Chapter 19 California Dream
"Do it and notify me as soon as you can verify passengers. Send me a list of all his businesses and what they are. I'll be back at the houses in thirty minutes I want aerial views of all his holdings so start searching for them." I disconnected as a plan was forming in my brain. I drove in my zone all the way back to the houses and spent the next three hours; after laughingly surviving an ambush by Mario, Ramon, Chester and Gino with loaded LSAT's, who I hadn't told I would be in the house, while I watched them to see how they would respond; searching through aerial photographs, figuring out where his active cocaine fields were.
I was going to burn him to the ground, blow up his mines, his planes, ships, destroy his businesses and ruin him before I torture and kill him. I would take him apart piece by piece and show all my enemies that if they threaten what's mine, nothing and nowhere is safe from me. I was sending a message that would ricochet around the world.
Skylar had texted me dinner reservations for my family for the next three nights and I forwarded the information on to them. I invited them to join me at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian Steakhouse that had a private party room which could hold up to 100 people. I knew my mother could cook for us and I needed to talk to her about plans for meals the rest of the week. I wanted her to relax some too and not spend all her free time in the kitchen.
My men sent me updates of delays throughout the day. Specifically, that Oshanna and Angelia got 'turned around' on the boardwalk at the Santa Monica stop and the whole group was delayed thirty minutes, showing up with new sunglasses. Then again at the Hollywood sign they got 'lost' and they were delayed another twenty minutes, coming back each carrying a bag of souvenirs.
I hadn't given orders for the men to keep them on schedule, but Lester knew better, it was one reason why I assigned him to Oshanna because he knows how she is. Of course, Oshanna and Angelia together were a force even for my men to reckon with, and they were out in very public places where you couldn't just grab them and force them to go when and where you wanted them to go. After the second time the tour guide stuck with them, while flirting with Lester and Woody, and made sure they got back to the bus on schedule.
I spent my day looking at all the aerial photographs of Sergio's buildings and lands; getting the longitude and latitude of each and marking them all on countrywide maps. I said I was going to do this alone but now I realized I would need a team, and not a team of Rangemen. It wasn't that I didn't trust them completely, we protected and secured at RangeMan and this was a mission of destruction and revenge.
I wanted to hit him fast and hard. Four two-man teams could do the job. I started to put feelers out amongst international mercenaries. Men I had known and worked with, who would get great pleasure out of taking down this drug lord, but who had no ties to me or my business. Seeing who was available and wanted to help me do the job. Like me they were all opportunists and would do it for the money. But I also got their personal acknowledgements, their sworn word, pledges that they would keep this quiet for me.
Whoever went would need equipment and a way to get everything across international borders. I could take the Concorde but it would announce our arrival before we got there. Still it was fast and could carry all the men and equipment I required. I contacted Gunit, a private 'party' planner. If it shot, exploded or blew something up he could get it for you. Anything short of a drone or ground to air missiles he could get; and he could probably get you one of those as long as you didn't mind the Czech or Arabic instruction manual. If I gave him enough notice he could get me a plane too.
My family would be loaded on a week-long cruise this Saturday. I could return to the mainland, gather everyone and all the required equipment. Fly to Colombia and start dropping off teams. Give each team twenty-four hours to destroy everything and hit Sergio up Sunday night before he leaves Venezuela. It will be easier to take him out when he is off his major compound. At 14:00 my watch beeped and I started putting it all away.
When I arrived back at LA Tours there were still two and a half hours till our dinner reservations. I called the restaurant to verify our reservations and discuss seating. I explained that there were two groups all arriving together and that one group of twenty would be eating together and one group of twenty-seven would be eating together. I asked if they had long tables and requested two long tables with five men on each side set up near the doors and four round tables of eight for the families.
I requested eleven orders of spinach dip and empanadas; one for each round table and three each for the long tables; to be served at 6:05. I requested the buffet to be ready at 6:15, gave her my credit card information and told her part of the group would be there by 6:00 and the rest of the group would be coming shortly thereafter.
I was waiting in the LA Tours office when they trooped in, my men looking as alert as ever. Stephanie looked extremely happy, carrying a small bag; Julio, Oshanna and Angelia all with bags of stuff by their sides.
"Did you have fun Babe?" I asked her.
"Yes, so much fun. We got to go all over LA. I got two t-shirts and saw more big mansions than I knew could exist in one place. We got to see Halle Berry's, Tom Cruise's and Bruce Willis' Houses. We even got to see where Michael Jackson and Elvis use to live. But the Santa Monica pier was like Point Pleasant only twice as big and Oshanna and Julio have figured out places they want to go tomorrow night, well actually tonight after the Observatory. Well, they want to skip the observatory and go out tonight." She was chattering endlessly and I was enjoying getting all the dirt knowing she would run out in a few minutes.
I gathered everyone together. "We have a couple of hours before dinner. Is there any place special you want to go?"
"Madame Tussaud's Hollywood." Oshanna said as if she had been planning it. I inwardly rolled my eyes and cursed myself for coming so early to meet them.
"Wouldn't you rather go shopping somewhere?" I heard myself asking. "Or the Guinness World Records Museum?"
"No, I looked it up online, we can get our pictures with all our favorite celebrities and I got coupons for 50% off." She handed me twenty coupons and I smiled inside. My little sister could still be cute when she wasn't being a big pain in the ass. She was only five when I left for Miami, nine when I came back to go to college and was still sweet and cute when I left at twenty to go join the Army.
When I came back with a pregnant Rachel, she was starting to be a pain. Telling me that it was great I came home because now we could have a party, but she couldn't wait for me to leave again because I stress Mama and Papa out and make Mama cry. Mama would tell me how each of my siblings were doing when I called to say I was alive, reminding me how old everyone was and what grade they were in now.
Mama had tried to get me to come home for every major family event. If she could have she would have talked me into attending every High School graduation, Isabella's wedding, Easters, Christmases, and the births of Becky and Maggie, but the truth is that I wasn't that fourteen-year-old boy attached to his Mama anymore. I was a hardened soldier who had seen the ugliness of war and the dark side of humanity and didn't want my family to see it reflected back in me.
I know sending me away was a hard decision for my parents, they wanted to keep me away from the gangs and knew as long as I lived in Newark they would never leave me alone. But the separation had put a chasm in my relationships with my siblings and my parents that I didn't think I would ever be able to close up again.
"Everyone load up we're heading to Madame Tussaud's Hollywood." I told the group and took Stephanie's hand, leading her back to the SUVs. I beeped ours open and helped her inside handing the keys to Marc so he could drive.
Oshanna came up to me, "You never sent me a list of activities to do tonight but after that tour there are several places I want to go." She told me.
"Ok, send them to me and I will review them and get back to you."
"No, Carlos. We are safe here and I want to go experience some of the night life. Nobody knows where we are and I want to go to Tar and Roses and get one of their famous hamburgers and then go have drinks on the roof at The Penthouse." She frowned.
"If they found us on the island they could find us anywhere. I will check them out and get back to you." I explained.
She pouted at me. "Oshanna, I will let you do as much as possible but this trip is not just to have fun. This trip is all about getting you out of danger and keeping you safe and no matter what that is my top priority." She nodded to me, mumbled "Okay" and went and got into her SUV.
Three blocks away Woody, in the last SUV, sent a text of being followed by a dark blue Ford with two passengers and to take evasive action. Each SUV peeled off going in different directions, watching for the tail. Woody reported that the tail was still following them and they were having problems shaking it. I gave them directions to a large mall parking lot half a mile away and told them where to park.
I left Stephanie in the car with Tiger while Marc and I took positions up behind another parked SUV. Minutes later Dillon came into view and parked where I had told him too. The dark blue car was right behind them and pulled in two spaces down. I couldn't see what they had but it looked like both people pulled out something and was holding it up to the SUV.
With one hand motion to Marc we were crouched down moving to the car. I took the driver's side and in a split second had the door open, the occupant yanked out, spun around, and pressed her front to the car with her hand, holding a phone, pinned behind her back.
"What are you doing following us?" I demanded from the twenty something girl I had ripped out of the car.
"Nothing," she stammered, "nothing. We just wanted to get pictures." I spun her back around removing her phone from her hand and she was practically crying. "We didn't mean any harm. We saw all the men in black and knew you were guarding someone famous. We just wanted to get pictures." I looked at the last three pictures; deleting them as I went. She had captured Angelia coming around and getting into the SUV with Bobby and Woody.
"Let me see your ID." I demanded and she pointed to a tan purse in the floor by the center consol. I pushed her to the back of the car before opening the door all the way and ducking inside. I pulled out a green wallet and read her name. "Cassie, you're from Michigan. What are you doing here in LA?"
"Shannon and I just graduated from Michigan State. So we came on a vacation to see California before we had to hunker down and look for jobs."
I could see her Michigan State ID clearly in the wallet and sighed to myself. "Just because you see a security detail doesn't mean the person is famous. They could be drug dealers or the Mob. No matter what, no security detail is going to take to being followed. Next time they might just shoot you and walk away. So when you see a security detail you need to stay away, they will give their lives to protect their clients and will take yours if they think you are a threat. Do you understand me?" I gave her a hostile look and she shrank back in response. I handed her the wallet and signaled Marc to leave.
I walked over to Dillon who had been driving and he rolled down his window. "They were tourists from Michigan, wanting pictures. You need to retake offensive driving and Woody is to do all the driving from now on."
"Yes Sir." was his only reply. Then he got out and walked around the SUV.
I returned to our SUV with Marc, texting everyone that it was a false alarm just two tourists that wanted pictures of the big star we were supposedly protecting. This was one aspect of a large security detail in LA that I hadn't calculated in. People mobbing us or following us because they think we are protecting someone famous.
We finally got to Madame Tussaud's Hollywood a few blocks later and all went inside. I led the way with Stephanie, Tiger and Marc taking pictures of her with many famous people. Lady Gaga, Forest Gump, Audrey Hepburn and all the Marvel comic characters where she posed giving Thor a kiss on his cheek. Guess I know where he stands in her fantasy lineup, and what I have to live up to. There was nothing I could do about the blonde hair but I was pretty sure I could work with the hammer.
I tried to pretend I didn't see my men taking pictures for Oshanna and Angelia and several of them posing with some famous people themselves, mainly Lady Gaga, Marilyn Monroe and Selena Quintanilla. I even managed to pretend like I didn't notice Lester posing in compromising positions with each woman. We were basically safe in here, nowhere for the bad guys to hide. I could let slide a little fun admitting I could whip them into shape at a moment's notice and knowing the minds of a soldier: a little bit of fun here and there relieves the constant stress of a long protection detail.
At 17:30 I signaled for the team to wrap it up and return to the vehicles. We got to Fogo de Chao at five minutes till six and were led into a side banquet room. I instructed my men to sit at the long tables and told them appetizers were already ordered. Our waiter came in bringing water pitchers and filling glasses for every seat at every table. I ordered several bottles of wine but let the servers know the adults could order any drinks they liked.
I texted Erik for the ETA of their group and almost immediately got a text that they were en route, approximately ten minutes out. Servers came out in waves with large trays and brought the food out filling a lavish buffet. Dinner went well once the food started coming and the family started lining up along the front of the buffet. They especially enjoyed the two servers carving fresh meat for them as they went through the lines. It only took fifteen minutes before everyone was seated again with a meal in front of them.
Everyone proclaimed the food to be wonderful and people who liked spicy foods declared it mouth burningly great. The wine flowed freely amongst my family and since no one was driving I let it. I asked for the check and Stephanie pouted when she realized she wasn't getting any dessert. "Too many people Babe, and too many kids. We have an eight o'clock appointment at the observatory, there is not enough time for them to make fifty desserts. But hang in there and we will stop at a bakery or store on the way home and get you something."
"But I saw something here that I've never had before." She explained. I called the head waitress back over and put in Stephanie's order to go and gave her my credit card. Stephanie is mostly easy going and easy to please. But she is high maintenance when it comes to her food, specifically her desserts. Ten minutes later the waitress returned with a small white paper bag, my card, and the receipt.
I stood up. "I hope everyone had a nice dinner. We have eight o'clock reservations at the Griffith Observatory. If everyone would get to their SUV it's time to go." I informed my family.
Everyone began standing, collecting up their things, finishing glasses of wine while my men lined up on both sides of the door to wait for their charges. I got Stephanie and led her over to the table with my men. I nodded to Marc and Tiger and we headed out. I wanted everyone and everything to run with military precision, but I knew some of my family tended to dawdle and I wasn't going to be late just because they couldn't get up and leave on time.
The rest of the night went smoothly. Everyone made the tour, even though Lester informed me that Oshanna and Julio tried to talk them into going out for drinks. We learned about our sun, the stars we can see and the planets in our galaxy, saw a movie about the formation of the universe, earth, the stars and the thousands of galaxies we know of. It was very informative and at 9:30 many of the kids were up way past their bedtimes so we loaded up to head back to the houses.
Two blocks away I got a text that Julio had called an Uber and Oshanna wanted to go out with him. I texted them that Julio can do what he wants but Oshanna had to come back to the houses with the rest of the family. Minutes later my phone was blowing up with my sister's name on the screen. I answered my phone.
"What?"
"I want to go with Julio. You said we could go out." Oshanna whined at me.
"Julio is not in any danger. He can go where he pleases. You are coming home tonight. I told you I would take you out but I am going to check out the places first and we will have a full security detail when we go."
"But Carlos" she started to whine louder and I hung up my phone. It started blowing up again moments later but I just sent it to voicemail. Her guards would get her home and I didn't care what Julio did but I sent him a quick text.
'You can do what you like but you can't endanger the women. Oshanna can't go tonight. I will take her out another night."
'Chill Bro. Just going for a few drinks."
'If you go you are gone for the night. No coming back to the houses. Only my men can drive you to and from the safe houses." To this text I did not receive a reply. That little puta better not find a date and try to bring her back to the houses, I will string him up a pole. Certainly, he will want more privacy and will take them somewhere else, I'm almost sure of it. (bitch)
Once we got home I led Stephanie in the house, past Chester who was waiting for us in the kitchen and up to our room. Before she headed into the shower I gave her the box with the pink negligee and she looked at it dubiously.
"Babe, I know you only feel comfortable sleeping in something and I want to give you something sexy and soft to sleep in. It even comes with a robe, open it." I encouraged.
She slowly unwrapped the box and lifted the soft pink creation up out of the tissue paper. "Put it on after our shower." I encouraged and she laid it back into the box. After our shower, I got dried fast, brushed my teeth and climbed on top of the covers in all my glory so I could watch her put on the negligee and she could watch me react. She came out of the bathroom shyly, still not use to being naked in front of me, wrapped tightly in a towel after using another one to mostly dry her hair.
She picked up the box and disappeared back into the bathroom coming out a few minutes later with the thigh high robe tied tightly around her. I didn't say anything to her as she walked around the room getting her toiletries bag. She left the bathroom door open as she removed her make-up, applied moisturizer, brushed, flossed, brushed her mostly dry hair and I got harder as I watched her in the bathroom, the hem repeatedly riding up her thighs every time she leaned in to look at herself closely in the mirror.
I had gotten her off in the shower but I waited, wanting to see and feel her next to my erection. Damn, it was becoming painful just thinking about it. She came out of the bathroom and blushed as she looked at me realizing I was in a state.
"Babe."
"Carlos," she looked over at me as she put her bag away. "Waiting for something?" She smirked.
"Just watching. I like that on you." I told her as I waved to my very tall erection.
"Oooo, looks painful. Like you need to do something about that."
"Come closer," I quirked my finger at her. "I know the cure."
"Oh no, I know your cure and if you think I'm getting anywhere near that thing you're dreaming. Where are my sweats?" she teased as she bent over to pick her pre-shower clothes up off the floor.
In a flash, I was up behind her, spinning her around and knocking the clothes back to the floor, I took her into my arms, and reached for her lips with mine. She relaxed into my arms and kissed me back enthusiastically as I kissed her senseless. In a moment, I had the robe off and was walking her backwards towards the bed, my full erection under her nightie pressing against the silk and lace scrap of underwear.
I picked her up and laid her out on the bed as she smiled widely at me. I knew she had been traipsing around the room to tease me but I didn't want to wait any longer to be inside her. I laid down on her pinning her in place and she grunted quietly under my weight. I kissed her and kissed her; feeling her wiggle and squirm against me as I held her underneath me.
I finally released her mouth and moved down kissing behind her ear, down the left side of her neck to the tiny strap of the dress. I kissed her there and then worked both straps down to expose her. I licked and kissed my way as I exposed her skin, down to her tight perky breasts and placed tender kisses on them, taking each nipple into my mouth and sucking on it greedily, while listening to her moans and cries.
I lifted my head up to watch her wide eyes watching me as I lifted her up and pulled the silk and lace negligee off. Then I moved down her body, kissing every inch and dipping my tongue into her belly button before I kissed all over her belly, slowly making my way down to the promised land. When I finally settled myself between her legs, I carefully peeled her panties off, knowing she wouldn't want me to rip them the first time. I breathed heavily on her core, then took a tentative lick or two.
"Ranger" she demanded, reaching down with her hands to guide me. I caught her hands and put them on either side of her knowing I was going to take this at my own speed. Finally, I delved between her legs and her nub, still tender from my ministrations in the shower, pulled away. I kissed around it in a circle and licked at her lips warming her back up, then I dove into her hole licking and sucking at it and stroking it.
Her cries changed getting deeper. "Carlos." She cried and I moved back up to her nub working it with my tongue around and around, then stabbing at it; her hands claimed the back of my head as she arched her hips up towards my mouth. I started suckling at it gently, sliding two fingers into her and stroking her up higher and higher till she arched off the bed crying out, tensing up underneath me. I licked her juices up as always and spread out next to her as she lay their unfocused and relaxed.
"Babe" I told her as I took her in my arms and pulled her to me kissing her deeply. I needed her but I wanted to see her on top of me. I kissed her for long moments and then rolled onto my back pulling her on top of me. She straddled my stomach sitting back and smiled down at me. She laid on top of me kissing me again. Finally, she sat up and slid down till my cock was standing up hard pressed between her butt cheeks. I needed her, ached to be inside her and tonight I wanted her to ride me. I wanted to feel her thighs tighten around me as she worked herself up and down on me.
We had done this in Hawaii several times. First on the big bed where she aggressively climbed on top and rode me till she collapsed. Once again on the beach, in an attempt to avoid getting sand in her hair. It was this second time with her hand placed firmly on my chest that she went up and down and up and down, the sun blazing behind her, until she clutched my chest and my dick as she convulsed around me. Even as I knew she would regret it I had quickly laid her out on the warm sand and was instantly back inside her. Finally, the infamous hot tub ride where she was so worn out she had collapsed on me and I had to carry her and lie her barely conscious form on the bed.
Now I waited patiently till she lifted herself up and slid down my unadorned dick. Fuck I had forgotten protection and I sure as hell wasn't going to stop her now as she went up and down repeatedly, clutching at my chest as she lifted and balanced herself, driving herself back down on top of me. My hands on each of her hips lifting her up and driving her back down, I enjoyed her riding me for several long moments, passion and determination on her beautiful face.
I could feel her building as she tightened around me and worked harder going up and down on top of me. Finally, she cried out and convulsed around my rock-hard dick and while I wanted to join her I wasn't quite there and I wasn't going to cum inside her unprotected. As much as I enjoyed her being on top she never lasted long enough for me to get there. I smoothly flipped us over and withdrew, leaning over to get a condom out of the night stand drawer and slid it on, her heavy, passion hooded eyes widened as she realized she had been riding me bare.
Now protected I plunged inside her still trembling core and started kissing her to bring her back around. Slowly she relaxed around me and I began to move. I needed her, to have her, to claim her and I slowly quickened my pace till I was driving into her almost wildly. Dios, I needed her more than air, needed to be one with her, needed to reaffirm that she was okay after a day away and that she was mine.
I drove into her over and over until her hands tightened on my arms, her legs clenched and she cried out, convulsing around me again. I pounded into her following her over the top, until I couldn't breathe and my body spurted over and over. I felt like we had joined as one and I slid down, resting across her body, burying my face into her neck and breathing her in deeply, my arms wrapping around her holding her to me.
Several minutes later she tapped my side and I lifted up off her. I discarded the condom and pulled her to lay on me, she wrapped her arm across my chest and threw her leg over mine. I was going to make her safe. I was going to leave a message that even to breathe a threat against her would bring about your destruction.
At 0347 my phone was blowing up; lit up and vibrating across the night stand. I grabbed it and answered it. "Talk."
"Sir, Julio is here with his date at the gate. We've told him he can't come in but he's drunk and he's out here yelling." I was getting dressed the minute he said Julio.
"Keep him there, open the gate so he'll stop yelling, but keep him there don't let him past the gate." I was running out the door, barefoot with my Glock in hand ready to beat some sense into my brother. I knew that he was going to cause problems; it had flitted through my thoughts when he first went out. But truly I hadn't actually expected this! Why would he come back to the houses when he could just get a nice hotel room in the city? It didn't make sense to me.
I ran out to the front gate of the first house and signaled my men to open the gate. I marched over to the gate of the second house where my men stood, LSATs in hand, blocking his entrance onto the property while he argued with them.
"Julio!" I barked as I came up from behind him and laughed as he jumped.
"Carlos, meet my friend Julia. We were going for a walk on the beach." He slurred to me.
"Julio, what did I tell you?"
"That I could go do whatever I wanted." He smugly answered back to me.
"And I texted you that you could not come back to the houses. That only my men can drive anyone to and from the houses. If someone was following you they could have followed your taxi straight here."
"Uber"
"Whatever the fuck it was, doesn't matter. You chose to leave the group you can't come back tonight I told you that."
"But I just paid for a forty-five-minute drive to come back here." He whined.
"And you should have put that money towards a hotel room because you don't get to come back here tonight."
"But we are already here." He said smugly.
"And you can't stay and you certainly can't bring anybody else here."
"Why not? She's no threat. She's not after my sisters." He insisted.
"Yeah, you can't keep him out just because you are his older bossy brother, besides where will he go for protection?" Julia said pointing to my chest even though she stood three feet away behind my brother.
I got in Julio's face. "I can keep you out because I'm older, bigger, and this is my party. These are my men they do what I say. I'm paying for this trip, I say who gets to go. I'm paying for these houses, I say who stays in them. I'm paying for the plane, I say who flies on it. As of right now you are out of the group. If you can't follow the simple rules I lay down, you can't stay on this trip with the family. I will have my men drive you where ever you want and you can find your own way back to Trenton."
"Bro, you can't do that to me. Mama said I could come-"
"But you agreed to follow the rules and you broke that agreement. You broke that trust so you are out."
"Caaarrrllooosss," he practically yelled, "you can't do this to me! I'm calling Mama right now." He lifted up his phone and started to scroll through it and I snatched it out of his hands.
"I gave you that phone, I'm taking it back NOW! Ryan."
"Yes Sir," He answered.
"Get an SUV and escort my brother anywhere he wants to go within an hour of here."
"I've got to get my stuff."
"Go buy new stuff, you have a credit card with a $1000 limit. You can get a hotel room, get clothes, and fly your ass home if you spend it wisely."
"But I need my razor, my toothbrush, my luggage."
"Buy whatever you need. If you fly back in the morning you can get away with a toothbrush and a change of clothes." If he'd ever been in the army he could do without the clothes.
"But I spent a bunch of money today on souvenirs, I don't have that much left."
"Fine, I'll raise your limit to $2000. That should get you home no problem." As I spoke, Ryan pulled up in a black Suburban with his window down waiting for instructions.
"Can I at least have my phone back?"
"No."
"Come on Carlos, how can I make hotel reservations?"
"Make them when you get there."
"But how can I find a hotel to tell him where to go?"
"Ryan has a phone he can find you a nice hotel on the beach."
"How can I make plane reservations without my laptop or phone."
"I'll have my men pack up your room and we will drop it off to you in the morning."
"But you took my phone in Jersey."
"Call me with your flight info." I pulled out a business card that had my handwritten new number on it. "I will have a man in Newark with your phone and debit cards. He will give you a ride where ever you want and collect your ID and credit card from you."
"Man, you're being cold Bro."
"No, I am keeping your family safe. Something you are not willing to do. If I was cold I would just drop you off in a third world country and wish you good luck."
"Fine," He huffed, "but I'm still telling mom and she is going to be mad at you."
I gave him my blank face and told Ryan to take them to a nice hotel on the beach. Make sure he can get a room for the night and leave him there.
Wednesday 05:30
My watch alarm beeped me awake and I got dressed to go for a run on the beach. Forty minutes later I stripped down to my shorts and did kata, a practiced set of movements in free-flowing forms for thirty minutes. Then I went upstairs to shower and got dressed for the day.
The girls' tour today wasn't starting till 09:00 so Steph had a little more time to sleep in as the meet up location for it wasn't as far away. At 07:00 I went downstairs to address my men. Unfortunately, there were only five of them in the kitchen area. Three that were cooking and two that were sitting at the table waiting. I sent a text instead. Meeting at 07:40 in the kitchen of the third house.
I jogged back upstairs to wake Stephanie up. I started kissing her lightly on her lips like sleeping beauty but she just slept through that. Then I tried peppering her face with kisses, but she just turned her face away from me. I started kissing down her neck. I knew I could just talk her awake or shake her awake but I wanted to see if I could kiss her awake.
After I kissed all the way down her neck and got to her shoulder I saw that something more dramatic was needed to wake this sleeping princess. I got on her pulse point and started mouthing it, and sucking on it and gently biting it and she started to stir. Then her arm came up to bat me away and as soon as it hit my chest, she startled awake and turned her head to see me.
"Oooh, sorry. What were you doing?" She questioned.
"Trying to wake you up with kisses but you don't wake that easily." I explained and then I quickly kissed her on her lips before she could turn away knowing she avoids mouth kissing till she has brushed her teeth. I pulled up my laptop while she got in the shower and started working through some of Sergio's financials that Hector had sent.
At 07:30 we went downstairs to see what was being cooked for breakfast. Mama and Leyla were at the stove cooking a bunch of eggs and pancakes with four pans all going at the same time. Stephanie took a stack of pancakes and after sitting down started slathering them in butter and syrup, while I made my plate of eggs and cut up fruit with another yogurt from the fridge. I made a second plate for her of eggs and a few slices of fruit off of the platter Abuela Rosa had been preparing.
I put my plate down next to her and set the second plate down in front of her. Now how to do this nicely with finesse that will have her accepting this from me? I noticed you didn't get any fruit or protein. Nope. You seemed to have missed the fruit platter and I got you some eggs. Nope. Babe don't you want something more nutritious than straight carbs with fat and sugar for breakfast? Triple hell no. In the end I said nothing.
I looked at my watch. "Babe I've got to go talk to my men, can you save my seat?" She just looked at me with a full mouth and nodded. I smiled back at her chipmunk impression and kissed her on the top of her head.
At 07:40 I addressed my men. "For anyone that doesn't know, Julio decided that he wanted to go out last night. I gave him permission to go, but told Oshanna she had to come back to here. I explicitly told Julio that if he went out he was not to come back. Honestly, I didn't think he knew the address but this morning he showed up at the gate with a girl, hollering to get in. I kicked him out, took his phone and had Ryan drive him to a motel. Zip and Zero I need you to pack up his room, specifically his laptop and take it all to him. He is flying home, or doing whatever he wants to do but he is not coming back on this trip with us. On a different note, I am taking Oshanna and Stephanie out on the town tonight. I don't know for certain where we are going. I'm still working on the details with my travel agent, anyone that wants to come as part of the protection detail text me today. Dismissed."
I went back to Stephanie and was pleased to see she had taken a couple bites of eggs and ate half of the fruit I got for her. I sat down and started eating. Just as I was finishing Oshanna came flying into the kitchen to cry at Mama. She wasn't actually crying but it was high pitched and very close. She looked back at me over her shoulder then she grabbed Mama's arm and started dragging her out of the kitchen with her left hand, her right hand firmly clutching her phone.
Damn, I didn't know how but I knew Julio had gotten hold of her and was starting trouble. I didn't want to wait for it to come to me. I excused myself from the table and followed them out of the dining room and found them in the library. I just leaned my right shoulder against the doorway, crossed my arms and listened. As soon as I walked in Oshanna stopped talking, but Mama was talking in rapid Spanish on the phone, listening raptly and then talking briefly again. I just waited until she was done. Several minutes later she took her ear from the phone and turned on me.
"Carlos, you told your brother that he could go out. But when he came back home, you wouldn't let him on the property, took his phone and told him he was off this trip?" At least she phrased it as a question, knowing from years of experience that Julio would tell the story from a slanted point of view.
"Mama, I told him he could go out and I only gave him one rule: that he couldn't come back last night. My men have to drive everybody to and from these houses, that's the only way to keep our location safe and secure. He came home in the middle of the night by Uber, with an unknown female companion."
"He says that no one told him he couldn't bring anyone back with him."
"He wasn't supposed to come back last night at all, much less bring some random girl back with him. He said before we left he would follow the rules I laid down, but he didn't. That's two separate unsecured people who now know the location of these safe houses. If I let him keep it up how many more people would know by the end of the week? We only got to stay on the island for two nights before we were found. How quickly will they find us if Julio's running around bringing anyone here? Or coming here in an unsecured vehicle that anyone can follow? Mama these houses only stay safe if nobody knows where we are. Everyone that Julio brings here increases our exposure and the likelihood of being discovered."
"But Carlos he said he didn't get that text, he says he only got the first one where you told him he could go out."
"Mama they were sent within minutes of each other. If he got one he got the other."
"But he said he never saw it." She explained.
"Mama those phones are our lines of communications. It is everybody's job to keep them close and keep up with what is happening to the family. Especially if they are going out and going to be away from the group."
"I think we need to go ask your father."
"Mom, this is my trip. I am doing this to keep the women in my life safe, not take my brother out to party. Notice I didn't try to curb his fun or say he couldn't go. I only told him he couldn't come back last night. He has a credit card on him that I'm paying for so he could get a hotel room. Besides if he was planning to pick up a random woman why bring her back to the family? I would have thought he would want to take her to a private hotel room."
"Mi'jo, he says he's sorry, that he didn't know."
"That's a load of crap Mama. I think half the reason he came back last night was because I told him he couldn't."
"No, he said he wanted to take her on a walk on the beach and then get romantic." She insisted. I didn't see it last night because I was too mad. There are miles of beach around, yet he drove her 45 minutes to this beach. He wanted a beach that showed big men in black with machine guns. I'm betting he told her his life was in danger too.
"Mama, let's just get Papa. I will get Julio's phone and we will see." As much as it aggravated me, Mama will usually side with Julio, but maybe in the face of his phone and Papa's logic, sanity will prevail and I will be free of that joda. Five minutes I was back downstairs with his phone, but with texts, unlike emails, there is no proof that they have been read. (pain in the ass)
"Papa, Mama, Oshanna," I addressed them all, "Julio proved last night that he doesn't care about the women in this family staying safe and he won't follow the rules I lay down. He brought two people to the safe houses last night after being told specifically to stay out all night and not come back. As a result, I have kicked him out of this group and sent him back home. Questions?"
"Carlos, what is at issue is that he says he never saw your text." Papa explained.
"Papa I have his phone right here, I sent him the first text at 9:17 and he responded and I immediately sent him the second text at 9:18. There is no way he didn't have his phone right there in his hand and see the second text."
"But he was on the phone with me I called him right after your first text and he never saw the second text," Oshanna announced. I scrolled through his incoming calls and sure enough there was one at 9:18 from Oshanna's phone.
"There is no way you can convince me he was gone for six hours and never looked at his phone again." I told the group.
"Carlos, it's not fair to cancel his vacation after one mistake, especially if he didn't know he's making it." Mama said.
"Mama, I'm not cancelling anything. I gave him more money and he can stay here in California and party all he wants. In fact, I'll give him even more money and pay for his hotel room and a flight home next week so he can stay in California till this is over. But I can't have him here endangering the family. This is not a vacation. This is a traveling safe house where I am providing entertainment to maintain everyone's sanity and make this as easy as possible. I allowed him to come and have paid his way even though he is not being threatened."
"But he wants to spend time with us. He wants to spend time with the family." Mama insisted.
"I want to believe that but he said it himself when we were picking the place, the babes and the bars are the best here. Now he can go and party as much as he likes, which is what he wants to do anyway. Besides if he wanted to spend time with the family he would not be going out picking up girls, he would have come back with us last night."
"No that's not true, he may want to party a little, but he really wants to be with the family. Now he knows better he won't endanger us again." Mama said. There was going to be no convincing her. Personally, I bet if I had made my hotel and flight deal directly to Julio he would have taken it. But I had taken his phone away and didn't even know what hotel Ryan took him to.
"Get Julio back on the line and let me talk to him directly." I said. Oshanna took her phone from Mama and pushed a few buttons.
"Hey. Yeah, we're still talking about it." She said into her phone. "Well he wants to talk to you." And then she put it on speaker phone and handed her phone to me.
"Julio look, you wanted to come to California for the bars and the babes. I'll make a deal with you. I'll pay for your hotel room till a week Friday and your flight home. That way you can have your vacation and not endanger the family."
"But I came on this vacation to be with the family." He whined at me. "I might want to have a little fun at night too but I want to spend my days with the family and I know you're not staying in LA for the next two weeks. I know you're going to be going other places and I want to go too. I want to stay with the family."
"But Julio I can't trust you to keep Mama or your sisters safe." Not to mention Julie and Stephanie. "These are supposed to be safe houses, but the only thing that makes them safe is if no one knows where they are and you brought two different people here last night and told who knows how many other people about the family and the situation."
"No Bro, I didn't tell anyone anything, just that I am out here on vacation."
"You told that girl last night, Julia, something because she said something about you needing protection." I insisted.
"Well, I might have told her I was staying somewhere that had armed guards for safety."
"and for some reason she seemed to think you needed protection too."
"Well of course if there are armed guards they are here to protect me too."
"If the family is attacked the guards will protect everyone, but no one is watching your back here. You've got to be on guard for yourself. Making sure no one is following you back to the family."
"I can do that. I'm on my guard watching all the time. I know they only threatened the women in the family but I have to be realistic. If they can't get any of them they could come after me and hurt me." Not that I could discount this, but I think they would use him to find us more than hurt him directly. Mentally I had my hand between my eyes, pinching my nose and squinting in aggravation.
"Fine, here's the deal. You spend your nights away from the family. You are never to come back to the safe houses again. When you meet up with the family it will be at special rendezvous points and you can't have any contact with the family for 20 minutes after you arrive to make sure you have not been followed. You stick with the group during the day but you go back to your hotel room at night. You tell no one you are here with your family. You are here on vacation by yourself. You know nobody else out here."
"Ok sure that sounds great, I can do that."
"Fine give me your hotel info and I will send someone over with your things."
All I wanted to do was strangle him, but if I could pay to keep him away from the family or at least the safe houses I would do it.
"Do you mind if I go see my son today? It's only like an hour and a half by transit to San Bernadino. I can't be this close to him and not visit."
"Sure but rent a car, it will be easier than taking the transit."
"Thanks Bro." and I disconnected the call. At least he would be away from the family today, and we would see about the rest of the week. I handed the phone back to Oshanna and started to walk out of the room but my mama was on her feet hugging me.
"I know he is a trial for you me'jo, but you did the right thing. As much as he drives you loco he is your brother. We want to stay together as a family through all of this."
"I know Mama." I told her as I hugged her back. I did it for her so she wouldn't get mad at me and drive me crazy on the rest of this trip. Whatever happens, I just have to make sure he doesn't put the family in danger again.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! They feed the muse! 😊 My work schedule has changed so I am going to start posting on Friday's instead of Mondays. The writing is going pretty well so there may be a few more bonus chapters posted here and there.
Oh, their first full day in LA and already Julio is causing problems. Did Ranger do the right thing trying to separate him from the family? Let me know what you think. Please read and review.
As always Big THANK YOU to my beta Sassysaint who add so much to my stories! 😊
Second Big THANK YOU to my sister, Jonelle. Who is giving my stories a thorough technical analysis (ie deep proof reading). Thank you for fixing all my many little mistakes.
Trenton & Miami Merry Men Assignments (33 Men)
Abuela Sanja – Vince, Ian
Abuela Rosa – Manuel, Gavin
Maria – Erik, Francis
Leyla – Hal, Tony
Angelia – Woody, Dillion
Isabella – Cal, Red
Oshanna – Lester, Sport
Rachel – Eddie, Pace
Julie – Junior, Scott
Stephanie – Ranger, Marc, Tiger
Extra's – Bobby, Ram, Zero, Zip
Night's – Chet, Chester, Gino, Mario, Ryan, Ramon, Billy, Cade, Simon