THE CALL

Is it right, sweetie?

***

CHAPTER V

*****

A FEW DAYS had passed since my talk with Daniel and during those days, I felt my stomach churn more and more. It wasn't because I was spending more time with him. Although, I think, that had something to do with it.

Despite us being around each other more, he still didn't give me the time of day, but it didn't bother me half as much because I was busy most of the time.

I spent most of my time with either Pablo or Guillermo, practising what I should say when we finally made the call. They decided that I'd call him on Daniel's phone and pretend that I had taken it for a bit without him knowing.

And then finally, the dreaded day had come.

I sat on the sofa, looking between the three men in front of me with my teeth gnawing down on my nails. My pink nail polish was chipping off and if I knew we wouldn't be going home the same day, I would've have packed some with me.

Daniel was scrolling through his phone, looking for Vincent's contact while Pablo and Guillermo spoke quietly between themselves.

Suddenly all three of them turned to me. “Press call when you feel ready. Don't fuck up.” I nodded as Daniel reached over the coffee table with his good arm and handed me the phone.

“Everyone, shut the fuck up,” Guillermo exclaimed as I rolled my eyes.

“Nobody is talking, dumbass,” Pablo snapped at him.

“You are now.”

“That's because—”

“Guys!” I called loudly, glaring at the three-year-olds in front of me.

They nodded their heads in apology as Daniel slumped back, shaking his head in either disappointment, frustration or exhaustion. Or maybe all of the above. I wasn't sure.

I glared at all of them one last time before letting out a nervous breath and pressing the call button on the phone. As it began to ring, I wasted no time in putting it on speaker.

Everyone held the breaths, the room holding a still silence as we anticipated the moment Vincent would pick up the call.

The silence was broken as the deep voice I knew belonged to Vincent rang through the air.

“Hey.”

“Um, hi—” but I was swiftly cut off.

“I'm not available at the moment. You can try again later or leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Bye.”

“Try again,” Daniel said without the slightest hint of emotion as the voicemail ended and the tone came in. I kept my gaze on him while I cancelled the voice message and hit call again.

The same silence as the last ensued and just as I was about to speak up on the last ring, Vincent's voice cut through the still air again.

And it wasn't his voicemail.

“Daniel! I see sense has finally caught up with you. The deal is still available if you're interested, but it'll come with a slightly higher price.” I watched Daniel clench his jaw and curl his hands into fists, but apart from that, he said and did nothing.

Alright, Araceli, now is your chance.

“Hello?” Vince said through the phone when I didn't say anything. Everyone watched me with steady, unwavering gazes as I worked up the courage to say,

“H-Hey, Vince.” Any other day, I would've have mentally beaten myself up for stuttering, but before I could, I realised how much it helped my case.

“Araceli?” he was audibly breathless as he said my name, making me shiver at the effect I had on the poor guy. I didn't even like him like that.

“Y-Yeah, it's me.”

“Why are you call—wait. Did Daniel put you up to this?” With wide eyes, I looked over to Daniel who just kept a calm exterior. It was Pablo that motioned for me to continue talking, reminding me of all the things we went over.

“No. God, no. If boss ever found out that I called you, he'd kill me,” I said, surprisingly smiling through my lie.

“How? Why?”

“I was able to take his phone while he was away. I'll have to delete the call when we're done.”

“Oh.”

“Look, I don't have much time. He'll be back any minute now. I just really need to see you. I know you might not trust me, but I need your help. Cou—”

“Where are you?”

“W-What?” I stuttered, wondering how he was so quick to trust me. I probably heard him wrong or something.

“I said where are you? I'll send some men to pick you up,” he said into the phone, making me look up at the three men in panic.

What should I say? Should I tell him the address? Should I not?

They weren't able to say anything, but from their frantic and vigorous arm movements, I knew that giving away the address was the last thing they wanted me to do.

So I used my initiative.

“Are you crazy? He'll kill me if he ever finds out that you came here!” I whisper-yelled into the phone. The line went silent and for a second, I thought I had made him angry. “Look, I'll find a way to sneak out tomorrow. I'm about an hour away. Towards the west. Follow the same road, don't make any turns. You'll see me at a junction before a big, white sign for a reservoir at one o'clock sharp. Alright?”

“Okay.”

“I've got to go now. I think he's coming bacm.” I was more than ready to end the call, but his next question made me stop dead.

“Wait! Araceli, tell me. Does he... does he hurt you?”

“I-I have to go. Bye—”

“Ara—”

“Bye.”

And then I hung up, feeling myself finally able to breathe as the line went dead. The sitting room was filled with silence as I took the time to go through my thoughts; to completely understand what exactly I had gotten myself into. And how exactly I was going to get myself out.

“You beautiful genius.” I felt Guillermo's arms wrap around me in a hug as Pablo patted my back appreciatively.

“Maybe not a genius, but a step above a dumbass.” He said, making me grab his wrist and twist it backwards. “What the fuck? Why are you so violent?”

“Bitch, because I—”

“Araceli.” We all snapped our heads up and turned to look at Daniel as he called for us.

Why does this feel familiar?

He rolled his eyes at our antics, but didn't comment on it. He got up off the sofa and headed towards his room. Before he closed the door, he turned back to me and said, “Prepare to talk to him. In person.”

Well shit.

*****

“Here, let me help you put on that necklace,” Pablo said, making me hold my hair up as he placed the simple chain around my neck, clasping it.

“Thank you.” I smiled at him through the mirror before going back to brushing my hair.

A moment of silence passed between us before he finally sighed and shook his head.

“I need to remind you of this, Ara. The guy you're going to meet is extremely dangerous, but Daniel is far worse. Whatever Vince promises to give you is not worth more than your life. Betray Daniel and he will take exactly that. Don't do anything stupid.”

I turned away from the mirror to glare at him because of what he was implying. Putting my hairbrush down, I folded my arms over my chest.

“Do you not trust me?”

“We're trusting you now with this mission. Don't fuck up,” he said, grabbing my face in both his hands. He placed a small kiss on my forehead before pulling away to look at me. “Please, don't get yourself killed. I'll have no one to bully.”

Punching his chest I pulled away from him and headed straight for the door, walking out into the living room.

“If I die, how will I be able to punch you?” I asked, turning back to Pablo who was still reeling from my punch. Walking backwards, I didn't even realise when Daniel showed up until I bumped into his chest. “Jesus, I'm sorry.”

“Don't mess up your hair,” he said, dismissing my apology, “He likes straight hair.”

“Good.”

“So, are we going?” Guillermo asked, walking out of the room with a set of keys hanging off his index finger.

“You're not going. I am,” I scoffed, walking towards the door. “Because he's obviously going to get suspicious if he sees me coming out of any one of your cars.”

“No one is arguing with you,” Daniel said, walking closer to me. “We'll keep a long distance between you. And...” he trailed off, looking for something in his pocket once he was right in front of me. He grabbed my wrist suddenly which made my breath hitch in my throat from the contact. “This is a microphone. We hear everything that's being said.”

I looked up at his face as he slowly clasped the bracelet around my wrist, clearly having no idea what kind of effect his proximity had on me.

“There.” Looking away before he noticed my staring, I glared at Pablo who was grinning at me with a knowing look in his eyes. “Are you guys always going at each other like cats and dogs?” he asked, grabbing my face in his hands so I could only look at him.

As if he wasn't close enough.

“Pretty much, yeah.” I heard Pablo answer from behind him, but I didn't make a sound. I couldn't. Staring into his eyes, I could only get lost in them.

And then he said the gracious words.

“Don't fuck up.”

And after that, I was on my way.

*****

I'm just kinda floating through life right now. What do you want to be in the future?

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Love you, ommy.