by Rose, J. L
Pulling the Benz to a stop in front of the crowd of security team, Dante parked the car as a chauffeur rushed over around to the driver’s door. He noticed the big Spanish man snatch open the passenger-side door and grab Natalie aggressively out of the seat.
“Gomez!” Natalie cried, pulling and trying to get away from her bodyguard’s grip. “What is wrong with you? Let me go this minute!”
“You are not supposed to leave without me!” Gomez said, as he pressed his face angrily up into Natalie’s face.
“You are out of line. Release me now!” Natalie yelled, still trying to get away from her bodyguard.
“You will never leave without . . .”
“You may wanna let her go,” Dante stated, as he calmly walked up beside both Natalie and the bodyguard.
“You will be dealt with shortly,” Gomez told the new guy, pushing Dante away. He then turned his attention back to Natalie.
Dante caught Gomez’s hand by the top of his fingers and bent them backwards, causing the guy to cry out in pain. Dante then slammed his elbow into Gomez’s nose, snapping his head back. At the same time, he kicked his left leg out from under him and sent homeboy backwards to the pavement.
He then grabbed his banger from his right holster with his left hand, while still holding Gomez’s fingers in his right hand. Dante had the .45 pressed to the front of Gomez’s forehead by the time he opened his eyes and was looking up at Dante.
“Enough!” Dominic yelled out, drawing everyone’s attention to him including Dante who cut his eyes up to his new employer before focusing back on Gomez. “Release him, Dante! He’s okay now.”
Doing as he was told and releasing the muscular bodyguard’s hand while keeping his hammer out gripped it in his left hand, Dante grabbed Natalie and pulled her behind him. He watched Gomez slowly climb to one knee and wipe the blood away from his busted and bleeding nose.
“Do you still question my decision, my wife?” Dominic asked Carmen, while showing a small smile toward Dante, who was escorting Natalie toward the front door.
“He is better than I expected, my husband,” Carmen replied with a grin. “He is really fast also. Did you see how fast he took down Gomez and had his firearm out and pointed at Gomez?”
“I’m glad you approve, my wife,” Dominic said, just as Natalie rushed passed to her mother while Dante stopped in front of him.
“What’s up with homeboy?” Dante asked, nodding back over his shoulder down to where Gomez was being helped up by a few members of the security team.
“Pay Gomez no attention, Dante,” Dominic said, with a wave of the hand. “He is very overprotective when it comes to my daughter. Come with me.”
Looking over to Natalie before following behind Dominic, Dante met her eyes and asked, “You alright?”
Nodding her head yes, she stood watching as Dante followed behind her father. She then heard her mother say, “While you were out with Dante Jonathan called to speak to you.”
“Who?” Natalie asked, still staring after Dante.
Slowly smiling, Carmen wrapped her arms around her daughter and led her back into the house saying, “You do remember Jonathan Hernandez, the friend you’ve been seeing, right?”
* * *
Following Dominic into his office where Carlos was waiting, Dante nodded to him and took a seat on the sofa across the room. Dominic walked around behind his desk and sat down.
“Okay, gentlemen,” Dominic began, as he leaned forward and rested his arms atop the desk. He folded his hands together as he looked from Carlos to Dante. “This meeting tonight is very important and the gentleman I’m meeting with is coming all the way from Los Angles. The problem is that the meeting is at a restaurant located in Victor Fayman’s part of town and this meeting really isn’t a secret, so I’m expecting…”
“…him to show up and cause a little scene, right?” Dante finished his sentence, as he sat unwrapping one of the Black & Mild’s he pulled from the fresh box he bought on the way back to the mansion with Natalie.
Dominic allowed a small smile to show on his lips as he sat staring at Dante and said, “After what happened on Victor’s birthday the other night, I’m pretty sure that he is planning to react for what happened to him in front of the whole nightclub.”
“Why not relocate to a different spot to have this meeting at?” Dante asked, as he motioned for permission to light up and smoke.
Waving an okay for Dante to smoke, Dominic followed, “The problem with relocating for this meeting, Dante, is that this is the location Mr. and Mrs. Russell have decided on. It is near the hotel where they will be staying and it’s a favorite restaurant of Mrs. Russell.”
“So, let me get this right,” Dante spoke up again, blowing thick cigar smoke up into the air. “Not only is this meeting in this dude Victor’s area but this business friend is also bringing his wife as well?”
“Exactly!” Dominic answered.
“So, I’m guessing also that Mrs. Saldana is coming with you?” Dante asked, while shaking his head before Dominic could actually answer, seeing the bullshit before it actually went down.
Dominic discussed a few more things concerning the up-and-coming meeting as well as other business issues. He wanted to bring Dante up to date for security reasons. Dante sat listening to both his new employer and the head of security, asking a few questions of his own while throwing out a few suggestions on what he thought about the plans. Even Dominic thought a few of Dante’s ideas sounded good and said he would consider them.
Once the meeting was over and Dominic dismissed him and Carlos to take a phone call, Dante followed Carlos outside the office and grabbed his arm as he was pulling the office door shut.
“Whoa!” Dante said, as he stopped the head of security. “We need to talk, playboy.”
“What is the problem, Mr. Blackwell, sir?” Carlos asked, turning toward Dante.
“We gotta few hours before we leaving for this hook-up with this business friend of Dominic’s. I want us to take a trip out to this restaurant and check the spot out before heading out there.”
Nodding his head in agreement, Carlos expressed that he wanted to let a few of his men know he was leaving and would meet Dante out front.
Turning and walking off toward the front of the mansion, Dante was just reaching for the door handle when he heard, “Dante, wait!”
Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Natalie rushing down the stairs. He turned to face her as she slowly walked up to him with a smile.
“What’s up, Natalie?”
“Where are you going?” she asked, still smiling at Dante.
“Me and Carlos about to make a quick run and handle something,” Dante explained. “What’s up, though? You all right?
Nodding her head yes, she continued, “Dante, I was wondering if you would like to go with me to this fundraising event that’s happening this weekend. A friend of mine is having it.”
“It sounds cool but let me get with your dad and see what he got planned for this weekend, alright?”
Smiling as she laid her hand into Dante’s chest, Natalie thanked him and rushed off.
Watching Natalie as she rushed off towards the far left-side hallway, Dante shook his head and smiled. As he turned to leave, he stopped and looked at the top of the stairwell to find Carmen Saldana standing there with a smile as she watched him. Then she turned around and walked off, down the upstairs hallway and out of sight.
Chapter 8
Dante stood outside the mansion talking with Carlos when both Dominic and Carmen stepped out of the front door. Dante watched from the corner of his eye as the security team surrounded the couple. He quickly noticed the expression on Carmen’s face as she headed down the steps to the Mercedes limo, which he and Carlos were standing next to.
Stepping away from the limo and approaching Dominic and Carmen, Dante dismissed the security team and fell in step behind them, receiving a smile from Carmen before she turned her focus back to her husband.
Once the Saldanas were inside the back of the limo, Dante nodded to Carlos as he climbed inside, closing the limo door behind him.
“Dante, you look extremely handsome in that suit,” Carmen told him, smiling, as she looked Dante over in the Armani suit he was wearing.
“Thanks!” Dante replied, smiling back at Carmen. “You look gorgeous yourself.”
“Too bad Natalie didn’t get the chance to see you before she left. She picked that suit out herself,” Carmen told him, smiling even more as she stared straight into Dante’s beautiful eyes.
“Where did you and Carlos leave to after our meeting earlier, Dante?” Dominic asked, as he read the text from his cell phone.
“I wanted to get a look at the area this restaurant was in and check out a few things just in case,” Dante explained, just as the cell phone he was given vibrated inside his suit pants pocket.
Pulling out the new touch-screen, Dante saw that Vanessa was calling him. He immediately sent it to voicemail. He shot a quick text message to her explaining that he couldn’t talk, but he would call her back when he was free.
“So Dante,” Carmen said, getting Dante’s attention. “Where exactly did you learn to fight? That was an impressive display that I saw earlier. You must know some type of fighting to take someone as big as Gomez down so easily.”
“Truthfully, a friend of my father’s was in the Marines,” Dante told Carmen. He further explained, “He taught me the only style he knew.”
“Guerilla warfare!” Dominic spoke up, drawing both Dante and his wife’s attention over to him.
Nodding his head and seeing the smile on Dominic’s face, Dante said, “That’s pretty much right! He taught me exactly what the service taught him.”
“So, where are your father and this friend now, Dante?” Carmen asked.
“My father’s dead,” Dante answered. “He died when I turned 16. But my father’s friend lives in North Dakota now with his wife and daughter.”
“What about your mother?” Carmen asked.
“I never met her,” Dante answered.
“So, do you have any family, Dante?” Dominic asked, drawing Dante’s attention to him.
Quiet a moment as he shifted his eyes over and outside the limo window, Dante looked back to his employer and answered, “I have a daughter and a son but they both live with their mothers.”
“Are you with either of your children’s mothers, Dante?” Carmen asked.
Shaking his head no, Dante continued, “I was with my son’s mother but she’s with someone else. As far as my daughter’s mother, that’s a whole different story. Let’s just say that her choice of employment keeps us from being together.”
“She works for the law, doesn’t she?” Dominic asked him.
“She’s a captain for the M.D.P.D.”
“You’ll have to tell me how you ending up with a captain of the Miami Department,” Carmen said, smiling as she stared at Dante with a new interest in her eyes.
* * *
Dante was the first one out of the limo once the driver pulled up in front of the five-star restaurant’s front entrance. Dante glanced around sharply as both Dominic and Carmen climbed from the limo behind him.
Dante checked and saw that both ends of the street were blocked off by Dominic’s security team, along with a number of them at the parking lot entrance, keeping away other guests. Dante waved off the valet as he followed close behind the Saldanas, as they entered the restaurant.
He looked back outside the glass entrance door and met Carlos’s stare. Dante nodded and turned back to face the Saldanas. He heard the hostess tell Dominic and Carmen that their table and guests were waiting for them.
Taking her husband and wrapping her arm through his, Carmen followed alongside him, as they made their way to the table. She glanced back to look at Dante to find him gone.
“Dominic! Dante’s not…”
“Aaron Russell!” Dominic said, as he and Carmen stopped at the table where they were meeting with Mr. Russell and his wife.
“Dominic Saldana!” Aaron said, as he stood from his seat to shake Dominic’s hand. He looked at his wife and said, “Carmen, how are you?”
“I’m wonderful, Aaron!” Carmen replied with a smile.
“Carmen, it’s good to see you again,” Dianna said, as she stepped around her husband to hug Carmen.
“Dianna, it’s wonderful to see you as well,” Carmen replied, as she released Mrs. Russell.
“Mrs. Saldana, your seat ma’am . . .”
“I have that!” Dante spoke up, as he appeared at Carmen’s side catching the outstretched hand from the cocky suit-wearing host that was holding out the chair for her.
Carmen smiled at seeing Dante, wondering exactly where he had went and where he came from. She nodded her thanks to him and sat down in the seat he now held out for her, only to hear him whisper into her ear,” If you want me, just say my name. I’m not far away.”
She nodded her head as she adjusted in her seat with Dante’s help. Carmen smiled her thanks and turned her attention back to the table.
Dominic nodded his approval after catching his eye for helping Carmen. He then turned his attention to Aaron, who asked, “Who’s the new help, Dominic?”
“He’s the new bodyguard, Aaron.”
“He looks a little young to be a bodyguard.”
“Maybe! But he’s very good at what he does, Aaron. Believe me!”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Aaron replied, looking up as he found himself looking around for the young bodyguard. He was gone, however, as if he up and disappeared.
“Let’s talk business, Aaron, so we can enjoy a night of dinner and catching up,” Dominic said, switching into business mode.
* * *
“Natalie!” Jonathan Hernandez said.
Barely hearing her name, she looked up and across the table into her dinner date’s hazel-brownish eyes. She forced a small smile asking Jonathan, “What did you say, Jonathan? I’m sorry. I didn’t even hear you.”
“Actually, I was asking you if you were alright,” Jonathan told her. “You’ve been like you’re somewhere else since we left your parents place.”
“I guess I’m really not hungry, Jonathan,” she told him. “Can we just leave, please?”
“Sure!” Jonathan replied, as he waved over the waiter.
Five minutes later the bill was paid, and they were standing out front of the restaurant when the valet pulled Jonathan’s BMW around. Natalie climbed inside the passenger seat, while Jonathan walked around to the driver side.
Once he pulled out of the restaurant’s parking lot and was driving away, Natalie sat staring out the passenger-side window.
Jonathan asked, “Natalie, what’s the problem? What’s going on with you?”
“Jonathan, it’s nothing!”
“I’m sorry,” Jonathan replied. “I can’t accept that. I’m concerned about you.”
“Don’t be.”
“It’s a little hard not to.”
Sighing deeply and loudly, Natalie turned to stare over at Jonathan and was just opening her mouth to explain what was wrong with her when Jonathan slammed on the brakes in the middle of the street.
“What the hell?” Jonathan yelled, as he stared at the black SUV that swung out in front of his car blocking his way.
Natalie stared at the SUV, watching the back door swing open as four armed men jumped out with semi-automatic rifles. She screamed at the first sound of a shot being fired and watched as one of the four gunmen slam backwards into the side of the SUV.
Unsure of what was going on as the streets were lit up with the sound of firing, Natalie screamed again when the passenger door was snatched open and she was grabbed.
“Jonathan, get down!” Gomez yelled over the shooting.
“Gomez!” Natalie cried. “What’s going on?”
She didn’t receive an answer and jumped when Gomez began shooting back at the gunmen over the passenger door through the no
w-blown out window
“Fuck!” Gomez yelled, seeing another SUV swing up with more gunmen jumping out.
Quickly climbing into the BMW, Gomez yelled for Jonathan to drive. The young boy, however, was too scared to get up off the floor.
“Fuck! Shit!” Gomez yelled out in Spanish.
* * *
“So, Aaron, do we have a new deal?” Dominic asked, as he held out his hand.
Smiling as he took Dominic’s hand, Aaron shook hands and began, “We definitely have a…”
Dominic turned to his right as both Dante and Carlos walked up to the table. Noting their facial expressions, Dominic opened his mouth to ask if everything was all right. Dante bent down and whispered into his ear, “Something came up. I can’t explain right now. Carlos knows what he’s supposed to do and he’ll explain.”
“Dante, what’s going on?” Carmen asked just as Dante took off in a run through the restaurant. She looked to her husband who was simply staring at Dante.
Dante burst out the front entrance door of the restaurant. He looked around and remembered he didn’t drive that evening. He saw a pearl-white Porsche 911 Turbo that had pulled up as a blonde-haired woman climbed out the passenger side. Dante took off, rushed towards the valet, and intercepted the keys that the young white driver had just tossed through the air to the valet.
Ignoring the yell from the driver, Dante hopped inside the Porsche behind the wheel. He cranked up the car as the car owner grabbed his arm.
“What the fuck are . . . ?”
Punching him in the face and dropping him instantly, Dante slammed the car door shut and peeled out from the restaurant parking lot.
Digging out his cell phone, Dante punched in Natalie’s number and listened to the line ring three times when Natalie answered loudly, “Hello?”
“Natalie! It’s Dante. Put Go . . .”
“Oh my God, Dante! Where are you? We’re being chased and shot at. Gomez is shot. We need help, Dante! Please, help us!”