The breeze on her face felt better than anything, a sweet moment of relief amidst the summer's hot spell as various figures stood on the extravagant Vargas patio, exchanging information and talking business amongst themselves.
Rey let out a shriek of surprise when a pair of arms slid around her waist and she was suddenly lifted into the air. As soon as a familiar scent entered her space she relaxed into the hold, fighting the mischievous urge to flop down completely and drag them both to the floor.
Epifanio paused midword, raising an eyebrow at the man behind Rey. "When Pote sees you and kicks your ass, I won't stop him," Epifanio warned in a low timbre, shaking his head at his reckless ahijado.
Rey felt Guero's chuckle before she heard it, the rumble in his chest vibrating over her back as he kept her in place, not moving an inch despite his godfathers warning.
"I can take him," Guero drawled out carelessly, dropping a kiss against Rey's dark hair while she and Epifanio shared a look of both exasperation and amusement.
Not even a moment later Pote strode out of the large mansion, footsteps heavy and eyes narrowed as he walked onto the back deck with Gato and Tonto in tow.
Guero immediately dropped his arms, stepping away from Rey as he nodded towards the men in greeting, the young woman snickering as Pote stared Guero down wordlessly.
"Quita tus manos de mi hija, cabrón."
Guero raised his hands innocently, lips quirking upwards into a smirk as he fought the urge to look at Rey.
"How was your flight?" Rey asked eagerly, facing her friend with her arms crossed, dark eyes inquisitive.
Pote's eyebrows furrowed together as Guero began talking about his delivery, words light and airy as they discussed the cutthroat operation in a laid back manner.
When the conversation grew heavier and Pote's irritation become more evident, Epifanio cleared his throat, nodding towards the house.
"Guero, come inside and we'll discuss your next run. Cesar and Chino have probably had enough of my wifes conversation by now."
Everyone out on the deck chuckled at Epifanio's teasing remark, following what was clearly a command. Several people moved up the steps to head inside while Pote stayed by the young woman, eyeing her quietly for a moment.
"Get out of here, Rey. Estoy seguro de que tienes otro lugar para estar," Pote muttered pointedly, wanting her away from any dangerous plans.
"Papi, always acting like I'm 12 instead of 23," Rey remarked, gazing up at her father with an unamused expression.
"My life would be easier if you were,'" Pote grumbled, nodding at her in finality before following the rest into the house, Guero shooting Rey a quick wink before he was swept away as well.
Guero Davila and Reyna Galvez had held quite the friendship for years now. They came into contact when she was still a teenager stumbling her way through school, and it was in those years that she discovered what her fathers job really entailed. It wasn't pretty to say in the least. Upon realizing the dark world Pote was a part of and how all of it played a role in why her mother left, Rey was infuriated.
And so began Pote's worst fear; his daughters rebellious phase. From her 18th to 19th year his sweet doe eyed girl was all about parties and smoking pot, spending her time with Jimenez boys and other gringos who in her father's eyes never deserved her heart- then again to Pote, no man ever would.
Guero had gone out and collected her from several ragers, always scaring away overly confident men with his sharp tongue and quick movements, never hesitating to throw a punch at someone for getting too aggressive. She may have technically been an adult but back then Rey was naive. The realities of their world were a mystery to her. One mistake is all it takes for someone to become interwebbed in the cartel forever.
At first Guero had been exasperated. He was the king of the short runway. He could fly through the air with precious cargo, distributing product and bringing back millions all in a day. Yet there he was, a glorified babysitter all because Epifanio had a soft spot for his bodyguards daughter and refused to be without protection for even a moment.
After Guero finally met the girl that was driving his longtime associate crazy it didn't get any better. It took time but once Rey released her anger she provided respite from the blood and death and everlasting weight on Guero's shoulders. In the cartel world, that was rare. And sure, she was a wild card all those years ago, but Guero had always handled that better than anyone.
5 years ago
Guero strode through the nightclub, loud dance music blaring through the large space as hordes of people danced under hazy lights, drugs and drinks being passed around in plain sight.
He looked over his shoulder for a moment, glancing at Chino and The Charger. "I'll check upstairs. One of you check the floor, one of you check the bar. Rápido." He instructed shortly, already exhausted with the task.
It appeared that god or whoever looked out for drug runners like him was on his side; it only took a moment before Guero spotted a girl matching the photo Pote had texted him.
Guero stood there for a moment, eyebrows raised as he watched her laugh uninhibitedly. She was leaning back with her head tilted, dark hair falling over her shoulders as a man much older than her snorted a line off her chest, the group around them all wasted as they whistled and let out boisterous jeers.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he headed forward, a no nonsense expression gracing his features as he approached the girl. "Yo, Reyna Galvez. Let's go, daddy dearest wants your ass home."
Rey paused in surprise, pushing herself up so she was sitting properly, the room spinning as she finally moved from her position, eyes taking in the man in front of her, all scruffy beard and bright green eyes. She was taken aback for a second, expecting someone larger and more menacing, someone like her father or Tonto, but the feeling melted away once his words set in.
"My father taught me better than to run off with strange men. Better luck next time pendejo."
Her voice was sweet and silvery but her words came out slurred and Guero smirked for a second, amused at the flush in her cheeks as she glared at him in anger. She had innocent eyes but the carefully applied makeup on her high cheekbones and pouty lips made her look far from it. Guero absentmindedly wondered what her mother had looked like. He doubted Reyna's looks came from Pote.
"Right, he just taught you to let the strange men sniff blow off your tetas, huh? You can call him from the car, let's go."
'"Estas locas," Rey sputtered, laughing in disbelief. "Get away from me, I don't need another man whose just a bitch for the cartel in my life, I have enough of those." She glared into Guero's eyes defiantly, clarity shining through the drunken haze, green meeting brown as they both refused to give in to one another.
"Now that's just disrespectful," The green eyed man muttered sarcastically, giving up on being kind as he strode forward to toss Rey over his shoulder.
'"Hey, hey," Rey's older male companion protested. "Fuck off compañero, the lady said no."
Guero grinned bitingly at the man, pausing to look down at the hand pushing at his chest. "Right, cause you're such a gentleman?'
He didn't let the man answer, swinging his right arm forward and decking him in the face, watching in satisfaction as the man flew backwards into Rey, the girl squeaking in surprise.
"Oof, sorry about that," Guero drawled sardonically, giving Rey the same fake smile. 'That's just dead weight, ain't it?"
He pulled her forward, tossing the shouting teenager over his shoulder and carrying her out without a second to spare.
It should probably be a little stranger than it was, the tight knit bond that formed between the two. Despite that, the people in their lives merely made jokes that had Pote pulling both of his guns out.
Because really, at the end of the day if Guero and Rey found respite in one another, who could complain? They were brought into this world and none of them, not a single member of the cartels, would ever have a way out. You either died or you worked your way up- there was no true escape.
Rey rolled over in bed restlessly and peeked at the clock on her nightstand. It read 2:54 AM and she sighed, nestling her face against a cooler spot on the pillow, shutting her eyes tightly and hoping sleep would come.
She wasn't sure what was keeping her up tonight. Being alone at this hour was never something that necessarily bothered Rey. She lived in a large condo with her father, though it was mostly just her considering Pote was rarely home. His job was one with odd hours and he spent more time in the guest rooms in the Vargas mansion, but his hefty pay made it easy for him to make sure his daughter stayed in a nice building, a door man and around the clock security easing his worries.
That, and the loaded gun tucked into the safe in Rey's closet.
Maybe it was the fact that they were undertaking a more dangerous operation tonight, getting back at the Casillas cartel for trying to take over their territory. It seemed as if the dispute with Aurelio's cartel would never cease and Rey was worried they'd be at war sooner than later.
She groaned, fighting the urge to pull at the roots of her hair as thoughts of her father or Guero getting hurt fluttered through her mind. She briefly considered texting Brenda; Chino's wife was always a delightful distraction. The woman was full of attitude and always made everyone laugh with her inappropriate sense of humour. Then again Brenda was a mother, the last thing Rey wanted to do was take away whatever rest she was getting.
Giving up on sleep entirely, Rey pushed herself up onto her elbows, looking around the dark room sullenly before sliding out of the bed and padding towards the kitchen, rubbing her eyes as she flicked on the bright lights.
She shivered slightly as the air hit her bare legs, so much colder in the open than it was in the warmth of her bed. Swiftly grabbing a bottle of wine, Rey poured herself a generous glass, hopping up onto the counter and sitting with her legs crossed as she took a long sip, her thoughts drifting over all the possible outcomes.
This was a routine she had relied on many times before, and it appeared that tonight would be no different.
It was half a bottle of wine later, the dark haired latina dangerously close to dozing off on her kitchen counter when a noise startled her. Rey squinted her eyes towards the door, watching the knob jiggle a few times.
She froze for a second before she hopped down from the counter, eyes narrowed as she hoped she wouldn't have to go grab the gun her father had trained her to use.
Pote Galvez wasn't a man who took any chances, and certainly not with his only child. Rey was pretty certain that he had used his christmas bonus to pay the door man to keep an extra eye on her and anyone that tried to come near her.
Much to Rey's relief, the door cracked open and her brown eyes met a pair of familiar green ones, Guero slipping into the entrance wordlessly, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards as his eyes roamed over Rey's bare legs and messy hair.
"Glad to see you still sleep in ratty old t shirts," He teased, wincing as he set down a duffle bag.
Rey didn't speak, merely waiting for him to remove his shoes and face her. When he finally did she wasn't surprised to see the bruises blooming on his face, or the shades of red staining his clothes.
"It's not as bad as it looks Rey," Guero promised quietly, eyes dancing over her features, watching as a frown graced her pouty lips.
"You say that everytime," She retorted, turning around and nodding at him to follow.
They settled into a usual dance, Rey grabbing a makeshift first aid kit and calling out to Guero over her shoulder. "Is my dad coming? Should I expect any further injuries tonight?"
Guero snorted, settling down on the couch and leaning his head back against the cushion, feeling the weight of exhaustion all over. "Nah, Pote's solid. Too smart for those motherfuckers."
Rey hummed in response, plopping next to him and leaning in to clean his face up without warning, one of her gentle hands holding his jaw carefully.
"Guess you weren't as lucky, huh?"
"Got a little too confident," Guero murmured, his voice raspy with sleep, somehow too tired to even shrug in mock innocence.
"Pinchazo engriedo," Rey muttered under her breath, biting back a squeal when Guero pinched her thigh in retaliation.
"Guero, your hands are ice cold," She protested, laughter coating her words as she finished up with the small cut on his eyebrow and frowned at the bruises she couldn't heal.
He didn't speak, merely gazing at her wordlessly. The quiet made Rey suspicious- Guero was always a talkative son of a bitch- and she peered down at him, brow quirked questioningly.
"What? Do I have drool on my face or something? Pretty sure I took a Pinot induced nap in the kitchen again."
Guero snorted, his eyes hooded as he looked at her with a sleepy grin. "No, cariño. Just admiring the view."
The drawl of his words and that familiar soft accent were something Rey was well acquainted with, but a feeling rose up in her stomach and for a moment she hesitated, mouth open as she struggled for words.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," She spoke quietly, wrinkling her nose when he tapped on it gently. "Too much wine, I think. I'm ready to crash."
Guero slowly rose, smiling at the look on Rey's face when he bent down and lifted her into his arms, swinging her gently and grinning when her giggles rang out.
"Wait," She complained, clutching onto him though she knew he'd never drop her. "My dad's going to kill you if he finds us asleep again."
"Well it's either your bed or his, so if anything the old man should be thankful," Guero bit back, his voice light and teasing as he gracelessly dropped Rey onto her bed, watching her laugh in surprise as she bounced for a moment.
She stared him down before giving in, sighing as if letting Guero share her bed for the millionth time was such a painful task rather than something she found a strange sense of comfort in.
"At least change out of those bloody clothes first."