Loving Vicente

IV

DANIELLA’S POV:

"Where are we going?" I ask Vicente. Glancing at me with a smile, "It's a surprise." He says. Looking out the window, I watch the small town pass by. "So you like to read? What kind of books?" Snapping out of my daze, I shift back towards Vicente. "Poetry. Love poems to be specific, boring stuff." I laugh. He nods, taking in my answer. After a short moment of silence, he suddenly finds his voice. "Love me or hate me, both are in my favor. If you love me, I'll always be in your heart. If you hate me I'll always be in your mind." It takes me a moment before the words register. William Shakespeare. Staring at him, my mouth falls open. "You read Shakespeare?" He lets out a low chuckle, bringing the car to a stop. "We're here, Hermosa." (Gorgeous).

Vicente makes his way over to my side, offering his hand as I step out. His hand was warm and rough. I felt so frail and dainty compared to him. The feeling his touch gave me was indescribable. Keeping hold of me, he leads us down a beautifully lit path. A small gasp escapes my lips as we reach a spot decorated with a blanket, a few pillows, and a woven basket.

"Wow. This is beautiful. You did this for me?" He watches me with this look in his eyes. "I just wanted to make this special." A blush paints its way across my cheeks. "Nobody has ever done this for me before." Turning around, he places yummy-smelling desserts next to us. "Well, they should." That was all he said while we watched the night sky. Stars flooded the canvas around us. It was gorgeous.

"My mom use to read me poetry." I hear Vicente say. Smiling, I continue listening to him. His voice was soothing, it could put me to sleep. He told me his mom was such a vibrant woman who had a love for life like no other. She sounded amazing. "She sounds lovely." "She was." He said quietly. "She died in an accident when I was 13." My heart broke for him. You could tell by the way he spoke about her and how much he admired her.

Placing my hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry. I'm sure she loves that you've carried poetry with you." I say, trying to lighten his mood. We talk for what seems like hours. Laying down on the blanket, my curls spill out under me. Feeling Vicente scoot closer to me, I decide to close the gap and rest my head on his shoulder. As we stare gaze together, I think about all I've learned about him. Anna's words resurface, "He's in the cartel. His life is violence." But at this moment, it felt as if nobody else existed. At this moment, he was a sensitive man who had aspirations. Someone who had hopes.

Seeing the sun slowly making its appearance, we make our way back to his car. Pulling into my uncle's driveway, I turn to him. "Thank you for tonight, it was unforgettable." There wasn't another word I could use to describe it, because he was unforgettable. Just as I'm about to open the door, I feel his large hand wrap around my small wrist. "Wait, Daniella. Can I kiss you?" I slowly nod my head yes.

He leans forward and captures my lips with his. My first kiss. His lips were soft, welcoming. Turning my head, he deepens the kiss. Heat shoots to my core, and a small moan leaves my mouth. Vicente grips his hand around my neck, just tight enough to make me gasp.

His groan vibrates through my chest, making me feel impossibly hotter. Breaking the kiss, I give him a shy smile and quietly make my way back inside. I watch as his car sits there for a few seconds before he turns the engine over and backs out of the driveway.

After grabbing a few hours of sleep, I wake up to yelling. "Es mi vida papa. No me puedes controlarme para siempre!" I hear Anna say. (It's my life, Dad. You can't control me forever.) Hearing Anna's door slam shut, I slowly make my way out to the kitchen. My uncle sat at the table, his head in his hands. "Tio, esta todo bien?" (Uncle, is everything OK?) He lets out a heavy sigh, and with his limited English, he responds to me.

"Everything will be. I just want Anna to go to college, but she won't listen to me." I weigh his words. This topic was something I knew much about. "Give her time, let her make the choice." My uncle hugs me goodbye and leaves for work. Knocking on Anna's door, she grumbles out a "Whaat." Opening the door, I see her laying face down on her pillows. I let out a small laugh, "Anna, you're so dramatic. Get up, let's talk about it."

She sits up, her eyes stained with tears. "Oh, Anna... I didn't know it was this bad." She lets out a sigh, wiping away her tears. "My mom. She wanted me to go to her school, but I just can't. Ya no es lo mismo." (It's not the same.) Reaching over, I hug Anna. She falls into me and sobs harder. It breaks my heart.

"I'm so sorry Anna. I wish I could fix it. You just need time." I say gently. We lay there a while, side by side. Anna tells me how her mom would braid her hair every night before bed, gently brushing through the strands. I could feel the sorrow in her voice. After a while, Anna cried herself to sleep. I quietly make my way out of her room and back into mine. Tonight made me realize how grateful I was for my parents, even if they were overbearing. At least they were here.

Laying in bed, I send my parents a text. "Thank you both for everything, I love you." My thoughts keep me awake a good amount of the night. Thankfully, my book keeps me company. When sleep finally starts to overcome me, the last thing I see before closing my eyes, was Vicente's heart-melting smile.

VICENTE’S POV:

"Vicente! En mi oficina, ahora." (In my office, now.) I hear my dad shout. Just getting back from my night out with Daniella, I let out a sigh. Walking down the hall of our huge home, I see my dad standing in front of his desk with his arms crossed. "Where were you tonight? I needed you for the drop." Frustration floods my veins. Since I was young, I have been forced into this life of crime and violence.

I can't remember a time when I wasn't training. Most kids spend their Sunday mornings attending church or watching cartoons with their parents. Not me. I spent every Sunday at the shooting range with my younger sister Isa. We had a normal childhood once when Mama was here.

My dad slaps the side of my head, "Aye, stupid. Are you listening? Don't forget who you are Vicente. Women come and go mijo." He says roughly. Anger boils up, but I push it down. He can't see that he gets the best of me. "Sorry jefe, it won't happen again." (Boss). He takes my word and lets me escape his dreadful office. Making my way into my bedroom, I grab clothes for a shower.

Daniella's soft lips and smooth skin felt etched on my own. I think about her soft gasps that I so desperately wanted to hear again. Blood rushed straight to my groin. I'm going to need a cold shower, I think to myself. Jumping into the cold water, I try to push her out of my mind. As much as I wanted to think about her, my father is right.

I have things I need to do, if I get a woman involved in this life it won't end up good. Her enchanting blue eyes flash in my mind, pulling me deeper into my thoughts of her. Feeling all my anger at its boiling point, I decided to lie down in bed and try to relax. The silence in my room felt loud. I didn't like it. Almost like she could read my mind, my younger sister Isa comes bounding in.

Without knocking, mind you. "What do you want, Isabella?" I groan into my pillow, feeling her hand slap at me for using her full name. "I came to ask about your date you jerk." She pouts. Isa was my best friend. We were only 2 years apart, her just turning 20 and me being 22. "She's different Isa. I like her." I admit. "But you know what my life entails. I can't bring someone so innocent into this war zone."

Isa looks at me with sincerity. I could tell she wanted to go all physiologist on me. Isa has been attending college for the last 2 years, analyzing people. It was what she did best. "Something tells me, Daniella is much stronger than you give her credit for. As far as your life Vicente, I say be honest with her and let her be the one to decide."

Her words bounce around in my head. Could she handle it? "Think about it Vicente, but don't wait too long. She's a good one." Isa says while walking out of my room. Leaving me alone with my thoughts. I decide to pick up my mom's favorite book of poems, her faded handwriting etched into the paper. I run my fingers over the pages. I wonder what she'd tell me at this moment. Letting out a heavy sigh, I continue reading. I try to push Daniella from my thoughts, she was too good for this world. Too pure. I didn't want to taint her.

The next morning, I'm awakened out of my sleep by the sharp ring of my phone. Groaning, I hit the silence button. I didn't have to look to know it was my dad. My phone rings out again, and this time I can't ignore it. The second call always meant an emergency. "Vicente, I need you at the warehouse now. And bring all of our men. We're under attack." The call ends there. Jumping up quickly, I throw on black cargo pants with a white t-shirt and lace up my black army boots.

Calling all my men, I send them out to the warehouse. As I'm walking out the door, my father's second-in-command and best friend, Don Luis catches me. "You heading out?" He asks, "We're under attack. We need all men." He follows closely after me as I make my way to our weapons room. I grab a few handguns and some ammo, I also grab my brass knuckles and my knife. Luis gathers up a few weapons of his own and just like that, we're on our way into the war zone.

DANIELLA’s POV:

It had been a week since I had heard from Vicente. And frankly, it sucked. I have never been the type of girl who waits around her phone all day, hoping he texts. But here I was, stuck on a guy who took me out one time. Throwing my phone on the bed, I huff out a breath of frustration. If he doesn't want to text me, then fine.

Looking out the window, the sun starts to slowly set. It was beautiful. Knocking on Anna's door, she pokes her head out. "Hey, what's up?" She asks. "Want to go for a walk? I need out of this house." She looks back into her room, "I'm actually on the phone right now, can we do it tomorrow?" I tell her OK and walk back to my room glumly. As much as I wanted to walk, I was not going by myself. Not at night. Collapsing on my bed dramatically, I pull out my book and try to pass the time.

My reading is interrupted by the sound of my phone. It was a text message from Vicente. Taking a deep breath, I pick it up. "I'm sorry for this week. I'll make it up to you, I promise." A feeling of doubt blossomed in my stomach. Giving him a simple reply of OK, I set my phone down.

Thinking it's the end of our conversation, I go back to my book. Suddenly, I feel my phone start to vibrate. An incoming video call from Vicente showed on my screen. My breath hitched for a moment. It was 10 PM and I was already in my shorts and tank top pajamas. Against my better judgment, I answer. His face slowly pops up on the screen. "Hola hermosa. I've missed that beautiful face of yours, I just had to see it." My face turns crimson, I wasn't used to all these compliments.

Especially not from a man such as him. He was so intimidating, but with me, he was the softest. "Well, if you had gotten back to me last week, you wouldn't have missed it so much." I sass back. Vicente's deep laugh echoes through my phone, making me smile. "Work has me tied up, but I promise when I'm back we'll do whatever you want. By the way, I like those pajamas you got on."

He winks, making my face flush even more. Before I can respond, I hear somebody call his name. He tells me we'll talk later and ends the call. As much as I liked this man, his sudden disappearances left me with tons of questions I don't think I'd get the answer to.