EIGHTEENCATHERINAWe had to welcome some people from Andres’ Clan and my mamma was over the roof with worry, she wanted everything to be perfect but refused my help and Rosa’s whom we had hired for some decorations.“Leave the kitchens, go help out with the decorations… I can handle all these alone.” My mamma was heard saying.I walked out before she yelled more, I personally was thinking she just wanted take all the glory of having to prepare everything. She was a wonderful chef; my mamma and she wasn’t hesitant in flaunting her prowess.“Do you need help?” I asked Rosa who shook her head in the negative which only left me with one option which was reading a book and waiting till we had to welcome the guests.Today was my sister’s engagement party and I wondered fleetingly how she was feeling with all the activities going on and my papa yelling at everyone who had the ears to stand and listen. She had not come out of her room since my papa announced the engagement party yesterday; a
NINETEENCATHERINAI held my sister as we walked down the stairs to join the guests, it was a full place already and my eyes unconsciously roamed around for Andres amidst the faces of unknown men, laughing loudly. My mamma was waiting at the foot of the stairs with a disapproving look on her face; I pointedly ignored her and clung to my sister who was holding my hand a little too tight, she seemed terrified.“nina hijas, you take too long to dress up. The guests have been waiting, come with me, Audrey” She said, prying my sister from my hands and disappearing through the corner with her.I stood at the foot of the stairs, not sure of where I should be at the moment with so many unknown people in our home.“You must be Manuel’s dulce nina” A voice said behind me.I whipped around and was met with most beautiful man I had ever seen and then he smiled at the stunned expression on my face. His smile seemed to light up his face, crinkling the corner of his eyes.“My name is Catherina” I sa
TWENTYCATHERINA“I don’t understand what you mean by punishing them” I told him, my breath shaky.“They laid hands on you… they had no right” He muttered, his eyes dark with violence“I said I am fine” I muttered.He continued staring at me and then slowly brought up a hand to brush the tendrils of hair that had fallen across my face.“Stop… we are in public” I said softly, turning my cheek into his rough palm“Will it be different if we were in private, dulce nina” he mutteredMy eyes met his mirroring what we felt about each other at the moment. I was both confused and utterly aroused as his hand caressed my cheek and he looked confused too, like this wasn’t supposed to be happening.We stayed like that for a brief second but what seemed like a lifetime before he let go of my cheek and then stepped back, sucking the charged air with him.“See you later, Catherina” he snapped and walked away.I continued staring long after he was gone, my core throbbing and legs shaky. I could still
TWENTY ONEANDRESI had gone out to have a smoke and free myself from the dreadful engagement party that was going on before I saw her standing under the rain with her beautiful face up to the sky like she was waiting for something. I was stunned at the look on her face and then I was enraged that she had no sense to not be under the rain.Dragging her out of the rain and having to set my eyes on her dripping body was my undoing. She had stood there after cursing at me with her teeth chattering and her hair everywhere but atop her head, dripping wet while she stared at me with soulful eyes and that overly innocent expression on her face. Her dress had been soaked through and so I could see the perk of her nipples through it and the shape of her hips begging to be ridden.I was acting like a horny virgin teenage boy and I was no different from my men who had tried to assault her in the rest room and not even the fact that she wasn’t as pure as she was portraying herself to be set the b
TWENTY TWOCATHERINAI could tell that he was avoiding my gaze which was strange; the man who always pinned me with a stare, taunting and daring me to look up at him was avoiding my gaze. He was looking at his plate with a frown coating his forehead like there was something about my mamma’s food that he found distasteful. The dinner was over… almost over and I was waiting for my papa to move us all back to the hall for the usual fun and drinks before the announcement of the wedding was made.One glance at my sister told me she was miserable and wanted to be anywhere but at her own engagement party.“We should move to the hall for some drinks” My papa said in rapid Spanish and the men around the table cheered, pushing their plates away and rising to their feet.I made no move and neither did Andres who by now was staring at me with a confused and almost furious look on his face“Andres” My papa called to him.He glanced up and then nodded which was my cue to flee from his presence and
TWENTY THREEANDRESHe looked like he had had enough but I was far from done with him. He dared to touch her, smile at her and then drug her right in front of me. The man, whosoever he is had to be taught a lesson and wasn’t it a good thing that I was in the lesson mood.“Wake him” I commanded, cracking my knuckles slightly.He had one eye swollen shut and his lips bust to bits but by the time I was done with him, he wouldn’t be breathing.Cold water was splashed on the man’s face, reviving him immediately as he gasped for air, his one open eye landing on me with terror.“Who sent you?” I asked againIt was the same question I had been asking again and again whilst ramming my fists into the sides of his head.“I swear that I was sent by… no one… I was just messing… with the dulce nina” the man stuttered.“Do not call her that!” I bellowed in rage, slamming my fist again into the side of his face.I heard a satisfying pop signaling the exit of another tooth“Pleasee… just kill me” the
TWENTY FOURCATHERINAI woke up with an excruciating headache, a fever and a very dry and raspy throat. I felt something cold touch my forehead and was quite relieved when the headache lessened only for the something cold to leave my head again.I could hardly remember what I happened but I knew it had to be bad for me to still be in bed. I could hear faintly the voice of my mamma in the background talking about something… I could not quite make it out and when I tried desperately to listen more, the headache worsened and so I gave up.I wondered how long I had been in bed, drifting in and out of consciousness while my body remained rooted to one spot no matter how hard I tried to move it.My mind eye closed one last time and I drifted unsure also of how long until I opened my eyes to see my sister’s face peering into mine.“You are awake… mamma, she is awake” she screamed, her voice upsetting the demons in my head.I winced painfully and tried to get up but felt absolutely weak“You
TWENTY FIVEANDRESI wasn’t supposed to be here but I wanted to know if she was alright. Ever since my exit from her home after the engagement party, I had received no invitation from Manuel and I could only guess that it was as a result of what I had done, the fear I had instilled in his men with my actions against the bastardo that had dared drug his daughter. I could only think that he had probably wanted to do the deed himself and was smarting about me getting to it first. He could hardly blame me; I knew he cared nothing for Catherina and would much rather see her dead.No matter what she had done, he should never have that much hatred for his own flesh and blood and it only showed me the kind of man I was choosing to align myself with. I only hoped he would fall in line and I would not have to take Catherina’s family from her.The news had spread about the man who was tortured and killed just for according to the rumors, staring in the direction of the dulce nina of the Salvador