Santiago: The Almeida Brothers Trilogy Book One: Social Rejects Syndicate

by Janet A. Mota

  “You’re going to be the death of me.”

  Chapter 10

  Amelia

  My eyes rove over my husband’s body the second he steps out of the bathroom. He’s gloriously naked. This man is strikingly handsome and sexy. His chiseled chest, strong arms, and muscled thighs. Every part of him is perfection. He struts up to the bed with confidence before he lifts me up bridal style in his strong, protective arms.

  “What are you doing?” I ask.

  “We are going to take a bath,” he says, winking at me.

  When we near the tub, he places me on my feet. He steps into the tub first and guides me into the warm water. I sit with my back to his front. It feels good and I relax back into him. I take his hand and bring it to my lips.

  “Is it hard to wear so many hats?” I ask. Turning my neck to look at his face, I can see he’s taken aback by my question.

  “Many people don’t notice all the hats I wear. They think I wear one and that’s the end of it. I can be ruthless, but it’s reserved only for business. My father taught me so much. He made sure that my brothers and I knew when to wear specific hats. At home, you’re a family man—wife and children are always first. I would do just about anything for my mother and brothers, but you will come first from now on.” He kisses my forehead.

  “I would never expect you to put me before your mother and brothers.”

  “When I put this ring on your finger,” he says as he brings my hand up. “I meant every word of the vows I said to you. I will honor and protect you for as long as I live.”

  “I meant every word, too. I’ll admit I never expected to mean them, but I did. The little crush quickly turned into something big and strong.” My hand strokes his cheek as he leans down to kiss me.

  He picks up the sponge and proceeds to wash me. I lean back against him and close my eyes. Santiago’s touch calms me and makes me crazy at the same time. Earlier today, I thought our honeymoon was going to end in disaster, yet here we are. Santiago has a way about him. He makes me open up to him and I believe it made all the difference. Telling him my feelings allowed us to get to the here and now.

  “Thank you,” I say, and he stops washing me.

  “For what?”

  “For being you and for making what could have been a really ugly situation one I’m glad I didn’t fight.” Santiago abruptly stands and steps out of the tub. He quickly dries off, grabs another towel off the rack, and rubs the plush fabric over my wet body before carting me back to bed.

  A couple days later, we’re back home in Portugal. Once we got back, I paid a visit to my parents and my sisters. It’s nice to see them, but our relationship has been a little strained since my father told me about the promise. My sisters had plans, so they left for the night. My mother is busy preparing dinner. Papa and I sit at the kitchen table watching and helping mama with whatever she needs.

  “How are things going?” Papa asks.

  “Things are great,” I say. His eyebrow perks up and Mama turns to look at me. “I’m happy. Santiago is wonderful. He’s been sympathetic to our situation, and always respectful to me. He’s genuine.”

  Papa smiles. “I’m happy to hear that. Santiago’s a good man.”

  “I want you both to know I’m not mad anymore. I thought I would be miserable and have a loveless marriage. I didn’t want to be stuck with someone I hate, not to mention the fact that you picked my husband. I hate the promise you made, and that you toyed with my future. I know you understand how I feel. Fortunately for you, the man I was promised to, is a good man.”

  Both of my parents just stare at me blankly.

  “Are you falling for him?” Mama asks.

  “I already fell, and I fall more and more every day.”

  A tear falls down Mama’s cheek. “I was hoping it would happen. We only want you to be happy.”

  I go to her and put my arms around her, and we hug for a few moments. Papa comes over to us and places his arms around the both of us.

  “I never wanted to make your life miserable. Quite the opposite. It broke my heart knowing you were angry with me. You, your mother, and your sisters are my whole world. I’m so happy things are working out. I’ve been worried,” Papa admits. I’m relieved we’re able to get past this. My anger at my father was eating me alive.

  “I love you both,” I tell them through broken tears.

  Chapter 11

  Santiago

  It’s been a week since we came back from our honeymoon. Amelia and I have gotten into a routine. We work hard during the day and spend our evenings together. She’s moved into my suite and that makes me happy. Getting to know one another, both in and out of our bedroom, has been something special—she’s something special. I never expected to have such a connection to a woman who was promised to me.

  My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out. It’s Marco calling, so I answer it.

  “Hey.”

  “Are you in your office?” Marco’s voice booms from the other end.

  “I am.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute. We need to talk.”

  I hang up the phone and have a seat behind my desk. I’m pulling up my email when I hear a knock on the door. Marco walks in and closes the door behind him. I smirk, when walks in wearing his signature leather jacket, ripped blue jeans, and some tattered sneakers. Marco never wears a suit. It’s the leather jacket or nothing when it comes to his wardrobe. It’s part of his daredevil persona. He doesn’t like taking cars and rides his motorcycle everywhere. He’s also a straight shooter. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything.

  Rodrigo is a cross between the two of us. He likes the prim and proper, but he has a daring side to him. Rodrigo also has a temper. He’s the most volatile out of the three of us. We’re an interesting trio of brothers and one not to mess with.

  I stand and shake Marco’s hand. “What’s going on?”

  “You need to go to New York. They’re questioning our organization.” I lean against my desk as Marco plops down into the chair facing me.

  “How so?” I cross my arms.

  “Since Pai died, there’s been talk. They’re saying you can’t handle the business and our product won’t be the best anymore. Our contacts in New York are making noise about pulling away from us. I think you need to go there and reassure them.” Marco runs a hand through his hair. “I think you need to send a message.”

  “I agree. Let’s plan to leave in the morning. I want you, Rodrigo, Tiago, and Gustavo to come with us. Amelia will be coming as well.”

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea for Amelia to come?” Marco asks.

  “I want her there,” I tell him firmly.

  He stands, understanding that the discussion is over. “Okay. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Marco squeezes my shoulder before walking out.

  I pull my phone out and make all the necessary plans to head to the states in the morning. Once I finish, I call Amelia and ask her to come up to my office. Within minutes, she’s walking in. The second I see her, I’m across the room kissing her.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” she says with a smile. A hint of a chuckle escapes her lips soon after.

  “I have missed you. We need to talk about something that’s come up.”

  Amelia sits on the small couch, moving over so I can sit next to her. “Are you okay?” she asks.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I need to head to New York in the morning and I want you to come with me.”

  Amelia smiles. “I’ve always wanted to see New York. Will we have time to take in the sights?”

  “I’m not sure just yet. I’ll know a little more once I go to my meeting.”

  Her smile fades as she stands. “I understand. I’ll get packed.” She starts toward the door, but I grab her hand, halting her so we can keep talking.

  “I want you with me.”

  “I want to go with you. Please don’t feel like you need to entertain me. Business first, fun second,” she says. “If we can’t go sightseeing this time
around, then we’ll do it next time. Plus, I want to take this opportunity to ask some questions about your books.” I kiss her hand, causing her to smile. I am reluctant to release her hand. I want to spend as much time with her as I can, but I know she needs to get ready, so I drop her hands and she leaves the room with all the elegance and poise a beautiful woman can possess.

  The next morning, we land in New York around ten. The first thing we do is check into our hotel. Marco and Rodrigo set up the meeting with the New York organization for this afternoon. Tiago is headed to check out the location with Gustavo before we go down there. I don’t have a good feeling about this meeting. Marco seems unsettled too, but we are ready for it.

  Marco’s phone rings and he steps aside to take the call. “What the fuck?” he hollers into the phone. “We’re on our way.” He turns to face us. “We need to get down to the warehouse. Our men heard of a business deal going down that involves our product. Sintas is meeting with the Canadians and planning to sell them our product for double the price.”

  “Shit,” I say and call for Amelia who was in the other room. She rushes in. I can see the worry on her face, but I don’t have time to explain. I kiss her goodbye and we head out.

  Chapter 12

  Santiago

  The warehouses are in SoHo. They look abandoned, but a lot of business deals take place here because it’s inconspicuous. We usually do all our business here when we come to New York. Our driver parks in the back, out of view. Tiago and Gustavo have already cleared the area for us.

  Rodrigo, Marco, and I get out of the car, heading toward the bay where the deal is going down. I can hear the men speaking. One of the voices belonged to Sintas, but I don’t recognize the others. I nod toward Tiago and Gustavo. They head in while we trail behind them. All of us have our guns drawn, ready for a fight. The four men are sitting at a table in the middle of the bay. Sintas is on one side and two men I don’t know are on the other. One is a heavy-set bald man, and the other is a big bulky guy.

  “Well, well, well,” I say as the men turn and watch us enter. “I understand a sweet deal is going down. I want to take part in that.”

  “What the fuck are you doing here, Almeida?” Sintas asks.

  “I hear there’s a meeting to discuss my merchandise, so I figured I should be a part of it.” I take a step forward.

  Sintas turns towards me in his chair. “The business going down here is not yours to know; our business comes later,” Sintas says cockily.

  Marco growls behind me in warning. I put my hand up and Marco takes a step back.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You see, I hear my merchandise is the reason for this meeting. I hear you’re trying to sell it for double the price. I don’t like that. In fact, I don’t think they’re going to like that.” I nod toward the other men.

  “Sintas, what is this bullshit he’s talking about?” the bald man asks.

  “It’s nothing, Skins. I’ll handle it.” Sintas looks at me again. “This is none of your concern. Leave now or there will be trouble.”

  My brothers and I can’t help but laugh.

  “You have no idea what trouble is,” I inform him as his goons start toward us. I take the first shot and nail one of them in the leg. He goes down fast. My brothers finish off the other three that appear. None of his men even took a shot. Fucking amateurs.

  Skins and his guard are on their feet now with their hands in the air. Assholes. I study Skins. “Who the fuck are you, and what the hell kinda name is Skins?”

  Sintas reaches for his gun, but Marco disarms him quickly. “Don’t even think about it, Sintas. Sit down and shut the fuck up. We’re taking over this business deal.”

  “I’ve been doing business deals with Sintas for my own small business,” Skins says, visibly shaken.

  “You need to be careful who you deal with,” I say as I step closer to him. Tiago and Gustavo rush his guard. They pat him down while Marco and Rodrigo pat down Skins.

  Both Skins and his guard have basic handguns. Rodrigo places a gun on the table while Tiago holds on to the other one.

  “Have a seat. Let’s talk.”

  Marco grabs Sintas by the shoulders and shoves him, forcing him to the other side of the table. Smirking, I take the chair Sintas was just sitting in and wait for them to join me. Now let’s see who’s in charge.

  Rodrigo, Marco, Tiago, and Gustavo stand behind them. Skins’ hands are shaking. I smirk. Perfect. “Tell me who you are?”

  Skins looks over at Sintas, who is now chewing on his bottom lip in frustration. His glare is pathetic as he tries to overpower me, but the second my eyes narrow on him, he relents, sulking back in his seat.

  When Skins notices his submission, his eyes turn back to me. “I’m Tico Benzo. I own a small drug business here in Manhattan. I street sell. My usual supplier got himself killed in a street fight. I came across Sintas and he said he could help me out. Skins is my street name.”

  “Understood,” I calmly say.

  Skins smirks. I’m amused at his false sense of security. It’s funny how he thinks he’s going to walk out of here unharmed.

  “Unfortunately, you got involved with the wrong person and I need to send a message to anyone who thinks they can cross me and get away with it.” I throw Sintas another condescending smirk as the frightened Canadian starts to stutter.

  “I… I promise not to say a word. No one needs to know this happened. My lips are sealed.”

  I laugh. “I need reassurance you and your goon won’t talk.”

  “What do you need? Anything.”

  “What do you suggest?” I ask in amusement.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation.”

  Skins has sweat pouring down his face. His nerves are apparent. His goon’s eyes are ping-ponging from me to Skins. I see sweat on his brow.

  I laugh again. “I’m done here.” I stand up and Skins does the same. Sintas doesn’t even budge, even when Rodrigo grabs Skins by the shoulders and shoves him back in the chair. “Bad little boys stay seated when they’re being taught a lesson,” Rodrigo growls.

  I follow my brother’s lead, coming around the table until I’m in Skin’s face, staring directly into his shifty eyes. “You will keep your mouth shut. If my name, or my product is ever uttered from your shitty mouth, I will end you. I’m giving you a break, but you will have a forever reminder of me.” My eyes go to his goon. Skins nods in understanding. I turn and head toward the door.

  “Cross me again, Sintas, and you may not leave the room alive.” I motion to his fallen soldiers on the ground. “Their lives paid for your insubordination today, but next time I won’t be so gracious.”

  Rodrigo and Marco follow me to the door, but when I reach it, I turn, instructing Tiago to give them both a message. “Remove some toes. Get creative. Show our Canadian friend what happens if you cross the Almeida Brothers. If either one of them even thinks about moving from those chairs, cut off their feet. They won’t move again after that.”

  “Please, no. That’s not necessary,” Skins begs. His pathetic pleas are the last thing I hear before his goon’s screams fill the warehouse behind us. The three of us get into an awaiting car. We sit quietly for a few minutes, but we can hear the screaming even from outside. Soon Tiago and Gustavo appear and get into the other vehicle parked behind us. The ride back to the hotel is silent. Within minutes, the five of us are getting into the elevator.

  “Any problems?” I ask.

  “No, Sir,” Tiago answers, leaving what happened in the warehouse after we left, in the dark.

  Chapter 13

  Amelia

  It’s been an hour since Santiago left and I’m worried sick. They left so abruptly that I know it wasn’t for a good reason. The look in his eyes was scary. I know he would never hurt me, but the angry look he had made a chill run down my spine. I need to get used to his lifestyle and not let it affect me like it does. I knew what I was getting into, and I made the choice to handle it. I’
m still going to worry and always be left wondering if he’s okay. My phone rings on the table next to me, causing me to jump. It’s my father’s number.

  “Hello, Papa.”

  “Amelia! Isabel has been kidnapped. I’ve been trying to reach Santiago, and he’s not answering,” Papa rushes out.

  “What? What happened? Do you know who it was?” I stand and immediately start pacing. I hear him sniffle.

  “No. They pushed into the house with guns and tied us up. They grabbed Isabel and left. They were speaking German.” My mind immediately goes to the room in the museum and my heart starts beating out of my chest. Goosebumps appear on my skin and I immediately know it has to do with Santiago’s business.

  “I will inform Santiago as soon as he gets back. In the meantime, you and Mama need to remain calm. Did they ask you for anything?”

  “No, Querida. I’m so worried.”

  “I know you are. We’ll find her.” I don’t know what else to say to him. “Santiago will call you when he gets back.” As I hit end on my phone, Santiago walks in. He takes one look at my face and rushes to me. Marco and Rodrigo are right behind him.

  “What’s wrong?” He places a hand to my face and waits for my response. I swallow a few times. I feel like I’m going to lose my lunch at any second.

  “I just got a call from Papa. Isabel has been kidnapped.”

  Santiago looks over his shoulder and back at me.

  “He said men came into the house, tied them up, and took Isabel. He said they were speaking German. They didn’t leave a message.”

  “Fucking Müeller,” he mumbles.

  “He’s the first person I thought of, too. Please tell me he won’t hurt her. I agree while nodding my head.” Rodrigo and Marco leave the room quickly as Santiago leads me over to the couch to sit down.

  “Müeller is trying to send me a message. He won’t hurt Isabel. He wants my attention.”