Hello again! It's a long chapter, but I did say I was going to throw some things in to spice up a little hate between Franco and Sarita. Tehehe! Enjoy! And thank you!

(I do not own this Novela!)

Chapter 5

The three brothers sat in the kitchen inside the Elizondo mansion. Each of them are enjoying the meals brought to them by a young, pretty maid with naughty brown eyes, who flirted with them until she was called for another errand.

As they ate, Franco couldn't help but complain at how long they were going to fool the Elizondos.

"Why?" growled Juan in mid bites. "Your hands are getting tired already?"

"No." replied a frustrated Franco as he tore up a piece of bread. "I'm just not used to this type of work."

"Well, this and any kind of work." commented Juan, earning a stern look from Franco.

"Relax, Franco." assured Oscar, thoroughly enjoying his food. "We'll be done in no time."

"Forget it." said Juan, glowering at Oscar. "We're just starting and those ditches need to be deeper. We're not building walls on the surface."

Oscar agreed with Juan and threw in some little jokes in between.

"You think you know a lot, don't you?" challenged Juan, glaring at Oscar. "But if we follow your instructions, those walls will crumble before we even build them."

Franco and Oscar share a look. Juan noticed and forcefully stabbed his meal with his fork.

"Look!" he shouted. "We're already in this. We need to do this properly! Otherwise, they'll find out we're faking it."

Franco agreed with Juan. He finally sees some sense in the eldest.

Oscar only laughed and shot Juan a mischievous wink.

"Juancho here is apparently lucky with the ladies." joked Oscar.

Juan seemed unsettled and Franco wondered what was going on in Oscar's head.

"Did you see the way the Elizondo girls looked at him?" said Oscar slyly. "They didn't notice us, but they sure liked Juancho. They wanted to eat him up."

"Shut the hell up, Oscar." growled Juan, seriously fed up with Oscar's bullshit.

Franco thought about Sarita when she invited them to the kitchen to fuel up. Her attention was solely on Juan. As cold as she is, he did notice there was a strange wanton look in her eyes when he caught her quickly stare at his brother's bare torso.

"Perhaps, they're starting to like us." said Franco, but in his mind he really wanted to agree with Oscar. Sarita could've been the hard one but he has to admit, she did take an interest in Juan instead of the other two. Thank goodness for that.

"Bullshit!" exclaimed Oscar. "I know what I see."

He seemed thoughtful for a moment after taking a sip of his drink.

"I'm beginning to discover something in Sarita and Jimena Elizondo that we may be able to use to our advantage."

Juan stopped eating and shot his sly brother a concerned but curious glare.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

Oscar didn't answer but smirked at Juan. Franco too felt uneasy. Juan dropped his gaze from Oscar and continued picking at his plate.

"I do not like that look, Oscar."

Before Oscar could clarify his thoughts, Eva made an appearance. She was carrying a black rolled up parchment.

"Here, take this." she said, placing the parchment on the table where the brothers were eating. "You will need this."

"What is this?" asked a confused Juan.

"Blueprints from the architect." responded Eva. "Don't use the one you showed to Mr. Martin. People might get suspicious."

At the end of that sentence, Eva left in a hurry. The three brothers stared at the spot where the lady had stood. Franco began to have his own suspicions about Eva.

"She thinks of everything." he says, more to himself than his brothers. "I wonder why she's helping us."

Juan and Oscar couldn't say anything else but agree with Franco's suspicions.

Back at their humble home, Franco was in the bathroom, tending to his hair while he listened to both his brothers' conversation. A conversation he was dying to get away from.

"Boyfriends, Juancho?" laughed Oscar, taking off his boot. "I doubt it! I bet those two don't have anyone."

Juan stayed quiet, regretting having said anything in the first place.

"For all the money they must have, those two lack flavor." continued Oscar, now going for his socks. "And their other sister must be even worse!"

Franco laughed to himself. Those were exactly his thoughts when he first met the two Elizondo sisters. Sarita didn't look the type to have any suitors or lovers. That plain girl has prude written all over her. Her sister, on the other hand, acts like she's never seen a man before. She's definitely single. But then again...they were beginning to have a liking for the brothers since they were kindly offered food and rest. Franco sighed in exasperation and headed out of the bathroom to face his brothers.

"Why do you disparage people you hardly know?" asked Franco. Thinking it through, Sarita was the one who granted them a nice gesture. He felt a little bad for disparaging her first.

"I thought they were nice and kind," he shamefully admitted.

"They weren't nice to Libia", scoffed Juan, shooting daggers at Franco, who shifted uncomfortably. "They humiliated and mistreated her when they found out she was their father's lover."

"We don't know that for sure, Juan." said Franco, knowing damn well he accused Sarita and Jimena. Especially Sarita, but he had a change of heart when she finally acted kindly towards them.

"Eva said so herself." challenged Juan, taking off his jacket.

"Eva only mentioned their mother, not the rest!" Franco yelled.

Juan sighed as he got up to hang his jacket.

"They all drove her crazy, or Libia wouldn't have killed herself."

Franco and Oscar remained silent, not knowing what to do with their older brother's stubbornness.

"What they did to her was a disgrace." he lamented, his big hands fumbling with the hanger he found in the closet to hang his jacket.

"That's a good thing about being at that ranch", Oscar interjected, trying to settle the mood as he went through a book, "We'll get to the bottom of what actually happened."

Franco had enough of this conversation and strode away from his brothers. Juan, who had just taken his tank off, knew exactly what Franco was up to.

"Aren't you tired of looking for something that isn't yours?"

"I have things to do." retorted Franco as soon as he reached the door. He ignored the looks of repulsion and left without another word. His only mission was to settle things with Rosario, to prove his brothers wrong.

The bar Alcala was at its prime that night. The customers clapped, danced, and sang along with its current entertainment. While Franco sat with Rosario, her colleague, Panchita, another talented and charming woman, was performing her number. The crowd were thoroughly enjoying her Ranchera performance, all enamored by the voluptuous redhead's talent. All except Franco, whose only concern was his current situation with the beautiful Rosario Montes.

"Franco, why don't you tell me what's bothering you already?" questioned the beautiful woman, her long toned legs crossed in front of him as her slender fingers caressed his hand.

Franco tore his eyes away from the amusement and faced her.

"Because I have no right to complain" he answered her rather coldly.

Rosario blinked and then realization hit her.

"Is it because of Armando?"

"Oh, his name is Armando?" he scoffed at her boldness.

"Yes. Armando Navarro."

"And I imagine he's one of your lovers, no?" he sneered.

Rosario shifted nervously in her seat.

"No. He's an old friend to whom I owe a lot."

Friend. He's a friend just like Franco.

"Oh." responded Franco, unconvinced.

Rosario sighed and explained that Armando helped her with her music career.

"Oh, I see," said Franco sarcastically. Rosario rested her chin on her palm, not pleased with Franco's indifference.

"Franco, if he were my lover what would happen?" she dared to ask. "Would you stop seeing me and cast me aside?"

"I already told you that I don't have the right to complain. I bet he's far more important than I am."

Rosario can hear the jealousy and hurt in his voice.

"Franco.." she cooed, reaching to touch his face, but he moved away from her hand. "Don't say that. You have no idea how much I care for you."

She makes a second attempt to caress his cheek. This time he allows it.

"You look tired tonight, my love." she said, trying to change the subject.

"I worked hard all day," he affirmed.

"And tomorrow you'll do the same."

"Yes, I have to be up early." he told her, annoyed with his obligations.

"Then you should leave." she strictly told him. "Don't stay for me."

She begins to get up from the bar stool and caresses his face again.

"I don't want you to stay up all night because of me. Okay?" she tells him.

She leans over to kiss him on his lips, but he turns his head. Rosario is hurt by his reluctance and forces his chin up to look at her.

"Franco."

"What?" he responds coldly looking up at her.

"I love you in my own way'', she tells him, caressing his cheeks ever so softly. "But I love you."

She leans to him again. He allowed her to kiss him, but the kiss didn't last long when he pulled away again. His heart was throbbing painfully in his chest. Rosario sadly walks away from him, since it was her turn to perform after Panchita.

Franco sat there on the bar stool, mute with his eyes in the distance and his heart breaking to pieces.

The next morning, the brothers were on the way to work at the ranch. Franco felt an uncomfortable silence amongst Oscar and Juan. Oscar seemed defeated while Juan appeared troubled.

"What's wrong with the two of you, huh?" asked Franco, looking back and forth at the two of them. "Did you eat a scorpion, or what?"

"You would know if you'd been home last night instead of pursuing that bar singer." spat Oscar.

"What should I know?" snapped Franco, trying to forget the heartbreak from last night.

"We have a new plan." said Oscar, his tone softening. "And you're a part of it too."

"No. We don't have a new plan." cut in Juan. He stopped driving and parked on the side of the road. "You have a plan."

Franco rubbed his forehead in frustration. Usually when Oscar has plans, they're never good.

"I won't be a part of that shit." growled Juan.

"Okay, what is it?" asked Franco, dreading what it will be.

Juan darts his eyes at Oscar and then at Franco.

"This idiot wants us to seduce the Elizondo sisters. That's his wonderful idea to get revenge."

Franco looked taken back. He also darts his eyes at Oscar. What in the hell is he thinking?

"Every day I become more sure that you're crazy, Oscar." Franco said to him, disgusted with the idea of bedding Jimena and worst of all… Sarita. He was beginning to get nauseous.

"You're both the crazy ones!" yelled Oscar, his hazel eyes glaring at both his brothers. "I'm the only one with a good head on his shoulders! So we'll do what I say."

Franco shook his head in disbelief and Juan sighed, slamming his big hands on the steering wheel.

"Starting today", continued Oscar proudly, "we're following my plan. Let's go."

Juan couldn't take more of this ridiculousness and stepped out of his truck. Oscar and Franco followed suit to retrieve him.

"Juan!" called Oscar, running to his older brother. "For once in your life, listen to me. Please see that I'm right."

Juan turned to Oscar.

"If you keep insisting, I'll leave you stranded out here, I swear." Juan warned.

"Your idea is crazy," said Franco. "I don't agree with your brutality."

"Do you ever?" taunted Oscar to Franco. "You always say no."

"Your idea is disgusting, Oscar." Franco spat.

"So is what they did to Libia", reasoned Oscar, becoming more frustrated by the minute. "That family deserves it. Didn't we want to punish them? Isn't that what we want?"

"I have my own way of punishing them." Juan said strongly, glaring at Oscar.

"But it won't be your way." Oscar told him. "Because you're a beast, solving everything by force. And I won't spend the rest of my life in prison for murder."

Juan's expression softened at his words. Franco looked down at the ground. Oscar does have a fair point. It would be pointless to ruin their lives that way.

"That's not the way." Oscar went on. He looked over to Franco. "What? Do you agree with, Juan?"

Franco said nothing. Oscar took his silence as a yes.

"Fine! Let's go kill the widow as a Christmas turkey!"

"No!" shouted Franco. "We're not doing that!"

Oscar smiled and his mood settled back to his plan.

"Let's be smart about this." he said calmly. "Let's give them a taste of their own medicine. Let's laugh in their faces."

Franco laughed, picturing himself touching and enamoring the frigid and bland Sarita Elizondo.

"As if it were that easy!" scoffed Franco.

"But it's not impossible!" retorted Oscar. "Those girls are vain as they are stupid."

Vain is a definite yes, but Franco couldn't agree with stupid. Sarita seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders, judging by her stern demeanor. Jimena is incredibly flirtatious and makes it known. Perhaps she could be an easier shot.

"We'll seduce them," said Oscar. " And deceive them just like their bastard father seduced our little sister. So?"

Juan and Franco contemplated for a few seconds. Oscar did make some good points. Ruthless but fair points.

"Are we doing this or what?" demanded Oscar, frustrated with his brothers' silence.

Franco and Juan share a look first and then both glance at Oscar, who interpreted their silence as a solid yes. And with that, the three brothers begin making their way to the dreaded Elizondo Ranch to fulfill their new plan.

So it begins... and it's going to be fun! Stay tuned! And thank you for the 2 reviews! Besitos to you both! 3