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“What are you talking about? You know I’m only here because—”
“To have a few drinks with me and that really shouldn’t be such a big deal, but you said it yourself, that caveman boyfriend of yours—”
“Watch your fucking mouth—”
“Gordo,” Xochitl stood up because Gordo looked ready to charge and she felt ready to spit. “I swear to you I had no idea about what he’d done to your family until this past weekend, and now this confirms what an absolute piece of shit he really is. He’s lying.”
Gordo turned to an obviously surprised and offended Rigo. If looks could kill Rigo would be on the ground outlined in chalk already. “Hey, hey, hey.” Rigo held up his hand to Gordo. “Don’t you think your family’s been through enough in the headlines? I mean it’s been one thing after another with you Morenos. She’s told me about it all and yes, she told me about your aunt’s indiscretion with that boxer way back, around the time your family was trying so hard to get me arrested. Just about the time whensomehowthe whole sordid story got leaked.” So reminiscent of his brother, Gordo turned to her with a glare so potent, it nearly took Xochitl’s breath away.
The bartender placed another martini and wine glass in front of them, eyeing Gordo. “Anything else I can get for you?”
“No, we’re good,” Rigo said, lifting the martini and tried handing it to Xochitl. “Here you go, sweetheart.”
Xochitl shook her head, feeling like her heart might just pound right out of her chest. “Get that fucking thing out of my face, you pathetic old bastard. I never told you anything and you know it.”
With his eyes going even harder than when she called him a piece of shit, Rigo continued to hold the drink out to her. “Of course, you did.” He turned to Gordo with a smirk. “She was just telling me about your cousin. The one that got expelled for doing the nasty with her boyfriend at school.” Rigo tsked, shaking his head, but still held the drink out to Xochitl as heart walloped wondering if this infuriating lie could be a coincidence and praying Gordo didn’t believe him. “Take it sweetheart. We’re celebrating, remember? Here.” He held it up, forcefully thrusting her way.
To her surprise, because she was certain Gordo would be as disgusted as he looked when he first arrived, he stepped in between them and got right in Rigo’s face. “She doesn’t want it.”
Rigo smirked, but even from behind Gordo’s big shoulder, Xochitl could see the unease in the man’s face. “Seriously, I don’t think you’re allowed to even be in here, kid.” He tried holding the drink out around Gordo and at Xochitl again. In the next instant Gordo slapped it out of Rigo’s hand, sending it flying across the bar. The moment Rigo stood up, an incensed Gordo reached out and grabbed him by the throat. Complete chaos ensued as Rigo attempted to wrestle Gordo off until management and mall security zeroed in. Less than thirty minutes later, to Xochitl’s horror, both Gordo and Rigo were sitting in the back seats of two separate squad cars in the parking lot. Officers questioned Xochitl who was in near hysterics at that point, and a few others who witnessed the altercation. “Gordo.” She shook her head remembering to use his real name. “Adamwasn’t drinking. He’d just walked in there when he saw me. He’s my boyfriend’s brother.”
“But that’s not his brother?” The young officer motioned to the car Rigo was sitting in before jotting something down in his notepad. “No, that’s my web designer.”
“Okay, so, you were having drinks with this guy.” He continued to jot everything down. “Mr. Moreno, your boyfriend’s brother saw you, got upset then—"
“No,” she shook her head adamantly. “It was a business meeting.” She explained quickly about her presentation, the changes on her website and then the bad blood between him and Lex’s family. “But I didn’t know anything about that until this weekend.” Xochitl realized she was rambling and probably not making any sense but for some stupid reason she wanted to make sure her explanation for all this, was documented. As if any orallof it might be read back to Lex later.
The moment she had a second to herself she pulled out her phone and sent Lex a text. She knew he was still in practice, but she wanted to make sure her text was the first one he saw when he was done. Though she kept it vague deleting it several times before reading back the only one she was satisfied with.
Call me as soon as you can. We need to talk.
Shaking her head, because that felt like the biggest understatement in the history ofthe world,she sent it. Then rushed off feeling completely panicked again as the squad car with Gordo still in it, drove off. “Officer,” she called out bolting to the nearest one still on the scene. “Where are they taking him?” He turned to look at the car she was pointing at. “He’s being arrested for assault. Enough witnesses attested to him being the one who assaulted Mr. De Moss, not the other way around.”
“No!” She clutched her chest. “But he didn’t; they just had words and then a little scuffle, but there was no assault.”
The officer shook his head. “They had enough say he did, so he’ll be booked and detained for a few hours. But he’ll be out before the end of the day since there were no weapons involved and Mr. De Moss wasn’t seriously injured.”
“Seriouslyinjured?” she asked, feeling her insides go from panicked to pissed as she turned toward Rigo who was already out of handcuffs and standing around mingling with the other officers. “It was a minor scuffle that was broken up before it even got started.”
“Well, he’ll have to take that up with the judge, once he gets a court date.”
Xochitl started toward Rigo, as a mixture of anger and dread overwhelmed her. “Are you seriously gonna press charges when he barely touched you?” He held up his hands and shook his head but before he could respond she went on. “Youegged him on, lied, and you knew exactly why he’d be so irritated with anything you said or did, you bastard.”
“First of all, that family needs to get their anger issues in check.”
“Oh, really? How would you handle being disrespected like you did his dad?”
“Second of all,” he said ignoring her question as he smirked. “I don’t have the time nor the inclination to be bothered driving down here to stand in court because that hot-headed little punk lost his shit. So, you don’t have to worry about the charges sticking. Only he could use a little eye opener. The way I see it, he and his parents should be thanking me. Maybe after a few hours of stewing behind bars, he’ll think twice the next time his punk ass loses his temper.” The smirk went even smugger. “But seems to me you got bigger things to worry about now than him being charged with anything, don’t you?”
Glaring at him, the relief of hearing him say he’d be dropping the charges was instantly snuffed when the dread of having to explain all this to Lex, seeped in. Without saying another word, she spun around toward the officer who’d explained about Gordo being arrested.
“Do you know where they took him?”
He stretched his lips looking a bit unsure. “Could be one of several detention centers in Orange County. Check online in a couple of hours. Once he’s booked, they’ll enter it in the inmate locater database.” Feeling completely helpless, she thanked him walking away toward her car. The knot in her throat that’d been building from the moment she heard Gordo’s voice at the bar today, doubled in size. This was an absolute nightmare. Just thinking about Lex’s reaction to all this was making her sick to her stomach. Just as she reached her car, she was assaulted with Lex’s angry words Saturday morning.
What pisses me off more is you keeping shit from me.Thankfully, she hadn’t even opened the door to her car when her completely knotted up stomach spewed up all her lunch right there in the parking lot. Then she dry-heaved a few more times, just before the tears she’d been holding back came in masse.
