Chills & Thrills: Three Novel Box Set (25 page)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ANTONIO SAT WITH JAVIER AT THE LOUNGE INSIDE THE 
Beverly Hills Hotel and reached for the fourth gin and tonic the waiter had brought to the table. Unable to find the courage to approach Marta and their son, he could only try to get as drunk as possible in order to avoid dealing with the painful situation.

"You might want to slow down on that stuff," Javier suggested. "Levine will be here at any moment."

"Fuck him," Antonio replied sourly. Levine was becoming greedier in his old age, and Antonio was about ready to cut him off, literally. "You know what, Javier? I want you to handle it. I'm tired and I need some rest tonight.” Antonio watched a shocked expression spread over Javier's face. "Knock yourself out. Play the head honcho for the night. But don't give that pendejo everything he wants. You should know how to deal with him by now. You've watched me long enough. Don't make any fucking decisions before consulting me first. Tell me what he's asking for, and we'll go from there.”

"You sure?" Javier asked.

"Of course. You are my partner and my friend. I trust you to do right."

"Do me a favor then, will you?"

"What do you need?"

"Call the nanny, and check to make sure Isabella is all right. Let her know that I will be calling later on tonight.” Javier picked up his glass of wine and toasted Antonio.

Antonio dragged himself up to his room. Business was getting him down. It seemed that everybody always wanted something from him. But he knew that the real reason he felt so exhausted was because of what he'd witnessed that afternoon. He admired the fact that Javier had the courage to raise Isabella on his own.

After Cynthia died, Javier balanced his time between his young daughter and their business, along with his political career. But Isabella always came first. She was a sweet, intelligent, beautiful child, and Javier had done an excellent job raising her. Antonio always urged him to find a woman and settle down, but Javier was bound and determined to keep things the way they were.

Feeling lonely, Antonio decided to call his wife. The phone rang many times before Lydia finally picked it up.

"Hello," she answered wearily.

“Hello, how are you?"

"Antonio?" she asked, suddenly sounding wide awake, a slight quiver in her voice.

"Of course it's me. Who the in hell did you think it was?"

"You woke me up."

"I'm sorry. I called to say that I miss you. Even though I don't tell you very often, I do love you." There was silence on the other end, and then he heard her murmur, "I love you, too," in a voice that sounded like she was near tears.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. See you soon."

Antonio replaced the receiver and wondered why his wife sounded so strange.

CHAPTER TWENTY

JAVIER ENJOYED BEING THE MAN IN CHARGE FOR A CHANGE.

"Good to see you again, Javier." Levine sat down. "Where is Antonio?"

"I'm afraid he's not feeling well."

"I am very sorry to hear that.”

Javier detected a hint of relief in Levine's face, as the older gentleman smiled and leaned back in his chair. He knew that Levine didn't care much for Antonio's tough demeanor.

"He would like me to fill him in on the details of this meeting. I should let you know beforehand that no decisions will be made without my consulting him."

"Of course.” He folded his hands together and tucked them under his chin, his gaze never leaving the rim of his wine glass as he spoke. “You people are passing a lot of dope through my port lately, not to mention people."

"That's the idea," Javier replied, wondering where Levine was headed.

"Of course it is, but the locals are causing a ruckus, and the police are taking some interest in our activities."

"That's why you get such a large percentage. It's up to you to make sure we get protection."

"Sure, I understand this. We've been doing business for, what, five years now?"

Javier nodded. "Something like that. Why?"

"Well, it would seem to me that with the demand increasing and all this heat on 
my
 back, a bigger cut for me would be in order."

"Simon, I don't know. You know Antonio. He isn't going to like this. He doesn't like sharing much of anything. He's going to tell you that you get more than your share as it is." Javier didn't know what else to tell the man. He knew Antonio wouldn't give an inch when it came to their deal. He was constantly telling Javier that he'd like to do away with Levine as their middleman.

"Fuck Antonio," Levine said under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"I do a lot for you people. I don't need 
you
. There are a lot of people like you out there, dying to do business with me. As a matter of fact, a man named Pablo Aguilar called me last week to ask about the possibilities of our working together. I told him that I was a loyal man, and I intended keeping my business the way it is. But I feel sure he'd give me the share I want without any problem."

Javier wished Antonio were present. He didn't particularly care for confrontations. In a way, however, it was as well that Antonio wasn't there, because in his current state of mind, he might have strangled Levine right then and there.  

"Look, I like you, Javier. I think that together we could work something out. We don't need Antonio. He's another goddamned big shot trying to run the world. Together, we can shut him down." Levine took a long drink from his glass of wine.

Javier stared at him, unable to find the right words to say. A young large-breasted blonde girl winked at Levine as she cruised through the nearly deserted lounge.

Levine scooted closer to Javier. "That's my date for the night, and it looks as if she's eager to get going. My apologies that I can't stay for dinner, but duty calls. Think about what I said and get back to me. I'm telling you, we don't need Antonio. You can make a lot more money with only one partner. A lot more money."

Javier sat frozen as he watched Levine and the girl stroll away. How ignorant was Levine? Or was this some type of setup? He knew that he wouldn't turn his back on Antonio. They had been friends for far too long for Javier to betray him. As soon as he recovered from his unpleasant meeting with Levine, Javier went straight to Antonio's room.

After Javier stood pounding on the door for several moments, Antonio finally pulled it open. He stood in the doorway in a silk robe, rubbing his eyes. "What do you want? I told you I was going to bed."

"You're not going to believe this," Javier replied. Maybe he should have waited until morning for Antonio's sobriety to return.

"It better be good."

"Believe me, you need to hear this."

Antonio walked over to the bar and poured himself a glass of water.

"Levine wants more money."

"You're kidding me, right?" Antonio chuckled. "You're getting funny in your old age." Javier didn't crack a smile. "Jesus Christ, you're not joking.”

Javier could see Antonio's eyes bulge, as if he had suddenly been jolted into his old sober self. "That's not the best part."

"There's more?"

"Oh, yes."

Antonio motioned with his hand to continue. Javier told him about the entire meeting: the threat to go with Aguilar, and, finally, the attempt to cut Antonio out and make a deal alone with Javier.

"Who the fuck does he think he is? That goddamned piece of scum. I'll kill him! I'll kill the son of a bitch! Trying to undermine me, trying to make my own partner, my friend — deceive me! That piece of shit!" Antonio's face burned with rage, his fingers tightening around his glass. "No one, I mean 
no one
 fucks with me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I tell him that when we first started doing business together?"

Javier agreed with Antonio, afraid to get in the way of his wrath. "What are you going to do?"

He shook his head and after a moment of silence, he looked at Javier. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of Simon Levine."

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

PEDRO TORRES WAS HOME WITH BELLA DURING JAVIER'S 
trip to Los Angeles. She was sick when her daddy left, and Pedro himself didn't feel too well either, so he offered to stay and help the nanny care for her.

Actually, he liked being home with Bella. She was such an intelligent and curious child. There was a clear bond between the two. After all, she was the reason he now had a 
real
 family. As he had hoped, once he'd disposed of his father, Javier had accepted him with open arms. He'd treated Pedro like a son and had come to trust him. It hadn't been as easy to win over Antonio's trust, however. But through time and perseverance, even Antonio had come around. Pedro knew that someday he would run their empire. After all, both Javier and Antonio only had daughters. And as the business partners aged, Pedro figured that he would only have Emilio to contend with. Emilio was such a hothead that he was bound to screw up sooner or later. Pedro, whose instincts were usually on the mark, felt that Antonio loved his baby brother, but for some reason he didn't completely trust him. That would be Emilio's downfall and Pedro's winning ticket.

"Pedro," a soft voice called out to him. It was coming from the garden below the balcony, outside his room.

He knew that Bella must be up and feeling better. Her long, dark hair was pulled back with a yellow bow. She wore a t-shirt with a pair of denim overalls as she stood below, looking up at Pedro on the balcony, squinting her bright green eyes against the sun.

"Buenos días, Bella. How are you this morning?"

As if she didn't have time for this small talk, she replied, "Come quick! I think the mare is about to have her baby."

Pedro set his coffee down and hurried down the stairs. He met Bella in the garden, where he grabbed her hand and they jogged down to the barn. The two of them shared a love for the horses. There were stables and training facilities both at the main house in Guadalajara and at the coastal home in Costa Careyes. Pedro gave Bella riding lessons as often as possible, knowing that one day she would make an excellent equestrienne.

As they approached the stables, they could hear the mare pawing at the ground. They peered quietly into her stall. The horse sensed them, glancing up at her audience, her dark brown eyes full of anxiety. She let out a groan as she lay down on the fresh straw, which crinkled under her weight.

Bella and Pedro watched in fascination and awe as nature took its course. Within twenty minutes, a shiny new colt was born, and his mother licked his chestnut coat dry. Within forty more minutes, the new colt was standing on his wobbly legs, nursing from his mother's teats.

Bella looked at Pedro. "When I grow up I'm going to have a whole bunch of horses."

"You mean your daddy doesn't have enough here for you?"

"No, I'm going to raise them and have a hundred million."

"My, but you are ambitious. I certainly hope your husband will like horses."

"He will, silly."

"Oh, really."

"
You
 like horses."

"Yes."

"
You'll
 be my husband."

"Isabella, I'll be an old man by the time you marry."

"No you won't. You'll never be old."

"We 
all
 grow old, Bella."

"I don't care. I want you to marry me," she declared.

"You'll grow up, Bella, and meet the handsome young man you'll marry."

"No, I want to marry 
you
," her demands grew louder.

"Okay, Bella. You win. I'll marry you," he said laughingly, appeasing the little girl.

However, as Pedro watched the child feed the mare a sugar cube from her pocket, something twisted in him at that moment, almost like a vision. For a second he had to wonder if Bella's wishes weren't a bizarre prophecy that he was truly 
destined
 to fulfill.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

THE MORNING SUN SOOTHED ANTONIO'S BACK
. It had been a while since he'd simply sat outside and relaxed. Business was so hectic he'd almost forgotten what life was all about. He needed to spend more time enjoying it.

Antonio loved his city of Calí. It was the home of his ancestors, and he vowed he would always remain here. The estate was well hidden, in the vast blue mountains above the Cauca Valley. The view from the mountaintop a radiant one. On a clear day such as this one, Antonio could easily see the Pacific Ocean to the west. Sitting in his favorite lounge chair, he didn't hear Emilio come up behind him.

"Antonio."

"Hey, little brother, how are you?" Antonio asked, surprised to see him. "It's been a while."

"That's no fault of mine," Emilio replied as he sat down in the chair across from Antonio.

"I know, things have been crazy lately."

"A little 
too
 crazy from the sound of it. You look tired."

"It comes with the trade."

"I think maybe I can help you," Emilio replied.

Antonio had never known Emilio to be so direct. There was something oddly different about him. "What do you mean?"

"I'd like to be your righthand man," he announced confidently.

Antonio laughed, "You what?" Where was this coming from? In a way, it was impressive, or at the very least endearing. He leaned back in his chair, waiting for Emilio to make his pitch.

"I am telling you that you need me. You're working all the time and you have no time for your family. I can alleviate some of the work load for you.”

"What about Javier?"

"What about him? He's your business partner. He makes sure the product gets to the States and the distributors get it. That's it. Finito. It's a done deal.”

"Well, little brother, what does a righthand man do?"

"I'm glad you asked. I would be the one to make sure everyone's happy — you, Javier, the distributors, Levine. Everyone."

"Screw that bastard Levine. I don't give a shit if 
he's 
happy or not."

"But you 
do
 have to make him happy. And so we might as well make the best of the situation."

"That's the last thing I want to do. That 
pendejo
 Simon does nothing but steal my money. He's a no-good bastard."

"I apologize. Forget I even mentioned him. Let me finish what I came to say. I want to be the man you can count on. You may love your partner like a brother, and, yes, he does a good job for you, but when it comes down to it, he isn't your own blood. I believe that he would likely screw you the first chance he got, if a better deal came along." Emilio leaned in closer to Antonio, his white silk shirt sticking to him.

"I very much doubt that he would."

"You know as well as I do that business is not his number-one priority. It's still his daughter."

"As it should be."

"Dammit, Antonio, all I want to do is help you, and you can't even let me do that. What in hell did I ever do to you?" Emilio paced back and forth, his hands flailing wildly as he spoke.

"Calm down and shut up. You're not talking to some ignorant idiot. I am your brother and you will show me some respect."

"Respect, respect. All my life it's been about respecting you, Antonio. What about me? All I get from you is a bunch of bullshit about ‘watching over the fort while I'm gone,' or ‘do this, do that.' But you never give me anything really important to do."

"Listen to me. I have done the best I could by you. I've sent you to the finest schools, given you a grand place to live, let you have your freedom, and loved you. What more could you ask for?"

"Respect."

"How can I respect you when you've done nothing to prove your worth? Not once have you ever thanked me. You played around when I sent you to school, and you're still playing around today."

"Give me a chance to prove myself. Please, I won't let you down.”

Antonio sat quietly for a very long time. He thought over the things Emilio had said, and slowly began to consider that Emilio might be sincere. Maybe it 
was
 time to give him a chance. "Okay, you want a chance, you say. One chance?"

"That's all I'm asking for."

"Good, then. There's something I want you to do for me, and if you can do it without messing up, then we'll see what happens. But if you mess up, I'll see to it you'll never be more than a deckhand on my yacht."

"I won't let you down, brother. What do you want me to do?"

"Kill Levine." Antonio smiled.

"What?"

"You heard me. I want that old pig dead. I don't need him any longer. In fact, if you do this for me, I might just move 
you
 over to the Bahamas and put 
you
 in charge of Levine's operation."

"Jesus Christ, Antonio. Won't we be starting a war with the Italians?"

"No one cares about the Jew anymore. In fact, I'm surprised the wops haven't done away with him yet. Besides, no one will be able to figure out who did it. And by the time they figure out that he's dead, we'll already have set up shop." Antonio looked deep into his brother's eyes, wondering if he was up to such a challenge.

"I'll do it."

"If you breathe a word of this to anyone, then I'll have you by the balls. Understood?" Emilio nodded. "Good. For your sake, I hope that you do.”