Angel

Chapter 45

Mattie

Trish sat in the chair across from Emilio with a smug look on her face. She had no clue I was on the other side of the mirror watching and waiting. "I've missed you, baby," Trish cooed, "I'm sure you're bored with that little trollop by now. I know what makes you feel good, Emilio." I swear if I find out he slept with her, I'm not touching him ever again.

I could see his jaw clenched as he tried to stay calm. "You have no idea what makes me feel good, Trish, and that's not why I wanted to speak with you. I need some information actually."

"Hmmm?" the woman hummed, leaning forward so that her breasts practically spilled out of her low-cut blouse.

I noticed his eyes flicker to the mirror for a moment with an apologetic look and tried to steel my nerves. I felt my grandfather's hand cover mine. "Don't take anything he says or does personally, Mariposa. The more information we get willingly, the more accurate it will be. We try to hold off on torturing until absolutely necessary," he explained.

I gave a half laugh, "I know, Abuelo, my husband fully explained, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to rip her damn hair out anyway."

He chuckled and kissed the side of my head, "That's my girl." This whole situation seemed surreal to me. I was a nobody, now surrounded by two of the most feared and dangerous men in Mexico and family to both of them. It was utterly insane. 

We turned our attention back to Emilio.  "I was very impressed by the work you did at the Henshaw firm, but I never could quite understand how you managed to figure out who Mattie was," he said, leaning closer to her.

A panicked look crossed her face, but she quickly schooled it. "Well, I wasn't sure, I mean not at first."

"How did you even know about her, Trish? You weren't raised with the cartel. Matter of fact, I've only known you for about two years, yeah?" I felt the hair on the back of my neck start to rise. He was on to something. The timeline didn't add up. "Remind me, how did you start working for us?"

"Well, um, I met a few of your men at a club in Tijuana one night. I got a few bumps and we talked about where I worked. They offered me money to help them with their project," she explained vaguely.

"Hmm," he hummed, his fingers dancing along her forearm as he pulled her closer to him. My fists clenched as my Abuelo kept telling me to stay calm. "What were their names, Trish?"

Her eyes darted frantically, "Um, uh one was Luis. He's the one who gave me the coke, and um, I don't remember the others. It was a long time ago, Emilio."

The sound of his name coming from her lips had me seeing red. I wanted to rip her lying tongue out. Wait, what the fuck? When did I become possessive of this man - of my captor? The minute you surrendered and became his wife, my inner voice chided. I shook my head, trying to clear my own conflicted mind.

Emilio had moved to the front of his desk and now sat on the edge, right in front of Trish with her wrists in his hands. "That still doesn't explain how you knew about Mattie. I need to know how you identified her, please. I'm so grateful you found her Trish, I really am."

"You are?" she asked, standing up and leaning against him. He nodded, not pushing her away, but I saw the way his body tensed.

"Be patient, Mariposa, he's almost got her," my Abuelo said, unclenching my fingers. "Then your Abuelo will teach you some interesting ways to make her suffer." The gleam in his eyes was sadistic and made me shiver - but I'm not entirely sure if it was fear, anticipation, or both.

My attention snapped back when I heard Trish say, "the old bat said it was her".

"How did she know Mattie," Emilio was asking, his eyes dark as he looked at her. Stupid Trish thought it was desire she saw in those eyes, but I recognized something far darker, more deadly. "When did she say something to you? I mean, it had been months since she started at the firm from what you told me, then suddenly an old lady says something to you and you believe it - from a stranger no less?"