Mi Carino (32 page)

The left side of his face was purple and swollen to the point of shutting his eye, his lip split and cut to his chin, his left jaw protruding, black and blue bruising covered his usually olive skin where it looked as if there had been someone’s hands on his throat. She reached to touch him and he stepped back. “Tell me what happened to you? I need to get you to a hospital.”

“
Just left the hospital,” he said grabbing her wrist.

“
And?”

“
You know what happened. Your boyfriend wanted to send me a message.”

“
Diego? No. He wouldn’t do this.”

“
I was told to stay away from you or it’d be much worse. I tried to… to warn you Marcie. Why are you mixed up with him? Do you even know what kind of people he’s connected to?”

Marcella’s heart hammered in her chest. She put her hand there not sure how to answer. She was willfully blind to certain truths, and Diego’s associates were one of them.

“
His people had no problem finding me because I used to represent Juan Juarez, the man who sold you the figurine.”

“
Funerary?”

“
You know what I mean!” Richard shouted then winced.

“
I’m so sorry Richard. I’ll um pay for your medical bills. I can’t believe this.” She put her hands to her head and paced away from him.

“
Marcella, hey, look at me. I’m okay. But are you? You’re involved with him aren’t you?” Richard dug down in his pocket. He removed a newspaper clipping and shoved it on her. “After your boyfriend had his goons beat me up I got a visit from a man, he just showed up on my doorstep. Black guy, tall, said his name is Lance Davison. He wanted to make sure I understood his boss’s wishes. He wanted me to say that I won’t ever go near you again.”

Marcella accepted the clipping.

“
Juan Juarez had to sell his assets because Diego collected on the bank loans for Market Street. I was the attorney handling the case. Andes bought up everything poor Juarez had. Everything Marcella. And do you know how? He’s connected to a drug lord out of Colombia.”

“
No.” she said in disbelief.

“
He’s been forcing local businesses to close, up and down the boardwalk. Juan Juarez was desperate, broken.”

She cleared her throat. “It’s business.”

“
Really? Did he also tell you that Juan Juarez killed himself? It’s why I haven’t left Delgado. I’ve been working with his widow to handle the last of his legal obligations. I had no idea you were involved with him Marcie. Is that whose house I followed you to? Are you living with him? He’s dangerous!”

Marcella shook her head.

“
I get that you moved on, can’t say I had an easy time getting over you. But I want you to be happy. And I even understand a jealous boyfriend. This is different. I’m worried about you.”

“
Thank you Richard. I’m sorry you were hurt.” Marcella put the paper in her pocket. The article of Juan Juarez’s suicide, and the speculations why were too much to digest with Richard standing before her this way.

“
I can’t leave you like this. Let me help you. Keep you safe.”

“
No. I’m not your responsibility.”

“
Marcie.”

“
Stop. Just stop okay. I’ll deal with my personal life but I don’t want you in it. Do you understand? It’s over. We’re over and… I’ll be okay.” She tried to add calm to her voice though her hands were shaking.

He kissed her forehead even though she knew it caused him pain. He gave her another longing look then turned and walked out. Marcella removed the newspaper clipping and stared at the sad story of the man’s suicide, his business in ruins. She turned and headed for her computer and sat down to Google Diego Andes. She found a company called Allister. The website came up with a global map asking to search for offices. They were located on four continents. She clicked on the ‘About’ tab and scrolled through the history of the company. Founded ten years ago, it gave little info on Diego. Just a mission statement and how successful the investment firm was. She clicked through several pages of investing deals and acquisitions; she saw that some of the businesses dealt with exports and trade, but nothing to explain the aggressive behavior that ruined Juan Juarez.

Marcella sat back stunned.

***

“
So he’s dead?”

Lance tossed his coat to the side and lowered to the chair. “Suicide.”

“
What of Marie?”

“
She’s made several calls to meet with you. I think it’s time.”

“
I say when it’s time. I decide! Not you, not her!”

Lance smirked. Diego fumed. He paced back and forth, his fists clenched. The asshole killed himself, he should have known it would come to this. He should have known. “It is a coward’s way out. He kills himself. He does this to spite me. Well fuck him it changes nothing!”

Lance sighed. “Three weeks and we’re done.”

Diego stopped. “Three weeks? That’s all?”

Lance stared at him for a moment, and then checked his watch. As if bored with the show, he rose, picked up his coat and slipped it on. “You have to tie up these loose ends soon. Three weeks, and we leave. I will tell Marie that you will decide when she can meet with you.”

Diego hadn’t realized that his time grew short. He lived for this day and soon it would all be over. “I may need to stay. I have other matters here, personal.”

Lance’s brow rose. “Stay? It was you that wanted it to work fast. With Juarez’s death there isn’t much left to his estate. What’s tied up in the courts will be divided and…”

Diego looked away. “Never mind, I’ll call you when I want to see you. Go.”

***

She turned over in bed. Three times during dinner and wine she wanted to ask about Juan, and each time when she looked up into his smile she lost the nerve. She almost questioned him about Richard, but something held her back. Suddenly she realized that the something had to be fear. Marcella’s disillusionment and sadness had robbed her of her appetite. She refused to be silent any longer.

“
Diego?”

He moaned but didn’t turn over.

“
Diego,” she said pulling on his shoulder so he could lay flat. His eyes opened. He looked up at her and smiled. Rolling over to get on top of her she blocked him from parting her legs with a hard push to his chest. “I need to talk to you.” She said.

He made to kiss her and she turned her face. Groggy with sleep, he barely noticed. Instead he snuggled her, pressing his nose against her neck, and his arm around her waist. “Talk? No more talk. Sleep.”

“
Richard came to see me today.”

She felt him stiffen. His head slowly lifted.

“
You had him beaten up? A man you claim you didn’t know. Why?” She jerked upright.

“
He told you this?” Diego asked, rubbing his eyes.

“
He could go to the police. Hell he should go to the police, you’re lucky he came to me instead.”

“
He’s the lucky one Marcella, not me.”

“
What did you say?”

Diego sighed. “Let me explain. He disrespected you and me by his behavior at dinner. He knew who I was and came over to our table to cause trouble.”

“
Let’s start from the beginning. You’ve known who he was and who I was from day one. None of it is a coincidence. I buy the funerary…”

“
The what?” Diego frowned.

“
The damn Egyptian figurine I bought from Juan Juarez because you’re repossessing his life. You knew Richard was his attorney, my ex, hell you probably have him followed daily. That’s why you knew he was here. You’ve been playing games Diego.”

“
I am not playing games!”

“
You are. Either you’re playing games or you’re lying to me for another reason. What is it? Jeesh, this is so tiring. At dinner I flirted a bit with him but you had no right to go after him the way you did.”

Diego waved it off. “You had too much wine. I forgive you.”

“
I don’t need your damn forgiveness!” she threw back the sheets and rose from the bed. She stood over him with her arms crossed.

“
Dammit Marcella! You test my patience.”

Marcella rubbed her temples. “You don’t get to do that, order people out of my life. You don’t get to lie to me, manipulate me.” Marcella paced. Diego rose as well but didn’t approach her. He went to the bathroom and shut the door. Marcella stood there listening to him piss, flush, and wash his hands, building the courage to get it all out tonight.

He opened the door and locked his hard gaze on her. “What do you want me to say? Yes
nena
, I knew who you were. I saw you and I wanted to know more about you. We met at Juarez’s restaurant. Remember? I have not hidden anything from you. I told you what kind of man he was. Do you not remember?”

Marcella recalled the first lunch and the history lesson Diego shared. He announced he bought Juan’s restaurant. She didn’t give much thought to it since then.

He nodded. “I won’t deny being jealous. I won’t deny I don’t want to share you with that Richard man.”

“
Jealous I can deal with. Violent? I won’t have violence in my life. You’re scaring the hell out of me.”

“
I will make amends. It was a kneejerk reaction of mine when you left me. I thought you wanted him.”

“
How could you jump to that conclusion?” she threw her hands up in exasperation.

“
I only told my men to warn him to stay away. I didn’t mean to hurt him, not really.”

“
I don’t believe you.” She walked around the bed and stopped before him.

“
Marcella, you make me so happy and so damn frustrated. What are you complaining about woman? Don’t I care enough for you? Why are we constantly fighting? I tire of it.” He sighed. “I want to protect happiness not destroy it. This is why I behave the way I do…”

“
Lies! You weren’t protecting anything but your pride.”

“
So what! You are
my
woman. I won’t have another man disrespecting me or you! I saw the way he thought he could summon you. I saw the way you looked at him. It made me sick to my stomach.” He spat over to the left as if the words had a bad taste on his tongue.

“
What are you? A toddler? How the hell could you feel threatened?”

“
What do you expect me to say? I will make amends with this man of yours. I was wrong to react the way I did. It’s done.”