Let's Get Wed or You're Dead

CH 2: Hector Aguerrie

CHAPTER 2

Hector shifted his attention again to Logan and gave him a small smile. "Let's leave them alone. They have their own stakes on their table." He sat back down as if he caused inconvenience to his niece, who was currently occupied.

"Mr. Jacobs, would you do me the honor?" She tilted her head slightly to her right side of the table, to the man who looked to be the same age as hers. She gestured for her cards to him. "My hands are tied." Her lips curving up to the side as if apologetic.

"With pleasure." He nodded with a smile and moved closer to the table as his hand reached and flipped them face up.

It seemed like everyone was waiting for the result, as there was no resumed conversation going on at the other table.

"You have this round, Ms. Aguerrie. Congratulations!" Eden Jacobs announced. "You have our millions. Maybe except Brian Logan's." Then he looked at the pitiful face of the youngest man on the table. "You'll have his thumb."

"Thank you." She replied warmly in her tone, but the cold glint in her eyes was unmistakable as her hand tightened and everyone witnessing held their breaths. Some even tried to look away.

"No! No, no, no." Brian was about to fight back but Samantha pressed a little more on his bone and she could feel some could have cracked that, which now made him wail, though she hadn't taken a finger yet.

Wallace Logan hissed and his lips thinned as he lowered the gun abruptly and thudded it on the table. His men behind him lowered their weapons also.

"Samantha." Hector called out again.

"What now, Uncle?" Her voice came out tight from irritation in having been bothered again.

"I suggest you take his triple bet. It would be more useful to you."

Samantha blinked slowly as if balancing the pros and cons. Then her head moved to the side as she locked her gaze to Wallace Logan. "I won't just ask for a finger next time you point at us in our own territory."

Then she released him as she stood properly and held out her knife to the side to any one of their men who approached and took it from her to clean. "Gather all the chips and bring them to me."

The man nodded with a small reply, "Yes, Miss."

"That's it for tonight, gentlemen," she announced on the table, looking at them one by one.

Brian was clutching his hand and had it wrapped by a hanky as he was assisted by his own guards. He didn't even look at her way and he went to his father's side, where he was surrounded by the rest of their men.

Hector ended the night for the rest of them and escorted them out until they went to each their cars and vans and exited the premises.

The cold breeze of the sea was flipping their hair and the saltiness could be smelled in the night. He turned around at Samantha.

"Why just a finger when you could have aimed for his neck or the whole hand?" He simply stated. He wasn't really about to nag her about what she had chosen, but he still wanted to point out the most efficient approach.

"It isn't necessary. The point is just to have leverage against him if he ever pulled the trigger on you. His son's safety was effective enough to make him surrender." She answered with her head held high as if just explaining a simple objective from a reasonable enough decision.

Hector nodded. Then he roamed his eyes around to the men that had been with them inside the room.

"I'll handle them." Samantha understood it as she scanned them with her eyes also. Their heads bowed down in embarrassment of their slow reaction earlier.

Hector released a deep breath as he turned around and started to walk inside. Samantha followed. The noise of the wind was shutting out their voices.

"I had Carl check the list of the new black items coming in from El Fuego yesterday. These new—"

His voice got cut off from the phone's vibration in his pocket. He took it out and answered.

Samantha opened the door for him and they got in. They were finally relieved from the noise outside as she shut the door.

"What?!" Hector's sudden outburst made her flinch as she looked at him and his expression now was grim. Much worse than earlier when he was pointed a gun at.

She couldn't hear what the other line was saying but just from what she was currently witnessing in his reaction, it could only mean bad news. A very bad one that made him kick one of the chairs.

She just stood at the side, looking at him with her blank gaze. Like a soldier awaiting orders.

He was pacing while asking questions and giving instructions. Then he shut the phone and turned to her. His lips formed a thin line and he lifted a tightly closed fist. He pointed it at Samantha.

"You." His voice was shaking in rage and he paced again, as if racking his brain for what to do.

Samantha looked away before she got dizzy for following his movements.

"You go to El Fuego and hunt Jeff Veda." He abruptly stopped in front of her and took a step closer. "He ran away with a list. Hunt this traitor down. Take a sniper and execute him in public. Do they really think they could do this and just run off to safety? We Aguerries would never let that happen!"

He approached the table and poured himself a brandy and drank it down right after. The glass landed back with a thud on the table.

"We shouldn't do it publicly." She finally started to comment.

"It's to warn anyone who even thought of betraying us that we could kill them either quietly or loudly."

"This is a bold move, and the law could sound for us being behind it." She opposed unblinkingly.

Hector got silent for a few seconds, then he whirled around and carefully strode in her direction in calculating steps.

"Then I'll have someone else lead this job. And take Sedrik with them. He's got an excellent aim, right? Maybe it's finally time for me to use that skill he chose to be trained with."

Samantha's body instantly went rigid as her breath got caught in her lungs. Her jaw hardened and her ears seemed to start ringing. Her fists clenched to her sides. When she remembered to breathe, it became ragged.

Sedrik. Her younger brother.

She forced her words to come out and not to tremble in rage. "I'll go." Her teeth gritting. "And it'll be as you say how this traitor will be sent to hell." Without another word, she turned around and exited the room with a thud.

-----

It was already midnight when Samantha reached El Fuego by motorcycle. She was now down by the empty street before she stopped behind the van parked at the side.

One of her men approached as she removed her helmet.

"He's alone," he informed quietly.

Samantha only nodded once.

She kicked the stand down and got off. Her boots stepped across the damp grass as she and two of her men walked beside her towards a small house tucked between narrow buildings. There was a faint glow of light from inside as they walked closer. The rest of the neighborhood was asleep.

She stopped in front of the door. The men stood at each side. She knocked gently. She waited for a few seconds but there was no response. Then she knocked again.

This time, there was movement inside. It could have been unnoticed but the deafening silence around the area was making it loud enough to be heard from her proximity. It sounded like someone stumbling.

Samantha lowered her hand from the door. "If you want your family untouched," she said calmly, "then give me your head."

Silence followed.

Then suddenly, a dull sound came from the other side of the door. Like a body collapsing against it.

"M-Miss Samantha…"

Jeff's voice came out trembling and muffled through the wood.