Sofia was in the car with me as we drove over to the hotel to visit my parents. They were in town with my sister for a few days. Gael was meeting me there with Gabriella and Hugo as extra protection for them. They didn’t want to stay with me at my place, so we compromised with the hotel that was only a few minutes away. Sofia was nervous and changed her clothes at least three times because she was worried about what they would think of her outfits. I didn’t care what she wore. The only opinion that mattered was mine.
“Are you sure your parents are okay with me coming? I hate to be the surprise girlfriend you’ve only known for a few months.”
I chuckled at her comment. We never really talked about how people would perceive our relationship. A few times, she had to beg me not to put a bullet in a photographer’s head for following us.
“You’ll be fine, sweetheart.”
“Have any women of yours ever met them?” she questioned. I groaned because I knew the second I told her that Monica met them, she was going to explode. Even though, it was by accident. Once, while I was talking to them on FaceTime, she interrupted me in my office, and they asked who she was. It ended quickly before it even began.
“Monica met them once.”
“Of course, she did.”
“Sofia,” I grunted, squeezing her hand.
She tried to move closer to the window and out of my hold.
“I like this jealousy.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“It was by accident, she burst into my office, and they asked who she was. Please, sweetheart, not today.”
“The big bad mob boss can’t take the heat from his girlfriend.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I repeated her statement.
“Tell me why you came for me in Atlanta a month ago. What caused you to take a leap from just wanting to be friends to us being a couple?”
Flashback
One month ago
I pounded my fist into his face over and over. He groaned, trying to cover his face. He set up the guns being stolen and then tried to get us killed. Lin-Sae was a snake, and I was ready to bury him.
“Joaquin, that’s enough!” Gael yelled, trying to push me off of him. I kicked him in the stomach.
“Pussy,” I said, spitting on him. Antonio and Carlo stood aside with their guns drawn.
“Where are the guns, Lin?” Antonio inquired, bending down to hear him speak. Blood was all over his face and clothes. We picked him up in the early morning on his way to the city. We managed to box him in since he only took two bodyguards with him when traveling.
“Fuck you,” Lin-Sae grunted, holding his stomach.
Walking over to the table, I grabbed my jacket to take my knife out.
“Joaquin, hold up, you can’t kill him. He’s a cartel leader,” Gael pleaded.
Grinning, I bent down to the ground, taking the knife and placing it in the middle of his forehead. I watched as his earlier bravado bled out and fear replaced it in his eyes.
“See you in hell,” I whispered in his ear, stabbing him in the heart.
“Fuck!” Gael shouted. As my best friend, he knew I couldn’t be controlled, and with Sofia running off and not taking my calls after the other night in my apartment, I hadn’t been able to focus. Everything pissed me off.
“A war will start because of this, and we’re still dealing with Vitale and the Russians behind Queen,” Antonio stated.
“He’s right, Joaquin; I understand your hurt is behind your girlfriend leaving,” Carlo said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and calling for the cleanup crew.
“That has nothing to do with me killing him.”
“It has everything to do with you not keeping your cool and jumping off and killing people without really thinking it over. I had you kill Queen because you’re methodic, clean, and think things through. I’ve been where you are. Carlo can tell you about when Sabrina and I butted heads early on. Then she was kidnapped, and all I wanted to do was kill anything that ever harmed her,” Antonio reminded us of his relationship conflicts.
“Queen Vitale was a gift to you. This one was fun. Call me when you locate the guns,” I replied, grabbing my coat and walking out with my men following behind.
Present
“I needed you,” I said.
“Like someone to talk to?”
I tried my best to avoid any type of conversations regarding my work since we’d started really dealing with each other. I never told her about my London trip and I wanted to avoid having her name tied to any issues that involve my illegal business.
“Something like that,” I stated, kissed the top of her hand.
“My parents are coming to visit,” she blurted out.
“Do you want me to meet them?” I queried, peering at her mischievously.
She bent over in laughter.
“I don’t know, Joaquin. You have a lot to handle.”
I licked my lips and grinned.
“I like the way you handle me.” I kissed her cheek and her hand lifted to caress my face.
“I know because you have me bent over every time we see each other.”
“Are you complaining, baby?”
“No, but I think since I’m meeting your parents, it’s only right you meet mine,” Sofia stated.
“Sofia, you know I’m not the typical business,” I said.
“Yes, I know.”
I cleared my throat, adjusted my suit jacket and worked through my uncustomary nervousness. I didn’t fear anyone, I was feared, so this unknown and unwelcome feeling had me unsettled.
“I don’t want you afraid of me, sweetheart. Everything they report isn’t all true,” I explained.
“What is true?”
“Just know that I have a big responsibility.”
“If I was afraid, I would have left the first time you sent the flowers,” Sofia told me.
“The media has camped out at your place?” I questioned, already knowing the answer. My people had to get rid of some photographers that went through the garbage outside of her building and also talked to her neighbors.
“I was already a media hot topic, you’ve only elevated it more,” Sofia told me.
“I have security watching you.”
“That’s not necessary. I can take care of myself,” Sofia fussed.
“As my woman, I need you safe at all times.”
Monica had started leaving voice messages and I tried to avoid any confrontation, because she truly did mean something to me as a friend. But she couldn’t grasp the fact that I chose Sofia and wanted her in my life. We finally made it to our destination and I turned at the light and headed to the valet area.
“Let's talk about that later,” Sofia replied.