Love on the Malecon

by Aubrey Parr

  “Yes, I’m Silvia,” she said, looking around, “This place is pretty nice. He would never bring me here. He would never bring anyone here. What makes you so special?”

  Trying to think of something to say, Nicole didn’t answer her.

  “No, really, what makes you so special?” Sylvia started to sound aggravated. She moved the gun around like she was a bit unsteady with it.

  “Silvia, he and I are supposed to be together. We knew right away. I even broke up with my boyfriend. You don’t need to do this,” Nicole told her, trying to keep her calm. She figured from all the movies she had seen that she wasn’t going to talk the gun out of her hand. She just needed to stall long enough for Derek to get home. Oh God, what if Silvia shot him when he came in?

  She had to be smart about this. She needed to give him a warning somehow.

  “Awwww,” Sylvia mocked, “Well, isn’t that sweet,” she continued on in Spanish, but Nicole didn’t understand. She wasn’t very good at this; she was doing the opposite of keeping Sylvia calm.

  Maybe if she kept Sylvia answering questions, it would keep her from using the gun. “How did you know I’d be alone?”

  “That was the beautiful part,” Sylvia responded, “I’ve been waiting all night for you both. I followed you when you got back this morning. I needed to see which room was his. I didn’t think he’d even leave your side. I was waiting for you both to leave so that I could be inside when you got back. And, by luck, I saw him walking across the street this morning without you. I figured this may be my only chance to get you alone.”

  “What are you going to do?” Nicole pressed on.

  “I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Silvia admitted, “Maybe I’ll make you watch us have sex on this bed.” She sounded like she was pondering ideas. “I’d bet he’d do just about anything to keep you alive. Even ravish me in front of you. What do you think? Would he do that?”

  Oh hell, this woman was crazy. What was the answer she wanted to hear? Nicole really didn’t want to play the victim. She wished she knew what time it was. How long had she slept? When would Derek be back?

  “I’m sure he would do anything for me,” she said, trying to sound strong.

  “Hmmmm, I bet he would,” Sylvia kept the gun on Nicole, but looked around a bit, “I could get used to staying in a place like this. I bet he looks gorgeous walking around here naked. I know he does that. He used to do it when he got us suites at the Playa Vallarta.” She smiled at Nicole, trying to make her jealous.

  Nicole wasn’t going to let that happen. She needed to keep a cool head. The bed was too big to reach anything to use as a weapon. She had to mark that off the list. She was doing a decent job at getting Sylvia to talk. So that left trying to make Silvia see her as a human being with a life to value, and not a thing she could just shoot with a gun.

  Not really sure what else to say, she tried, “My father just died. That’s why I’m here.”

  “Oh, I thought you were here to pick up rich men,” Sylvia snapped.

  “Silvia, I didn’t even know about all of this. I thought Derek was on vacation from Detroit.”

  Silvia laughed, “Oh, so he told you his usual lie?”

  “He didn’t lie. He just told me he was from Detroit. But after I met your cousin, he brought me here.” She wanted to yell at the woman but knew that she shouldn’t. “I think that jump started things.”

  “Oh yes, did you like my cousin? He’ll be in jail for a bit with that extra present he was trying to give you. A pity, he’s a nice guy. Oh well.”

  All Nicole wanted to say in response was that she was crazy. But she knew that was a bad idea.

  “You don’t think this stunt will end up with you in jail as well?” she asked honestly.

  “Like I said, I’m not thinking that far ahead.” Sylvia gave her a creepy smile. “Now, what shall we do with you? What would make a statement when Derek arrives? Should I get a knife from the kitchen? We could do something with that pretty face.”

  Nicole was terrified now. Still, she wasn’t tied up and Silvia was pretty small. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to hold a gun to her and cut her. What was her plan? If she put down the gun, Nicole could probably fight her off with just a knife. That could work. She needed to stay sharp. She should have gotten some fighting lessons from Derek. What if Silvia had?

  “Let’s not do anything,” she suggested, “Let’s wait for Derek to get back so we can all talk.” She hoped hearing Derek’s name would make that sound like a good idea.

  “No, I don’t like that plan. Maybe you should take your clothes off. Everyone feels a bit more vulnerable when they’re naked.” Sylvia pointed the gun more directly at her. “Plus, I’ve just gotta see what Derek is all excited about with you. Too bad I can’t invite my cousin over again.”

  Nicole felt like she was going to faint. This couldn’t really be happening. Silvia was absolutely right; she would feel more vulnerable if she was naked. Could she use her clothes as a weapon? If she could get her pants around her neck, she could choke her with them. The gun was the problem; Silvia could shoot her before she had the chance to do anything.

  “Strip, bitch!” Sylvia yelled.

  Nicole slowly lifted her tank top over her head, leaving it just in reach so she could use it later. Then she slowly took off her pants and did the same with them. There she sat, in the beautiful lingerie that Maria had picked up for her in Nuevo Vallarta. At least she had a bra on. She hoped to God that this would satisfy Sylvia. What little coverage she had, she wanted to keep.

  “Well, well. Aren’t you pretty?” Sylvia said, “You know I’ve always had a thing for beautiful women. It’s one of the perks of my job. I get to see their tight bodies in little bikinis all over the place. I heard about your dress the other night. I would have loved to see those tits in that dress.”

  Nicole’s face went numb. She tried to remember that Silvia was much smaller than her cousin. She wouldn’t have been able to fight him off, but she could stop Silvia.

  “Forget the knife, let’s find some way to tie up those hands and legs. Maybe I could have some fun with you.” Keeping the gun trained on Nicole, she quickly looked around the room. “Derek is far too casual to have any ties in that closet. That’s a shame. I want to spread those legs wide.”

  “You’re not going to touch me!” Nicole yelled. She was more angry than scared now. She wasn’t going to let this happen. She was going to go down fighting at least. She grabbed the edge of her pants without Silvia noticing and started to stand up on her knees. She didn’t really think that Sylvia would shoot her. Some people are murders, but most aren’t. Very few people cross that line. She was banking on the fact that Silvia wasn’t one.

  “I’m the one with the gun. I’ll be deciding what happens here today and what doesn’t,” Sylvia said in a superior voice.

  Just as she did, they both heard the door unlocking. Before she could think, Nicole said as calmly as possible, “Hi, honey. How was your talk with John? I’m sick to death of dealing with exes.” She hoped that Derek would catch on to her clues. Immediately Silvia raced toward her and put the gun to her head.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Derek froze in his tracks. This could not be happening. Nicole was a smart girl. He wondered who was in there with her. It couldn’t be Silvia’s cousin; he was in custody. Gael still hadn’t been able to track down Silvia herself and Nicole may have referenced exes for a reason. Instinct kicked in; he needed to get help up here.

  “Hi, love,” he called back, “I’ll be right in. I’m just grabbing a drink from the fridge. John is fine.”

  He needed to give himself a second. He opened the refrigerator door and hummed naturally to himself. Then he opened his phone contacts and sent a text message to Gabriel, the manager of the Paraíso: “Bring gun in safe to my room quickly. Say you’re room service. Call police. Someone has Nicole.” He grabbed a bottle of water and closed the door, trying to figure out his next move. He couldn’t lea
ve her in there alone any longer.

  He walked in to see one of his worst nightmares. Silvia had Nicole, down to her bra and panties, a gun to her head. Nicole looked terrified, but was trying to hide it. It was amazing how quickly he knew things like that about her. Her eyes weren’t red; she hadn’t cried yet. She was staying strong. He cracked his neck to each side, trying to keep it together.

  “Honey, we have a guest.” She tried to diffuse the tension and he loved her for it.

  “I see that. Are you okay?” he asked, wanting to make sure that Sylvia hadn’t hurt her. He didn’t like that she was undressed.

  “Oh blah, blah, blah, she’s fine!” Silvia said, rolling her eyes, “But she may not be for long.”

  “You’re mad at me, Silvia, not Nicole. Keep her out of this.” Where the hell was Gabriel? Derek tried to stay as close to the bedroom door as he could so that he’d be able to get to the incoming gun.

  “I could have gotten you back if she hadn’t shown up. You were noticing me again,” Sylvia responded with a mixture of anger and sadness.

  “No, I wasn’t. We didn’t have anything in common but the Playa Vallarta. You are a nice girl, just not the right one for me.” He tried to sound sincere. Sylvia was bat shit crazy, but right now, he was focusing on keeping her from hurting Nicole.

  He was making eye contact with Nicole as much as he could without upsetting Silvia. He had to balance the two as long as he could. “Now let her go,” he said, “You can put the gun to my head if it will make you feel better.”

  “No, she won’t!” Nicole yelled.

  “Isn’t she just the sweetest?” Silvia mocked. “She’s trying to protect her man. Before you arrived, we were trying to figure out what to do for fun.” His entire body tensed at the thought of how sadistic that conversation probably was. How scared was Nicole on the inside? She was still doing a great job of hiding it.

  Just as Sylvia was about to speak again, there was a knock at the door and a woman called in a sweet voice, “Room service!” Thank God, Derek thought.

  “I had some champagne sent up,” he explained, “I’ll get rid of her.” He hoped that Silvia bought it. He didn’t even look at Nicole in case Sylvia got suspicious that he was trying to send her a nonverbal message.

  “Go, get rid of her now,” she yelled, pointing the gun quickly from Nicole to him and back to Nicole, “She’ll stay right here with me.”

  “I’ll be right back,” he said to Nicole and ran to the door. He opened it; there was Gabriel holding the gun. The brave housekeeper had a pleasant voice, but he could see in her eyes that she was terrified. Derek began his dialogue for Silvia, “We’ve changed our minds. Would you please take this back?”

  As he spoke, Gabriel mouthed to him that the police were on their way. Derek took the gun and walked back inside, tucking it behind his back in the waistband of his pants. Though Derek had only ever done target shooting, he was a decent shot. But outside of the gun range, he dealt with problems with his fists. This would be his first time using a weapon outside of a controlled environment. Still, he was prepared to do what was needed.

  He cracked his neck to each side again and walked back into the bedroom before Sylvia could get suspicious. He thought if he could distract her enough he could pull the gun and shoot her before she’d have a chance to hurt Nicole. He wasn’t ready to kill her; he figured her shoulder was a good spot. He saw her fondling Nicole’s breast with the gun and Nicole smacking it away. The whole thing just made him sick to his stomach, but he was so impressed with how Nicole was handling it all.

  “Okay, I’m back. Don’t touch her!” he growled, “Let her go.”

  “No, I think I want her to do a strip tease for me. Wouldn’t you like to see that too?” Sylvia sneered again.

  “She’s not doing anything. Silvia, you’re not going to shoot anyone. You know how many hotel guests would hear the shot? There’s no way you’d get away,” he said. What the hell was she thinking? He needed to figure out how to distract her and get the gun faced away from Nicole, “If you want either of us to do anything, you’re going to have to put the gun down.”

  Sylvia didn’t answer. She looked like she was trying to decide what to do next. At least she didn’t refuse immediately. That had to be a good thing.

  “Come on, Silvia, put it down. We’ll figure this out together,” he said in a quiet tone. Maybe referring to them together would have an effect. Sylvia slowly started to waiver, lowering the gun a little. She was thinking about her options. “That’s my girl,” he said, remembering that he had called her that sometimes when they dated because she was so tiny.

  She smiled at him and he knew she remembered as well. He watched her movements closely. As recognition hit her face, she must have forgotten about holding the gun because her arm dropped from the weight of it so that the barrel pointed to the floor.

  Before she had time to react, Derek pulled the gun and shot Sylvia in the shoulder. She screamed from the shock of the pain and the gun fell out of her hand. Her other hand came up to cover the wound. Nicole jumped off the bed. Derek kicked the gun toward her, keeping his weapon pointed at Silvia.

  He had done it. Nicole was safe and Silvia was disarmed. Silvia was screaming at him in Spanish, but Derek stayed cold-faced, aiming right at her head. He freed Nicole without killing Silvia, but if she tried to hurt Nicole again, he wouldn’t hesitate.

  “How are you holding up, love?” he asked Nicole without looking at her. “The police will be here soon. Just hang in there. You can get dressed now.”

  Nicole walked up behind him to stay out of his aim, whispering that she loved him. She kissed his shoulder and set the gun on the dresser behind them. She quickly dressed and stood beside him. They waited like that, stuck in time, until the police arrived.

  When the police did show up, it was a chaotic scene. They kicked the door in, guns drawn, screaming “Policía!” Everything started happened at once and with lots of screaming. Two officers went over and secured Silvia. There was no official reading of rights or anything like that in Mexico. They just pushed her over and slapped cuffs on her wrists. They were not gentle with her wound and Derek couldn’t have cared less. A female officer went to Nicole.

  Derek realized he was still facing the gun at Silvia when a man yelled at him to drop it. He looked up and saw a gun pointed at him in precaution. He raised his free arm in surrender and slowly bent down to put his weapon on the floor. When he did, he put the other hand up and backed away. As soon as he was out of reach of it, the officer lowered his gun and took the one from the floor. Derek apologized to the officer. The man didn’t seem to hold a grudge.

  He walked over to check on Nicole. The woman was taking her story. He sat down next to her, but tried not to interrupt anything. He looked up and saw Gael walk in. Telling Nicole that he’d be right back, he ran over, asking, “Did Gabriel call you?”

  “Yes. Sorry I couldn’t get her in time, amigo. She went off the grid.” He seemed worried Derek was going to yell at him. “She looks like shit as a blonde,” he added.

  “Just make sure wherever they take her, she doesn’t come back,” Derek told him and put a hand on his arm to show there were no hard feelings. This wasn’t Gael’s fault. Together, they watched Silvia get taken away in hand cuffs. Both officers acknowledged Gael as they passed him.

  “I still have connections with the agency. I’ll make sure I get to interrogate her and have a say in what happens,” Gael told him.

  “We’re in Mexico, amigo. I don’t really want to know what happens to her. Just make sure she doesn’t come back,” Derek informed him.

  “I will make certain she doesn’t.”

  Derek looked back toward Nicole. Watching her talk about the incident, she seemed very disconnected from everything. He hoped she wasn’t going to disconnect herself from him as well. This was a lot for anyone to take. Attacked by a crazy man, then held and practically molested at gunpoint by a crazy bitch. He hoped she wasn’t ready to leav
e Puerto Vallarta and him behind and run as fast as she could back to Chicago. He couldn’t blame her for wanting to go back to a normal life. Andrew was most likely still across the street. Would he blame her if she went running back into his arms?

  It looked like the officer was finished asking her questions. Nicole saw him coming over to her and gave him a sweet smile. He sat down next to her on the bed. “I’m so sorry this happened. She’s in custody and Gael assured me she isn’t coming back.”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder. “That’s good.”

  They sat there quietly while the officers finished their work. Gael handled everything with them so that Derek could focus Nicole and he was grateful for that. He wanted everyone to leave. There had never been this many people in his apartment and he didn’t like it. His apartments were his fortress of solitude and he was only ready to share them with Nicole. He wanted to curl up with her in the bed with all of the windows opened. They could listen to the ocean and the sounds of people on the beach. He wanted Nicole to be okay. He couldn’t tell what was going through her mind and he hoped that she would tell him.

  Finally, it was quiet, just the two of them still sitting on the bed.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked her.

  She looked apprehensive at first. But next thing he knew, she was crying and telling him everything that had happened. He figured that she must have been holding everything in and now she could fall apart. It was very hard to listen to, but he knew that it was no comparison to Nicole living through it. He wanted to kick himself. He thought he was protecting her by talking to Andrew and she was left to deal with Silvia on her own.

  He had no idea that Silvia was into women, either. She joked a few times about having a threesome, but always made it sound like it would be to please him. He wasn’t into that kind of thing. He usually would never wish bad things on people, but he couldn’t help think that she’d be getting all kinds of female attention if she ended up in a Mexican prison. He honestly didn’t care. She needed to pay for what she did and had threatened to do.