Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 9-2

On the boat, the wind whipped against my face. My t-shirt and pants were soaked, but the coolness against my skin was nice. We were between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. On the coast in the distance, unspoiled nature made the image of the island unique. In the turquoise waters, thousands of small fish were swimming in the middle of the corals. Through this magnificent spectacle, I discovered a treasure for the first time.

Lucas watched me, torn between the anxiety of disobeying orders and the pleasure of being here, enjoying his freedom. He probably didn't have much fun the rest of the year in his golden cage.

The boat went around the huge, pierced rock. It was a limestone arch sculpted over time by the water and the wind. Master of the ocean, it seemed to want to tell us many secrets and legends about itself.

In admiration, I got off the boat and walked along the beach that the rock dominated from its tall height. Lucas's voice forced me to look away from the huge rock.

"Do you have your phone with you in case Yeraz tries to call us?"

"No, I left my stuff in the car."

I contemplated the wild beach. There were very few people here.

"Los Cabos is an absolute paradise," our guide told us. "We only allow a limited number of people on this beach in order to preserve the fauna and flora. You will see. Seen from the sky, you will have the impression of touching Heaven with your fingertips."

"Heaven, before knowing Hell in a few hours. That's good."

Lucas said these words in a sarcastic tone. He seemed to be living the last moments of his life, realizing the danger that awaited us when we returned from this excursion. I rolled my eyes, not taking the words coming out of his mouth seriously.

Harnessed to the parachute towed by the boat, I enjoyed the splendid view of the entire coastline. I had been gradually lifted into the air without any feeling of dizziness. The hot air smelled of the trees and flowers, reaching me from the island. The sensation I felt in mid-air freed me from all my worries. Down below, Lucas and our guide looked tiny. I threw my head back and spread my arms. I wanted to stay up there forever. Here I felt as if nothing and no one could reach me.

The sound of engines disturbed the tranquility of the perfect moment. I looked down again and saw that our speedboat was surrounded by three boats, the men on board shouting orders to our guide. Yeraz had just put an end to our escapade. It was time to report back to the big guy.

No one had spoken on the way back. Yeraz had forced me onto one of the boats with him. I hadn't fought back. The absence of Miguel and Fares among the men who had come to pick us didn't indicate anything good.

Now, alone in the car with Yeraz, my throat tightened a little more to the point of altering my breathing. He was looking at the landscape through his closed window without paying me any attention. The driver, obviously focused on the road, hadn't glanced in the rearview mirror since the beginning of the drive. Full of remorse, I regretted having taken Lucas on this crazy escapade.

"Where are Miguel and Fares?"

My insecure voice betrayed my concern.

"Fired!"

He had spoken in a clear and measured voice. The silence fell again, unbearable. The lump in the pit of my stomach grew larger.

"Yeraz, they didn't do anything. It's all my fault."

He turned his head toward me and took his glasses off. His multidimensional, imposing, and intimidating gaze paralyzed me. His burning eyes caught me completely until every one of my limbs became numb.

"Unless I'm mistaken, you don't know how to swim."

He looked at me for a long time, placid, waiting for my answer. I stammered, "How do you know that?"

"Your brother told me the other day at the restaurant. He also asked me to take care of you."

I looked down, aware of my irresponsible behavior.

"We'll talk about this at the hotel, I have emails to send."

His exterior remainedcalm, but his voice held a threatening tone. What fate did he have in store forme? Burn me with a poker? Torture me by dipping my head in the bathtub? AndLucas? My God, Lucas.