Finding Forgiveness

Before long, it was getting late. The sky was growing darker again and the streaks of fiery red that had stretched out over the landscape as the sunset were beginning to fade again. I was exhausted just from sitting in a vegetive state and Luca had been driving since 2 am.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?" I asked with a yawn after waking up from my tenth nap of the journey so far.

"No, don't worry. I'm fine."

"We should stop somewhere. You need a break.”

"We'll arrive in less than 3 hours.”

"Even for a coffee, Luca? You look exhausted and if you fall asleep behind the wheel we might both die," I said. "And personally, I don't find the concept of that particularly attractive.”

"Fine. You can drive but if I fall asleep, follow signs to the border and wake me up like half an hour before we get there," he said driving into a lay-by. "Promise me?"

"Sure, whatever."

He was wearing a serious expression which considering Luca was the subject in question, unnerved me.

"No, not “sure, whatever’. You have to wake me up," he said looking into my eyes. "It's important.”

I nodded and looked away from him. There was a few moments of silence before he opened the car door and got out.

I did the same and was surprised when I was hit by an entourage of hot air. It clung uncomfortably to my skin and instantly made my throat dry. "Where the fuck are we?" I asked. "It's so warm."

"You don't get out of Washington enough Els," he replied.

"Remember how I recently got kidnapped and taken to Canada?" I asked looking up at the clear starry sky.

There wasn't a light for miles around. Well, there wasn't anything for miles around. We looked to be in the middle of a barren desert with nothing but gritty sand and cacti for company.

"Isn't the sky pretty?” I said letting out a deep sigh.

"I guess it is."

We stood for a few moments leaning against the car in total silence before Luca stood up straight.

"I need a piss," He announced destroying the peace.

"Can't appreciate the beauty of nature for long with you around, can you?" I grumbled as he walked to the edge of the road.

"Ella?" Luca said as I tried my hardest not to listen to his urine hit the sand.

"Yes, my darling."

"How do girls pee if there's no toilet to sit on?" he asked.

"With great difficulty,” I replied. "What made you ask such an odd question? Except for the fact that you are Luca or course...”

"I saw these things on the internet... think it's called a femme-pee or something like that and it's basically a funnel that girls can pee down so it's like they have a dick," Luca replied as he continued to urinate.

"The internet is a dark place.”

"I'm glad I have a built-in straw to piss through,” he said.

"Thank you, Luca, for that slightly uncomfortable description of your penis,” I said with a grimace. "And are you done? How much liquid can you possibly store in your bladder.

"I had a lot to drink."

"I can see- uh- hear that."

"Okay done.”

For the next two and a half hours I drove. Luca fell asleep instantly and didn't wake up until I shook him after seeing signs for the border saying only 5 miles away.

"We're five miles away," I said as he slowly sat up and groaned.

"Five miles?!" He exclaimed. "You were meant to wake me up way earlier than this. I told you, didn't I? I made it very clear.”

"I'm sorry,” I said a little confused. "What's the problem?"

"Stop the car. We need to swap back," he said. "Now. Now. Now." "Okay!"

The road was completely clear so I ground the car to a halt and undid my seat belt. I was about to open the car door and walk around but Luca had other ideas.

"Just climb across," he said pulling me back and climbing over to the driver's seat with his large body.

"Just? " I asked as he began to move to the other side of the car with as much elegance as a dying swan.

"Come on. We don't have time to fuck about!" he said

"There is not enough space for this," I said trying to squeeze around him to the passenger's seat. "Walking around would have been far easier,” I added. "And your ass is in my face."

"Your ass is in my face," he said trying to get his incredibly long legs over.

"Not my fault that Daddy long legs over here is taking up all the room," I said as I decided the best route would be to slither over the dashboard to the passenger seat.

I finally got to it and began doing up my seatbelt before hearing an abrupt laugh from the driver's seat.

"What?" I asked.

"It's just..." he said with another giggle. "You looked like a snakish seal as you slid over the dashboard.”

"And you looked like an obese giraffe,” I remarked

There was then an awkward pause for a few moments as Luca restarted the car.

"That was uncalled for," he replied quietly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. You aren't obese you're just strong,” I answered slapping his hard as rock chest.

Ow, that hurt my hand.

"Luca what the fuck!" I screamed out of shock as he suddenly diverged off the road and downhill across the sand.

"Relax...we're going the back way," Luca replied.

"The fucking back way!?" I exclaimed. "We're entering a country, not a party!” I added as the sight of the road faded away. "This is illegal.” "Do I need to remind you that I'm going to collect a shipment of weed to bring into the United States of America?” he asked. "There's nothing legal about this operation.”

A few minutes later, the ground had flattened off and Luca brought the car to a stop. He then flashed the headlights in a strange way and a group of figures emerged out of the darkness.

"Eleonora De'Meritchi remember,” he reminded me.

I nodded, my heart beating faster at the sight of the terrifying looking men.

"Do I get out?" I asked.

"Yes. They'll see you and want to know who you are," he said before opening the car door.

"Hola," Luca said in a surprisingly good Spanish accent once we were back out in the heat of the desert.

"Who's the bitch?" the man at the front of a group of five or six asked before even saying hello back.

I wasn't a fan of the derogatory term but I also wasn't about to call him out on it.

Here's why: he was a few years older than us, wore baggy trousers, a loose grubby t-shirt and a bandana. He had tanned skin and dark brown eyes and hair. The other men were all similar looking and all had their eyes on me with intense glares. After considering the trade they were in and the menacing expressions they held, I didn't doubt for a second that they were all armed and willing to shoot at any moment. "My cousin, Eleonora. I'm teaching her the ways of this business,” Luca replied placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Hola, Eleonora,” the man said stepping closer to me. "And why would a pretty girl like you want to be in the drug business?" he added still in a thick Hispanic accent as he placed a finger under my chin. "You know it's not safe...particularly for such a-"

"Guillermo, leave her alone. She has a mate," Luca said slapping his hand away from me.

"Watch out guys,” he jeered. "She got a mate.”

They all laughed and sniggered as he stepped closer to me again. "And what does he think about this?" “Guillermo’ asked pushing my hair off my shoulder. "A nice mark you have there. You mated to an Alpha or what?"

"Just give me the shipment,” Luca ordered obviously getting nervous "Watch who you're telling what to do, Kid,” Guillermo said to Luca. "And relax. We're just having a little fun with your lil cuzzie here," he replied with a devious smirk. "Got any children, baby?"

"No," I lied.

"I didn't think so. That ass doesn't look like it's bared a child. It's far too sweet," he replied running a finger along my hip.

"I have customers waiting," Luca said.

"And I have a proposal. You want her to learn about the drug business but you ain't even a dealer. Give her to me. I'll teach her,” Guillermo said wrapping his hand around my waist.

"No," Luca replied. "She stays with me."

"Come on, Romano," he said. "Do you not trust me to take good care of her?"

"She has a mate and he'll want her back.”

"I know. I know," he replied putting his hands up. "It's a shame but I respect that,” he added.

"Eleanora, get in the car,” Luca said nodding at me.

I stepped towards the car glad to get away from the scary man. He watched me for a few moments before reaching into the pack of trousers and withdrawing something even scarier: a gun.

Fuck that escalated quickly.

He pointed it at Luca who instantly put his hands up before looking at two of his men and gesturing at me. They promptly approached me and grabbed my wrists as the gun continued to be pointed at Luca. Ordinarily, I would have put up a fight but considering that could be the difference between Luca living another minute or not, I thought better of it.

"Move and I'll shoot,” he growled.

For a few agonising moments, there was total silence and no one moved before Guillermo stepped over to me, not taking his eyes or the gun off Luca, and revoltingly placed his lips on my cheek. I could do nothing but stand and take it. Nowhere to move to, nothing to hit him across the head with.

"Juan, Fabio. Get the shipment,” he barked at a different two men after withdrawing himself.

They reached into the bush and pulled out three big duffel bags. "Miami this time, Sefior," he said. "Do you got last months money?" "It's in the trunk," he replied looking helplessly at me.

"Then what are you waiting for?" he asked impatiently. "Fucking get it." Luca scowled before marching to the trunk of his car and getting out a duffel bag all with the gun still pointed at him

He then brought it back to where Guillermo was waiting and held it out to him.

He reached out his hand to take it and for a split second his eyes flicked down. Luca seized the opportunity and somehow, way to fast for my eyes to process, managed to render Guillermo motionless in his arms with his own gun to his head.

Every single man in the circle withdrew their own gun and pointed it at Luca.

"You shoot me, I shoot him," Luca said. "Give me my cousin."

"How about you shoot me, we shoot her," Guillermo replied from Luca's grip as one of the men put their gun to my head.

"Well we really have a situation on our hands here, don't we boys?" Luca said with a smile. How is he smiling? "Or you do at least. I'm not the one on the fast track to losing my best trafficker.”

"We have other traffickers that do the job just as well,” Guillermo spat. "But are they white? Do they have American accents? American citizenship?" Luca asked looking around the circle. "No...they're Mexican. And Mexican's don't glide through a border like a “respectable’ looking white man does. What can I say? The world is racist.”

"We have your white little bitch,” Guillermo replied. "Nothing says innocent more than a white man other than a white woman. The world's sexist too."

I opened my mouth to protest but Luca shot me a look. He's right. Me and my mouth are infamous for making bad situations worse.

"She won't work for you if you kill her favourite cousin and kidnap her,” Luca pointed out.

"She don’t have a choice in the matter. She my property now," Guillermo said.

"Says the man in a headlock,” I mumbled under my breath.

The man holding me squeezed my arm tighter and pushed the gun harder against my skin.

"She got attitude,” Guillermo said with a smirk. "I like a woman with a bita achorado."

With that, I grabbed the gun at my head, twisted it around and pushed it against the head of the man holding me. I'm not sure what exactly gave me the ability to do that. A spur of both adrenaline and anger probably.

"How do you like that, Guillermo?" I asked.

"You gonna let a chica beat you like that?" he asked the man practically shaking with the gun at his head. "Don’t be such as pucha.”

"Ella podria matarme Guillermo,” he replied in a high pitched voice.

I haven't done Spanish since high school so I honestly had no idea what he said but Guillermo rolled his eyes.

"Hey bitch,” he said looking at me. "Show us your tits and we'll let you go no trouble.”

"You aren't in a position to ask for shit like that right now, Guillermo," I said looking from the gun at his head to the gun at his friend's head. "You couldn't hurt a fly," he replied with a smirk. "Neither could Romano. You're both white as fuck.”

With that, for a split second Luca moved the gun from Guillermo's head and pointed it at the foot of the man who had been holding me.

The bang sounded and a loud cry was let out before Luca had the gun back on Guillermo’s head.

"Will you take us seriously now or do we need to show you again?" I asked pushing the gun into the man's mouth as he whimpered. "Wouldn't be the first man I've killed. Might not be the last.”

Guillermo remained quiet which I took as a no

"Unload your guns," I ordered the rest of them.

They complied and dropped the contents of their weapons on the floor. "Now chuck them as far as you can,” I said still holding the gun at their friend's head.

"You just gonna let a girl boss you around?" Guillermo said.

I held the man tighter, causing him to whimper and they all threw their guns. I gave Guillermo a sardonic smile before releasing the man and walking to the car.

"This could have been so much easier," I said as Luca released him from the headlock but kept pointing the gun at him as he made his way to the car too.

"See you next month, Guillermo,” he said before getting in the car and speeding away.

"You fucking showed them!" Luca exclaimed putting his hand on my shoulder. “Badass mother fucker!"

"Yeah, and you almost got us killed,” I scolded. "What the fuck was that? I thought you were “friendly’ with them?"

"I was. But they're like little kids. As soon as you say no to them they hate you," he replied. "And what the hell do I do with this,” he asked waving the gun as he drove as fast as the car would go.

"Keep it," I replied taking it out his hand and shoving it in the glove box. "It might be useful.”

A message for the real world: This book is merely for the purposes of entertainment, but I will say this:

I understand that the supposed “drug and violence’ culture that is often associated with Latin America is, for the most part, a misguided stereotype of the peaceful people that live there. I by no means intend to offend anyone with the themes of this book and I am also aware that there is a lot of political controversy over this topic right now (Donald and the giant wall) and I certainly am not trying to reinforce prejudice opinions and stereotypes that have already been harmful to society. I love my readers and I want you to enjoy this book with light hearts, so if you find anything a more serious underlying issue that connects this story to your real world, it is important that you do let me know so that I can work to amend whatever it is you are concerned about.

Thank you,

Ehellie x