Chapter Sixty Seven
Maria grabbed and shook him, “By doing what, calling your men who are apparently tracking him down, or are you going to shine a bat signal in the sky with a ‘I’m going to throw you in jail if you don’t bring my kids back’ warning!”
Dave rushed out and came back to the room after a few minutes, with his laptop. He sat on the bed and opened his laptop.
Maria looked at him, shocked, “Please tell me you’re not working, now of all times!”
Dave turned the laptop around and showed them two beeping lights over a road map, “The pendants they got for their birthday have a tracking device in them.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she was still mad, but a little relieved. She wouldn’t have believed it if it was anyone else, but with Dave, she had learned to expect anything.
“If I told you that, you would have known there was a reason to know their whereabouts and have them protected at all times.”
Maria felt like she was going to blow up with rage, “Will you stop that! You keep hiding things from me, in the name of protecting me. If you had told me about Ricky being around, I wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital, if you had told me he wasn’t dead, our kids would still be in their beds sleeping and not with that maniac!”
Dave put the laptop on the bed and stood up, “I know that, riding me about it isn’t going to change what’s happened.” he stepped away from her, “Miguel lets go get them.”
“You aren’t going anywhere.” Maria yelled, forcefully turning him around to face him.
“Why the hell not?” he asked, looking down at the short now very red pixy.
“If Miguel gets caught he’ll need someone to defend him and Dave you’re the best.” Edna answered, as she tucked herself under Miguel’s arm.
Miguel pushed her blond bangs back and kissed her forehead, “I can get out of any jam without getting into a court room.”
“That’s great Miguel, but the reason why Dave isn’t going anywhere is because Ricky will shoot him!” Maria felt her body itch with anxiety. She knew Ricky would do more than just shoot him and it tormented her just thinking about it.
Come to think of it.” Miguel looked at Dave thoughtfully, “We need the distraction and what would be better than the new man in his mujer life.”
“Miguel!” Edna exclaimed.
“Papa!” Maria also exclaimed. She caught herself, shocked by how the title slipped out of her lips. She looked around the room, at the shocked faces and knew they were as shocked as she was. The stares made her feel uncomfortable, like a spotlight was been shone on her.
“He’s right, Ricky made his feelings very clear when he paid me a visit today. Let’s go.” Dave spoke, as he rushed out the room and down the stair way.
“You saw him?” Maria felt her heart had stopped beating out of fear, “Dave, wait, this isn’t your thing.” rushing behind him.
“And what is my thing?” He picked up his keys and pulled on his jacket.
“Police, judges, court rooms, non-violent ways.” she moved closer to him, “your weapon is not a gun it’s….”
“His ability to dial 911 on his cell phone.” Miguel said, sarcastically. Edna punched him hard in his shoulder, “What? Real men take matters in their own hands, they don’t hide behind the cops.”
“Of course, I’ll further prove my manhood by going on the run or probably spend my life behind bars.” Dave spoke, irate, “Come on, we’ve wasted enough time.”
“Yeah, sure, go ahead get yourself killed.” Maria spoke, annoyed, “Better yet, why don’t we put a bull’s eye on your back and make things easier for Ricky!” Slapping Dave’s back.
Dave cringed at the blow, then pulled her in front of him, “Maria you are overreacting.” he hugged her tight then placed a light kiss on her lips, “Everything is going to turn out fine and in a few hours we’ll have our children home with us.”
Maria looked up at him, her eyes full of tears. She could already see it, Ricky killing Dave before he killed the children, or worse yet, he’d make Dave watch him kill the kids before he finally killed him. It’s what he threatened to do to her, why wouldn’t he do it to him?
Maria turned to her father with pleading eyes, “Papa, take care of him, and don’t let anything happen to him.”
Miguel felt his heart warm up again when he heard her refer to him as papa. He never thought it would happen, not in this lifetime. He looked at Dave with amusement, before he turned back to his daughter. The thought of protecting a man like he was a woman, to him was a sign of disrespect to the man. But this was a different life than the one he is used to living. It would also earn him a lot of points taking care of him.
“Si hija.”
“Papa.” Maria began, moving closer to him, “If he dies, if any of them die, you better kill yourself, because I will kill you.” Her voice was low and lethal.
“Maria!” Edna exclaimed, shocked at her daughter’s threat towards her father. All the warm emotions she felt hearing her daughter call Miguel papa completely wiped out.
“That’s my daughter!” Miguel yelled, proudly. He walked out the house, Dave following close behind him. When they drove off in Dave’s car, several cars parked along the streets followed.
Edna stood outside next to Maria and watched the cars drive off. She couldn’t understand how Ricky got into the house with all these bodyguards around. She kept quiet, she didn’t want to raise that, and make Maria even more nervous than she was.
Maria rushed into the house and came back out with her car keys in her hand, “Mama, let’s go!” she spoke, running for the Prado.
“Go where?” Edna asked, going after her.
“Where else?” she handed Edna the keys, “You’ll have to drive I don’t want any more pain than I have to endure.” she handed her the keys and walked to the passenger’s side and got in, “Hurry up, we’ll lose them.”
Edna got in, “It’s too dangerous. You didn’t want
Dave to go, but here you are rushing after them.”
“Mama how much time do you want to waste because you know very well I’m going after them, with or without you.”
Edna started the car, “Michael is as stubborn as you are, and you are as stubborn as your father, because you definitely don’t get it from me.”
“Something about an apple and a tree?” Maria leaned back into the seat and tried to stay perfectly still. Her shoulder and her ribs throbbed so much she wished she had taken a few pain killers before she left the hospital.