Hot & Wild (De La Cruz Saga) (33 page)

“Amiga, come in,” says Cynthia, looking down the hall.
She closes the door and locks it.

“What’s up?” asks Monique, wondering why she’s acting
like that.

“Amiga, I’m locking myself in my room because I don’t
want to look or talk to my padre,” says Cynthia, with anger. “He will not allow
me to leave the casa and I need to see Tony.”

“Amiga, that’s why I’m here to tell you that Tony is
sick in the hospital. He’s hurt. Jessy got a call from Jose Enrique this
morning. Tony was found on the street this morning and he was beaten up badly. Tony
has a concussion and is unconscious. He has a mild traumatic brain injury,
M.T.B.I.,” says Monique, watching as Cynthia grows pale and starts fainting.

“Cynthia!” yells Monique, pushing Cynthia onto the bed
before she faints. What should I do? Monique goes to the restroom. She looks
for some alcohol to have her smell. She returns with a bottle of alcohol and
moves it under Cynthia nose.

Cynthia opens her eyes. She looks at Monique. She
starts to cry. “My Baby is hurt. I need to go to him. I need to escape,” says
Cynthia, with desperation, anger, and fear. “What if he gets worse?”

“Amiga, you need to calm down. We need to pray that he
wakes up. Tony needs to wake up or he will be in a coma. Then we will not know
when he will wake up. The longer he’s unconscious, the longer his
rehabilitation will take,” says Monique.

“Amiga, I will try to leave now and if I cannot leave
I will escape,” says Cynthia, thinking of how to get out. “What did my Mama
tell you?”

“Your mama says that you’re sick,” says Monique,
looking at Cynthia. “You look fine.”

“Si, amiga, I’m fine. I think that’s what they are
telling mis hermanos,” says Cynthia. “How did Tony get hurt?”

“Cynthia, we’re almost certain that it was your padre’s
guards,” says Monique, looking at her amiga get paler.

Cynthia stands and starts to pace, thinking of how to
get out
.
“I will try to leave after you leave. I don’t know if I will be
allowed to leave. I will find a way to escape, even if it takes me hours. I
need to be with Tony,” says Cynthia, wiping her tears off her face looking at
Monique. “Please tell Tony I will be there soon.”

“Si, I will go to see him at the hospital,” replies
Monique, looking at her amiga. “Try to stay calm. Try to escape in the safest
possible way.”

“Si, amiga, I will,” replies Cynthia, smiling.

“Okay, I’ll see you later. If you’re not out by manana
in the morning, I will return to visit you,” says Monique, smiling at her.

“Okay, amiga and gracias,” says Cynthia, looking at
her amiga. “We’re familia now.”

“Si, we’re primas,” says Monique, smiling.  “Adios,
Cynthia, I will see you later.” Monique leaves Cynthia’s room, walking down the
hall towards the door.

“Adios,” says Mama Melba, smiling at Monique.

Monique returns to the office. She calls Veronica to
advise her that Cynthia was well, but was still locked up in her casa.

“Vero, Cynthia is still locked up by her padres. She
wants you to tell Tony that she will be with him as soon as she can escape,”
says Monique, looking at Jessy walk into the office. “She fainted when I told
her the news. She loves Tony.”

“Si, I know, we all know it. We saw it in her eyes on
Friday,” replies Vero, nodding. “They’re both in love.”

“Si, Vero, they’re both in love,” replies Monique,
contemplating the design on the table.

“Oh, Dios mio, I hope everything will work out. We
need to pray that Tony wakes up,” replies Veronica, walking down the hall. “I’m
going into his room now. Talk to you later.”

“Si, adios,” replies Monique, looking at Jessy. “What
do you think?”

“I know that they’re in love and I also know that
something is keeping them apart. We need to pray for Tony,” replies Jessy,
looking at Monique.

Jose Enrique walks out of the hospital. He calls Jessy
to get Cynthia’s address from Monique.

“My amor, I need you to please get Monique to give me
Cynthia’s address. I’m going to get her out of her casa,” says Jose Enrique,
with anger and frustration.

“Si, my Vida,” replies Jessy, looking at Monique. “Give
me a minute.”

“Monique, can you please give me Cynthia’s address. Jose
Enrique wants to go and get her,” says Jessy, looking at Monique nod.

“Si,” replies Monique. She quickly writes down the
address. “Here.”

“Okay, my Vida, it’s 10140 Sea Shore Drive,” says
Jessy, looking at Monique smile. “I will pray that you’re successful.”

“Gracias my amor,” replies Jose Enrique, smiling,
sending her a beso.

Today is the double wedding of Christian’s hermana
Erica and his primo, Ricardo.  Christian is talking to his hermanos, Nicolas
and Alex.

“Damn, hermano, you pulled a fast one,” says Nicolas,
laughing at Christian. “I thought that I had all of you locos beat.”

“I still think that you were the sneakiest of all. You
played us all for how long?  Yeah, years,” says Christian, laughing at Nicolas.

“Well, I bet that Alex will beat us all. He never
talks about anything about any mujer. I know he’s messing with someone. He’s
always gone,” says Christian, laughing. He turns to look at Nicolas smile.

“Yeah, I have been meaning to talk to him about this,”
says Nicolas.

“Nick, have you noticed that he’s never en casa. My
mama wants to know what Alex is up to,” says Christian.

“Yeah, I noticed, but you know that I have been busy
with all of my issues. Daniella and I are finally good. I have to talk to Alex,”
says Nick, nodding.

“Baby, hold Angel Nicolas. I need to go to our room,”
says Daniella, giving him a beso.

“Si, my amor,” answers Nicolas, grinning. He takes
Angel Nicolas into his arms.

“Wow, Nick, Angel Nicolas is totally you,” says
Christian, laughing. “We never noticed.”

“Si, my bebe is identical to me,” says Nicolas, smiling,
hugging the bebe closer.

Erica and Bella walk into the sala and the entire familia
is waiting for them.

“My hijo, do you know if Alex is running late,” asks his
Mama Maria, fixing Erica’s veil.

“No, mama,” replies Nicolas, turning to look at Christian.

Christian pulls out his cell to call him.
Hmmm he
doesn’t answer. Maybe he’s delayed at work,
thinks Christian
.

“Mama, Alex doesn’t answer. Maybe he’s at work,” says
Christian, looking at his padres.

“Okay my hijo, maybe he’ll meet us at the chapel,” replies
his Papa Jose Arturo, walking towards Erica.

“My hija, your mama and I are muy feliz. We know that you are going to
have a wonderful esposo.
I know both of you
are in love and I know that it’s a true love.
Que dios los Bendiga
siempre
(god bless you always),” says
Papa Jose Arturo, giving Érica his
bendicion
.

“Gracias,
Papa,” responds Erica, trying not to cry and ruin her makeup, hugging her padre
with lots of amor.

Erica turns to her mama and hugs her close. “I love you,
mama,” says Erica.

“My hija, I love you and I know that Gabriel is un gran hombre.
Dios los bendiga
siempre
,” says Mama Maria, hugging her little niña.

“Gracias,”
replies Erica, hugging her mama with all of her corazon.

“It’s
time to leave. It’s getting late and Gabriel is calling me,” says Christian,
with an evil glint in his eyes. “Erica, I’m telling him that you changed your mind.”

“Christian,
you best not!” screams Erica, getting hysterical. “I’ll get you, Christian.”

“Si,
Gabriel, we are on our way,” says Christian, grinning, looking at Erica’s
relief on her hermosa face. “Are you sure you want to marry Erica?”

“Mama!”
yells Erica, with frustration, wanting to hit her hermano on the head.

“My hijo,”
scolds Mama Maria, shaking her head at Christian.
He will always torment his
hermanas
.

“Just
kidding, Gabriel,” says Christian, laughing, walking out of the casa with
Monique at his side.

“Baby,
you’re being mean,” says Monique, shaking her head.

“I’m
just playing,” responds Christian, taking Monique to his carro, assists her
into the seat.

The limo
is waiting for la familia. “Let me help you mi hija,” says her Papa Jose Arturo,
feliz that his niña is getting married.

They
arrive at the chapel and exit the limo. Gabriel is at the front of the doors
with his familia, waiting.

Damn, this is worse than going on a mission
, thinks Gabriel.
Finally my Baby is here. Now I can
start to relax. Christian was just messing with me. Damn!

“Mi hijo, Erica has arrived,” says his papa looking at
Erica exit the limo.

The priest meets them outside
and asks the wedding party to get ready to start the ceremony.

“I wonder where Alex is,
ponders Mama Maria, with concern. She turns to look at
her esposo and knows that he is also concerned.
This is not right. Thank you,
dios mio, the wedding ceremony is finally over
.  She smiles at the couples,
observing the couples start to walk down the aisle.

They then go down the aisle after them and out of the
church. Mama Maria turns to her esposo when the cell phone rings.

“Hola,” says Papa Jose Arturo, looking at his esposa.

“Hi, is this Mr. De La Cruz?” asks the Medical
Assistant on the phone.

“Yes,” replies Papa Jose Arturo, getting nervous. “Who
is it?”

“Mr. De La Cruz, I’m calling from the ER. I’m sad to
inform you that Dr. De La Cruz has been in a car accident and is hurt,” says
the Medical Assistant with some empathy.

“Oh, dios mio, we will be there in a few,” says Papa
Jose Arturo, looking at his esposa. “Maria, Alex was in a car accident and is
in the ER, hurt.”

“No!” yells Mama Maria, trying not to faint. “Oh, dios
mio, please take care of Alex, mi niño!”

“Calamate, Maria,” says Papa Jose Arturo. “We need to
go to Alex.”

“Si,” replies Mama Maria, sitting down on a bench and
looks around. “Oh, dios mio, what are we going to do about the wedding?”
The
familia will just have to continue without us,
thinks Mama Maria in anguish.
 

“Jose Arturo, you need to go and tell la familia. Tell
them to go on ahead to the reception,” says Mama Maria, wiping her tears with
some tissue.

“Si, mujer,” says Papa Jose Arturo, walking over to
his hija and
sobrino
.
They look so happy and I’m truly feliz for
them. I still need to be with Alex
, thinks Papa Jose Arturo.

“Mis hijos, Alex has been in a car accident. He’s in
the ER, hurt. Maria and I will be going to him. Please continue with your
reception. We will keep in contact,” says Papa Jose Arturo, trying to keep the
tears at bay.

“Papa!” cries Erica, going to her padre with a torn
heart. “I want you to go to Alex. We will be okay. I will tell everybody. We
will be there later.”

“Si tios, we will be okay. We will all be there in a
little while,” says Ricky, nodding. He looks around at la familia as they start
to learn of accident.

“We’re coming with you,” says Christian, looking at
Monique and la familia.

“Si, we think that’s a good idea,” says Jose Enrique,
looking at la familia. “We will be showing up later.”

“Si, tio,” agrees Ricky turning to look at Jacki,
nodding.

“Okay, mis hijos, try to enjoy your day,” says Papa
Jose Arturo, looking at his hermanos. “Take care of our hijos.”

His hermanos nod in agreement. “Si,
hermano, go to Alex. We will be praying for his recovery,” says his hermano
Francisco, going to give him a hug.

“Papa, we’ll be there later.
Danni and I will be taking care of the guests,” says Nick, giving his mama a
hug. “I will pray for my hermano.”

“Gracias, mi hijo,” replies Mama
Maria, giving Nick and Danni a hug.

La familia
De La Cruz is devastated with the news of Alex’s car accident. La familia
emotional state is low. The concern for Alex’s condition is overpowering the
party mood.