Beware The Fury

by C. I. Lopez

  “Federico, I hate to repeat it. Spending a year with Violeta, even if you were just going along for fun, without making commitments, still counts as ‘something,’ at least for her. She deserves better. If you really wanted to stop, all you had to do was refuse to take her to your bed. Don’t deny that. I’ll be gone in four days, Federico, and you will have to live with your own life after that. You do only what you believe is right.”

  “I only ask for one thing … that you are here when I get back from town.” Federico handed Yasmin the keys to the ranch.

  “Granted,” she said, hugging him close, allowing their feelings to flourish briefly.

  During the drive back into town, Federico kept thinking how good it was holding Yasmin close to him, making plans together like a married couple. Violeta was already a distant memory as he gathered the belongings he would need for the next four days. He dressed in his best suit for the evening and hurried back to his beloved Yasmin.

  *

  When he arrived back at the Montenegro Ranch, Federico knocked on the door. When Yasmin opened it, he had to take a step back to fully feast his eyes on the elegantly dressed woman in front of him.

  Wearing her new beige dress with delicate straps, her hair pinned up with small strands hanging loose, sheer stockings and high heel shoes, she knew how to put herself together. It was all she did for the three years at Tomas’ house. He’d expected her to look like a glamour model from the time she got up in the morning until she got ready for bed.

  They walked out for their night in town with her arm comfortably linked on his.

  They ate at a steak house while a band played lively music. Every eye in the room was on the handsome couple. Yasmin could dance, it was the one thing she had always had confidence in doing, and Tomas had taught her the ballroom dances. Federico held her by the waist. He was pulling her tighter against him while dancing, warming her desires, as well as his.

  Intoxicated with the music and the nearness of each other, they drove back under a beautiful bright moon that shone from a blanket of glimmering stars. A night wind blew up, causing the green shrubbery in front of them to dance gracefully. It was a night made for lovers.

  Federico glanced at the front door of the ranch, thinking about that bed inside, and he knew when he went past the threshold, he would never look at it again without thinking of Yasmin. However, recalling her previous resistance, he thought it best to avoid being too aggressive.

  Once inside the door of her new home, Federico held Yasmin’s face in his hands and gently touched her cheek with his lips.

  Yasmin gazed at him, hiding her disappointment. His reaction to the end of the lovely evening was not what she expected. Riding home, snuggled up close against Federico, Yasmin was sure he would attempt intimacy with her. Appreciating his desire to protect her from his sexuality, she nodded and turned slowly to her bedroom. She unlocked the door to what would be her bedroom for the next four days, then closed and stood against the door for a moment, realizing Federico had not kissed her goodnight. Neither did he mention any plans for the next day. Regretting his leaving, a sense of loneliness overcame her.

  Federico walked to his old room where he’d slept as a child, opened the door, and stood with his back against the door for a while, but for the life of him, he couldn’t get himself to his bed. Every bit of his common sense told him to stay where he was, and he stood there, the minutes ticking away. Finally, he reopened the door, nurturing a need as old as humanity.

  While in her room, the disappointed Yasmin stripped off her clothing, hanging everything on hangers, she kicked off her shoes and peeled off her hose and slip down to her lace bikini. She quickly donned her robe when the knock on her door startled her. Tense, she’d let out a gasp, frightened over who it might be. The memory of Tomas knocking on her door continually played on her mind.

  Federico left her only minutes earlier, so she reasoned that it couldn’t be Tomas. She edged toward the door, listening for several seconds.

  “Yes?” she whispered.

  “It’s me, Yasmin. I forgot something.”

  She let out a breath of relief, and happiness suddenly entered through her like a heady brew. With fingers flying, she opened the door just a crack.

  Federico was leaning up against the doorjamb, more casual looking than he actually felt.

  “Federico,” she said breathlessly. “You frightened me. What did you forget?”

  He pushed the door back and stepped inside, closing and locking it behind him. “Were you expecting someone else?” He didn’t expect an answer. “I’m afraid I forgot this,” he said hoarsely, taking her in his arms and kissing her lips. “I forgot to kiss you, goodnight.”

  Federico planted several little kisses upon her soft face and pink lips. Then his lips consumed her mouth, sending fire through his body. He pushed the robe from her shoulders, so it slid down to the floor. Trailing kisses down her breasts and stomach, he pushed the panties down to her feet. He stood to face her.

  Yasmin fell into his arms, her head thrown back, delighting to the warm sensations brought on by Federico’s kisses and intimate caresses. Thoughts ceased to exist, replaced with the heightening sensations. This time she whispered, “Yes.”

  Each movement was new, innocent, and fresh in a glorious voyage of discovery that had started when she was fifteen years old. The young man’s hands, lips, and kisses trailed over every inch of her body, sending liquid fire spiraling throughout her being. Willingly she sank below the waves of rapture and yearned for the completion she was sure he would give her. His hands and mouth left her feeling like a spring winding tighter and tighter. She murmured his name repetitively as rising passion promised a miracle never before experienced.

  Responding to each other’s needs, they clung together, a bundle of convulsive and shuddering spirals unwinding together. This was until reaching a relaxing fulfillment, unequaled by anything experienced by either of them.

  Federico felt as if he had tasted paradise. He laid a long time propped up on his elbows above her, his lips pressed against her neck. He turned on his side next to her, holding her as close as he could in his arms and kissing her lips, face, and cheeks.

  She gazed back at him through eyes that sparkled with a kind of awe.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered softly, holding her with a gentleness he was unaware he possessed.

  “I have never experienced such passion and ecstasy before,” she whispered. “It was the only part of me Tomas couldn’t control, and he hated me for it, but I held it back as my only revenge while keeping a morsel of my dignity. I was afraid he’d taken that away from me forever.”

  Federico raised his head. “Never?” he echoed, seeing such purity on her face, her confession lifting his pride in his performance to unspeakable heights.

  “Never,” she replied through a warm, intimate smile. She laid as humble and docile next to him now as a kitten, reminding him of when she was purring passionately in his ear.

  “Now that you’ve told me that, I don’t want to sleep in my bed alone,” he said, holding her.

  “I never realized it could be like this.” There was no shame in her, no shyness, as she looked at him, brushing her fingers against his hair, smoothing it back from his forehead, pasting kisses upon his cheek and lips.

  Federico rolled off her and pulled her next to him. “Yasmin, will you marry me?”

  Yasmin did not respond, knowing it was not possible. Tomas was a dangerous enemy for any man involved with her, and she didn’t want Federico’s home to become an arena.

  “I will marry you, Federico. One day I will call from Mexico City to let you know that I am free of Tomas Chacon, and we will have the wedding we planned with our parents. We’ll have a big party here at your ranch, just like your father wanted.”

  Federico held her close, not wanting to ever let her go. “I remember my father wanted fireworks and Mariachi bands, and dancing past midnight. We will do that and invite everyone in the village as
he had planned. With you here, the ranch will become alive again.”

  Satiated from their lovemaking, they held each other while Federico began kissing Yasmin and running his hands over her body, exciting their desires once again. This time the lovemaking was slower, deliberate, and filled with future dreams.

  “I can’t let you go, Yasmin,” Federico murmured as they held each other and slept in the same bed for the first time.

  *

  Federico knew that Yasmin was an early riser, so he made sure to get up earlier the next morning. Taking a longing look at her sleeping body, all he wanted was to get back in bed and caress her all morning. He also wanted to surprise her with his culinary skills in his newly remodeled, almost-finished kitchen.

  He quietly closed the bedroom door, hoping he hadn’t woken her, and then he snuck downstairs. After the night they’d just had, he was sure she was exhausted. Once in the kitchen, he prepared breakfast to surprise her with his newly acquired talents. Having lived alone since his father’s death, he’d gained a considerable skill when cooking. He knew how to make a breakfast fit for a queen.

  It had been his mother’s insistence when he was a child, that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and the most extravagant. Amid a variety of cut fresh fruit and his mother’s French Toast recipe, he’d managed to accomplish the task. Now it was time to surprise Yasmin. He couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw what he’d made. The hard part would be to bring her down to breakfast while it was still warm.

  Just the thought of seeing her in bed would awaken all his senses to make love to her again. He tried not to think that today was the last day and night they were going to have together. She’d already warned him that she wanted to leave early the next day. He kept going over their conversations that the separation would not be forever. Federico knew they would be together again. He felt that Yasmin was willing to live with him out of marriage once Tomas tired of looking for her and perhaps found another woman. He might even grant her a divorce to marry another. Trying to stay optimistic was the only way he’d get through the next day and beyond.

  Fortunately, when he arrived in the bedroom, Yasmin was already out of bed and enjoying a shower in the adjacent room. Having left the door wide open, Federico stared at the figure of Yasmin through the smoky glass he’d built around the shower. The image of the last time he’d seen Yasmin wet snapped a longing to take the girl to bed and release those long held fantasies. Suddenly, the shower stopped and Yasmin stepped out, glistening with her wet hair and face, surprised to see Federico there, but not displeased at the way he looked at her. She quickly stepped into the closet to dry herself and get dressed for the day in casual clothes.

  Breathless, Federico finally said, “I made breakfast.”

  “You did?” Yasmin exclaimed while drying herself with a fluffy towel. “Then we better hurry downstairs before it gets cold.” She teased, knowing he would have gladly lifted her into bed again. “Are you sure Tilly isn’t here?”

  “She’ll be in later to wash the dishes while we are out riding. I have two stallions waiting for us in the stables. We’ll ride to our favorite lagoon where we’ll strip down and swim like we did three years ago.” Yasmin was excited to ride horses again and to see the less frequented parts of the ranch. She easily mounted the large stallion and rode off with Federico at her side.

  It was a short ride, but Federico took the opportunity to take Yasmin on a longer route to show her the extent of the ranch. They went through several tree-covered areas and past springs that flowed to their lagoon.

  The long ride stimulated their desires as they remembered their first encounter at the lagoon vividly. They rode faster as they approached, and upon arrival, they felt the sexual tension rise. The pulse was beating in their ears as their passion rose with the memory of their first forbidden desires.

  Eager to fulfill their long-held fantasy, they removed their clothes as they had that first time. They slipped into the cool waters of the lagoon, allowing their passion to grow. Once out of the water, Yasmin stood on the grass, this time entirely naked. She recreated the same movement of three years before, by stretching her arms over her head to lift her hair and lie on the soft grass, tempting her lover.

  This time, Federico’s reaction was swift and lusty, immediately gathering his beautiful temptress into his arms. Their long-repressed fantasy came true with all the ardor of the desires felt so long ago. Their fantasy finally fulfilled, they rode home.

  That night, Federico surprised Yasmin by sitting at the grand piano he’d duplicated to replace his mother’s. Much to Yasmin’s surprise, Federico had never stopped learning to play the instrument. Now, his slender fingers selected the keys to play a sorrowful melody, his eyes gazing into hers, pleading for her love with the soft tune.

  They had one more night left together, and as their love making was more amorous than ever. Afterward, they slept side by side that night, both felt their time slipping away.

  PART FOUR

  Chapter 1

  Opportunity Knocks

  The bright light filtering through the edges of the drapes in his bedroom awoke Tomas Chacon at mid-morning. His bloodshot eyes squinted until his vision adjusted to the sunlight. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand like he did every morning. Notwithstanding, his pained feeling, he forced himself up and swung his feet to the floor, cupping his aching head in his hands.

  Rotating his head in half circles on his shoulders, he released the tension as he turned to gawk at the vacant space beside where he’d slept. Chacon never thought he’d miss his wife, taking her for granted when she was with him. The smelly, perfumed broads he kept falling in the sack with, could not hold a candle to Yasmin’s naiveté, beauty, and refinement. Hammers were beating inside his skull. Consequently, any movement increased the sensation of pain.

  Like a mad man, Tomas stumbled around the room. He could not believe that his men, with all the resources available to them, hadn’t found her yet. They were stationed at every bus and train station in the city.

  After staring at the only photograph he had of Yasmin, taken on their wedding day, he threw it on the floor, cursing. Tomas felt terrible, waking in his spinning bedroom every morning, throwing up bile from too much drinking. He blamed Yasmin for all his problems. If she hadn’t left, he would be fine, not accepting that it was his drinking and whoring all night that were the main contributors to his morning ritual of malaise.

  Tomas refused to file a missing person’s report as he didn’t want to draw undue attention to himself. The National Guard had it in for him and would have been there already if not for the president.

  After showering, Tomas called the kitchen to request a pot of coffee be brought to his room. Ten minutes later, Miss Belky appeared with the tray, which she quickly placed on Tomas’ table and left the room. Taking several aspirins from his night table, Tomas gulped the first cup. He poured a second cup, the coffee beginning to clear his head. That was until he remembered with a groan, he was scheduled for a return trip to Colombia that day.

  He packed for the occasion, all the while carrying on an internal dialogue telling himself he had to pull himself together and get a grip on his life. The drug cartel continued finding reasons to criticize his efforts, threatening him with expulsion from the organization or even worse, with retaliation.

  A look in the mirror, however, confirmed that he was turning gray, and his skin was fading like an old man’s, taking on wrinkles much sooner than he should. His paunch had grown another three inches, so his pants no longer fit properly. His belt wouldn’t accommodate another hole to make it looser.

  His men had checked every pawn shop in the city looking for Yasmin’s diamond rings, which were the only pieces of jewelry she’d taken with her. How could she have disappeared without leaving a trace? He knew she had nothing but her jewelry, and yet nothing had shown up about her pawning them. This he couldn’t fathom.

  More and more, he was considering filing a
missing person’s report since all other efforts had failed to offer any clues. Notwithstanding bringing attention to himself, he might never discover her without the police. Regretfully, however, the flight to Colombia was only a few hours away.

  Day and night, her face haunted him, disrupting sleep, subordinating his business obligations. Her absence made him a sick son of a bitch. It was an area of his life in which he had no experience to resolve the problem. Although he was an intelligent man, his head was so messed up that he would only get it straight again by finding Yasmin. It seemed he had no option except to file a missing person’s report which was contrary to his better judgment.

  With his mind made up, Tomas pushed the button on his phone to call his chief guard.

  “Chilo, get your fucking ass up here.”

  In less than two minutes, Chilo was there zipping his pants, fastening his belt, and buttoning up his shirt before knocking and entering Tomas’ room.

  “What’s up, Boss?” Chilo gazed at his boss, knowing that if things didn’t get any better soon, they were heading for a disaster in the organization. Such laxness on Tomas’s part could leave holes in the blueprint of his operation where some sharp state attorney might sneak in unexpectedly with a complete investigation.

  Aware of an ensuing situation, the cartel had been making threats, and not idly. They usually followed through, too. It didn’t help matters that Chacon was so engrossed in finding his wife that he failed to take their threats seriously. He was courting disaster with some dangerous colleagues.

  “I’m going to the police, Chilo,” he said, watching his chief guard closely to measure his reaction.

  Chilo never knew how to react to Tomas’ moods anymore, as they could swing on a dime. The guard decided to remain quiet, finding it safer than giving the wrong response, thus sending his boss off on an insane tangent of verbal violence. In reality, the chief guard thought that inviting the police would be a mistake. He finally chose the least antagonizing response.