𝑅𝐸𝑀𝐸𝑀𝐵𝐸𝑅 𝑀𝐸 | druig

𝒻𝒾𝓋𝑒

Two days had passed and Nita had barely seen or spoke to Andres. She thought they left the hut on good terms but maybe she thought wrong. She didn't feel bad for what she had said because it was the truth. She just wished she never had to have said it.

As she sat on the steps of her hut, sharpening a machete to cut up the fish the fisherman were bringing back that night, Nita heard the whir of boat engines in the distance; meaning they were returning from their supply run. Nita dropped the tools in her hands on the steps as Evita emerged from the hut then the sisters made their way to the river's edge.

"I know about you and Andres," Evita said as she fell into step with her sister. Nita's eyes widened and her cheeks blushed.

"How?" She asked, keeping her eyes ahead and her tone neutral as she didn't know the extent of Evita's knowledge of her and Andres, and didn't want to give anything away.

"Oh please, I'm only three years younger than you, not a child. It's so obvious," she said as they emerged from the treeline to see the three boats quickly approaching. "Be careful because I think mom and dad are starting to catch on."

"There's nothing to worry about. I'm pretty sure I've ruined whatever it was anyway," Nita said with a heavy heart and she saw her sister's shoulders slump a little.

"That's too bad," Evita said. "I liked him." Of course Evita did, Andres treated her like he treated Nita; as his equal and with respect; like his own little sister. .

The boats pulled up onto the shore, three men in each boat with Druig helming the middle one, my father standing directly to his right. And judging by the gold rim around his eyes as well as around every other man's eyes, they were in a state of control by Druig.

"Let them go," Nita said, anger roiling in her stomach that forced her hands into fists.

Druig smirked and said, "As you wish, m'lady." And then their eyes returned to normal as they hopped off from the boats, anchoring them to the sandy shore, as if they hadn't just spent the last three days under his control.

Evita ran up to her father first, wrapping her arms tightly around his towering frame. Nita stood in place, keeping her gaze fixed on Druig, as if to challenge him, to what she didn't know. Druig then looked up from whatever it was he was arranging in the boat, met her stare and smirked, then looked back down. Just when she thought he couldn't infuriate her anymore, he did.

"Nita! Come say hello to Papa," Evita called from where she stood with her fathers long, bulky arm wrapped around her shoulder, a wide grin on both their faces. Nita's lips turned upward into one too as she jogged over to them, wrapping her arms around him.

"Welcome back, Papa," she said.

"I've missed my two beautiful hijas," he said, pressing a kiss to both their heads.

"What did you bring back for, Papa?" Evita asked, peeking around his body at the boats where the men were still organizing the contents inside.

Their father placed a hand on each of their shoulders, gently pushing them back toward the village. "I have a lot of work to do so go back and see your mother, I'll be with you in an hour," he said.

Nita tried looking back at the boats but her father was too strong as he ushered them up the shore. Her father usually never had a problem with sharing what goods he's brought back from wherever it is they went, sometimes he even let his daughters help unload. This time was different. Something was off and it made Nita feel very uneasy.

What was in those boats?