana.”
She flinches, but she doesn’t turn away in disgust or anger.
“Pablo, I understand the men in our world live a violent life and usually die a violent death. Very few make it to old age.”
As she watches me, she licks her top lip before she continues. In another situation, that would be sexy as hell, but I know her mouth has gotten dry from this uncomfortable conversation.
“Myabuelois older than most, but he won’t live to a ripe old age and die of natural causes, will he?”
“That’s still to be determined.Chica, I spoke toTíoEnrique before I came out of the barracks. It was while I was getting dressed.”
“So, in the bathroom where the security cameras couldn’t record you.”
“Yes.”
“What did Enrique say?”
“For now, your grandfather lives, but it’s only byTíoEnrique’s grace that he does. Ernesto could’ve done far more to protect you, little one, but he didn’t. He could’ve sent you away the moment Humberto came sniffing around, but he didn’t. He could’ve had guards at your place to ensure you got home safely every night. His guards would’ve prevented mercenaries from staking out your building. I wouldn’t have gotten in so easily.”
