Oh my goodness! I'm so excited! Finally! Please enjoy! I added somethings in here. Wink Wink! (I do not own this novela!)
Chapter 16
It took some time to get used to finally calling a strange place a home. It also took some time to convince Juan to finally move in with Franco, all thanks to Eva. Oscar was already in, there's no surprise in that. They agreed to help Franco out in matters of business, since he inherited all the fortune that belonged to the late Eduvina Trueba.
The following fifteen months, Franco, his brothers and Eva were living blissfully in their new home. There were moments where Franco noticed the three of them in a daze. Juan often thought about Norma and their child who he hasn't met. Oscar reminisces about Jimena during his bubble baths. Eva thinks about the daughter she'd regretfully given away. Franco, on the other hand, doesn't care about anyone at all. For the first time ever, he's more at peace with himself. All that mattered to him was his new business and making sure he kept those that truly cared about him close.
All was going very well until they had to pay visits to other ranches and attend meetings associated with them. Eva, who had been working with the Elizondo ranch almost all her life, told them that these meetings are very beneficial for their ranch's progress.
It was true. The Reyes ended up throwing a small gathering for their neighboring ranches. They've met many interesting families, especially the Morales, who were trying to sell their open fields to anyone who'd agreed with their price.
Franco and Oscar were ready to make an agreement with the lovable Mr. Morales, but Juan thought it was a foolish idea.
"You're getting in the middle of someone else's business!" yelled Juan.
"But the Rosales aren't giving the Morales what they want!" spat Oscar.
"Is that how we're going to treat our neighbors now?" asked Juan, frustrated. "Disregard their wishes just like that? We're not going to be bad neighbors!"
"We need those fields, Juan!" Franco cut in. "They're one of the best ones! We need more room for our horses! Let's trust Oscar on this one!"
"He's only interested in squandering money!" reasoned Juan. "Can't you see that? At least talk to the lawyers!"
Oscar threw his hands up in defeat. He's so sick of Juan bullshit.
"Okay! Calm down! Let's forget about this purchase and move on! This could've been a great opportunity but it's fine."
"What great opportunity?" scoffed Juan.
"We're going to regret this." Franco said.
"Yes, we are." agreed Oscar. "All I know is that this field was very extensive and it reaches the fields of the Elizondos."
Juan's mouth went slack. Oscar and Franco smiled at him. They got him.
And so they bought the fields from the Morales! The brothers couldn't be happier. Now they have room to train their horses as much as they pleased, but it was agreed that in order to keep their distance from any more trouble, the Reyes brothers decided to put up a fence on their side.
It was all wonderful until one day Franco was out with the rest of his employees and someone came to bother them.
"Sir, I need to talk to you!"
That voice. That stern little voice.
Franco knew who that voice belonged to. He turned around and smirked when he saw Sarita Elizondo. His smirk widened when he saw her eyes blinking in disbelief. Her pouty mouth opened and closed as if to say something, but nothing came out. Instead of doing what she came there to do she spun around and hurried back to her horse.
Franco kept on smirking slyly at her, watching little form climb onto her horse. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes still not believing what she was seeing and then galloped away. Franco didn't know if he should be worried or pleased. In that small moment, he was finally glad to be seen as a threat. Especially to a frigid little bitch like Sarita.
"Now they know we're neighbors," said Juan while they dined.
Franco was no longer feeling boastful. He was thinking about Sarita. He knew that that little snitch was telling every single one of her family members that they were close.
"Who was she with?" Oscar asked. Franco knew that from the tone of his voice that he hoped for news of Jimena.
"She was only with Olegario", Franco responded and Oscar looked sorrowfully at his plate.
"It must've been a great surprise for her." commented Eva.
Franco thought for a moment, picking at his food Quintina had just served him.
"She was practically fuming when she saw the fence," he said. "She was mute and then quickly took off."
"That girl…" said Juan, slicing his steak with his knife into pieces, "isn't like Norma and Jimena...she always declared war with us."
"She hates us." agreed Oscar. "I'm so sure she won't keep quiet."
"Neither her nor her mother." Franco also agreed, thinking back on those many moments Sarita managed to make his life impossible. "We just need to keep our eyes peeled."
Later that night, Franco kept worrying about Sarita and the troubles she may bring now knowing that they're so close to each other. He can't help but think of those many times that little woman, as dainty as she appears, had been nothing but a nuisance. With her arrogance and her scowls. Franco couldn't stand her.
"Don't even worry about her" reassures Oscar, who is now bathing like a king in a sea of bubbles. "All women are alike, no matter how strong they appear and Sarita is no exception."
Franco couldn't shake off the feeling about Sarita. That woman was so feral and it was unbearable.
The next day, Franco received news from his employees that his fences were knocked down. He was angry but what made him even angrier was the fact that he already knew who the culprit was. That fucking Sarita. He ordered the fences to be put up again and this time, he was going to see if that little miserable bitch was going to try again.
He was right.
She was there on her horse on the opposite side of the fence. Her eternal scowling face fuming with anger. Franco jumped in his new car and drove closer to her, determined to put her in her misery like she deserved.
Sarita glowered at him when he came out of his car to walk to her.
"Looks like you love to pop in on us, right?" Franco sneered. "You feel curiosity about your neighbors, or what?"
Sarita glared at him from her horse.
"There you are, Franco Reyes", she challenged. "You can't deny what you are. You're a bunch of thieves that steal people's properties!"
Franco laughed.
"And what are you? You're a vandal who simply comes to destroy other people's work!" he yelled back.
Sarita rolled her eyes. Franco stopped laughing and took a step toward her.
"Why the hell did you knock down my fences?" he shouted, his anger rising. He wanted to knock her off that damn horse.
Sarita's cold eyes narrowed and kept challenging him.
"Because I fucking wanted to! And I'll do it again!" she screamed. His eyes flashed. This little princess has a foul mouth and it's pissing him off. Oh, he wanted to hurt her.
"And I have a good reason, sir-"
Franco cuts her off.
"This time you won't surprise us, because we'll be waiting and won't be letting you do a damn thing!"
Sarita now starts to laugh maliciously at him. Franco felt his face flare up with so much anger for this woman.
"Wow, you're feeling so brave challenging me?" taunted Sarita.
"Look," he warned her. "If you do anything else, I'll retaliate because I have to defend my property!"
Sara laughs again. This bitch is pissing him off.
"Don't make me laugh, Franco Reyes." she jeered and then turned serious. "Your property? You mean what you stole by lying? You're a damn hustler and nothing more!"
Franco takes a couple of steps closer to her. He watched her tense up on her horse. He allows his eyes to take her in. With all the hate he has in his heart for her, he sees misery and how it's making her less desirable by each passing second.
"Look." he begins to say, looking dead into her slanted dark eyes. "I don't care what you have to say."
He then scans her again.
"Especially from a woman so bitter and ugly like you!"
Sarita's eyes flashed dangerously at his insult. In less than a couple of seconds, she withdrew a whip from her belt and began lashing wildly at Franco.
"Oh you're hitting me!" yelled Franco, grabbing her arm. Sarita was so lost in her own fury that she lost her balance and fell off her horse and didn't get up.
"Sarita!" yelled Franco, jumping over the fence to see if she was alright.
He turned her limp form over in his arms. He was surprised to feel how light and warm she felt. His heart started hammering when he saw a deep wound on the right side of her temple. He brushed a few strands of her dark hair away from her face so that the loose strands of hair won't infect her wound.
"Sarita?" he whispered, his fingers lightly pressing a small spot on her neck for a pulse. Her skin was velvety soft, surprising him even more.
He drew a breath of relief when he felt her breathing. She was still unconscious and Franco worried about getting in trouble with her mother, whom he knew would be more chaotic than Sarita. So he thought it would be best to bring her to his house.
Carefully, he lifted her from the ground into his arms. Shit, she was light as a feather. Without a single problem, Franco carried her through the fence and gingerly placed her in his car. As he did so, he made sure to accommodate her fragility by setting the passenger seat back. He didn't want her condition to worsen.
He drove back to his house in a hurry. His heart beating in full speed to tend to the injured young feral woman.
He took her carefully in his arms and desperately called for Eva or Quintina, who thankfully arrived and aided Sarita.
Franco placed Sarita on his bed. He began to feel more panic when she still wouldn't wake. He left her with Quintina and Eva, desperate to phone a doctor.
Quintina complained about Sarita's ragged clothing and Franco had to explain to her that she had fallen off a horse.
"I don't know!" screamed a nervous Franco. "Just take them off and give her some robes!"
Quintina was nervous to do so, but much to her comfort, Eva kindly helped her.
Franco grabbed the phone again, anxious and desperate for any available doctor. As much as he hated Sarita, he couldn't forgive himself if something else were to happen to her.
Eva came out of his room with Sarita's clothes in her arms.
"Is she awake yet?" he asked her. Eva shook her head and Franco started to get even nervous.
He stood outside his bedroom and peeked through the slightly opened door. He saw Quintina applying a wet cloth to Sara's wound. It seemed to be healing. He started to calm a little when he heard her let out a pained whimper, but she still didn't wake. Quintina put down the cloth on his bedside table and walked to the other side of the room.
His heart started hammering when he noticed Sarita wearing nothing but a thin white bra. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander. He could make out the soft creamy tops of her small breasts as they heaved slowly by her soft breaths as she laid unconscious on his bed, the satin covers covering the rest of her petite body. His eyes lingered on her breasts until he could see her taut nipples budding under the thin cups of her bra. He began to feel a slight burn in his stomach. Quintina walked over to Sarita with a white bathrobe in her hands. Franco tore his eyes away and proceeded to call for medical aid.
He was relieved when someone finally answered.
"Are you sure the doctor is coming, Miss? Listen, we have an unconscious woman here and I just want to know how long he'll take to get here?"
Franco was satisfied with his call and proceeded to go back to his room to check if his nemesis was okay. Relief struck him when he saw Sarita standing in front of him, looking rather nervous and… of course angry. The usual.
"You're awake." he sighed.
His relief soon turned to shock when she ran at him and began to hit him with all the strength she could muster. He held her down by grabbing her fists and then holding her to him to ease her fury.
"Sarita, calm down!" he shouted, incredibly surprised from her lack of gratitude. "Why must you keep hitting me?"
"You fucking creep!" she screamed. "What did you do to me?"
She still kept trying to attack him, but Franco's hold on her remained strong. All the while he tried to restrain her, he thought back on what she just said.
"What are you referring to?"
"I woke up in your bed almost naked!" she cried, fighting to escape him. "What do you want me to think? You raped me!"
Franco let go of his strong hold on her, repulsed by her accusation.
"What the fuck are you on about?" he yelled at her. "The fall made you crazy or what?"
She staggered back, tears streaming down her flustered cheeks as she clutched on the front her borrowed white bathrobe. Crazed with fury, Sarita started attacking him again.
"You abused me! Fucking bastard!"
He grabbed her wrists and forcefully pushed her back. Eva and Quintina appeared, both are trying to comfort the crazed and frazzled woman. They both informed her that she was untouched and safe. Sarita continues clutching on the front of her bathrobe.
Franco was seething at her accusations. How could he ever? This woman is insane!
"You wish!" he spat at her, venomously glaring her down. "I never would abuse such an ugly, graceless woman like you!"
Sarita turned her tearing eyes to Eva and demanded her clothes. Franco just glared at her in disgust as she snatched her belongings and hurried off to get dressed. He then ordered Quintina to help that stubborn mess.
Eva stood perfectly still, staring at an angry Franco with tremendous worry.
"You are in big trouble now", Eva warns.
Franco wipes at his brow, angry and drained by the feral Sarita Elizondo.
So it begins... stay tuned! I'm so happy!