Finding Forgiveness

“Well, anyway,” Emiliano said. “The people have been waiting for a speech from their boss.”

Andrea grinned, drank the rest of his champagne and grabbed a spoon off the butler’s tray before stepping out to the railing of the mezzanine that looked over the lobby below.

The spoon chimed on the glass three times before silence fell in the room. His speech continued in Spanish for another few minutes before there was a huge applause and Latino music began to play.

Andrea turned to me, beaming and took my hand.

“Hasta luego!” he said to the four men we talked to earlier. “See you later!”

He then led me back towards the stairs.

“Who are all these people?” I asked looking down at all the dancing people below.

“They are my people,” he replied. “My pack if you like. The families and friends of my associates. They live off the cartel.”

“You trust them all?” I asked.

“They have no reason to betray me and many reasons not to,” he replied. “So yes. I do. But enough about business, do you know how to salsa?”

“No,” I said as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Then you better hope you’re a fast learner,” he said suddenly pulling me into his chest. “Follow my lead.”

He then took both my hands and led me to the centre of the dance floor, “You step like this okay?” he said demonstrating what looked like a fairly simple movement of the feet and hips as he pulling me in time with him. “Move your hips, Blanca. Don’t be shy.”

He then twirled me around, caught me and dipped me back so that he was leaning over me, his chest against mine. The proximity was suffocating and I couldn’t bear to look at him so I turned my face to the side until he finally pulled me back up.

“Easy huh?” he asked putting a hand on my back and pushing me against him as he continued to salsa.

I was doing very little as he basically dragged me around but I nodded all the same.

A few songs played before he finally stopped. We then moved from group to group as Andrea greeted mostly in Spanish until he introduced me, always in English.

“I must teach you Espa? ol, Blanca,” he said. “Especially if we are to marry.”

I wasn’t planning on sticking around long enough to learn an entire ass language so I didn’t reply and he led me back up to the mezzanine.

“I have an announcement,” Andrea said to the butler still stood up there. “Cut the music.”

He nodded and a few moments later the music silenced and every pair of eyes down in the lobby looked up to Andrea who was leaning over the railings. He then grabbed my wrist and pulled me beside him.

“As some of you already know, tonight I have the pleasure of being accompanied by the beautiful, Ella Loren,” he began putting a hand on my back. “Until last week, she was Luna to Alpha Leonardo Loren of the powerful Stella pack. But now, she is by my side,” he looked out into the audience, a proud smile on his face and a dancing glint in his eye. “And I plan to keep her there. So Ella, will you seal our companionship and do the honour of marrying me?”

He then pulled a box out from his pocket, got down onto one knee and opened the box to reveal a ring, with a dazzling diamond.

“The choice is yours,” he added, staring deeply into my eyes.

Of course, the choice wasn’t mine and the darkness of his expression and sternness of his stony lips showed it.

There was a deathly quiet across the whole party and I could feel the stare of every guest on me, staring in anticipation.

“Yes,” I said in a hoarse tone.

Andrea smiled in approval, slipped the ring onto my finger and kissed me as the guests applauded.

“Good choice,” he whispered in my ear before turning out to his people and holding up my ringed hand as they continued to clap and cheer.

“Did you have doubts I’d say yes?” I asked quietly as the cheers made it so that only Andrea could hear.

“Not for a second,” he replied. “You wouldn’t dare.”

For the rest of the evening, Andrea made me dance with him and then talk to all of his friends and then dance with them until my feet burned from the uncomfortable heels and my throat was dry.

Far beyond midnight, we finally left and got back into the car.

I stared out into the streets of Bogota, watching the street lamps whizz by along with all the people living their lives in the light of them.

“Sign here,” Andrea ordered thrusting a piece of paper and pen into my hands.

“What is it?” I asked struggling to see in the darkness of the car.

“The marriage papers,” he replied. “My top men already signed as witnesses. Sign your name on the line and you’ll be Mrs Martinez.”

“Surely it can’t be this easy?” I asked in shock.

“Depends who you are and who you know,” he replied with a wink. “Stop wasting time and just sign it.”

I nodded and slowly brought the pen to the paper before pausing again.

What the hell am I doing? Just letting him boss me about like this?? I am Ella Jones. I don’t let men do this to me.

“Just fucking do it,” he said. “I thought marriage meant nothing to you?”

He has a point. Maybe I shouldn’t show him that I care and not let him ‘win’.

“It doesn’t,” I hissed before scrawling my signature onto the paper before throwing it back at him. “Are you fucking happy?”

“Oooh,” Andrea said his face lighting up, “Calm down, babe.”

“Does this amuse you?” I asked as he laughed.

He leant forward, placing a hand on my inner upper thigh and holding my head so that I couldn’t move as he kissed me, “Smile, Blanca. It’s our wedding night.”

I pushed his chest hard, forcing him away from me.

“Are you sure you want to fight again?” he snarled grabbing my wrists. “I don’t want to have to ruin your pretty face… again.”

After that, he sat back in his seat and left me alone for the rest of the journey.

“I have a phone call to make,” he said to me as we entered the house. “Wait for me upstairs.”

I scowled but realising how desperate I was to take off these ridiculous shoes and squeezing dress, I went up to the room I’d been staying in and changed into my pyjamas.

I then went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and tie my hair up out of my face. I had every intention of going straight to bed and feeding my exhaustion with a long sleep but when I stepped out of the bathroom to find Andrea sat silently on the bed. Considering that he’d been staying in a different room, this was not a good sign.