Vera

Chapter 36

Santiago

Never in my life has my father stayed at an event for this long. He always felt they were a waste of time and below him, so why in the hell is he still here? He's not even talking or mingling just standing next to my mom and scowling. I want him to leave so Vera and Silas can comeback. I miss his constant laughter and her coldness towards me, which I'm working.

For the most part it's stark silence apart from Mila forcing conversation with her sister and my mother and some chat between Jasper and Cam. Otherwise the room is filled with tension from Alex, my father, and I having a stare off. Alex hasn't left Mila's side and the same with Jas and Cam. We need a moment to sneak off and make a plan to get rid of him. Half because he's untrustworthy and killing the mood, and half because Alex looks like he's about to kill him and I wouldn't stop him. Hell, I'd give him the weapon of his choice. That goes to show how great of a relationship my father and I have.

"Hijos, go get the fruit platters from the fridge por favor, and could you make me some water?" My mom says and beckons us toward the kitchen, giving us a chance to get away. Without a word Cam and I do as she says, but Alex whispers something into Mila's ear. She looks at him in disbelief and goes to protest, but her resolve crumbles when she sees he's not discussing it. She excuses herself to use the bathroom and goes up the stairs. Alex doesn't move from where Mila left him until she's disappeared down the hall. We all go into the kitchen, giving us some privacy from the wall blocking us from the living room. (Children...please)

"Ok, I've got a plan." Cam says while pulling down a glass from the cabinet then walks over to the fridge and putting ice in the cup.

"What are you doing?" I ask as he moves around the kitchen.

"We have to make it seem like we're still doing what she asked," He looks at me like I'm stupid. "Anyways, the thing that can get him out of here the fastest is something going wrong in Guatemala, so I say we stir up some trouble." I look over to Alex to see what he thinks and his eyes are stuck to his phone.

"And what are you doing?" He lifts his head, registering my question. When he flips his phone towards me, I see a live camera feed of his living room. "Are you watching him?" Alex promptly nods and I have no response to it because I'd probably do the same.

"Alright, call the men you have there and tell them to steal a crate." I say to Alex. "And you hack the feed, make sure they're not seen. We'll pay them generously if it's done clean and efficiently." Alex looks at me uninterested.

"I trained them. That can be done in less than 3 minutes." Alex deadpans, since being with Mila he's been more talkative and by talkative I mean annoying and sarcastic. I'm not a fan.

"Do you need more time to get into the feed?" I ask Cam who is already typing on his phone.

"Don't insult me. I created that code. I didn't have to hack into shit." So they both want to be funny today. "The cameras and alarms are off." He says to Alex who quickly sends a message to three of his best men guarding the warehouse. Cam gets the fruit out of the fridge and splashes some water on them. He hands me a platter along with Alex and picks up the glass of water he made mom.

"All we can do now is wait for the phone call and also did you know the official name is Cartel. We only called it the mafia because when we merged with the U.S they called it mafia, but it should be called Cartel because you and Matteo are Hispanic." We both look at him unamused and just pass him to go into the living room. Cam makes up an excuse for taking so long about mom forgetting to rinse the fruit, soon after, Mila emerges from upstairs apologizing for being absent. I connect the dots and assume Alex told her to stay up there until he got back. She jumps in the conversation with Jas, Florence, and my mom which resumes the uncomfortable silence between the rest of us. At this point I'd be happy if he even started talking about business.

"What's been going on in storage 8?" I should punch myself for bringing that one on me. I meet my father's gaze, leveling his stare.

"Nothing just some junkies that were cut off begging for more." I say nonchalantly. It wasn't a big issue, I don't even really know how or why he knows about that.

"Did they have debts?" I want to say it's none of your business, but I bite my tongue.

"No, just addicts." I say, wanting Alex's men to be done with the job already.

"So why did you cut them off? Addicts buy drugs, drugs get money." He belittles me like I'm a toddler. I know how the business works, I've known since I was 10. He made sure of that.

"We only cut off the ones with serious issues and families. Addicts can't make us money if they're dead in a crack house." I see a vein tick in his jaw. He's getting pissed. I don't normally push his barriers, but he just seems extra irritating today.

"Si sabes algo sobre este negocio, deberías saber que todos los adictos terminan muertos, por lo que es mejor que los agotes para sacar todo el dinero que puedas. Un hombre no tiene problemas en su negocio." I clamp my teeth together to keep from mouthing back. It's not worth it. He'll be gone any minute. The shrill ring of a cell phone fills the air. My father walks away from the group to answer the call. After a few seconds, he comes back to the group with a visible vein creeping up his neck. (If you know anything about this business, you should know that all addicts end up dead, so you better drain them to get as much money as you can. A man has no problems in his business.)

"I have to leave, something has come up." Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it.

"Problems with your business?" You had to, didn't you? I did and it felt damn good. My father's eyes burn me under his scrutinizing gaze. I can see the wish to shoot me for disrespecting him, but he's never laid a hand on me and he's not going to start now. Nothing can stop him from a gut punching response though.

"No seas valiente, Santiago. No te conviene y puede provocar que te maten." He stalks out of the house before I could get another word in. He always knew how to threaten you back into your place. A special gift of his. I wait until I hear his car pull off and begin to grab my own things. (Don't be brave, Santiago. It doesn't suit you, and it can get you killed.)

"Where are you going?" Mila asks, leaving Alex's side to stand at mine as I get a pair of shorts from my duffel bag.

"To the ring." Those three words have become common occurrence around here. Everyone knows not to protest or bother me when I go to the ring. They also know to have the first aid kit near for when I stroll in. It can always slide either way depending on my mood. Not a single scratch or broken ribs and bruises littering my body, I'm feeling like a good medium will do tonight. It's not healthy I know that, but what healthy way is there to silence the anger and pain.

I've been wanting to go to the ring since everything with Vera and Silas happened, but I've been trying to be present since I haven't been at all. This was my breaking point though. It's too much. I need an outlet. And what better outlet than beating someone till they're bloody and broken or letting someone beat you.