Sofia hadn't called or texted me once since our night together about slipping out when I was asleep and she wouldn’t respond to my texts either. I tried to be patient and go at her speed, but I wasn’t a patient man in any aspect of my life. Currently, I was in the United Kingdom after taking a red eye to sign a potential deal to have our guns operation shipped from England to Portugal. Even while dealing with the Russian situation, I needed to make sure business would continue without any interruptions.
“This is just the preliminary meeting, Joaquin,” Gael said as he glanced around the room at the men gathered together.
“I won’t shoot anyone, if that’s what you're worried about!” I cocked my head to the side and winked. He was the only one that got my humor.
“Fuck off, Joaquin,” Gael grunted, then he pulled out his phone and texted with someone.
“Gentlemen, thank you for coming to meet with me,” Maricio Caputo said as he marched in the room and extended a hand for us both to take.
“It sounded like an emergency. I thought we were meeting with Laurent?” Gael questioned.
“Yes. I know and I apologize about the last-minute change,” Maricio said.
Gael and I peered at each other to see if this was a setup or not.
“I only talk with people that make the decisions,” I said, cutting off Gael from responding.
“I understand, but as his right-hand man, I can assure you that I speak for him on any major decisions,” Maricio stated. The man was only about five-seven with a large round belly, bushy eyebrows, and crooked teeth. Something about him made my gut turn.
“What does he want?” Gael asked.
“He wants to cut a deal that leaves you with a thirty-seventy split,” Maricio told us and I laughed.
“I’m not wasting my time on this.” I stood up and all of his security reached for their guns.
“Ghost,” Maricio spoke and I glared at him.
“Maricio was taking all the risk, if we decided to go in on this,” Gael stated.
“How do we know you didn’t work with the Russians?” I barked out and slammed my hand on the table while I pointed at him.
He menacingly stared.
“We had nothing to do with that setup,” Maricio said.
“I don’t trust you,” I spat and my phone chimed with a text message.
Alex: She just left on a flight.
Me: Where is she going?
Alex: The flight said Atlanta.
Me: Call our tech to get her exact location.
“Joaquin, I can go to a forty-sixty split,” Maricio informed me and I shook my head while texting to find out Sofia's destination.
“Our final offer is sixty-five to your thirty-five and that’s final. I need to be somewhere,” I told him as I motioned for my men to follow behind me. If he had any sense, he would get Laurent on the phone and give in to my request. Fuertes would bear the brunt of the load and reload through different channels. There would be extra security we’d need to hire to watch the drop off as they unloaded. Carrington was a friend of my father’s, but I’m no fool and getting anything less than the top percentage then he could handle it on his own. The distribution alone would raise a red flag with our associates.
“What’s the rush?” Gael asked, strolling alongside me.
“I need to head out on another flight.”
My phone ran with my sister’s name scrolled across.
“Where to?” Gael inquired, getting in on the other side of the limo. We were only here for two days to confirm the transaction and then head back to the US.
“Joaquin!” Alessandra said.
“Yes, Alessandra. I already sent you an allowance,” I responded while buckling my seatbelt. The security team packed into two more SUVs behind us.
“What makes you think I want money?” she asked.
Gael held up his phone showing a message from Maricio saying it was a go.
“Alessandra, I need to call you back. Something has come up.” I hurriedly ended the call and texted Maricio back.
“What did your sister want?” Gael questioned.
“Nothing important,” I mumbled and sent the message.
Me: Glad you see things my way.
Maricio: You know this wasn’t the way to do things with the Carringtons.
Me: I’ll speak to Laurent when the time comes.
Maricio: Will you be there for the first shipment?
Me: My people will handle the details.
“Make sure they watch every last load. I don’t put anything past anyone,” I stated as we headed to the airstrip to get on the private jet.
Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up and I jumped out, while they grabbed our bags that we already had in the car since we came to London. Today was checkout anyway and we pre-planned to leave right after the meeting. Only now, my destination would not be New York. Sofia was playing games and I wasn’t going away after I had the pleasure of her moans and groans as I tasted her sweet nectar.
“Welcome back, sir,” the flight attendant said.
“Thank you. Can you let the pilot know there have been a change of plans?”
“Sure, where are you headed to?” she asked, placing a drink in front of me and Gael.
“Atlanta,” I said as Gael had a perplexed look on his face.
“What’s that look about?”
“You always fight your feelings and now she has you wrapped around her finger,” Gael chuckled then took a sip of his bourbon.
I flipped him off and dug through my phone looking at photos of her in the media and red carpets.
“I saw a few social media posts. This won’t be good for her career, you know.”
“Get them removed,” I demanded.
“Everything doesn’t happen at the snap of your fingers, brother,” Gael argued.
“I pay to get what I want and if anything gets in my way…”
“Just try to hang back and not to do anything irrational,” Gael said as he glanced out of the window while the plane was being loaded up and the doors closed. I relaxed in the chair and thought about the first night we were together.
“I can’t promise that.” The pilot got on the intercom, announced the plane was heading to the runway to take off. It was a bright sunny day and I planned to try and keep my emotions under control when I saw her again. The taking off while I was sleeping, and now flying out of state without a word, was something I wouldn’t tolerate.