A True Queen
Paring: OC/James, Teresa/Guero
Summary: it isn't Teresa's future self that guides her; it's Concetta. A woman who's seen and endured some twisted shit. Concetta is the definition of a survivor and she'll protect Teresa with her life.
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EJERCICIO CUATRO
Lirio De Los Valles
They were in the shared bathroom, washing their faces and taking a quick shower. Teresa was at the sink brushing her teeth while Concetta was in one of the showers across from the sinks. Nothing had doors, not the showers and not the toilets. Concetta was showering in the ice cold water but she didn't mind the feeling. It was normal, or it had been up until she moved in with Guero a year ago. Even then, most mornings she had got in the shower not even thinking to turn on the hot water because she'd never had any before that.
At least not regularly enough to remember to reach for the hot water tap.
So, while other girls got in and out quickly... she got to take her time perfectly content under the ice water. When she looked up she noticed Teresa watching her in the mirror and raised a brow at her friend.
There wasn't much for privacy but most women at least diverted their eyes.
"What?" Concetta frowned reaching for a towel as she turned the taps off. She wasn't shy but the way Teresa was looking at her made her wonder if something was wrong?
Teresa looked away quickly, "Nothing... I just didn't know you had more tattoos" Teresa muttered making sure not to look up again after getting caught looking.
Concetta chuckled unashamed, "You like them?" she questioned as she got dressed into her clothes again. Jeans and a tight tank top with a button up shirt as a jacket.
"What do they mean?" Teresa nodded
"The phoenix rises from the ashes... it means survival" Concetta told Teresa smiling a little at the meaning behind the intricate design that took up most of her back. In the middle of her lower back were the small flames and ashes, rising up her spine is the phoenix bird, it's wings spreading across her shoulder blades.
It had cost her a fortune to get but was worth every cent.
Living her life ready to pick up and run meant that she didn't have much. Tattoos were something that were permanently hers.
Concetta loved them.
"What about the other one? The flowers?" Teresa asked looking up when Concetta walked over to the sink to stand beside her and brush her own teeth.
The flower's were Concetta's favourite of her three tattoos despite the fact they were all beautiful designs. The main flower sits in the middle of her thigh, other stems spreading up onto her right hip and the bottom of her stomach. "The flower is called Lirio de los valles" Concetta told Teresa with a soft smile. "It's a flower that grows into darkness, it actually does better in the shade than the light. It blooms...in spite of the darkness, thrives in it"
"You remind me of the flower" Teresa nodded sadly, "You knew what to do so far, I want to be like that - I need to be like that"
Concetta nodded kissing Teresa's cheek before she walked out of the bathroom back towards their bed.
It was true what Teresa said, she did need to harden up a little more. However, that was nothing Concetta could help with - that's on Teresa.
Instead, she sat down on the bed remembering when she first got her flower tattoo. It had been so long ago now that she had forgotten the face of the woman who'd designed them... the woman who had been the closest thing to a mother that Concetta had experienced since her own was killed. Shaking her head she ridded herself of those memories, thinking about those times would only bring pain.
Pain she didn't need when there was more than enough to come in the near future.
The bed dipped when Teresa sat down but they didn't stay there long before James appeared in front of them. "Come on, I want to show you both something"
They followed him to the other side of the warehouse, where there was a long table set up of women placing uncut packages of coke into yellow bottles. James nodded at the woman sorting through the bottles and she handed one to Teresa.
Teresa frowned in confusion.
"Cute, Teresita" Concetta chuckled and opened the bottle revealing the cocaine inside.
James shook his head with a small smirk that disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. He looked at them, "It's your first delivery's alone"
"Together alone or just alone?" Concetta questioned him
"You two can go together" James nodded on a sigh like it hadn't been his idea to let them go together. "You're moving up in the world"
He started packing a small duffle bag for them, filling it with the yellow bottles of cocaine. When it was full he shoved it into Teresa's hands and nodded for them to follow after him as they were led outside the garage towards a row of parked cars.
Both their phones dinged while they walked.
"That is the location" James informed them while Teresa pulled out her phone to check it. "I've texted you both the addresses for deliveries. The first one is Sandra, she's expecting you... you deliver, you bring the money back to Camila's club - that's the last address I texted you"
"Okay" Teresa nodded handing the phone over to Concetta to take a look at the addresses
"You do not stop on your journey" James warned. "That's how you get robbed or killed. I don't care if you hit something; a cat, a dog, a priest - you do not stop. Is that clear?" he looked between them both.
"Claro" Concetta nodded
"Got it" Teresa agreed
"Alright" James sighed handing them a screw driver. "Here's the key. You might have to pump the gas a few times to start it. If you get busted, you say nothing. You just give them this card - it's a lawyer, you don't say anything" he handed Concetta a card as she rounded the car to get in the passenger side, letting Teresa drive.
"I've already proven I won't" Teresa sighed
"Yeah" James conceded nodding, "It's been proven to me, but there are some people that need reminding. Just remember what I've been telling you both. Alright? Now, you've been given a job to do so be smart, don't even think about running. I guarantee you that shit will not work"
Teresa nodded and started up the stolen car, pulling them out of the parking spot and out the gates onto the highway. Teresa easily maneuverer the car through the streets following the directions that were on the phone to the address James had given them.
Concetta just watched everything pass them by through the window. America looked really different to Mexico that's for sure!
So many gringos...
Concetta didn't know if she necessarily liked that, but it was what they were working with right now. There was no other option yet.
Teresa's phone rang and Teresa put it on speaker as she answered, "Hola Brenda"
"Bueno, estamos aquí, perra. ¿Por qué no lo estás?" came Brenda's excited voice through the phone. "Hi Teresa, Hi Valentina" Tony's soft voice was next. "I miss you both"
Teresa smiled, "I miss you, chiquito"
"Ay, me too" Concetta added softly
"Ven a buscarnos!" Brenda demanded obviously having taken the phone back from Tony.
"No podemos. Estamos trabajando" Concetta sighed cutting in before Brenda could start begging Teresa. She was sure that Teresa would give in and this, them getting to go out on their own, it was most likely a test. She'd bet they were being tracked right now.
"¿Tienes un trabajo?" Brenda asked surprised - it really did sound better than it actually is, but Concetta didn't say that.
"I'll explain later" Teresa sighed, "Where are you guys?"
Brenda sighed, "We're at some supermarket... It's the biggest gringo supermarket I've ever seen! Lonestar supermarket. You know it?"
"No idea" Concetta piped up on a sigh, it could be anywhere.
"Are you shitting me?" Brenda grumbled
Teresa nodded as she drove, "Ask someone for directions to Oliver Street and 11th, okay? There's a restaurant called Emilio's cafe - I love you a lot. Take care of yourself, besos" Teresa said before hanging up the phone.
Concetta sighed, "What are you planning, Teresita? For Brenda and Tony?" she asked hoping Teresa had some sort of plan in mind.
Teresa sighed and shrugged as she pulled the car over to the side of the road out front of a house. "I'm not sure yet... but if they had stayed in Mexico they'd be dead"
"I know" she nodded and followed Teresa out of the car and up towards the house.
The front door was open, only the screen door standing in between them and the inside of the house. Concetta knocked on the side of door, "Hola?"
A man appeared on the other side of the door, gun in hand, and he looked at the two of them for a second before smiling. It wasn't a comforting smile. Though it looked like he might of thought it was. "How you doing?" he asked
"Hi" Teresa nodded at him. "I'm Teresa, this is Valentina. James sent us"
The gringo nodded, "Chris. Sandra's on her way back... come on in" he opened the door ushering them inside as he checked out on the street like he thought someone might have followed them.
Something was wrong.
Teresa seemed too nervous about making the drop off to notice though. Concetta sighed as she followed her friend inside the house.
She'd have to protect Teresa.
"I'm not gonna bite cha" The gringo, Chris, joked as he ushered them further inside the house. "You don't mind if I pat you down?" he asked but the way he advanced on them made it clear they didn't have a choice.
It didn't matter though, they didn't have any weapon to protect themselves with anyway. They stood in the doorway while he patted them down for a weapon. Thankfully he didn't use it as an excuse to touch something he shouldn't be touching.
"Can I get you something to eat?" he asked as they followed him into the kitchen
"No thanks" Teresa smiled at him doing a good job at keeping her face neutral. If you didn't know her, then you might not have realised how nervous she actually is.
"How's traffic?" The gringo asked
Concetta stood in between Teresa and him, but let Teresa do the talking as she focused on figuring out if they were in real danger or not.
Her gut say yes, but she didn't know why yet.
"Usually it's hell around this time" The guy continued talking, "You must be lucky. You ever thought about going to the casinos? Go ahead, use the counter over there. It's cool" he assured when Teresa looked for a place to set the bag down.
Teresa set the bag down on the table with her back to the man - a risky mistake, Concetta noted with a sigh.
She herself, leaned against the wall near the doorway on the opposite side of the room. Crossing her arms over her chest she watched the area for any sign of danger.
"Last time I went to the casinos, I won 53" The gringo just wouldn't shut up as he went through the fridge. "You see, that morning, I lost a 53 pair of sunglasses. My girlfriend at the time, she was pissed. she gave them to me. But out of spite, I went back in there and won my money back. Five minutes on that blackjack table..."
A sound caught her attention as she was watching Teresa unpack the bag of drugs onto the counter top.
Concetta turned and spotted a woman tied up and gaged through the mirror in the room beside the kitchen. She made eye contact with the woman and realised that had to be Sandra - their buyer. Concetta sighed slightly and nodded at the woman, showing her understanding of the situation.
She moved closer to help Teresa, grabbing a knife that was on the counter top and folding it in a newspaper ready to hand it to the woman.
"So?" The gringo turned back to them and she paused waiting for the right time when he couldn't see. "You two from Mexico or Guatemala?" he asked laughing.
"Mexico" Teresa answered giving Concetta a confused look when she turned her back on the gringo again. Concetta tilted her head in the direction of the doorway and Teresa frowned as she subtly got a look of the woman.
"You know how to cook that Mexican food?" The gringo asked walking closer to them.
Teresa nodded as she handed him a yellow bottle of coke like she didn't know anything was wrong.
"Hell yeah!" he grinned as he opened the bottle and found the coke.
Concetta grabbed the knife rolled in the newspaper and dropped it to the floor knowing it would muffle the noise while he was distracted. She kicked open the newspaper and moved the knife to where the woman could grab it with her hands tied behind her back.
Thankfully, the gringo hadn't noticed anything was happening and he continued talking as he sampled the cocaine.
"...the truth is, when it comes to me and food, I'm so country. The last time I had a seven-course meal, it was possum and a six-pack of beer. How about you? You two want to do a line, or what?" he asked finally turning his attention to them again.
"We're good" Concetta spoke up firmly as he stared down Teresa.
The gringo didn't look like he was about to take no for an answer but she didn't care, he was about to have an angry lady to deal with.
Not them.
She grabbed Teresa's arm and yanked her away from the doorway just in time for the lady - Sandra, to jump out and throw the knife. The knife imbedded itself into the fucking annoying gringo's stomach and he fell to the floor. The noise alerting another guy who ran into the kitchen, rifle locked and loaded. He wasn't fast enough though, because the lady had grabbed a small gun from a draw and shot him before he even managed to get that far into the kitchen.
He wasn't dead yet and Concetta surged forward taking his gun and pointing it at him as she backed Teresa into a corner away from any other entry point.
She still wasn't sure about this woman.
"Careful he pumped that sucker" the woman said nodding to the gun in her hand, assuming she hadn't already known that.
Concetta smirked, "I know, don't need to worry about me"
"Well shit" The woman chuckled nodding appreciatively. "You got more guts than you could hang on a fence"
Concetta wasn't sure if that was that great of a compliment but she nodded thankfully regardless. The woman, introduced herself as Sandra and Concetta flipped open her phone calling James.
"Yeah?" James answered irritably
Concetta scoffed, "You're the one who told me to call if we had a problem"
"What happened?" James sighed
Sandra smiled at the annoyed look on Concetta's face and took the phone, moving out of the kitchen to explain what happened to James. Concetta shrugged when she looked back at Teresa - better that lady than her!
Sandra walked back into the kitchen and handed the phone back to Concetta. "James and Camila are on their way, honey. Thanks for the help. What's your name?"
"I'm Valentina" Concetta introduced herself without hesitation, knowing that while it felt like an unnatural name to be called nowadays that she had to get used to it.
Concetta is dead.
She had to be Valentina Espinosa if she wanted to survive.
"I'm Teresa" Teresa smiled at Sandra shaking the woman's hand and placing a comforting one on Concetta's shoulder. Teresa knew how much she liked being called by her birth name and also knew it could never happen again.
Concetta sighed and leaned against the wall as she watched Teresa get distracted by a little boy. Teresa left to go into the bathroom down the hall and help the kid clean the cut on his hand. Concetta shook her head, this life isn't meant for someone as caring as Teresa.
It made Concetta all the more determined to get Teresa out of this... she couldn't let Teresa turn into someone like herself.
It wasn't something Teresa would survive.
They waited in the kitchen until they heard a car pull up, Teresa wandered back into the house again just in time.
James walked in with his gun out looking between the three of them. "This one alive Sandy?" he smirked at the buyer they'd come here for.
Sandra shrugged, "He was a minute ago"
James kicked the guy in the face who groaned and spat up blood, "Oh, yeah, still alive" he nodded just as Camila walked in the room.
"Are you girls hurt?" Camila asked looking at the two of them
"No" Concetta shook her head at Camila who nodded and walked closer to the alive man on the floor.
He was bleeding out for sure.
Wouldn't have long.
"Who gave you the confidence to do this?" Camila demanded somehow not having to raise her voice to make it sound threatening.
The man didn't answer though.
"Is it Eric from Jimenez Cartel? The Bird Man, was it him?" The man still didn't answer, only coughed on his own blood. Camila sighed and stood, "It's okay. We'll get that sorted out anyway"
James grabbed the duffle with the drugs handing it back to Teresa. "You got another drop-off"
"No" Camila sighed, "Send someone else. They've had enough for today" When James nodded and took the bag away Camila looked between them. "You can go back to the club now"
They nodded and walked away hearing Camila tell Sandra to turn on the stove before they left the room. Concetta knew what that meant but she wasn't sure if Teresa did. Teresa wouldn't like it though, even though the men had tried to shoot at them - Teresa still tried to spare people. Getting back in the car Teresa drove them in silence to Camila's club.
It was heavy silence but not all that uncomfortable.
"We'll be alright, Teresita" Concetta told Teresa when they pulled into the parking lot.
Teresa nodded and shut the car off but didn't get out. Concetta sighed and got out knowing Teresa needed a minute to herself right now. She stood beside the car and stretched her hands in the air as she heard her back crack - making the uncomfortable ache lessen. Tilting her head she watched Teresa stare at the little princess figure in her hands, a sad and fond look on Teresa's face.
Hearing a sudden crunch of gravel behind her Concetta turned just in time to feel someone's hands on her waist. She slammed her elbow back into the man's face earning a loud grunt from him and the feel of blood splatter on her face.
Concetta knew how to fight, and she was good at it too.
She didn't fight like a girl - she was taught by men twice her age and three times her size and so she fought like it.
Grabbing the man's face in her hands, while he was taken by surprise, she brought him forward, over her shoulder, and slammed his head through the car window.
Teresa jumped as she was sprayed with glass, scrambling to get out and help.
An electric vault had Concetta falling to her knees and grunting in pain as she grit her teeth not wanting to give the satisfaction of crying out. Someone grabbed her arm slamming her face first into the gravel floor and pulling her face up by her hair.
The man she recognised instantly - Batman, Don Epifanio's second hand.
"Shit" Concetta muttered
Batman smirked at her, his hand tightening in her hair as electrocuted her. Concetta fought back and managed to flip her back while they both struggled for control. She almost got out of his grasp until he started tasering her again. Her body convulsed and she tried to get free but failed. Batman dragged her across the parking lot to a nearby car by her hair... not even letting her get her to her feet.
It was agony and more pain than she could push out of her mind to keep fighting through.
Her vision went blurry as she was thrown into the passenger seat of the car. She heard Teresa's panicked voice and could make out a man's figure in the back seat dressed in a black leather jacket.
"Cett!" Teresa called from the backseat
Concetta groaned in pain and grunted as she sat up right in the passenger side seat, her vision fine now that she wasn't being tasered. Anger flooding her full force as she turned her head to find Batman speeding the car out of Camila's club parking lot.
"You Electrocuted me! Cabron!" Concetta yelled in fury but the clicking of the safety off a gun had her swallowing the rest of her cursing.
The man in the backseat was aiming his gun at her and looked seriously pissed the fuck off right about now as his face bled from about three different places.
"Ay, he looks like he has a concussion... you should get that checked out pendejo" she snarked
"Shut up!" Batman yelled and reluctantly Concetta turned her eyes back to the road and sat quietly.
She didn't need to ask questions - she knew exactly what was happening. They were being taken to Mexico to answer to Epifanio.
James looked up at Camila as she answered her phone, she sighed and nodded agreeing to be there right away. He raised a brow waiting to see if he was needed as well?
"That was the men at the club - we have a problem" Camila announced after hanging up and they both headed for the SUV that wasn't dumping bodies of the men who'd tried to kill Sandra.
James nodded and got into the car, they rode in silence and when they made their way up to Camila's office one of the men was waiting with a computer and security footage. "You need to see this" the guy said
Camila nodded and hit play.
It was one of the cameras recording the clubs parking lot.
James sighed when he spotted Valentina and Teresa's car pull up front and centre on the footage - of course this has something to do with them. They were causing him a lot of headache lately, especially Valentina or whatever her real name is.
Valentina stepped out of the passenger side door, stretching, as she stood beside the car looking at whatever Teresa was doing. James saw the man creeping up behind Valentina before she did, but apparently she heard the guy in just in time because she sent her elbow into his face.
James had to admit he was a little impressed watching Valentina fight - she certainly knew how, and she wasn't going to let them just take her. He thought maybe she might get away, that was until Batman came up behind her with some gun type of thing that sent Valentina to her knees.
"That looks painful" James muttered watching as Valentina's face contorted in pain but she didn't stop fighting.
He could respect something like that.
Teresa scrambled out of the car only to get slammed into the car by the guy who Valentina had momentarily knocked out. That guy had to have a concussion at the very least. A broken nose too. The second guy tasered Teresa and shoved her into the backseat of a nearby car pulling a gun on her when she resisted.
Valentia, however, was dragged by her hair across the parking lot while being tasered by Batman the whole time.
"The girl has fight in her" Camila sighed nodding in appreciation - it was a quality you had to have if you wanted to survive in this world, they both knew that. Though James wasn't sure if Camila wanted to crush it or use it in Valentina's case.
When the video finished James straightened up, "I'll find them"
"We don't need to" Camila said making him pause. "I know where they'll be. He's taking her to Culiacan, to my husband"
James nodded thinking before realising which way they'd have to go to get there. "There's only one highway back to Mexico. We'll call people on the payroll"
They couldn't be more than half-way there by now, but that was still enough time to get the girls back here and stop Batman. James left the room pulling out his phone and calling in the cops on their pay role. Thankfully it didn't take that much money to have those guys on the lookout to intercept Batman's car.
James knew there was nothing he could really do other than get back to work, business as usual, but he couldn't think about that shit right now.
Instead he went downstairs to the bar when Camila dismissed him, waiting to hear if the cops on their payroll were able to stop Batman. If they failed, then it would be a worse situation because he'd have to go to Mexico in hopes of getting them back. However, James doubted they'd even be alive by the time he got there though.
Epifanio wasn't messing around when it came to getting the two of them back. Whatever, Epifanio wants from them it's important.
James doubted there was a deal out there that could be made with Epifanio for their lives.
He sighed as he sipped a beer waiting to hear back.
Knowing that it was out of his hands made him anxious. James didn't like things going wrong and he didn't like not being there to fix something this important.
It had been interesting watching Valentina and Teresa.
James had been trying to figure that Valentina woman out, and every time he thought he knew something about her, she went and did something unexpected. If those two thought he had missed Teresa's slip up in calling Valentina, Cett - they were wrong.
James just hadn't figured out what it meant yet.
His phone rang and he picked it up instantly, "Yeah? Did you find them?"
"We sure did" their cop answered, "I'll drive Cesar and his buddy back to the club and my partners got the girls... we'll be there by night fall"
"Great" James nodded and hung up
That was good news and right now all he had to do was keep busy until then.
That shouldn't be hard.
He sat at the bar nursing his drink until they showed up two hours later.
Camila nodded for him to escort the two girls up to her office. Security took Cesar and his buddy to the back of the club. James sighed as Valentina and Teresa followed him up the stairs and into Camila's office. They sat down on the couch while he leaned on the desk. He watched them - noticing that Valentina looked even more banged up than on the video.
Teresa had managed to come back relatively unharmed though. He suspected the only reason Teresa looked physically fine was because Valentina took whatever hits had been for Teresa.
James had noticed how loyal Valentina was to Teresa.
Lighting a smoke he sighed shaking his head at them, taking a long drag from his cigarette before he spoke. "I've seen a lot of girls in my time who are trouble... and you, both of you, are trouble" James scoffed slightly at the understatement.
"Never claimed not to be" Valentina shot back at him on a loud scoff of her own.
James nodded, "Did you see what he hit you with?" he asked thinking back to how quickly Batman had gotten the girls down with the stun gun thing that he'd used.
"No" Teresa sighed quietly shaking her head.
"Gotta get me one of those" James sighed, raising a brow when Valentina nodded her agreement with that statement. Though he couldn't blame her because those stun guns would be useful. Valentina looked like the type to be interested in shit like that.
"Can I have a smoke?" Valentina asked after a minute of silence.
James shrugged and tossed his pack and lighter at her. Watching as Valentina took a cigarette and lit it, taking a deep drag and cracking her neck as she breathed in the nicotine.
James stared at the complicated woman in front of him, "You got lucky tonight, you know?" he asked meeting Valentina's eyes and seeing just how aware of that she is.
Teresa looked traumatised, like nothing was really registering in her mind yet, but Valentina looked all too aware.
"If Camila didn't have a few state troopers on her payroll..." James trailed off
"Yeah, I know" Valentina sighed nodding
"What is she gonna do with Batman?" Teresa asked - the first real thing she'd said since she had been brought back to the club an hour ago.
"That's between them" he dismissed on an irritated sigh. "Between us - I've got a plan, for a future, and it doesn't involve getting killed in the crossfire for either of you. Don't expect to get lucky again"
Teresa ignored him completely, "Where can I get ice" she asked
"Ice machine is down the hall" James shrugged
James shook his head sadly as he watched Teresa leave the office to go find ice. Teresa didn't seem to be comprehending the situation she was in... too worried about saving everyone else while Valentina worries about saving Teresa and herself.
It was a pity.
People like that, who don't have the balls to do what needs to be done - they don't make it long in this world.
"Teresa isn't built for this life" Valentina said in a voice quieter than James had ever heard before from the loud woman.
James wondered if Valentina had even realised she'd spoken out loud?
She wasn't looking at him, only staring at the door Teresa had shut behind her when she left the office.
He nodded nonetheless, "Yet here you both are"
Valentina scoffed, "Yeah... here we are"
"You had to of known messing with Epifanio would get you in a situation like this one, though" James pointed out. It was a valid point - for someone who didn't know that Valentina and Teresa hadn't been the ones to screw Epifanio over with Guero and Chino.
James feigned obliviousness to that though...
"We didn't screw Epifanio over" Valentina sighed taking a drag of her smoke as she turned to look at him again. "Guero and Chino did whatever the fuck they did. Epifanio screwed us first, all we did was survive in the shitty situation we got dragged into"
He figured that had been what happened already though.
Valentina seemed to know about the cartel life, enough to know never to try and pull something like Guero and Chino did. Stealing from Epifanio had been asking for death.
A fool would know that.
James figured that Valentina would have taken Teresa and got them far away from Guero if she'd found out before Epifanio did. Valentina wouldn't have waited around for the cartel to come after her for shit she didn't have any part in - James could tell that much about the woman.
"If that was true then how did you two end up here?" James scoffed asking the reasonable question that he had tried and failed to be able to figure out.
There had to be something else - something that didn't involve Guero for Epifanio to want the two of them.
Valentina sighed, "Our mistake was caring about someone - Teresa cared about Guero and I care about Teresa. Teresa and Guero loved each other so much it made me sick sometimes..." she gave a dry chuckle as she took a drag of her cigarette. "They were the couple other couples get annoyed at seeing. I cared about Teresa and I didn't want to loose the person I viewed as a sister. Pero I should never have let myself care in the first place because look where it got me?" she scoffed angrily
James was surprised by Valentina's answer but he didn't show it on his face.
He couldn't and wouldn't show any emotions.
Emotions were weakness.
Something it seemed Valentina understood from what her answer told him...
Though considering it was obvious that she had been running or hiding from someone in her past - he wasn't surprised she knew the consequences of showing emotions and connections; because they can be exploited.
He didn't say anything else as he watched Valentina stub out her cigarette and sigh as she leaned further back into the couch. It made him think about the condition she was currently in from the beating her body had taken over the past few days. Valentina didn't seem to show her pain, but James knew better than to think she wasn't in any.
He wondered if they should send her to get checked out by a doctor or not?
Although from what he could tell, none of the injuries she might have seemed to be affecting her movements.
That was good at least.
Camila walked back into the office with Teresa following not far behind. Camila looked Valentina over, probably searching for injury, before nodding. "You two can go back to the warehouse now" Camila dismissed
Valentina stood and nodded, heading straight for the door without hesitation.
Teresa was the one who stood there and watched Camila for a second longer. "You saved out life" Teresa commented, "Thank you... but why?"
Valentina groaned and stopped in the office doorway giving Teresa a small, displeased look.
James smirked and shook his head in slight disbelief at Teresa - the woman really didn't get how this all worked. Valentina sure did have her work cut out for her if she planned on keeping Teresa alive.
Camila didn't look pleased, "I have my reasons. Go get some rest"
Valentina didn't wait to see if Teresa had anything else she wanted to say, as she grabbed her friends arm and pulled her out the office not-so-subtly.
James scoffed and shook his head as he, too, took his leave and nodded at Camila in passing.
Today had been a hell of a day!
.
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