“I am. She said she wants to be with me but just needs time to figure things out,” I grumbled. I understood and agreed to give Scout as much time as she needed, but the selfish part of me hated every minute I had to spend in the car with Arsenio and not her.
“I’m sure she will. Scout and I used to fight all the time while we were together. I’d give her a few days to cool down, and we’d be fine again.” He shrugged.
“Can we not discuss you two again?” I muttered. While I did acknowledge that in some fucked up bizarre twist of events, he was the reason I found her again, I hated knowing that she and he used to screw around.
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry again, my friend. I’m just so excited to be back on the road with you, Desiderio Amato, the Seven Sin of Wrath, with me, Greed. And Mexico! I can’t wait to try some of the selection there.”
I grimaced as images of Arsenio draining willing victims while taking shots of vodka flew through my head.
“It’s a family visit, not a party,” I reminded him. He waved off my concerns.
“For you, perhaps. You can go meet her family. I’ll stay at the hotel and enjoy myself.”
I shook my head and continued driving. Ohio to Mexico was a twenty-six-hour drive, according to my phone. Considering our limitations, it’d take us almost a week to get there. At this rate, I wasn’t sure Arsenio would make it to Mexico alive.
“What city exactly is it?” He reached for my phone with the map on the screen. I slapped his hand away.
“Tamaulipas.”
“Never heard of it,” he said, pulling his phone out and looking it up.
“I’ll get us a good hotel,” he assured me. “So Scout has a brother?”
“That’s what he claims. He showed us a picture of the aunt. She’s the spitting image of Scout. I’m inclined to believe there is some truth to it.” I was still slightly bitter and nervous about it all.
“Interesting. I’ve heard about her, the High Priestess of Blood. She’s violent, even by your standards.”
“That’s what I keep hearing.”
The bird started muttering in its cage. I could tell that Arsenio really did not like him.
“Gianni brought him, you said? Did he ever give you the ring you asked for?”
I nodded. “Yes and no. Jaime, Scout’s brother, gave it to me. Gianni gave it to him. I think it was some stupid power move for him. Apparently, he had instructions to only let me have it if I let Scout go.” I rolled my eyes.
“Of course. Sounds just like your brother. What are you going to do with the ring?”
I scoffed. “I’m going to propose. I told you that, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but that was before all of this. I wasn’t sure if your plans had changed.”
“Why would they? I love Scout more than I love myself.” I grinned, knowing it’d get a chuckle from my good friend. It did.
“That is one thing about you I can agree with! So, a proposal. When will that be? What are you planning? I want to help you make this moment spectacular!” He waved his hands across the car as if envisioning it now.
I blinked. “I don’t know.” I squinted my eyes. “What would you do?”
“For Scout? I never considered marriage. Our relationship barely made it out of the bedroom.” I growled, and he got back on track. “Sorry. For a woman I truly loved? Something momentous. Grand! Larger than life. A whole event, with her in the spotlight. Tell me, are you going to do it in Mexico or back home?”
I shrugged. “I really hadn’t planned anything. I was just going to do it.”
He swore. “No. That won’t work. You need to do something she’ll remember.”
“Okay, well, you figure it out then!” I snapped. “This shit isn’t my thing. It’s a fucking ring. I’ll give it to her. She’ll say yes. Boom, done.”
“No, no, no, no. Look,” he put his hand up and then lifted his phone to his ear. “I’ll take care of it. All you need to do is show up.” I turned slightly to see him giving me an up-and-down look and then a grimace. “And a suit.”
“Who are you calling?” I asked.
