“I love you, husband,” she tells me.
“I love you too,” I tell her. Truthfully, I love her more than anything or anyone besides our children. She drifts off to sleep while I rub her back. I’m wide awake.
Change is coming and it’s coming fast. It weighs on my mind and my heart.
I’ll do anything to prevent our little family from being casualties in what is sure to be a war.
Absolutely anything.
Chapter Three
Chassie
“Hello, familia.” I roll my eyes at the annoying voice of my mother in law. I sit silent as her fakeness permeates the house. She always walks in here like this, pretending she gives a shit about all of us when she is unsure of who is home. Her attitude changes drastically when she knows it is just me. She walks into the kitchen where I am making lunch for the kids and looks around trying to see if someone else is home. I know the minute she figures out we are alone. Her face goes back to being cold and she sneers at me. “Where the hell is my son?” she asks, placing her purse on my counter.
“Out,” I answer, doing my best to ignore her and not give her the satisfaction of knowing she gets to me.
“I think you have gotten too comfortable in your position, you little bitch. If it weren’t for the fact that you have given my son his children and kept our bloodline running, I would have gotten rid of you already. It’s not too late,” she says, her voice low and ominous to make sure none of the servants are here. “Look at me when I am talking to you, Cuatrera. '' She slams her hand on the counter, calling me trash in Cuban and I grind my teeth. Everything in me wants to curse her out and lay her out and remind her who I am, but for the sake of my babies and what Milo and I are trying to accomplish, I have to keep my cool. Plus, my kids love their abuela, as they so fondly call her and despite how despicable she is and how much I hate her, she is a great grandmother to them.
I take a deep breath and look at her, making sure my expression is as cool as her heart. “That’s better,” she says, running her finger along my counter. I watch her as she walks slowly around it, coming toward me. The knife in my hand is tightened as I prepare for anything. “You know, I don’t like how much my son has changed since he started fucking you, Puta.'' She refuses to acknowledge we are married when he isn’t around. “He seems far less interested in the family business and don’t think it has gone unnoticed.'' She is standing with her nose to mine and I don’t move my eyes from hers for one second. “I will kill you before I let you take my son from me.'' Her eyes are dark and stormy, finally showing me the real extent of her hatred from me. I have one hand on my stomach, calming my son who is actively kicking me, responding to the anxiety I am feeling. Her eyes follow my hands movement and I watch as her eyes become once again shaded and cooled. Seeing evidence of her family's vitality inside of me must have shaken her again.
I exhale quietly as she moves away from me, walking toward the door. she is almost out when she turns and faces me. “Don’t even think of mentioning this to my son or trying to take those kids from me.” My gut churns when she refers to my children as hers. The rage boiling inside of me is reaching a point of no simmer and I am scared of what will happen the day I can no longer take her threats and not act.
“What is going on in here?” Milo’s voice penetrates the fog of tension and rage in the room, and I feel my hand tremble as I release the grip on the knife. I know he doesn’t miss it because he looks me over really quick before turning to his mother.
“Nothing hijo. Just exchanging pleasantries.” She walks out and I sag against the counter. He walks over to me and pulls me into his arms, knowing nothing calms me like his touch and being in his embrace.
“Are you ok?” he pushes me back from him and looks at me more thoroughly.
“Yes. I am fine. You know her usual threats. But something about it was more… something,” I say trying to define the change from her normal threats. “She threatened to kill me, Milo.” My emotions overtake me, and I sob into his chest. This is the most afraid I have been since the first day I came here.