Vera

Chapter 41

Vera

Everyone has been on edge since we found out who orchestrated everything a few days ago. Cade did fake my death, but everything else was my father's doing. Personally, I think we have some amazing fathers. #1 dad mugs to the both of them.

The odds of them knowing about me or Silas are low but not zero. I went to an underground boxing ring, yelled Santi's name, and left with him. That can definitely attract attention, so Si and I have been staying inside. There's security everywhere, and Santiago's fuse has been cut in half. Before it was already small, now it's almost nonexistent, especially with his men.
Without me being a buffer, about a quarter of them would've been dead by now.

I've also had to stop Santiago from killing his father a number of times. The death of a Cartel leader by his own son could be fatal and lead to a war. We're trying to form a plan however every time we attempt to, we hit a wall.

We figured Mila would be safest at the hospital, so she's gone back to work. And Alex was called out to a job. While Silas knows something is wrong between the security and small, vague talk we had with him, he doesn't know the complete extent of things. To get everyone's minds off of the anxiety in the house, Santi came home with chocolate chip cookie ingredients, but Silas decided to make it a competition.

Just by the sight of the kitchen and the monstrosity of burned, paper thin cookies, you can tell Santiago has never cooked in his life. While Silas has fluffy, perfectly cooked cookies that look delicious.

"How do mine look like this and his look like that?" He asks, pretending to be frustrated to make Si laugh.

"Maybe because you put half a cup of salt instead of sugar and no baking soda." I say looking at his 'cookies'. Santi dramatically gasps, snapping his head towards Si.

"You sabotaged me, didn't you." Santi accuses while Silas just laughs with a wide grin. He lifts Si from the ground and tickles him in his arms. My boys. My heart jumps with happiness at the scene. I never thought Silas would have this. His own father being there for him, laughing and smiling. He just learned the joy of having both parents that would die for him. Hell, having an entire family that would. I can't let him miss out on anything else. I won't.

"Go clean up it's almost 8, and you have flour all over the both of you." I speak up over their roughhousing. After they grab one of Silas' cookies, they go upstairs to shower.

...

I feel chills all over my body, and my mind feels foggy. I'm aware of Santi's front pressed against my back, and his head tucked into my neck. I crack my eyes open to read the bright red numbers that blare in the dark. 1:45 am.We've only been asleep since 11. As I sit up and swing my legs off the bed, I still feel uneasy. Like I'm anticipating something—as if in the back of my mind I know something is going to happen that I have to be ready for. What is it?

I slowly stand up, the bed creaks from my movement. My heart beats hard against my rib cage. Something's wrong, really wrong. I can feel it in every part of my body.

"Vera, what are you doing?" Santi sits up groggily in a rough, raspy voice. Normally, I'd melt over that voice, but I can't shake this feeling.

"Something's wrong." I whisper. I pull open my nightstand, grab a small, silver key, and unlock the second drawer of the nightstand. I pull out the gun Alex gave me and creep to the door. When Santiago sees how serious I am, he grabs his gun from the nightstand as well.

"Go get Silas. I'll look downstairs," I go to open the door, but Santi stops me by grasping my arm.

"No, you go get Silas. I'll go downstairs." I can tell Santi's nervous, terrified even. His jaw is set and his face is clear of emotion, but his eyes are where his poker face fails. I'm not going to be naive. If there is someone in the house and I go downstairs, I could die, Santiago could, God forbid Silas getting hurt. We both would protect Silas with our lives. Silas just got his dad. Santiago just got his son. So, I make a risky decision but one that I stand by.