“Si, you are.” I gave her a nod as the schooled blank expression was also a mafia tell.
“Cómo sabes esto? How could you tell that?” she asked.
I smirked at her. “First of all, it takes one to know one.”
She did smirk a little at this statement but said nothing.
I went on with my explanation, “You are a strong type, yet you try to hide this as well. You also have a quick temper and I have to say I could only see that in your eyes. Otherwise, you do well in hiding it. Then who else would have the balls to kidnap a Castillo, even if he was in a coma.”
She nodded at me as she openly smiled now. “I am unsure about the balls part…but yes, it appears that you have busted me. What else have you picked up on?”
“You somehow wield power. Like you are used to being in charge. I know that most cartels have no female lieutenants except two that I am aware of. One is in Venezuela so that one is out. The other one is…The Diegos. So that would make you…Selena Vargas.”
Her mask slipped for maybe a few seconds as she did look astonished.
I nodded at her. “So, it is nice to meet you, Selena.”
Her shock turned to anger again. “You won’t be glad to have met me if you don’t answer my original question.”
I stared at her. “I do not take well to threats, Ms. Vargas. Not with the life I have lived. Look at where I am. In bed after a coma that I should have died from. And that was because I was attempting to break the law in a most egregious way. And since I somehow survived this coma, I may have a new lease on life but I still know the facts. One of them would be that my life could be forfeit at any moment in time even if I have been saved from the fiery pits of hell that I most certainly have earned. More so than a regular Juan or Joe, as they say in America.”
Pausing at my speech about not fearing death, Selena let out a long breath.
I now went on with my reasoning, “In addition, I would never endanger those kids by giving over any information about them to a rival cartel. I may have had a head injury and been in a coma but I do not think I suffered brain damage to that extent.”
She kept shaking her head.
“And before you think of torture,” I added. “Just know that I would never betray my blood that way, not even to spare my own suffering.”
Leaning closer to me her eyes glittered as she replied, “Yet you betrayed your sister Gabriela.”
I now glared back at her. This accusation was something that would stir my anger. I doted onGabbyas I called her when she was little. I adored her ever since she was three and followed me everywhere. I never betrayed her that I knew of. “In what way?”
“You went along with Santiago,” Selena accused. “When he took those babies away from her.”
I sat up higher against the pillows and felt defensive of this accusation. It could be what all of that looked like if someone knew of the outside events, but it was not what went on inside the Castillo family. But only my father and I knew the truth of what happened between us. “I wasn’t there. I was in America when all of that happened. I did not even know she had given birth to any children until my cousin Ignacio told me, a year later.” I wouldn’t tell her how I fought with my father to have her babies returned to her. I was also enraged by her forced marriage to Mora even if that was a normal happening with most cartel families. Raising my chin, I asked her, “So if it is not to do harm to the Castillo family, why do you wish to know about these kids?” I paused, then added, “Bien, they are not kids anymore now, are they?”
She pursed her lips.
“Si, they are preteens now, not babies,” I went on when she made no reply. “You do not know the details of that unfortunate time. And I will not defend myself to you unless I know why you are so blasted interested. You were not there when I was informed of these babies and their disappearance. You do not know the threats my father…” My voice faded away. “You do not have all the facts.”
“That is why I am asking. Tell me the facts.”
“I still need to know the reason you are asking. You do entender that, do you not? This is about my family members. Ones that are innocent in the world of the cartels. The twins never harmed anyone. I cannot just tell you where they are without knowing your motives.”
“I do not intend to harm them.”
I shook my head as I scoffed. “And that is all the answer you give? I have heard of you, Selena. You are a phenomenon. A ruthless female who takes no shit. A woman who does her own killing as she doesn’t toss that dirty task off onto lower soldiers. You are a female soldier, who shows up with the Diego shipments while wearing a gun on her hip. You have been known to execute your enemies with impunity. I also heard you are fantastic with blades. Not only fantastic but deadly.”
She shook her head and tried to deflect all of that, “You heard all that about me? And here I believed I was a best kept secret.”
“Maybe from most but I was intrigued as all huevo about a female mobster. Si, I was,” I admitted outright. “So, I sent out feelers and gathered info on you.”
“And why did you do that?” she asked as a small three second twitch appeared at her left eye.
I shrugged even as I took note of this telltale twitch as I could possibly use it to see when she lied or told the truth. “As I said, I was intrigued as all fuck. Then it couldn’t hurt in case I ever came up against the Diegos.”
Selena seemed to study me closely before she replied, “Ok, I can understand that.” Selena reasoned. “Si, I also admit honestly that I suggested we take you from that hospital in case we needed to exchange you for any prisoners your cartel has that may be our people. A levantón.”
