Chapter 6 5 Chapter

Henrico Zattani

I almost blew it. I forgot for a while that I was at the damn party to watch and learn more about the enemy, but I ended up sharing glasses of tequila and fraternizing, it was so natural that I didn't realize it's making it easier and relaxing, in jail keeping on alert is what keeps you alive, it's not the guards who are there supposedly watch over us and "protect", much less their saddle partners, the only reliable person in that environment is yourself, so I never relaxed and trusted. Well, until yesterday.

The idea was to get her to drink until she said what she shouldn't, let's be clear, even she's drunk enough to throw out the dirt on every member of the Leal family, including her own. The plan seemed brilliant as it formed in my head as I watched him sneak into the bar.

My eyes lit up with anticipation, seeing her so vulnerable right there, the mask failing to disguise the sadness in her beautiful pale eyes. Shit, maybe it wasn't the tequila's fault.

I believed Aurora when she told me that her stepmother was a gold digger, the one who slept with her father when her mother was gradually dying in a hospital bed. I also believed her when she told me that the brat, the bastard she refused to call her sister, had taken after her mother in that regard. Until then, I didn't know either of them, but I trusted blindly in the words of my ex-wife.

Deep down, I knew it could just be teasing and jealousy. But gossip sites claimed that Anna Maria, Amélia's mother, was Augusto Leal's lover for almost a year before his wife's death. I hate betrayals of any kind.

My parents always maintained a happy marriage, kept the fire of desire burning and made me fantasize about having something like this one day, so I got a bit of a taste of both before it was even formally introduced. However, when the skinny one first appeared in the middle of my room, absently playing with a chicken, she didn't strike me as a sneaky and ambitious person, in fact, she looked like a scared dog who loved to show her teeth and roar. At that moment, a strange feeling occurred to me, something I ignored and didn't tell anyone about, but it happened at the exact moment when the girl turned her face to me and gave me one of her cheeky answers, the ones she usually gives when she forgets to hold her tongue and keep your good girl composure.

She gave me the same look, lifted her little nose, and stole all my breath. I remember thinking that kind of beauty was surreal, and I wanted to rip the sadness out of the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.

"So you want to talk about what we saw on the girl's birthday?" I look at Guilhermino's serious face, he's been trying to talk about it since we got back from the party two nights ago.

"Nothing to say." I grumble. I fill the glass with the sour sop juice and bring it to my mouth. Guilhermino and I were always close, the type to share everything. But I'm not interested in discussing how it hurts to watch my ex kiss another in front of me, even though she didn't know I was there watching the whole time and the other was her current husband.

The fact is, it hurts, but not as much as he's thinking.

"Fine, but I won't put up with your bad mood." If you don't want to talk, then try to put a smile on that frown and let's ride. You need to relax.

I frown at her words, disagreeing with her statement. I'm not in a bad mood, just disappointed. He gets up from the breakfast table, dragging the chair with his sudden movement and noise.

"My horse died." To remember. He gives me a sideways look, looking bored with my argument.

"Mount Lexus, he hasn't let himself be tamed by anyone until now." He says, picking up his hat and placing it on his head. Leaving me without arguments and leaving the house.

I exhale, feeling guilty for keeping secrets from him. I know this attempt to reminisce about old times and ask me out for a walk is just another attempt to get me to talk, he knows something is wrong, and he believes taking me away will force me to talk. Well, I prefer to keep you away from that part. Riding a horse won't extract all the anger I have inside me, I dream of that revenge and nothing will stop me.

I finish breakfast alone, go upstairs and lock the door securely. I pull my disposable cell phone out of my jeans pocket and dial one of my two saved contacts.

"Hello?" the man on the other end of the line immediately asks.

"Do you have something for me?" I say, skipping the introductions part.

He laughs softly. "My horse died." To remember. He gives me a sideways look, looking bored with my argument.

"Mount Lexus, he hasn't let himself be tamed by anyone until now." He says, picking up his hat and placing it on his head. Leaving me without arguments and leaving the house.

I exhale, feeling guilty for keeping secrets from him. I know this attempt to reminisce about old times and ask me out for a walk is just another attempt to get me to talk, he knows something is wrong and believes that taking me away will force me to talk. Well, I prefer to keep you away from that part.

Riding a horse won't extract all the anger I have inside me, I dream of that revenge and nothing will stop me.

I finish breakfast alone, go upstairs and lock the door securely. I pull my disposable cell phone out of my jeans pocket and dial one of my two saved contacts.

"Hello?" the man on the other end of the line immediately asks.

"Do you have something for me?" I say, skipping the introductions part.

He chuckles.

"Calm down, my boy. Your men have already given me some important information, but I need more. Everything I have can be taken out in a few days.

I complain, cursing under my breath.

"Fine, but I won't wait for you to act. I'll do it my way.

"Watch out, boy. Last time, you spent three long years behind bars.

"Don't worry, that BOY doesn't exist anymore.

I end the call, not giving a chance for an answer. I click on the other number saved on my phone, but instead of calling, I send him a message.

"You little shit, what the hell are you doing locked in this room?" Don't tell me you're hitting one. I think you need a woman, just think of that blonde, I don't think she's blonde anyway.

I roll my eyes, ignoring his knock on the door.

"I was thinking here, you spent so much time in that prison, do you still like women? You like it, don't you?"

I huff, giving up and going to open the door for him.

"Let's ride, but please shut up!"