Hot & Wild (De La Cruz Saga) (32 page)

The restaurant staff comes out singing happy birthday
and the familia sang along. Gabriella blushes and smiles, looking all around
and at Javier. At the end of the song, she turns around and gives Javier a beso.
 

“Okay, we should get going to have some time at the
bowling alleys,” says Jose Enrique, smiling and assisting Jessy up. “Christian,
Monique, you don’t mind if Gabriella comes along with us in the carro?”

“No problema,” says Monique, smiling, looking at
Christian nod in agreement.

They entered the bowling alley and they all get their
equipment and a station. The competition among the hombres is amusing. The mujers
laugh at them.

Monique, Gabriella, and Jessy go to the ladies room. Monique
takes this opportunity to talk to Gabriella.

Hmmm, I wonder what’s going on,
thinks Jessy.
This is turning out to be real
interesting. What is the deal
?

“Hermana, tell me about the ring,” asks Monique,
looking at the ring. “It is gorgeous.”

“Monique, Javier asked me to marry him. I said yes,”
replies Gabriella, beaming with felicidad. “We’re waiting until he’s out of the
Navy to tell papa. I pray that you will be supportive. Monique, I love Javier.”

“Si, hermana, I understand. I know that Javier is a
gran hombre. I want you to be sure. We need to wait until Javier is out of the
Navy. You need to be novios at first, for at least a few months. Then you can ask
him to allow you to marry. I will always be supportive of you and Javier,” says
Monique, nodding in agreement.

“Okay, I need to know what really the issue is. They
are both young, single and in love. I don’t see what the problema is,” says
Jessy, looking at Monique and Gabriella. “Monique, you know that you can trust
me.”

“Si, prima, the issue is …………., says Monique, nodding.
“Gabriella’s birthday is today. Gabriella is going to college, but she’s still
young.”

“Oh, dios mio, no wonder Jose Enrique is involved. I
understand,” replies Jessy, with anxiety. “We have to be real careful because
this is a very explosive situation.”

“Si, that’s way we need your help. I will not be
allowed to date because my padre feels I’m too young. You know how he is, Monique.
I want to see my Baby,” says Gabriella, blushing.

“Gaby, I know that you want to be with him,” says
Monique, smiling. “You have to be really careful. You know you can’t wear your
engagement ring in casa. Be sure that you keep it in a safe place because it is
really gorgeous. Javier went all out.”

“Si, hermana, but how am I going to be with him, if we
can’t go out?” says Gabriella, blushing. “That is why we need you guys to
invite me to places so I can get out of the casa.”

“Si, I understand,” says Monique, nodding. “We will do
what we can.”

“Si, Gaby, I can tell that Jose Enrique is trying to
help. We will be here for anything you need. Let me give you our cell number,
in case Monique or Christian isn’t available,” says Jessy, smiling. Gabriella
gives her the new cell phone that Javier bought her.

“Monique, Javier bought me this cell phone. He will
call me every day that he’s on base,” says Gabriella, grinning. “I’m so feliz. My
Baby is everything I ever dreamed.”

“Si, hermana, I know that,” says Monique, smiling. “People
might think that you’re too young, but I know better.”

“Monique, Jessy, please keep this to yourself,” says
Gabriella, looking at Jessy and Monique.

“Gaby, you know I will never tell our padres,” replies
Monique, amazed.

“Si, Gaby, we will never mention this to anyone.” says
Jessy, nodding in agreement.

“He was scared,” says Gabriella. “You know, Monique,
that I was a year ahead in school. Nobody knew that I was a year younger.”

“Oh, si, that’s right,” agrees Monique nodding. She
observes Gabriella.
Wow, my sister is truly mature for her age. I remember
that she was moved up because of her ability to learn quickly. I didn’t realize
that it also effective her maturity level. Geeze, I would have never dared to
do what she did at that age
, ponders Monique.

“That’s amazing, Gaby,” says Jessy, shaking her head. “Okay,
we will help you two.”

“Thank you, Jessy,” says Gabriella, smiling.

“Oh, Gabriella, I can see that you’re a little devil
underneath that angel face,” says Jessy, laughing. “But I do understand.”

“Now that he’s returned to me, I’m not letting him go,
Monique. Not for anybody,” says Gabriella, seriously.

“Si, Gabriella, I understand,” replies Monique,
nodding. “We will try to help out.”

“Si, we will also do that,” says Jessy.

“I love him with to my alma, corazon, and mente. I
don’t want anything bad to happen to my Baby,” says Gabriella, getting pale. “I
hope everything will be okay,” tears gather in her eyes.

“Hermana, don’t cry,” says Monique, nodding. “I know
that you know what you want.”

“Si,” agrees Jessy.

“Okay, that gives me peace,” replies Gabriella, smiling
through her tears.

“Okay let’s return because los hombres are going to
get anxious,” says Monique smiling.
I know how Christian gets when he can’t
see me. Yeah he’s always a SEAL
, thinks Monique.

“Yes, let’s go and play because we will need to go to
la familia Sunday dinner,” says Jessy smiling

“That’s right Jessy, the entire familia will be in the
backyard,” agrees Monique smiling. “I know that everybody will be talking about
Paty’s and Bella’s elopement this weekend.”

“Oh that’s right, mis amigas eloped. They didn’t tell
me,” says Jessy. “I will need to talk to them tonight.”

“Si, I think that will work. I will tell Christian and
you can tell Jose Enrique. I’m not telling Christian about Gabriella’s issues,”
says Monique. “I don’t think he will like it.”

“Si I agree,” says Jessy. “Okay let’s go back to los
hombres. We will tell Javier on our way to Sunday dinner.”

“Okay,” replies Monique smiling.

“Monique, Jessy gracias,” says Gabriella. Some tears
rolling down her beautiful face. “I will never forget your support.”

“Hermana that’s why we’re familia, right Jessy?” says
Monique, turning to look at Jessy.

“Si, that’s right, we’re familia,” replies Jessy,
hugging Gabriella.

Christian and Monique walk into the back yard after
talking about the plans on helping Javier and Gabriella.
Hmmm, I just don’t
want any issues with my Cielo’s padres. I need to talk to Greg and Bella. I
need to make sure that they did get married,
thinks Christian
.
They
went to set at a table and start talking to Isabella.  

As usual, the entire familia is at the Sunday dinner. La
familia is excited and anxious to meet the new spouses. The new couples are
absorbed in their own world. They didn’t really notice anything or anybody else.
 

Ricky looks at Jose Enrique, to have him come over
with Christian. He then turns to look at Alex and Javier to get them to come
over to help out.

“Mi amor, can you give me a minute. I need to talk to
Tony,” says Jose Enrique, whispering in Jessy’s ear.

“Si, mi vida, I’ll just talk to Jacki,” says Jessy,
waving Jacki over to allow the primos some privacy.

“Christian, I need a minute. Is that alright, Monique?”
asks Jose Enrique, looking at Monique, waiting for her response.

“No problema,” says Monique, smiling. She gives
Christian a beso. She walks over to Veronica and Claudia to get to know them
better.

“Que pasa, Ricky,” asks Jose Enrique, sitting behind
Tony. Christian sits on Tony’s other side, blocking him in.

“What’s up?” asks Alex, standing in front of Tony,
noticing that he’s not looking well.

“Primo, you’re okay?” asks Javier, noticing how gray
his complexion is and his eyes are bloodshot.

“Primos, Tony is acting big time loco. We know he
wants to get Cynthia out. Primos, Tony drank cerverza and entire bottle of
tequila this afternoon. He has a huge hangover. Look how gray and sick he looks.
He’s being stubborn. He wants to get Cynthia out tonight, even if he’s not
feeling well. He’s not on top of things. Lopez guards will kill him if he shows,”
says Ricky, with frustration, wishing he was healthy to beat some sense into
Tony.

“Primo, estas loco. You know you should wait at least
until manana. Christian told me that Lopez has guards around la casa,” says
Jose Enrique, with frustration. “We don’t need to be burying you. You need to
stay alive.”

“Primo, you need to calm down and listen. We will help
you get her out,” says Javier, looking at all his primos. “You know that we are
always united.”

“Si, primo, we have your back and we need to plan this
out good,” says Alex, looking at Tony’s glazed angry eyes.
My primo is not
listening to reason
, thinks Alex.

Tony listens to them.
Yeah, right, they say this because
they have their mujer right next to them. I need mine. I’m going unless they
tie me up and I will not allow that to happen
, thinks Tony.

“Okay, primos, I’ll wait until manana,” agrees Tony,
taking another drink of water with some pills.

“Primos, we need to tie him up, that’s why I called
you over. Tony told me que no me meta (don’t butt in),” says Ricky, looking at
his primos to see their reactions.

“Que te pasa (what’s wrong with you) Sebastian
Antonio?” asks Jose Enrique, with anger in his voice. “You know that we’re one
entire unit.”

“Si, primo,
estas
loco (you’re
crazy),” says Christian, furiously. “Never have we not been there for each
other, que te pasa (what’s wrong with you)?”

“Primo, react and think. We only want you feliz,” says
Alex, shaking his head.

“Tony, you’re not thinking,” says Javier in a low
growl, furious with how unusual he’s acting.

Tony hears them and feels like hell. “
Ayuda
my (help me),” says Tony, through clenched teeth.

Los primos look at each other, shaking their heads. Jose
Enrique looks at Tony’s face, recognizing the anger and pain.

“Hermano, you need to listen to reason. You’re a grown
hombre and not a niño. You need to stop being stubborn,” says Ricky, anxiously.
He fears for his hermano.

Tony hears them, but doesn’t care. “Si, I will wait
until manana,” says Tony. He smiles at them in agreement.

Jessy turns to look at Monique and Veronica to tell
them the news. “It was my Amor. He’s at the hospital with Tony. Tony was beaten
up and is unconscious. It appears he has a mild traumatic brain injury,
M.T.B.I.” says Jessy, looking at las primas. “We need to pray that he wakes up.”

“Oh, dios mio!” says Monique, with concern. “We need
to tell Cynthia.”

“Si, we do,” says Veronica, looking at Monique and
Jessy. “We need to pray that my hermano wakes because he can fall into a deep
coma. Jessy, I need to go to the hospital and be there for my familia.”

“Oh, dios mio, of course you need to go,” replies
Jessy, hearing the possibilities and praying that Tony wakes up. “How can we
tell Cynthia?”

“I can visit her and tell her,” replies Monique,
looking at Jessy.
I pray that she will be okay if I go now,
thinks
Monique.

“Si, Monique, I think you should go now and tell her
what’s happening,” replies Jessy, nodding.   

“Okay, Jessy, I’ll go now,” replies Monique, smiling,
thankful that Jessy thinks the same way.

“Prima, make sure to let us know what’s happening with
Cynthia,” says Veronica. “I will call you if there is any news on Tony’s
condition.”

“Si, I will, I will return in a couple of hours,” says
Monique, smiling.

I
need to get to Cynthia and tell her about Tony. I
know she will be devastated.  This is surreal. I hope Cynthia can leave her
casa,
ponders Monique.

Monique arrives at Cynthia’s casa. She knocks at the
door, praying that her padres still don’t know about her marriage to Christian.

Cynthia’s Mama Melba opens the door. “Mi hija,” says
Mama Melba, smiling. “Cynthia is in her room. She’s not feeling well.”

“Oh señora, I hope she starts to feel better,” says
Monique, smiling.
What’s up,
thinks Monique. “I will go to her room.”

“Si, my hija,” replies Mama Melba, going to the
kitchen to start lunch.

Monique knocks on Cynthia’s bedroom door. She hears
Cynthia unlock it.
Hmmm, I wonder why she locked the door
, ponders
Monique.