Say Yes, Senator

“Shut up. Stop whining like a little bitch. Just shut up and deal with what your father is doing to you!” Juan was growling, right up at my face and I glared back at him. Tears were streaming down my eyes and it felt like every inch of my body was hurting, every cell in my body was on fire. If I could inch just a little closer to him, then I’d rip his veins out with just my teeth.

“Be a good girl, and I might just initiate you into the business myself. Believe me, you can’t ask for a better first, then me,” he said and his face stretched in a smile again. I spat at him, the spittle landing straight on his cheek and with one forefinger, he wiped it off his face.

He punched me, this time toppling me and the chair over and I was on the floor once again. Just then, we heard a sudden uproar outside. My breathing quickened. Something was going on outside. I didn’t have to look at Juan to know that he heard it too.

“It’ll just have to wait then. Don’t go anywhere,” he said and still laughing, I heard the crunching sounds of his shoes as he walked away from me and out of the door.

I was alone once again, and I tried to concentrate on the sounds outside. My heart was beating fast, and I couldn’t stop imagining that it was King. That he had found me. I was going to be safe.

Chapter 17

King

We had charged into the bar, just the three of us and I’d said a silent prayer before we entered. Chances were that we were going to be outnumbered. I prayed to God to keep my brothers alive and for me to find Valentina and get her to safety.

I was carrying, as were Commando and Girth, and when we first entered the dingy bar, we didn’t need to use our guns straight away. We used our elbows and our knuckles instead.

I punched, and I could hear my brothers doing the same behind me. Muerte Viviente members came charging towards us, but we were better trained, and I was on a mission. I needed to know where they were holding Valentina. I twisted arms and punched guts, and gang members went flying, falling to the floor holding their stomachs. I was leaving a clear path for my brothers to follow as I edged towards the back door.

“Where is she? Where is Valentina?” I growled as another guy came at me. I socked him out straight with a punch to his jaw, and in the same moment, I slid my gun out from my belt and pointed it at the group that was making its way towards me.

“Where the fuck is she?” I growled, and they stood back. I couldn’t see any of them carrying; they weren’t prepared.

Just then, the back door opened and the man of the hour stepped out. Juan clapped his hands in slow motion when he saw me standing there, pointing my gun at a group of his men.

I hadn’t laid eyes on him in ten years, but there wasn’t much that had changed about him. He was still his slimy self, and just one look at him made my blood curdle.

“You’ve grown up, Jesus. Almost a man,” he said, with a sickly smile stretching his lips. Behind me, I could hear Commando and Girth fighting still. They hadn’t stopped throwing punches yet and were keeping the others in check. However, most of the bar had fallen silent now. Everyone’s eyes were trained on Juan and me.

“Can’t say the same about you, Juan,” I hissed at him. My eyes were bloodshot; my muscles were taught in my neck. He erupted in a forced laugh and clapped again.

“Jesus Moreno. Always the one with the sense of humor. How are you brother?” he said and stepped towards me, but stopped when he heard the click of my gun.

“Where did you take Valentina?” I barked at him, and he widened his eyes like I had said something shocking.

“Since when do you care about Valentina Luis, my brother?”

“I’m not your fucking brother. I have nothing to do with you!”

“But Jesus…after what Romero did to all of us? What do you care what happens to his silly daughter?” he continued, and I clenched my jaw, gripping my gun a little tighter in my hands. Juan was glaring at me, trying to peer into my soul through my eyes.

“Unless…wait, brother are you fucking that booty?” he asked and clutched his belly as he broke into another laugh. I couldn’t stand him talking about Valentina like that, but I needed to know where she was.

“Where is she?” I ignored his questions.

“You are! You’re scoring that pussy! Since when? Does Romero know that you’ve been sticking your dick in his daughter all these years?” Juan continued to laugh, and I growled and charged towards him.

Juan backed up, with his hands up in the air. My eyes shifted to the door he came out of.

“If you kill me now, brother, you will never know where she is. She’s just going to rot away, and you’ll spend your life looking for her,” he said, and I stopped in my tracks.

I knew he was lying. There was no place that he could have possibly hidden her that I wouldn’t be able to get to. But time was of the essence, and I needed to find her before she gave up.

“Where have you kept her?” I hissed, closer to him now and he smiled some more.

“Or what? Little Jesus Moreno…” he said and smoothened the top of his greasy hair with a hand.

“Are you going to shoot me? You’re never going to shoot me, brother. Not after everything we’ve been through,” he said, and for the first time in my life, I could feel the gun shaking in my hand.