Page 59 of Shattered Queens: Veronica
I have to lie to her. Well, sort of. “It involves the Kaydes.”
The phone goes silent. I think she hung up on me. She’s never been a fan of the family, but she never told me why. Regardless, my grandfather and mother trusted them, so I trust them. I have since I was a child. When she finally speaks, her voice has lost its warmth, replaced by a razor-edged sharpness.
“The Kaydes,” she repeats. “You’re delaying your trip forthem?” She says their name with so much bitterness. It’s unlike her.
“I’m not delaying my trip for them. I’m delaying it for me.” I will visit in a couple of weeks.
“Como tu digas, Camilo.” Then she hangs up.
What the hell was that? What is going on with the women in my life? I need to get back to work, and that’s exactly what I do. After a couple of hours of fixating on a job and finishing it, I check on Veronica. I hack into the Kaydes’ security system and see Abigail and Princesa eating dinner, no doubt something Miguel cooked.
She looks so happy, so at ease. This is a completely different Veronica from months ago. The photographs haunt me; they are a reminder that someone is still out there. I know it’s the same person who attacked her. It wasn’t a random mugging. I take off my glasses and head to the couch to get some rest. When I close my eyes, I’m taken back to that night.
I open my mother’s study, and I see my father on the floor. He’s sobbing. Why is he crying? I take another step, but he doesn’t hear me. Then another step. I’m close enough to see someone’s on the floor. It’s Mama.
“Mama.” I run to her. I get on my knees and take her in my arms. “Mama, it’s me, Camilo.” Tears start to run down my cheeks. “Mama. Por favor,levántate.” I beg her to wake up. I touch her cheek. She’s so cold. That’s when I see the blood. It’s on the floor, and it’s on my arm. Her hair—it’s soaked with blood. I check her pulse, and I can’t find one. “Mama, please, wake up.”
I turn to my father. “What did you do?”
“Sh-she was going to leave me.” He’s sobbing uncontrollably. I can smell the alcohol on him.
“Look at me,” I scream at him. “What did you do?” When he looks up, I know it’s more than liquor. His eyes are black and dilated.
I set my mother down and run to get my phone. I need to get help. I need help. I hear my father stumble his way down. I’m a couple of steps from the bottom floor when he crashes into me from behind. I make contact with the wall and table. We fall to the ground. He’s slow to get up, so I rise quickly and run to my bag that’s close to the front door.
“She was going to leave me. Take you from me. Leave me with nothing,” he screams as he lunges toward me. He pins me down and starts to punch me. I can feel the bones cracking in my jaw, my cheekbone. I headbutt him and land a couple of kicks when he’s down. My father is not a small man. Iopen my bag and see my phone, but I also see the brass knuckles that were recently gifted to me.
I have a decision, and I make it without hesitation.
A knock on the door wakes me up. It’s Will.
“Hello, Mr. Villanueva.” I see he’s holding a package.
“How can I help you, Will?” I stand, trying to look intimidating.
“You told me to keep an eye out for any packages or letters that come for Ms. Veronica, eh, I mean Ms. Kayde.” He looks at her door and then at me. “This just arrived.” He hands me a small box wrapped in a bow. “Thank you, Will. Let me remind you that this is for her safety.”
He looks uncomfortable with it, but he has no choice in the matter.
“I know. After what happened, I understand.” He walks away.
I remove the bow and open the small box. It’s a pair of diamond earrings. There’s a note.
My sincerest apologies,
Eric Harrison
Fuck! Men like Eric don’t apologize. This is a warning. And how the fuck does he know where she lives? I grab my phone and start making calls. I turn on my laptop. I need to find this son of a bitch.
It takes me less than a minute to uncover his whereabouts. Like the degenerate Eric Harrison is, I find him starting the party early. Good news, he’s still in town; the not-so-good news is that he’s got a fucking army guarding him. No worries. This is why having the facade of Camilo comes in handy.
I change into my tailored suit and make my way to the bar where I last tracked Eric. No one knows who Miles is, but they know who Camilo Villanueva is. I arrive at the over-the-top, exclusive bar. Which is owned by one of Eric’s associates. Even I think this is too much. I’ve been here less than five minutes and have seen drugs passed around.Tomas’s words come roaring back. I can hear them clearly even through the loud music. I’ve searched Veronica’s apartment and looked for signs and found nothing. But I never knew about my father either.
I head to the bar and order a club soda. I can feel daggers in the back of my head, and for once, I know it’s not Princesa. I turn and see Eric staring at me, smiling, thinking he’s untouchable. He stands up and slithers his way toward me, like the fucking snake he is.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” He smiles as he takes a sip of his drink. “Fancy seeing you out and about. The globetrotter that you are.”
“Do you keep eyes on everyone? Should I feel special?” I try to stay calm, but I’m anything but.
