A splash of cold water jolted her awake. Mora gasped, shivering violently. She blinked until the small, dimly lit room took shape—a fireplace, a bed, a bucket.
And him.
He was watching her, face cold and impassive, the disgust still there.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" she spat.
"I should be asking you that," he replied flatly. "I gave you an order."
She couldn't believe it. After nearly dying in that forest, this man's first thought was his orders?
"I don't have time for your nonsense," she hissed, trying to stand on swollen feet. She began unbuttoning her soaked shirt.
His eyes darkened instantly
"What are you doing?"
"Avoiding a fever," she said through clenched teeth.
"Keep them on."
"Excuse me?"
"I said, keep them on. Since people like you can't seem to understand normal conversation, I've learned to make my point differently."
He rolled his chair closer to the bed.
Mora blinked. Shocked at his level of depravity. There weren't stranded anywhere or needed to be picked up. This was a lesson. A lesson for what?
"The next time I tell you not to touch anything of mine," he said slowly, "remember the hungry face of that bush pig."
"You're insane," she whispered.
His head snapped up. "What did you say?"
She didn't stop. "You're insane. You put me through that—because of a book? You're mentally unstable, Guemo!"
He glared. "Don't disobey me again, and we won't have a problem."
"Oh, that's what this is about?" she snapped. "It's not the book, is it? It's about power. You can't stand feeling weak. You couldn't stand it when that bald man insulted your family—you wanted to prove you still had control. You're pathetic, Guemo. And I pity anyone who had to serve you when you still had your legs."
His hand twitched, but he only muttered, "Shut up and go to bed. You're living the clothes on. There will consequences if you disobey me again" he ordered casually dragging his weight out of his chair to the bed-all fully in dry cloths "There's a mat and blanket by the fire. Use them." he completed adjusting himself in the comfortable bed.
So that's how he puts himself to bed? Mora wondered even in the midst of the anger.
Mora stared at him, disgusted
"You really enjoy torturing people, don't you? No wonder everyone keeps quitting on you. What are you going to do if I disobey this time—shoot me -or no….shoot me in an area where I won't die but just be alive enough to go through the torture. Well then be my guest-it's my health on the line, not your fragile ego"!
And with that, she stripped off her damp clothes, tossed them aside, and lay down on the mat beside the fire.
She glanced at his still form on the bed. Nothing. Not a word, not a move.
Monster, she thought bitterly. Tomorrow, I'm done
…
When Mora opened her eyes, she was back in her room at the mansion. Her head throbbed, fever burning through her body. A nurse sat beside her bed.
So he did care after all, she thought, cynically.
She had already taken her decision to send in her resignation but her body was too weak to put that in motion. Moreover, she felt the treatment was the required compensation Guemo owed her after what he put her through. Immediately she was strong, she would live.
…
The bitch still defied him! Guemo thought. She still took the clothes off!
How dare she? And how dare she speak to him like that!
Her words "no wonder everyone keeps quitting on you" echoed in his head. He recalled all the incidents with the others; David, Rodriguez, Louis, his father and….more of them. Anger suddenly boiled up at his throat not from the disrespect of her words but from the guilt of how true they were.
"Where were you last night"? Victoria's voice distracted him from his thoughts.
"Busy" he said calmly "Any problem"?
She took a sit beside him in the courtyard "Yes-I wanted to discuss something with you-to make a suggestion" she stammered
Guemo raised his brow, Victoria wasn't known to stutter "Go on"
"Your Uncle and I thought its time you...settle down!" she finally said
"And we have the perfect bride for you. You don't need to go far searching. We looked at the nurse-your nurse-the Lopez girl. She comes from a quiet background, quite educated and her profession can be of help"
Guemo was shocked although he didn't let it show, he simply said it coolly
"Neither you nor my uncle have ever cared about my love life, why now? What do you need it for"?
"Common Guemo-aren't you tired of the mafia-bachelor lifestyle?"
Guemo still didn't buy it
"Ok-your uncle's office relies on this. People need to see him as a successful family man as Eduardo said and that success can only be seen in his children. What better way to do that than get you guys married"
"Mmmm" Guemo smirked "you and uncle's idea or your idea?"
"Come on Gue-"
"Eduardo made that speech not me. You guys should get him married and involving my staffs in your selfish pursuits is totally out of question"
"Gu- "" Victoria tried persuading again but Guemo snapped
"This conversation won't be brought up again Victoria. I hope I'm clear"
Given up all attempts to persuade him further, she swallowed, living him alone.
He poured himself a drink, irritation clawing at him. That conversation just ruined his evening.
Victoria was extremely good at her job and extremely bad at raising a family. He thought of the disaster that would be their faith if she and Uncle actually tide the knot. She could go through any length in making sure she did her job well-any length even if it meant completely disorienting people's lives. In this right, she was more of an Aguirre than a Gonzalez. Guemo understood how this would help Garcia in his political pursuits all too well but did she for a minute stop to wonder if Morena wanted it, if he wanted it?
No reasonable marriage would last with the type of lifestyle they lived. The people in his family who tried it like his mother didn't live him with much to be hopeful for with regards to settling down. He kicked that out of his bucket list a long time ago.
To add fuel to injury, the woman they thought of marrying him off to was a no go zone for him.
How could anyone think of someone like her for him; lower class, incompetent, stubborn, too witty for her own good and ….pure. Yes, she was pure in as much as he hated to admit. Too pure for him. This type of life will never go well with her. The both of them together would rain havoc even worse than Ramona and his father. Eduardo should get married since he was the one who fed the public with that bullshit.
Again his memory travelled back to Morena's statement 'You wanted to prove you still had control'.
"Fuck"! He cursed as he poured himself another glass. Irritated she actually noticed him being vulnerable. No one had ever gotten under his skin. She won't be the first. He needed something that will really scare the shits out of her into submission. He needed to use something she cared and loved very dearly. Suddenly an idea came to mind, he grinned calling for Gustavo.
Morena woke up again the second time in the evening. Her strength partially renewed, her body still aching and swollen. She stared at the wooden ceiling for quite some time, processing the chain of events that just passed.
What if Guemo didn't appear at the time he did? What if she didn't even notice the pig and he ate her alive there? 'What if's' flooded her mind.
In those twenty seconds when she thought everything was going to end, her single worry was dyeing alone-without her remains even getting noticed. Without hesitating, she reached for her phone to call Lupita and nag her about her day. The hand she stretched out didn't touch any phone. She recalled seeing it as she woke up next to her. Was she dizzy? Did she see things? She tried waking up to check around the room but excruciating pain from her swollen leg couldn't permit her. She trying recalling the previous details from the previous night to know exactly where she left it fearing she might have forgotten it there, but her head still ached with a tumbling sensation. She retreated to her bed when someone knocked at the door. "Come in," she rasped.
Itzel burst into the room, eyes wide with worry. "Oh my God, what happened?"
Mora forced a smile.
"Where was brother?" she added
"He came at the perfect time" Mora said sarcastically
Itzel fussed over her, checking her temperature. "Did you take anything?"
"Of course Eazy, I'm fine" Mora lied
"What happened"? When Itzel pressed again, she deflected. "Really… I'm okay. Tell me about your day."
That did the trick. The girl brightened immediately. "There's this guy at school—he's all over my FYP."
Mora chuckled. "And are you all over his?"
Mora laughed, happy to see an Aguirre actually had a normal life. Talking to Itzel made her feel closer to home. It was like she was talking with Lupita.
"Maybe. But it can't work out," she said with a sigh. "He's a Gonzalez."
"Ah" Mora murmured. This was a good opportunity to ask the back story behind all that drama. She'd initially intended to have a conversation about it with her.
"What's up with them and your family"?
"A whole lot"
"You mean the election"?
"Worse" she added "Things weren't always like that between them and us" she slugged in her chair "we practically grew up together"
Mora raised her brow "Who? The Aguirre's and the Gonzalez"?
"Yes. Uncle, Father and Gonzalez were very good friends. In fact people thought they were brothers…..until Uncle had Eduardo" she felt ashamed even telling the story. Mora good sense that.
"I don't understand. What does Eduardo's birth have to do with the feud"?
"Uncle had Eduardo with Senor Gonzalez wife"
Mora blinked. She could understand the disgust on the bald's man face when he looked at his sister. Betrayal like that the second time cut deep. What was wrong with Mr Garcia anyway, did he have a thing for Gonzalez women?
"Apparently dad knew about the affair and with him being the reasonable one, Uncle Ramirez got extremely mad at him and blamed him for helping his brother to ruin his family"
"Ohhh…I get it. So what happened to her"?
"Ahhhhh...She died after giving birth to Eduardo-" she sighed "Allegedly, they were willing to work things out and Uncle Ramirez forgave her then she died. He blamed Eduardo, Garcia and the rests of the family for her death. Ever since, we have been paying for it with one gun feud to the next"
This family's drama was stressing her out "And Victoria knows this and …."
"Hmmm she doesn't give a fuck. She's like mum and Uncle combined in that aspect"
"Ohhh" Mora hissed "So this guy…..is he Senor Gonzalez son"?
"He's grand-son. Apparently I don't have only Uncle Ramirez to worry about. His mum hates us with an extra passion as well"
"Well-" Morena said taking her hands in his "If there was something my papa taught me. If something was meant to be, it will-no matter the class, the family's history or whatever. If two people are meant for each other, even the world's largest war couldn't separate them"
Itzel smiled at those comforting words "Since when did you become a hopeless romantic"?
They both laughed
"I read books…"
"Mmmmmm"
The door creaked open; Guemo and Gustavo strolled in. Upon seeing them, Mora frowned.
"Hey brother" Itzel greeted, but his glare made her adjust.
"Don't you have homework?"
Itzel woke up from her seat preparing to live "Just came to check up on Miss Mora" She kissed Mora's forehead and slipped out followed by Gustavo, leaving Mora alone with him.
"Have you seen my phone"? She asked sharply.
"Yes" he replied dryly
Thank God, she didn't forget it at the courthouse.
"No."
"What?"
"You won't get it until you learn to follow orders. I told you not to take your clothes off."
Her anger flared again. "How would you even know?"
"Gustavo found you naked this morning."
He's stupid antics of power struggle were beginning to irritate her.
Her voice dropped to ice. "You won't have to worry about that anymore."
"Why?"
"Because I quit."