Page 51 of Till Death Do Us Part

I appreciated the reminder of the woman’s name as Mireya and Rei came to our vehicle.

“Mia, hello again.” Mireya was petite and pretty with long dark hair and round brown eyes. I guessed her age to be somewhere in her early twenties. She spoke as we got out of the vehicle. “You’re headed out to the yacht. Is this a honeymoon?”

“Sí,” Aléjandro answered. “Every woman’s dream is to honeymoon with her in-laws.”

Her smile grew. “Oh, the yacht is so big, I’m sure you can find time for yourselves.” She looked at me. “You’re going to love it.” Leading us into the house, Mireya continued talking as Felipe followed with our luggage. “Papá called. The helicopter should be here in a few minutes. He said to be sure to invite you in.”

“That’s very kind,” I replied, taking in the grandeur of the house.

Their home was large and stately. Mireya led us back to glass doors that went out to a pool. The surrounding area was lit up like a resort. It appeared Nicolas’s home was bigger than Andrés’s, but I’d take the latter for the ocean view.

Mireya made small talk as Aléjandro and Rei kept their eagle-eyed stares on the shadows beyond our bubble. It wasn’t long before the thrumming of a helicopter could be felt as well as heard. Peering into the dark sky, I wrapped my arms around my midsection and squinted as a blinding spotlight shone down, finally settling on the helipad beyond the pool. As the helicopter landed, the skirt of my dress, the grass, and the flowers swayed in the whirling wind from the propellers.

“Tell your papá thank you,” Rei said, making his voice louder.

Mireya waved.

As the rotors continued to spin, Felipe opened a door on the side of the helicopter. With my hand in Aléjandro’s, he led us forward. There weren’t steps but a high footboard. Soon, the three of us and the pilot were aboard with our luggage. I was seated next to my husband, and Rei was sitting in the copilot’s seat. Our seatbelts were nothing special, resembling those in a car. Aléjandro handed me a pair of headphones motioning to me to cover my ears.

This wasn’t my first helicopter ride. Nevertheless, I held my breath as we were lifted off the ground. The pilot’s voice came through the earphones. Once he stopped talking, I looked to my husband for a translation.

“He said we should arrive in less than twenty minutes to the Bella.”

“Bella?”

“The name of the yacht. She was named aftermi mama’smadre.”

I had more questions to ask, but I didn’t know this pilot. Aléjandro said he worked for Jorge. That would make him cartel. And while he would respect Aléjandro and Rei, he could have issues with me as some of the famiglia had issues with Catalina.

I decided my questions could wait until Aléjandro and I were alone.

Alone.

My thought was an epiphany. I wanted to be alone with my husband. That realization was amusing considering that as recently as this afternoon, I was dreading our time alone. Looking down at my hand in his, I was conscious of how things had changed in a relatively short period of time.

No longer did I have my family or friends. My choice was to face my new life alone or at the side of my husband. In the eye of this current storm, Aléjandro was my anchor, keeping me grounded as we flew above the city lights.

Once beyond the coast, we were enveloped by darkness. An eerie green glow from the dashboard illuminated the interior. Outside, a million stars peppered the sky while below us, the Pacific Ocean faded into nothingness.

And then in the distance I saw our destination. I sucked in a breath as the Bella came into view. In a sea of blackness, the yacht’s LED lighting glowed like a blue beacon. As we flew closer, I got a better idea of what Aléjandro called a yacht. This was more than that—a superyacht. I counted at least four levels, the second to the top containing a swimming pool and hot tub, both glowing with underwater lights. The Mexico flag was flying from the rear deck.

ChapterThirteen

Mia

My temples pounded with the thumping of the ever-present whirling as I tried to come to terms with my situation. I was approaching the huge superyacht of an infamous drug lord. Oh, and he was also my new father-in-law. My husband had been injured, and I’d watched my brother-in-law pull a knife on a man. It was a lot.

Suddenly, I became self-conscious. Looking down, I registered the fact that I was still wearing the long blue sundress from this morning. “I should have changed clothes.” At the moment it was probably an irrational concern, but for some reason, my presentation spiked in importance.

Aléjandro laughed, confirming the nonissue. “I killed two Russians and was stabbed today.” He made a face as he sniffed. “I’m in need of a shower.Mi esposa, you’re stunning.”

“But this boat is” —I wasn’t sure I had words— “really nice…” I held my breath as the pilot lowered us to the helipad near the stern of the yacht. Once the landing skids touched down, I said, “We should be better dressed for your parents.”

“My parents are happy we’re here and safe. They don’t care about what clothes we’re wearing.” Again, Aléjandro translated the pilot’s instructions, telling me that we were to remain seated until the rotors came to a complete stop.

During the time it took for them to stop, a line of people in white uniforms appeared, all standing with their hands clasped behind their backs. I glanced down at my watch. It was nearly nine at night, and it appeared that we had an entire staff at our beck and call.

My ears echoed with the residual whirling of the propellers as one man came forward and opened the door. He offered his hand. I took it, the leverage helping me step down. The skirt of my dress blew, and my hair tousled in the sea breeze as my sandals contacted the helipad. From the outside, an opening where there could be a window showcased a brilliantly lit, luxurious living and dining area. Above us, the dark sky twinkled with an abundance of stars.

---