Love & Lies

Chapter 7: ~Natalia~

As they drove into Valle de Muertos, Natalia felt a little overwhelmed at not knowing what she would find behind the gate and expected the worst. At night, the town seemed mysterious and solitary. Not a single soul roamed the streets. She did not know what to make of it. It looked as if it were stuck in time.

To her own surprise, Valle de Muertos was a town full of houses and vendor booths, and even though no one was out that late, she somehow knew the town would roar back to life once the sun came out.

Natalia sat on her seat taking it all in and wondering what kind of place this was. She wanted to ask Alejandro but as she looked at him, she noticed him frowning and quiet. Not angry or grouchy like before, but worried about something and Natalia wanted to know.

"What's wrong?"

Alejandro looked at her and inhaled. He gave her a reassuring smile and shook his head. "Nothing that can't be fixed in the morning."

"You're sure about that? It seems to me like tonight will be a restless night for you."

"Every night is a restless night, Natalia, especially with the type of life we live." He shook his head once more and looked down at her feet which were still on his lap. He continued to massage her ankles. "Nothing is forever."

Natalia nodded in agreement. She wanted to tell him her ankles were fine and that he could stop what he was doing but it seemed as if he was holding onto her for dear life. Whatever was in his mind was consuming him from within. That was a feeling she knew all too well.

"Can you tell me what this place is?" Natalia asked instead. He finally looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes that reminded her of the time they would spend together as children. They were happy and carefree. Without a worry of the world they knew nothing about at that time. She also found pride in his eyes, and she had to admit the sight of it was one that made her feel something else entirely. She liked this part of him.

"This is everything your father stood against."

"What do you mean?" Natalia frowned, not understanding.

"It is too late for me to show you. Tomorrow I'll let you see it for yourself."

See what? She wanted to ask but did not. Instead, she asked him why she had been tied up if she was going to be sedated anyways.

"We made a stop while you slept. It was for your own protection."

"My protection? What are you talking about?"

"A lot of people want you dead because of your father. Many of the other cartel leaders want revenge and what is better than killing your enemy's daughter?"

"What does that have to do with me being manhandled by Andrés and Marcos, tied up and drugged?" She was getting agitated.

"I have the upper hand by simply having you with me. Your father owes everyone a lot. I showed the other cartel leaders what that meant exactly."

"You showed them?" Natalia narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you telling me that you paraded me to a bunch of men who want me dead, and not only that, but you also told them you were going to kill me."

"Yes." He nodded, not finding anything wrong with it.

"What is wrong with you Alejandro?" She removed her feet from his lap and continued. "Do you realize that if any of the men didn't agree with you, they could've killed me right then and there?"

"I wouldn't have let anything happen to you."

"Really? I find that extremely hard to believe." She said angrily and looked away. With their argument she had not noticed the van had come to a stop in front of one of the houses that were up a small hill. Unlike the others in town, it was well lit and separated from the rest by a huge garden of what she knew would be roses once they bloomed.