Taken In

Chapter 17

Javier's POV

I quickly make my way back to the garage, realising Breo will probably want to put on her new pyjamas before she goes to bed.

After picking up the bags from the back of the truck, I tell the lady who is filling in for Teresa to put the rest of the groceries away too. I have a feeling once any of the Siete see Mickey Mouse nuggets in the freezer they'll start asking questions but I don't give a fuck. I don't answer to anyone, especially people on my pay cheque.

Back upstairs the guy who normally keeps watch of her door stands up and walks towards me. He usually stays on this floor anyway, but when I'm not around he doesn't have to do much unless G needs him. It's easy pay if I'm honest but security in my type of work can get dangerous quickly.

"You alright boss?"

I nod and he watches as I enter Breo's room again. Placing the bags down near the door I turn to see Breo laying on the couch in front of the bed, she must've been waiting for me but got too tired.

Walking closer I realise she's asleep, holding her bear close to her face with her injured hand, while the other cradles her head.

I watch her chest rise and fall for a moment, taken aback by how peaceful she looks in her sleep. Her eyes flutter a little and she scrunches her nose, making me step back in case I've woken her up- but she continues to sleep, pulling her bear closer to her chest.

I get one of the blankets from the end of the couch and lay it over her, before dimming the lights and leaving the room to allow her to sleep.

As I turn to go down to my office I notice G walking down the hall.

"You're up late." He jokes, following me into the room.

I walk over to the mini fridge and grab a beer. I gesture to see if he wants one but he declines. "Yeah I guess so." I respond while opening my beer and taking a sip. It's been a long night but I have a feeling I'm not going to sleep anytime soon.

"You good bro?"

He watches as I sit in my chair, swivelling in it a little before placing my beer on the desk in front of me. "Yeah, why?"

He never acts this weird me, and he's a nervous motherfucker. I stop swivelling my chair and look at him, feeling like I'm either about to hear some news about a deal going south, or he's about to bitch about Carmen. With he way he's obsessed with that woman, I'd rather it be the first.

"Look." G continues as he sits in the chair across from me. He leans back to put his legs on the table before hesitating and placing them back down. "Some of the guys have been talking."

"About?"

He adjusts his posture slightly after hearing the evident irritation in my voice. Something tells me this conversation isn't going to go how I thought. In all our years of friendship the pendejo still can't get straight to the point.

"You haven't been around as much as you usually are, the guys had a party tonight but you were out with that gir-"

I place my beer harshly on the desk, interrupting him mid sentence. Sighing loudly I lean back, tilting the glass bottle in my hand as I do so.

"Gabriel." I pause, trying to maintain composure.

"What do I do for a living?"

He looks at me in a confused manner and I ask him again.

"What is it that I do around here." Anger starts to seethe out through my words and I make no attempt to conceal it, best friend or not.

"I- I don't know what you mean man, you run everything around here."

I smile at his response. "Exactly."

"So why the fuck is what I do, where I go or who I spend time with, any mechite's business."

"Y-You're right J." G says apologetically. "I'm just looking out for you, we're bros."

My temper calms down and I look at him for a moment. "Right now, I need you to look out for the money, Gomez and Alejandro are bringing in business and you need to focus on that- especially with the new factory. We run this shit together."

He nods and I continue.

"I appreciate the concern, but I know what I'm doing."

He gestures his hands up in innocence. "Okay carnal, I believe you."

"Okay. And tell anyone that if they have anything to say, they should come up and ask me themselves, instead of sending the only pendejo I won't kill to start asking me questions like a fed."

We both laugh, and he pulls me in for for a handshake, "We'll always be bros."

I nod in agreement while patting his back and gesture to the fridge. "You sure you don't want a drink?" Now that things have calmed down I can go back to how I usually am, I'm not an angry guy, I just don't entertain shit I don't like.

"Nah I'm good, I gotta go see Carmen later so I'm gonna head to hers."

Most of the Siete live on the property, apart from Gabriel and Gomez. Gabriel moved out with Carmen when they were together, but since they've been on the rocks he's been back here again, or at least he was.

Gomez does freelance work so he doesn't need to be on the property neither. I stay in this house, while the other guys stay in another house on a separate part of the lot. We talk business here, maybe have a few parties but that's it. Real work is done offsite and any guys that are here for security rotate shifts and live close by. That doesn't stop the Siete from staying here anyway, but it keeps the house busy so I don't care too much.

"You back with Carmen?" I ask, unsurprised.

"Shit I'm trying." He says with a laugh, I laugh with him. I don't know how he managed to bag a doctor but I'd stick with her ass if I was him too.

We talk a little more before he leaves for the night, although the sunshine filling the room lets me know it's morning already. I head upstairs to quickly shower and before I know it I'm in bed.

The tiredness I felt earlier has disappeared completely as I look up, mindlessly focusing on the ceiling.

"Damn, what the fuck am I doing?" I ask myself out loud. I have a shit tonne of things on my mind but all I can think about is Breo.

I need to focus, or at least know what I want.

I know that I want to protect her. Girls like her aren't safe out there and knowing she hasn't got anyone else makes things even more fucking complicated. I laugh to myself once I realise what I'm saying. I'd rather she stay with a lying, cheating, murderer like me in a house full of criminals than go back to her abusive boyfriend. 

"Is she even safe here?" I wonder to myself.

Maybe I should be more careful with who knows about her. Having no attachments was one of the things that made this job easy. Saco can't run up on me because I know where his sister stays, and I know that pendejo would do the same to me if he found out about Breo.

I shake my head and try to remain rational. I don't  even know if Breo wants to stay here, maybe she'll go back to England or some shit to be with her brother.

I turn to lay on my side and try to get some sleep. I shouldn't be thinking about all this, I have work to do tomorrow.