"Get lost." That's all I say to him as I keep on walking and searching for my phone inside my purse.
But obviously, that isn't enough for him to give up, I can hear him following me and calling for me to stop so I start to move faster frantically looking for my phone now.
"Please, I just need a second." He says his steps sounding closer.
The people walking by stare at us, both intrigued and concerned but not a soul interferes. That's New York for you.
"I said get lost." I snap confidently knowing he won't do anything to me, at least not in the middle of the street.
"I promise it will only be a moment, and it will be worth your time. Your boyfriend's too. I have been trying to explain it to him but he won't listen." He says still walking right behind me and I blame myself for parking this far.
"I don't know who you are talking about." I act oblivious to this whole situation. Going as fast as this fucking heels allow me to and finally find my phone in my overly big bag.
"Five seconds, hear me out for five seconds and I will leave you alone. I will leave you both alone." He keeps trying and I swear I'm close to hitting him with the umbrella as if it were a baseball bat.
"I have nothing to say to you and you are damn stupid for coming to me. He isn't going to like this." I warn him knowing that as soon as I tell Carlos about he is going to regret ever getting near me.
"Nico, he is looking for Nico. He has been trying to find a way for weeks without any luck and it's driving him crazy. You know it's driving him crazy, everything is falling over him like a house of cards." He explains and I finally turn around, curiosity winning the battle but masked by a blank stare.
For the first time, I notice the men that are constantly following me around. There are two of them, dressed in casual clothes. If I can distinguish them is only because of the black single headphone they both wear and by how fast they are coming our way.
"I'm okay. Give me a second." I tell them and to my surprise they obey. Stopping right next to Nathan.
He looks to the side and then back at me. A smile on his face.
"For not knowing who I was talking about just a few seconds ago you sure have good protection. He really cares about you." He says surprised.
"Do you have a death wish?" I ask not believing how someone in his position can also be this stupid.
"No, I actually really value my life but I have been trying to get in contact with your man for a while and he is ignoring me so this was my only option." He explains the reasoning behind his decision.
"Your only option was coming to me? You have more than enough resources to figure out where he lives or to follow him around so don't come at me with this bullshit, I give you five seconds to explain why you are here." Now that I'm certain he can't do anything to me I'm not running anymore.
"He trained you well, same as Matteo did to that surgeon. What's with educated valuable women of society falling for these men? I will never understand." He says mostly to himself.
"You are losing my time, forget this." I nod towards the men and they move in my direction acting as a wall between me and Nathan so I can get away.
"I don't know if he has told you, but Nico is being moved to a higher security prison in Pennsylvania. Which means that your boy is running out of time and Nico is the only option he has to get to his father." He continues and it all starts to make more sense, once Nico is out of the state he probably has no power anymore and the deal is done.
And if I thought Nico going away will stop Carlos I would laugh at his face and thank him for the information but he knows as well as I do that Carlos will never stop. No matter how hard it is he will keep looking and this madness will never end.
"I'm pretty sure you have already figured out why I'm here but in case you haven't it means that once Nico leaves the state our deal is out of the table and probably the opportunity of finding Lorenzo too. But of course, he won't think that way, he will never stop and everything will get worse than it already is for nothing at all. So think smart and take these papers to him." He opens his suit jacket and hands me a manila folder.
I stare at it for a second knowing that I have to take it, that this is the last chance but I still don't trust him and I doubt this is really out of good conscience.
"If you are so sure that Nico is the path to finding Lorenzo why don't you do it yourself? Why send Carlos?" I ask getting a little closer to him and making the men to move slightly.
"As I told him, I'm not one to jump directly into the mess if not strictly necessary. I have too much to lose. He on the other hand, well... he just has you and as much as he might care or even love you I can assure you that his thirst for revenge will always be his one priority. Men like him, they are all the same. Power is all they really care about." His words shouldn't affect me but I won't lie, they do.
"You don't know him," I say as confidently as I can get myself to sound.
"Maybe... but do you?" He asks.
And I look at him expecting him to have one of his obnoxiously proud smiles on his face but he doesn't he actually looks... sorry.
"If for some reason you really care about him and want this to be over give him this, it's the only way." He motions for me to take the folder once again.
And this time, I take it.
"Even if I give it to him, he won't accept it." I find myself saying as I watch him give a step back.
"I know but I have a feeling you are the only person who might be able to convince him." He says turning around to leave but doesn't.
I wait, knowing something is still hanging in the air.
"You know? You seem like an intelligent young woman and this world, his world. It isn't for you. I don't know how deep you are inside this mess, how hard you have fallen for him but if I were you I would run before it's too late." That's the last thing he says before finally walking away.
It's already too late.
___
I built a whole plan in the car of how I was going to tell Carlos about this. The idea was going to find him in his office to try and figure out if he could take this information today. If he could I would wait until dinner time but now, standing at his office's door I'm not so sure if waiting is a good idea anymore.
Just do it, Mia. Get it over with.
"Carlos? Can I come in?" I knock on his door softly.
"Come in." He replies straight away and I get inside. "Everything okay? You took longer than I expected." He asks but doesn't look away from the papers he is reading.
He is sitting behind his desk, as expected, and his hair is still as messy as before. Something tells me he hasn't stopped working since I left and it's been hours.
"Everything is fine but there's something I have to show you and I need you to promise me you won't freak out," I say getting closer to him.
That makes him instantly look in my direction, his face a mix of worry and curiosity.
"What's wrong?" He stands from his chair and walks to me.
I don't really know how to approach this so I simply hand him the folder Nathan gave me. He takes it, opens it up, and reads. In no more than two seconds he figures out what it is and before I can even open my mouth to explain he is already freaking out.
"Why the fuck do you have this? Who gave it to you?" He asks and though I know he isn't furious at me the look on his face is somewhat scary.
"I can explain but I need you to-"
"Who gave this to you?" He repeats coldly.
I stay silent for a second knowing the moment I say his name this will only get worse.
But I can't lie to him.
"Nathan bu-"
"Oh, he is fucking dead. That man is dead." He moves to the side and walks away from his office.
"Carlos wait, let me explain." I follow him surprised by how fast he is walking.
"There's nothing to explain, I told him you were off limits. That mother fucker is going to regret this." He keeps going his tone colder than ever and I can tell he means every word. That if I don't stop him right now Nathan will be dead and Carlos will be in prison by tomorrow.
"Carlos stop, listen to me for a second," I say following him around the house as he looks for something.
"Dónde cojones está mi chaqueta?" He is almost shouting looking for his suit jacket and totally ignoring me in the process. (Where the fuck is my suit jacket?)
I remember seeing the jacket on the sofa when I arrived so I go get it. He follows right behind me and tries to take it but I'm faster. I put it behind me and give a step backward.
"Really? Give me my jacket, Mia." He says as calm as he can be right now.
"Listen to me and I will give it back," I tell him.
Cheap ass trick but I don't know what to do for him to listen.
"This has to be a fucking joke, what are we, twelve?" He huffs in disbelief and tries to snatch it away but I cover it with my whole body.
I know that if he really wanted to he would have already taken the jacket but he doesn't wanna hurt me.
"He can help you, those papers can help you and you know it. Killing him now would only make everything worse." I say moving farther away.
"Who says it's him I'm killing first?" He asks a small smirk on his face as he walks closer to me.
What's going on with him? It's like he is emotionally detached from this whole situation. He is talking about killing people as if it were a usual Friday night for him.
"You are out of your senses. Are you even listening to yourself?" I stop in shock. Leaving him a few inches away from me.
"Am I!? Maybe it's you. What did he even say to convince you?" He elevates his voice.
"He explained what's going on with Nico, that this is your only chance. You need his help, Carlos. Whether you like it or not." I look directly at him the jacket now forgotten behind my back.
He turns around for a second his hands running through his hair in frustration as he attempts to calm down.
"You know that man is the reason Matteo is in jail right? He ruined his life and now he is trying to ruin mine." Now he lowers his voice a little but I can still notice how angry he is.
"I know that and believe me at first I didn't even want to hear him out but he is right, Carlos. Once Nico gets to Pennsylvania there's no way you will get the opportunity to visit him and Nathan won't have much power there." I explain everything Nathan said to me hoping it will get through his thick skull.
He knows I'm right, that Nathan is right and it's killing him.
"Matteo will understand, if Nathan helping you makes things easier for you he will understand. You are not betraying your brother." I say what I fear is causing all this and give a step closer to him. Putting my hand over his chest. "Please... Carlos." I beg.
His gaze softens just so slightly as he looks down at me and then his hand moves up to my cheek. I smile staring directly into his eyes as he bends down to kiss me.
"Sorry." He mutters against my lips and before I even know it he has snatched his suit jacket from me and is walking towards the main door.
"Carlos, no!" I shout going after him but he quickly closes the main door with his keys from the other side so I can't follow.
I run to get my keys but when I finally find them and open the door to get into the hallways he is already gone.
Author's note
As always if you are here ty for reading and don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts!
Oh, how I love drama... my apologies though.
What do we think will happen? Will Carlos go after Nathan, will he understand and stop or maybe go after his family? Also, I hope everyone understands why Carlos is acting the way he is.
+ Mia handled the Nathan situation like a queen.
Love,
Maria