Finding Forgiveness

“Do I need to remind you that I’m going to collect a shipment of weed to bring into the United States of America?” he asked. “There’s nothing legal about this operation.”

A few minutes later, the ground had flattened off and Luca brought the car to a stop. He then flashed the headlights in a strange way and a group of figures emerged out of the darkness.

“Eleonora De’Meritchi remember,” he reminded me.

I nodded, my heart beating faster at the sight of the terrifying looking men.

“Do I get out?” I asked.

“Yes. They’ll see you and want to know who you are,” he said before opening the car door.

“Hola,” Luca said in a surprisingly good Spanish accent once we were back out in the heat of the desert.

“Who’s the bitch?” the man at the front of a group of five or six asked before even saying hello back.

I wasn’t a fan of the derogatory term but I also wasn’t about to call him out on it.

Here’s why: he was a few years older than us, wore baggy trousers, a loose grubby t-shirt and a bandana. He had tanned skin and dark brown eyes and hair. The other men were all similar looking and all had their eyes on me with intense glares. After considering the trade they were in and the menacing expressions they held, I didn’t doubt for a second that they were all armed and willing to shoot at any moment.

“My cousin, Eleonora. I’m teaching her the ways of this business,” Luca replied placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Hola, Eleonora,” the man said stepping closer to me. “And why would a pretty girl like you want to be in the drug business?” he added still in a thick Hispanic accent as he placed a finger under my chin. “You know it’s not safe… particularly for such a-”

“Guillermo, leave her alone. She has a mate,” Luca said slapping his hand away from me.

“Watch out guys,” he jeered. “She got a mate.”

They all laughed and sniggered as he stepped closer to me again.

“And what does he think about this?” ‘Guillermo’ asked pushing my hair off my shoulder. “A nice mark you have there. You mated to an Alpha or what?”

“Just give me the shipment,” Luca ordered obviously getting nervous.

“Watch who you’re telling what to do, Kid,” Guillermo said to Luca. “And relax. We’re just having a little fun with your lil cuzzie here,” he replied with a devious smirk. “Got any children, baby?”

“No,” I lied.

“I didn’t think so. That ass doesn’t look like it’s bared a child. It’s far too sweet,” he replied running a finger along my hip.

“I have customers waiting,” Luca said.

“And I have a proposal. You want her to learn about the drug business but you ain’t even a dealer. Give her to me. I’ll teach her,” Guillermo said wrapping his hand around my waist.

“No,” Luca replied. “She stays with me.”

“Come on, Romano,” he said. “Do you not trust me to take good care of her?”

“She has a mate and he’ll want her back.”

“I know. I know,” he replied putting his hands up. “It’s a shame but I respect that,” he added.

“Eleanora, get in the car,” Luca said nodding at me.

I stepped towards the car glad to get away from the scary man. He watched me for a few moments before reaching into the pack of trousers and withdrawing something even scarier: a gun.

Fuck that escalated quickly.

He pointed it at Luca who instantly put his hands up before looking at two of his men and gesturing at me. They promptly approached me and grabbed my wrists as the gun continued to be pointed at Luca. Ordinarily, I would have put up a fight but considering that could be the difference between Luca living another minute or not, I thought better of it.

“Move and I’ll shoot,” he growled.

For a few agonising moments, there was total silence and no one moved before Guillermo stepped over to me, not taking his eyes or the gun off Luca, and revoltingly placed his lips on my cheek. I could do nothing but stand and take it. Nowhere to move to, nothing to hit him across the head with.

“Juan, Fabio. Get the shipment,” he barked at a different two men after withdrawing himself.

They reached into the bush and pulled out three big duffel bags.

“Miami this time, Se? or,” he said. “Do you got last months money?”

“It’s in the trunk,” he replied looking helplessly at me.

“Then what are you waiting for?” he asked impatiently. “Fucking get it.”

Luca scowled before marching to the trunk of his car and getting out a duffel bag all with the gun still pointed at him.

He then brought it back to where Guillermo was waiting and held it out to him.

He reached out his hand to take it and for a split second his eyes flicked down. Luca seized the opportunity and somehow, way to fast for my eyes to process, managed to render Guillermo motionless in his arms with his own gun to his head.

Every single man in the circle withdrew their own gun and pointed it at Luca.

“You shoot me, I shoot him,” Luca said. “Give me my cousin.”

“How about you shoot me, we shoot her,” Guillermo replied from Luca’s grip as one of the men put their gun to my head.

“Well we really have a situation on our hands here, don’t we boys?” Luca said with a smile. How is he smiling? “Or you do at least. I’m not the one on the fast track to losing my best trafficker.”

“We have other traffickers that do the job just as well,” Guillermo spat.

“But are they white? Do they have American accents? American citizenship?” Luca asked looking around the circle. “No… they’re Mexican. And Mexican’s don’t glide through a border like a ‘respectable’ looking white man does. What can I say? The world is racist.”

“We have your white little bitch,” Guillermo replied. “Nothing says innocent more than a white man other than a white woman. The world’s sexist too.”

I opened my mouth to protest but Luca shot me a look. He’s right. Me and my mouth are infamous for making bad situations worse.

“She won’t work for you if you kill her favourite cousin and kidnap her,” Luca pointed out.

“She don’t have a choice in the matter. She my property now,” Guillermo said.

“Says the man in a headlock,” I mumbled under my breath.

The man holding me squeezed my arm tighter and pushed the gun harder against my skin.

“She got attitude,” Guillermo said with a smirk. “I like a woman with a bita achorado.”

With that, I grabbed the gun at my head, twisted it around and pushed it against the head of the man holding me. I’m not sure what exactly gave me the ability to do that. A spur of both adrenaline and anger probably.

“How do you like that, Guillermo?” I asked.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.