Reina de la Muerte

chapter fifteen

♕

vanessa

We spend all day planning our first moves against my mother and Olsen Bonette. With them being so powerful—and the fact that Mother went MIA as soon as I took on the cartel—it's hard to come up with one without having some sort of setback.

It's hard to think of a plan when Gabriel hasn't said anything since the entire "my mom killed your mom" bomb got dropped on him. By the time we called it a night, we barely even had a plan: we wait until there's another event with both us and Olsen invited, then we find some way to corner him when he sneaks out for alone time. We'll get answers from him about my mother's location one way or another.

Once the rest of the men have left the conference room, I close the door and turn to face Gabriel. He's staring at the table, staying still as I walk behind him and rest my hands on his shoulders. I don't know what to say to him.

So I hug him.

"I'm here," I murmur gently and rest my chin on the top of his head.

Gabriel sighs, resting his head back against my chest. I smile when his hand reaches up to grab mine. He doesn't say anything after that. I wish I knew what he was thinking but I'm thankful that his rage toward my mother didn't come down on me. It isn't that I expected him.

"It's late. We'll talk about it when you've gotten some rest," I tell him softly, squeezing his shoulder. "You didn't eat dinner when we did, did you?"

He shakes his head

"I'll make you something. Come on."

Gabriel glances up at me but continues with his silence, following me out the door. Despite how quiet he may be, his hand slips through mine to slow me until we're walking side by side.

He needs me. I don't need his voice to tell me that. I can see it in his eyes. I wish I knew what to say. How to comfort people. Maybe then, I'd be able to actually help him through whatever internal battle he's fighting.

We barely make it to the kitchen before Gabriel jerks me to his chest, burying his face in the crook of my neck. I remain frozen as his arms hold me tightly, exhaling slowly.

I want to say something to him but refrain from it again, biting my lip nervously. I want to know what Gabriel's thinking but I also realize that he needs time to gather his thoughts properly.

I can wait. I have to learn to if we're going to be a team.

"We need to get you ready for when the time comes," he mutters against my skin. "You might freeze up and—"

"I won't hesitate."

Gabriel's chest stops moving for a second and he holds me tighter. I maneuver in his arms and hide my face in his wrinkled shirt, inhaling his addicting smell of peppermint and cigarettes.

"You don't know that mi princesa," he mumbles into my hair. "Just because she is cruel doesn't mean you won't hesitate when you come face to face with her. I want you to be ready for when the time comes."

I don't respond, pulling him closer.

He might be right. I might hesitate when I see her face again—it's been eleven years since I saw it last—but I know that it isn't something I can choose not to do over personal emotions. This isn't a plan to avenge me and Gabriel alone. It's also for all of the innocent families she's destroyed for the sake of her own greed.

"What she's done is personal for the both of us. She destroyed our lives to put us on the path to signing that contract but never thought that we'd put the pieces together," I explain as I grab his hand, squeezing it tightly. "It's going to be a difficult battle but it can be done. I know Camila Martinez as well as I know Lucía Morales, I just never thought I'd be the one to aid in killing her... But it has to be done, not just for us but for the countless lives she's ruined."