AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s the issue?” I ask as I take the pour of whiskey my father hands me.
“Your father is going to send us into the fucking fire,” Felix snaps.
I roll my eyes. Since we share both the same mother and father, he’s Felix’s father as well. He’s onlymyfather when Felix doesn’t agree with him.
“Bring your enemies closer. Augusto Reyes unwatched is dangerous.” My father argues with Felix. He returns his attention to me. “We may have an answer for your problem, Isa Ortiz. She’s one of Augusto’s daughters. You remember Ignacio Ortiz?”
I nod. Ortiz tried desperately for years to be a player in the cocaine trade. He never succeeded before his death.
“They were married for several years before his death almost a year ago. She never had a child. Isa told her father she’s mourned her husband and is now ready for a new one to have the family she wants. This will solve your problem and hers.”
“While putting us in bed with a fucking psycho,” Felix mutters as he shakes his head.
I consider the offer. I’ve seen her at Ignacio’s home a few times, but we were never introduced. She is pretty enough, and she has the curves I prefer. If she is interested in marriage, I’m not going to turn the offer down.
Since Blanca’s death while giving birth three months ago, my mother has taken care of the children. I had no intention of remarrying. However, my mother was diagnosed with skin cancer last week. At this stage, she will need surgery alone. Even if it is just surgery, her illness and the time she needs to recover from surgery make it clear a new wife and mother is required for the children.
My own preference of not marrying needs to be set aside to fulfill the promise made to Blanca. Our children would never suffer the effect of having a father unable to love them the way she did. By not marrying to avoid dealing with the emotions marriage is hopelessly tangled with, I was not keeping my promise. If Isa Ortiz wanted children, she will likely at least be kind to stepchildren.
I do not feel empathy or what I call soft feelings like love or concern, or even fear. People call me a psychopath. I have no problem with the word. However, it is not an accurate word for my condition. Augusto Reyes is a psychopath. He heads the Reyes cartel out of Guadalajara, Mexico. The man enjoys inflicting pain and misery to not only his enemies but among his own children and women he fucks.
Rumor is he’s killed at least two of his sons. The facts are he’s killed four sons and his brother. He’s grown his business to be one of the largest cocaine distributers in North America and third to us in the world. We are the biggest worldwide—not just North America. We don’t distribute to the masses. Our sales are by the hundreds of kilos—although most of our sales are by the ton. For years, we battled with Reyes until he figured out he could never win and decided to accept an uneasy peace with us.
Marrying into an alliance with Reyes is the equivalent of handling a venomous snake. Now I understand what Felix is doing here. “As long as she is fine with raising another woman’s children, I’ll take her.”
Felix snorts. “You can’t trust her, you know that?”
“I trust no one, not even you,” I remind him.
Closing his eyes, he shakes his head.
My father runs a hand over his face. “Not this again. Are you sure the nanny won’t do?”
Both parents suggested the nanny my mother has as a helper for a wife. The nanny was warned she was under constant surveillance yet still handled the children roughly. While she cared for the three-month-old Elias, she was visibly annoyed with Ofelia who was four and Luisa who was three. “No. She’s not gentle enough with the children. Blanca would be displeased if the woman became their mother.”
He nods. “You’ll travel to Guadalajara tomorrow. Meet the girl to confirm she’s what you want. Then bring her back for the ceremony here in Medellin. Your mother is adamant it’s a church wedding. She’s convinced your wife’s death is because you two married in the judge’s office.” He rolls his eyes. “Now to discuss what you will offer for the woman.”
* * *
Manuel
Isa is fearful of me. Most women are afraid of me. Most intelligent men are too. She is pretty enough with the curves I remember. My cock doesn’t stir for her. I’m beginning to wonder if it will again. I refuse to consider it’s due to a girl I can’t have.
This woman, despite her fear, is perfect. She wants marriage and children, no mention of love is necessary for her. Hell, maybe the fear is better because the thought of touching her appeals less and less the more I think of it. I tried settling her fears when we met yesterday. However, she seems almost more afraid than before.
I shrug off her fear. Once we’re married, she will find I will not treat her poorly—as long as she treats the children well. Discussing the ceremony my mother wants to have for our wedding, I’m cut off by Isa apologizing and nearly running from the table.
Looking to Augusto Reyes, I study him. “She is not acting like a woman who cannot wait to be married and take care of the children she always longed for. Is it me or marriage Isa does not want? I told you that I do not want a woman who is unwilling.”
Marriages to unwilling girls happened often in the underworld. My family and I do not accept them. My grandfather decreed women were to be valued and treated as valuable as they are to a man. We are a strictly cocaine and weapons as product cartel. We do not traffic in human cargo, brothels or work in sexploitation.
A wife will turn my house into a home, and a man into a king, per my grandfather, but only if she wants to. No woman who starts as unwilling becomes willing without work.
With my inability to care for her, it would not be a case of me working hard enough. If I cannot give her what she needs from the beginning, it will be a complete disaster. It’s the only reason I’m here and not talking to Richie Angelo.
Augusto shakes his head. “Isa is simply feeling guilty for marrying again so soon after Ignacio’s death. She said earlier she’s happy with your marriage. I’m going to check on her. Silly woman.”
The next day I wake up to find Isa is gone. Augusto lied to me. When someone lies to me, the disrespect is deep. I leave Augusto alive but only because if I killed him the way I wanted. I’d be dead myself five seconds later. And now that Isa is not an option—I can go after who I really want.
