time to send them, she was aware of that. But soon she would mail them. Soon he would know about his son and about the suffering he had caused them—all in the name of his own selfish pleasure.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Javier was going mad. He couldn’t believe that Manuel Torres would do such a thing. He paced restlessly when the telephone finally rang and he grabbed it at once.
"Javier Rodriguez?"
"Yes?"
"This is Pedro Torres." Javier fumbled with the phone. "I am Manuel Torres’ son."
"Yes, I know. Where is my daughter?"
"With me. Don't worry. She’s safe. I’m bringing her to you right now."
"What?"
"Yes. What my father did was very cruel. He should never have taken the baby away from you. So I took the baby, and I’m bringing her back to you."
"Where are you?"
"I can't talk any longer. I will see you soon." With that, Pedro hung up.
Javier was baffled by this call. Why would Pedro care so much about his baby? And why would he want to betray his own father? It had to be a trick.
*****
One of the guards entered Javier’s quarters and told him that Pedro Torres had arrived, and that he had the baby with him. Javier immediately rushed downstairs, where Pedro sat playing with Isabella on the floor of the lavish living room. Large bay windows in the room gleamed with reflections of large palm trees surrounding the courtyard.
Javier ran to the child and picked her up, cradling her in his arms. He kissed her and cuddled her tightly.
Pedro stood up. He was a handsome young man, with classic Latin features. He was thin, with shoulder-length raven hair. Javier didn't know whether to kiss him or kill him. First, he called immediately for Lupe to take Isabella away, and not to let her out of her sight.
" Sí Señor, " Lupe replied tearfully as she took the baby from him.
Once Isabella was out of the room, Javier stared at the young man who extended his hand to him. "I am Pedro Torres."
Javier hesitated before shaking it. "Yes, I know. Why have you done this?"
"I told you on the phone. I thought taking the baby was wrong. I wanted to make things right."
"And your father?"
"My father, as I'm sure you know by now, has no respect for other people. He is a man who thinks only about himself."
"I hear bitterness in your voice..."
“I have never loved my father. He has never loved me."
"Is this the real reason you brought my daughter back?"
"I would be lying if I said no, but it’s only part of the reason. Taking the baby was wrong. She belongs here. And neither family wants a war."
"Then your father should've thought long and hard before he did something this stupid."
"I agree."
"What do you want out of this, Pedro?"
"A job."
"But you have a family. Go back to work for them."
"I have no family now."
Javier paced back and forth in the room, contemplating his next move with the finesse of a chess player. "All right, I will tell you this. I believe someone should pay for this crime against me and my daughter."
"Yes," Pedro replied.
"What do you think I should do?"
"I think you should kill the man responsible." Pedro tried to keep his hands from shaking.
"You do? And, you want a job? And you say you could be loyal to another family besides your own? I will give you a chance to prove it. You kill Manuel Torres. If you do this for me, in such a way that the blame will lie on someone else, then you will be welcome in my family."
Pedro nodded and left Javier's house, on his way back home to murder his own father.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Pedro entered the house silently once everyone was asleep. He knew that his family would have figured out by this time what he had done, and that if anyone had seen him at Javier’s home, he would be dead. But he also knew his way around the crevices and shadows of the old hacienda, and therefore was none too
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Javier was going mad. He couldn’t believe that Manuel Torres would do such a thing. He paced restlessly when the telephone finally rang and he grabbed it at once.
"Javier Rodriguez?"
"Yes?"
"This is Pedro Torres." Javier fumbled with the phone. "I am Manuel Torres’ son."
"Yes, I know. Where is my daughter?"
"With me. Don't worry. She’s safe. I’m bringing her to you right now."
"What?"
"Yes. What my father did was very cruel. He should never have taken the baby away from you. So I took the baby, and I’m bringing her back to you."
"Where are you?"
"I can't talk any longer. I will see you soon." With that, Pedro hung up.
Javier was baffled by this call. Why would Pedro care so much about his baby? And why would he want to betray his own father? It had to be a trick.
*****
One of the guards entered Javier’s quarters and told him that Pedro Torres had arrived, and that he had the baby with him. Javier immediately rushed downstairs, where Pedro sat playing with Isabella on the floor of the lavish living room. Large bay windows in the room gleamed with reflections of large palm trees surrounding the courtyard.
Javier ran to the child and picked her up, cradling her in his arms. He kissed her and cuddled her tightly.
Pedro stood up. He was a handsome young man, with classic Latin features. He was thin, with shoulder-length raven hair. Javier didn't know whether to kiss him or kill him. First, he called immediately for Lupe to take Isabella away, and not to let her out of her sight.
" Sí Señor, " Lupe replied tearfully as she took the baby from him.
Once Isabella was out of the room, Javier stared at the young man who extended his hand to him. "I am Pedro Torres."
Javier hesitated before shaking it. "Yes, I know. Why have you done this?"
"I told you on the phone. I thought taking the baby was wrong. I wanted to make things right."
"And your father?"
"My father, as I'm sure you know by now, has no respect for other people. He is a man who thinks only about himself."
"I hear bitterness in your voice..."
“I have never loved my father. He has never loved me."
"Is this the real reason you brought my daughter back?"
"I would be lying if I said no, but it’s only part of the reason. Taking the baby was wrong. She belongs here. And neither family wants a war."
"Then your father should've thought long and hard before he did something this stupid."
"I agree."
"What do you want out of this, Pedro?"
"A job."
"But you have a family. Go back to work for them."
"I have no family now."
Javier paced back and forth in the room, contemplating his next move with the finesse of a chess player. "All right, I will tell you this. I believe someone should pay for this crime against me and my daughter."
"Yes," Pedro replied.
"What do you think I should do?"
"I think you should kill the man responsible." Pedro tried to keep his hands from shaking.
"You do? And, you want a job? And you say you could be loyal to another family besides your own? I will give you a chance to prove it. You kill Manuel Torres. If you do this for me, in such a way that the blame will lie on someone else, then you will be welcome in my family."
Pedro nodded and left Javier's house, on his way back home to murder his own father.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Pedro entered the house silently once everyone was asleep. He knew that his family would have figured out by this time what he had done, and that if anyone had seen him at Javier’s home, he would be dead. But he also knew his way around the crevices and shadows of the old hacienda, and therefore was none too
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