Hot & Spicy: De La Cruz Saga (37 page)

Her prima Rosa nods turning to Claudia, hands over the keys.

“Mi alma is there anything else?” he asks with a smile, flashing his adorable dimples.

Hmmm, his dimples just melt me
, she thought, looking into his ojos with a smile. “No baby. I just want to go to mi casa,” she said, smiling with felicidad.

Tony turns to his familia, waving as he takes his mujer to her casa. They walk out of the club, and the night is beautiful.
I think I want to go to the beach
, he thought, assisting her into his carro.

Chris went to talk to his primos. “So that’s Tony’s mujer?” he asks Jose Enrique. “He’s really raging with frustration.”

“Si, he is, and she states that she did this only to push him into action. Tony has been trying to keep it slow,” said Jose Enrique, thinking of the fiasco that could have taken place.
Not good for la familia company image
, he thought.

“I didn’t know he has a novia,” said Alex, shaking his cabeza, taking a drink of his Corona. “I pointed her out without knowing she is his mujer.”

“Don’t worry primo. I know that Tony will not be mad about that. He was just furious with the guey that was touching her,” he said with a smile. “Of course, he didn’t like that todos los gueys were drooling.”

“Yeah, how can the gueys not?” said Chris, wondering how she even got the dress on. “I can understand Tony’s rage, and I will kill anybody that touches mi cielo.”

“Yeah, I feel the same,” said Jose Enrique nodding in agreement taking a drink of his cerveza.

“Now it’s just Javier and I without a novia, and this sucks,” said Alex, taking a drink of his cerveza thinking of Carolina,
hmmm what about Carolina
?
Is she mi alma, mi amor
?
She is mi mujer and si I will kill any guey that gets near her
.

“Javier is busy with that chica over at her table,” said Chris, grinning, knowing that Alex is on his own for the rest of the evening. “You should locate your one, and I guarantee it is worth it.”

“Yeah, primo, it’s really worth it,” said Jose Enrique with a wicked grin.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
 

JOSE
ENRIQUE
IS
THINKING
OF
getting up to work out. I need to work out so I can have the rest of the day for mi amor. I want to make sure that I have plenty of time to love her, he thought. His cell phone rings, and picking it up, he sees it is an urgent text message from Tony.

Yeah, I wonder what’s so urgent. I hope Tony didn’t do something stupid.
He gets up, takes a quick shower. He goes to see his primo Tony.

Jose Enrique and Chris arrive at la casa at the same time. Tony shows them into his cuarto.

“I need ayuda y no se what to do,” he said, looking at his primos, pacing around in his cuarto, thinking of options.

“Que pasa?” asks Chris, worried about Tony, seeing that he is stress y furious.

“Tell us what has happen to get you all stress out,” said Jose Enrique, wondering what has happen so early in the morning. Tony is usually real calm, always easy going.

“El Señor Lopez threw me out of his casa. He didn’t want to listen to the fact that I want to marry Cynthia. I asked her to marry me y also gave her the engagement ring last night.” said Tony with frustration.

Jose Enrique looks at Tony, wondering if there is anything else he hasn’t mention. “What exactly did Lopez say?”

“He said that he didn’t want a De La Cruz marrying his hija. He didn’t seem to care that she’s mia,” he said with frustration

“Primo, there has to be a reason why el Señor Lopez reacted like this” said Jose Enrique, thinking
I wonder what is the real reason that el Señor Lopez reacted like that,
gazing out the window in thought.

“Primos, he had his gun out, ready to shoot me. The only reason he didn’t was because Cynthia stood in front of me and Cynthia’s mama wouldn’t let him,” said Tony, looking at his primos’ expressions of amazement y amusement.

“Wow, primo,” said Chris, shaking his cabeza, thinking that Mona’s padres reacted real cool.

“Primo, that was dangerous,” said Jose Enrique with concern, thinking of what can really be going on. “Let us think about it and don’t do anything until we decided on the best course of action to take. We don’t want you to do any locura.”

“Primo, tranquilo, I will try to arrange a meeting with el Señor Lopez mañana. We need to give him time to cool down,” said Jose Enrique, looking at Tony with concern. “I know the issue is most likely the cartel y we don’t know if he is actually involve with them, or if he did recommend us to the cartel.”

“Yeah, we need to find that out and proceed with caution,” said Chris. “Calmate primo.”

Chris y Jose Enrique sock him in the brazo grinning. “You’re so lucky you’re still alive, guey,” said Chris, shaking his cabeza.

“Chris, did you know that Monique is Cynthia’s best amiga? Do you think that Monique can visit Cynthia to find out what’s going on with her padre?”

“Primo, that’s a great idea. I will get Mona to visit her to give her any messages that you want to give her,” he said smiling. “Yeah, that will work.”

“Si, primo, write Cynthia a note, y Mona will then take it to her,” said Jose Enrique nodding in agreement with gusto.

Tony strides to his desk to quickly write Cynthia a note. “Please have Monique give her the note, and thanks for giving me your support.”

“That’s why we’re here, primo,” said Chris, smiling. “Everything will be okay. I need to get back to mi cielo.” He turns walking away.

“Please let me know if Monique learns anything,” said Tony, anxiously looking at Chris y Jose Enrique, walking down the hall with them.

“Later, primo,” said Jose Enrique, following Chris. “I need to see Jessy.”
Hmm, it’s still a little early, and I want her to sleep in a little
, he thought grinning with felicidad.
Hmmm, I have to make sure she gets plenty of rest. I’ll go back para la casa and have some breakfast. It’s still early.

Jose Enrique takes a drink of his coffee y greets his hermano Javier with amusement. Javier strolls out to the kitchen to get some coffee and sees his hermano Jose Enrique getting a cup. “Buenos dias, hermano,” said Javier, looking at him grinning with felicidad.

“Buenos dias, Javier,” said Jose Enrique, smiling at him.
Hmmm, I heard him sneak back in this morning. I wonder where he was and with whom because he looks incredibly feliz y satisfied. I can see lots of love bites on his chest.
He grins. “So who is it?”

Javier looks at his hermano, sees that he knows that he has been with una mujer toda la noche, and smiles. “Es mi mujer, mi alma,” he answers with a smile, looking at his hermano’s surprised cara.

“You’re shitting me,” said Jose Enrique, shaking his cabeza. “Spill,” He looks at his little hermano.
He is todo un hombre.

“I want to talk to you. I have decided to return to school. I want to know if you want me to specifically major in some area,” asks Javier. “I truly don’t know what area to major in. I have one more class for mi general education and the classes required to get a major. How about business management? Paty said that you needed me at the company,” asks Javier, looking at his hermano’s surprised expression.

“Javier, that is awesome. Si, business management will be fantastic because we really do need two construction/purchase managers. We have so many jobs going up, and it’s hard for only one manager to handle the entire jobs. It will be great if you and Chris take care of that area,” said Jose Enrique smiling, taking a drink of his coffee. “You can work part time for now, and when you graduate, you can be full time. This is fantastic.”

“Wow, hermano, I didn’t realize that you needed me. I thought everything was under control,” said Javier, smiling. “I’m muy feliz that you need me, and I will love to major in business management.”

“Si, hermano, we do need you and Chris. Ricky and I can handle the contracts and sales. Paty and Bella handle the administration and human resource department. Tony, Mona, and Jessy work in the architect and interior decorating department. Vero will work with them starting Monday. Now we will have la familia managing every aspect of the company. We truly need this,” said Jose Enrique grinning with pleasure. “So when is your duty over?”

“Hermano, mi duty is over in March, but I’m going to try to get out earlier. I really want to start school,” said Javier looking around and whispers. “Hermano, tengo novia, and I need to be around her.”

Jose Enrique looks at his hermano wondering why all the secrecy. “Do you want to go outside and talk?” he asks, walking toward the backyard.

“Si,” said Javier, following him out to the yard to talk. Javier keeps going further into the yard.
I have to make sure that nobody can hear us. This is dangerous telling mi hermano
, he thought, stopping to talk to Jose Enrique. “Hermano, I need your advice. This is serious. I need you to keep it to yourself. I don’t want anybody else to know.”

“Okay, hermano, you’re alarming me,” said Jose Enrique, thinking that maybe he got his novia pregnant and is scared. He is still young.

Javier continues to walk down the yard, trying to get as far from la casa as possible, not wanting anybody to overhear them. He turns and looks into Jose Enrique’s ojos.

“Hermano, I met mi alma, the one. I love her with todo mi corazon. I want to marry her. Es mi mujer,” he said, looking at his hermano, waiting for everything to register.

“So what’s el problema? You can afford to marry her and still go to school,” said Jose Enrique grinning. “There are benefits in having money.”

“Hermano, you have to swear that you will keep it between us. I wouldn’t tell you if it wasn’t important,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. “I do want to marry her now, but I don’t think we can,” he said, taking another sip of his coffee, thinking of what he was going to reveal. “I’m a little scared,” he said in a low voz, looking into Jose Enrique’s ojos truly serious and with terror.

Jose Enrique looks at Javier, wondering what can be so difficult or is stopping his marriage. “Is she married?” he asks, wondering if his little hermano fell in love with a married mujer.

Javier looks at him and laughs. “No, that’s not it. I met mi chiquita ayer, and we talked. I asked her if she is in high school because I thought she looked a little young before I started to really talk to her. She said she just graduated and is starting school for medical assistant. I thought, great, she’s at least eighteen. Hermano, I swear I didn’t think of doubting her,” he said, shaking in frustration, anger, fear. “We talked. I kissed her, and then we got carried away. Hermano, her birthday is today, and she’s only seventeen.”

Jose Enrique is in shock.
What in the hell are we going to do? Mi little hermano can get locked up for rape. Oh dios mio, what should I say or do? He doesn’t want anybody to know. He said that he wants to marry her. Does she?

“Hermano, this is serious shit. You do love her? You do want to marry her? Does she want to marry you?” asks Jose Enrique, looking at his little hermano, drinking his coffee, anxiety on his cara.

“Hermano, I told you I love her. I know she is mi mujer. I feel her as mi alma. I know she feels the same. Why else would she be with me if she didn’t feel the same? Mi chiquita was pure and innocent. She is very well-brought with our old school Mexican traditions and customs,” said Javier, looking at his hermano. “Mi chiquita wants to pretend that we didn’t make love, so nobody knows until she turns eighteen. I’m going to see if her padres will allow me to be her novio. Maybe he will allow us to marry in a few months. I don’t know. I definitely know that I will not let her go. I would marry her now, but she needs her padres’ consent.”

Jose Enrique heard his hermano and realizes that he is serious.
Can they get away in pretending that they are only novios, just dating? That would work if they really want to be together.
“Hermano, it might work, but you really have to be real respectful when you’re around la familias, todas,” said Jose Enrique. “You can’t get her pregnant.”

“No, hermano, we don’t want to get pregnant now. We will use birth control. I need to be with her,” he said, blushing. “Mi feelings are just too strong and overpowering.”

Jose Enrique looks at his hermano and realizes that he feels the same way with Jessy. That he is truly in love with his alma. They might be young, but they still are in love.
Hmmm, she didn’t tell him that she was only sixteen! Damn. Good thing, she is seventeen today. Uh, yeah, it sounds a little better,
he smiles.
I will keep his secret and help them in anything I can. I know how frustrating it is to want to be together. Mi hermano is serious about marrying her. Hmmm, maybe they can. I will look into it.

“Hermano, I have your back. I will keep this between only us. I will help you y tu mujer in any way I can. I know how overpowering loving tu mujer can be. I think it’s a great plan to pretend you’re only novios. It will be best that you wait until you’re out of the Navy to go ask permission to be her novio. You’re not home real often, and you probably can see each other without anybody knowing. It will buy you some time,” said Jose Enrique, looking at how feliz his little hermano is. It must have been a huge problema for him to figure out on his own.

“Hermano, I want to get her an engagement ring. I know she can’t wear it in her casa, but I still want to give her an engagement ring. Mi chiquita deserves everything. I’m getting her a cell phone, so I can call her every day when I’m on base,” said Javier with a smile. “Hermano mi chiquita is muy bella, honest, and intelligent.”

“Hermano, I know that she is or you wouldn’t love her,” said Jose Enrique, feliz to have assisted his hermano. “Okay, is there anything else?”

“Si, hermano, maybe you can help me see her today without anybody knowing,” asks Javier. “I will be leaving mañana in the morning.”

“Hermano, you haven’t even told me who she is,” said Jose Enrique, observing him.

“Hermano, she’s Monique’s hermana,” said Javier smiling. “Chris didn’t know or suspects what happen.”

“Oh, hermano, let’s hope he didn’t,” said Jose Enrique, shaking his cabeza. “He will be pissed, if he thinks that his suegros will get mad at him.”

“I know, but I’m not playing with her,” said Javier. “I want her now, but we can’t get married now.”