Valentina

Wine spilled on the white Italian leather as the tires hit the tarmac. Thrown off my seat, I was held in position by a seatbelt. My wine, however, remained unprotected. As the jet taxied onto the port, an airhostess came to dab the red droplets off the seat.

Alejandro, who was sleeping on the seat adjacent to me continued his slumber. He made me think of those people my mother used to give examples about- ones who would sleep through riots. With the jerks fading away as the craft came to a halt, I felt my body temperature rise.

I wasn't coming down with sickness, it was nerves. As hard as it was to admit, I was scared to meet Santos Salazar. That man was mad and his reputation preceded him. Last night, Agustin told me about his ways of working in Spain.

Santos liked bleeding his betrayers to death. The stories of the madman, the way be butchered and bleed his men dry when they lost his consignment had my skin crawl into my clothing. I was scared of being captured and kept in captivity. Santos was capable of doing that and even more, just to take down Antonio.

I was the idiot who negotiated my way for a share in business, for a share in decision making. Woman don't work the cartel. I wanted to prove myself and everyone around by being the first of the lot to do so. What came with the duty were its challenges. Challenges like these, when I had to talk and be good to a madman.

Was I willing to take the risk?

A mechanical whirl made Al stir in his sleep. I patted his hand but he seemed to be in a deep slumber. When I dozed him with water, his body jerked. "Are we there yet?" he grunted, annoyed at my act. I nodded.

Outside lights huddled inside the mechanically lit area. Fresh warm smell of greenery fought its way inside against the air-conditioned air. As the craft opened up on the side, crinkling up its stairs, I saw a black Merc slowing in front of the craft.

I turned to Alejandro who leaned back on his seat and placed a finger on his lips, gesturing me to leave. We all had our roles to do. Mine was to get the contract, Al's was.. I don't know what his role was. Maybe, he merely came to accompany me back and the time I would be at the Salazar mansion, he might be using it judiciously to fuck a hostess.

"Bienvenido a españa," Santos walked out of his car and stood at the base of the stairs. Hoisting his hand ahead, he smiled as I descended.

"Gracias por tenerme," I took his hand.

Santos' face lit up like a Christmas tree. Probably, he was expecting me to shrug him off. If he had learnt anything from our last encounter, it was that he had trouble staying in his boundaries. The man was like a rogue carnivore, wanting to mark and expand his territory.

When we got in the car my eyes remained glued on the aircraft which which pulled its door to close. So much for Al being my bodyguard, my thoughts mocked me. Why did I believe his words about protecting me. Agustin would have done a better job, had he been here.  At least he wouldn't have tossed me to the hounds; the ones who were ready to devour me. I knew Santos' men were sniffing blood, watching me intently.

Although Santos followed me in another car, I knew it was all a ruse till we reached the mansion. A man like him, he would always get what he wanted or would take it forcefully. There was nobody to deny him. It was only Antonio, who could even try to match him in a spar, if they ever had one.

I never understood Antonio's rivalry with Santos. For me, they were both alphas of their own territory, trying to beat one another. I was the meat which got stuck in between them.

The mansion came to view, hindered by a huge fountain. The car turned around it, coming to a halt. Upon opening the door, Santos held up an umbrella for me. The sun was harsh, pricking on my exposed arm. The shade was a temporary respite both from the weather and the man. We walked into the cooler marble lobby and towards the room where Santos directed me. He stayed one step behind, his hand remained hovering on my back.

"Trying to play the chivalrous card here?" I asked, as I walked ahead.

He smiled and leapt one last step to open the double doors for me. His study was painted and decorated in white, sunlight streamed through the large glass doors which opened onto the greenery outside. There was no need for any mechanical source of airing. The doors were filtering in the cool, garden scented breeze. I sat on the chair across the table, looking around.

When the doors bolted, my heart leapt inside my chest. I clung onto my purse as if in times of need it would metamorphosis into an armored being to protect me. 

Calm down.

I inhaled deeply as Santos came to view in front. Time to bring back the Val whom everyone loved and feared. I smiled back, eying his room and him.

Placing a stack of papers, Santos tapped his fingers over it. "It's the contract. You will have to read it again."

I sighed, looking back at the snow whites' room. It was in contrast to Antonio's study which was dark cold and scary even for light to creep into corners. Here, I felt warm and secured. The lights highlighted every corner of the place, there was no hiding from it.

Two men, two different worlds.

I scanned through each word, the black scripts on pale greenish legal papers. I was focused to find anything which the Salazars' could have hidden in the documents. There was nothing. Maybe I was arriving at this the wrong way. Maybe, Santos was only a man who liked flirting with woman. He might never follow up on that.

Soft puffs of air hit my hair from behind. My senses heightened when I saw Santos' vacant chair in front of me. "Are you smelling my hair?" I was stern to ask. All I heard was a chuckle.

"You are as good as they say," he spoke in his gruffly voice, placing himself over the desk and towering down besides. I felt as if he was waiting for me to talk, his smile faltered when I didn't. "Is the contract fine?"

I nodded, grabbing a pen to sign above my name. The only sounds in the room was the nib scratching over the paper's surface. When I signed across the last sheets, Santos grabbed my wrist. My eyes shoot up, ready to burn him down. How dare he touch me without my consent.

"I am sorry.." he turned his hold off my wrist, running a light touch over the faded pink bruise lining that formed around it.

The gesture reminded me of the bygone week. The time since Antonio and I fucked each other and the last time we hurt each other. I was the fire to his flame. We would never be together without burning down places in existence. I spanned back. Why was I picturing being with him? It was a onetime thing. We both were vulnerable and horny to think straight. Yet I couldn't forget the toe curling moment Antonio left me in.

"Val," Santos whispered, breathing air over my wrist. I snatched my hand back from his hold, straightening off the chair. "Who hurt you?" His eyes swirled with an unspoken desire. Something dark and dangerous. I was scared to talk for a whole minute.

Circling my wrist with my curved palm, I replied. "Must have twisted it somehow."

I bit into my lip, reliving the memories of the night at the party and the events of the washroom. With mere thoughts of Antonio's touch, I felt aroused. It was Santos' growl which pulled me back into the present.

"Why are you with him? He doesn't treat you right." Santos moved closer. I scrambled back from my place. His narrowed grey eyes, the warmth from his face followed me ahead. 

"You don't know a thing about him," I scoffed.

"Really.. so you are telling me, Valentine Ramirez is happy in her marriage?"

I looked away, contemplating my answer. He might be staking his claim over me. One wrong answer and I would have giving him an approval to take me. But what if all this was a ruse by Antonio to check my loyalty. I was standing at the edge of a bridge. Jump or fall back. The choice was mine.

"I am happy, more than happy with him."

Santos laughed. His shoulders shook with his head as he clapped at my answer. Doubts crashed inside my head. Did I pass? Oh god, was I doomed?

Snapping back, Santos moved us back against the wall. This was the moment I wished for Antonio to be here. No, I wasn't scared for myself. I was scared for Santos. One wrong move of his and I would kill him. I would kill the Capo in his own country. And you know what happened to people who kill cartel heads?

Execution.

Cold minty breath hit my face. I turned away as Santos bridged our gap. "Why are you lying? I can see it in your eyes. I can smell it over your skin. Woman like you wouldn't be satisfied with a man who still loved his dead wife."

"Maybe I don't want to be loved. Maybe it was all about fucking. And for that, my husband knows how to keep up." Inches being the distance between us, we both stared at each other, unwilling to back down.

With a sudden shift, Santos moved back. My lungs filled up with air again. He checked the documents that fluttered over the table. With a smirk decorated over his face, he turned around, watching me still tugged over the wall.

"I admire you, Val. You have that.." he snapped his fingers together, closing his eyes. "Ahh. Panache. You are loyal, even to those who aren't loyal to you."

"What does that mean?" I snapped, my feet firing up to reach over.

It was one thing to try hitting on a married woman and another altogether to try webbing lies to get her. Santos moved away, tossing the contracts into trash. My mouth unhinged at his action.

"What the hell are you doing?" I almost screamed at him.

He turned to me, fishing a flask from his pocket. As he drained the contents over the pages and alighted it, I knew this was his plan all along. He never wanted anything to do with Antonio or his business. All he wanted was me. A barter. A scapegoat.

Served on a silver platter, I stood watching the metal sides of the bin glow up and spew flames upwards. A part of the white wall turned grey, etching towards a darker shade. There was nothing much for me to do than to wait for his next move.

Inside, I screamed at myself for trusting Antonio whom I thought would protect me. Why would he? I married him only to kill him. Why would he do anything differently?

As the flames rose, so did my thoughts. Survival instinct kicked in.

"So now that I am here I want to ask, did Antonio knew about it?" I mumbled my words, watching smoke carry a black veil of paper up in the air.

With raised eyebrows, Santos tuned to me. "I knew you weren't happy with him. Hell, you don't even know him to understand if he sold you out or not."

The enemy was right. I didn't know if I was indeed delivered here as a meat for all the troubles of Mexico and Spain to vanish. I was stupid to believe anything from Antonio. 

"Stay here, mi amore. You will make me happy," Santos breathed over my face. He had once again, closed out distance.

As a last act of defense, I stated my peace. "You are right, I don't know if my husband sold me to you. But if he did, he will be a dead man soon and you.." I scanned him completely, "You wouldn't have me either."

With a steady pace, Santos leaned closer, carefully. I placed my hand back, preparing for my punch if he dared touched me. With lightning speed, his head snapped away when we heard a car screech outside.

He bolted through the glass door before falling flat on the ground as bullets shattered the glasses all around, filling the room with a smoke and floating silica.

"Valentina, come out," someone shouted the instructions as I hopped over Santos' flat body. 

~

Dearies

Liked this chapter? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you, what you felt about this chapter and Santos' approach over Val. 

Who do you think it is, who came to Val's rescue? 

And do you think Antonio really sold out her to Santos? 

Let me know in the comments.

Happy reading 

Love

S