After they had banged Natalia to their fill, she leaves and the men sit to discuss. In the middle of their discussion, Sparrow’s phone begins to ring and he picks it up. He listens and his face wrinkles. The phone call stops and he fumes, pressing hard against it.
“What happened?” Manuel asks.
“I just got a phone call from the Columbians.”
“Have they concluded their investigation?” Manuel was well aware of their suspicions towards sparrow and that was what made him waver in his decision to support sparrow. He was right to have met Cole to save his head. Now all he needed was a confirmation that Angel had agreed to his proposal and what he had to offer.
“We are not receiving payments and they are not going to release our goods.” Sparrow spat, feeling the bitter taste of disappointment on his tongue.
“Fuck! Damn it!” Manuel yells. “I warned you about selling the stolen goods to them.” He said feigning frustration. It didn’t matter to him now and sparrow was yet to know that he was on his own from now on. “That shit was pure and we could have made more money off diluting them. The Columbians are dangerous, you shouldn’t have messed with them and now we get nothing!” He continues to express frustration while sparrow remain silent. Sparrow was boiling inside but he had no one to pass the aggression on at the moment.
“We need to make plans to move the rest of the goods. We need the money.” He said and Manual already figured out what he meant. “I’ll be needing more of your men for protection during the shipment.” Manuel seems reluctant, Sparrow had tried playing smart with him, always using his men whenever he needed to move a shipment but he never let Manuel or his men know where he was storing the cocaine. Only his men did while Manuel’s men where made to meet at a different location. They were solely needed to take the bullets should in case an attack occured. Sparrow noticed Manuel’s reluctance and squints suspiciously.
“You’re not wavering on me now. We’ve come too far for you to back off.” He reminded.
“I never said I was going to back off. You just better know what you’re doing.”
“I have a father Manuel. He is willing to protect me with his life.” He said reminding him also that he could do without his help. He was just too prideful to give don Ricardo any credits for helping him out.
“Then why not go to him for help.” ManueI seemed pissed off. Sparrow remains silent. “See? You’ve got so much pride ” He said knowing sparrow would rather stick with him. Seemed his pride was more than his desperation.
‘Not anymore, I’m desperate.’ Sparrow thought within. Manuel thought he wasn’t disposable, little did he know that Sparrow had started loosing trust in him. The only person he could trust not to betray him was his father. He decided it was right time he took advantage of that fatherly love and set up a meeting with his father.
_________
Sparrow had set up a meeting with his father at a club at night. Even though he was here to seek for aid, he wore his ego up his sleeves, refusing to acknowledge his father. It was no surprise to Don Ricardo that sparrow hated him. Not because he was just a bastard son but because he wanted to be the sole heir of his father’s empire but wouldn’t get it. Instead, Lola, Ricardo’s legitimate daughter was to be the heir.
He was rude, greedy and vile and don Ricardo knew that. He knew giving sparrow more power than he already did would be putting his family at risk so in whatever little way he could offer help, he did it to make up for the opportunity Sparrow couldn’t have.
“Your place of choice seems bad for my image.” Don Ricardo said breaking the intense silence since sparrow preferred to glare at him rather than speak.
“We are all mafia men and this is a good place for business.” He retorted.
“Well, I no longer come to places like this for business. There are other options.” Don Ricardo fired back but sparrow only smirked at him showing his disgust and disdain for him.
“This is where I feel comfortable. “He said nonchalantly.
“You sure have some guts for someone asking for my help.”
“You always wanted to offer it and now I need it.”
“I’m not helping you kill Angel.” Don Ricardo said seeing through Sparrow’s intentions.
The place falls silent again but this time it was broken by sparrow. He adjust in his seat, seeing a need for compromise
“You don’t have to help me kill him, I just need your help with your men at the police. It’s for passage of my goods.” He said. Knowing he couldn’t trust Manuel, he decided to seek his father’s help in moving his goods instead and since Ricardo had men in the police it would be easier for him to pass his goods through normal route. That way he’d avoid any attack from gangsters by following through illegal routes which he always used.
“Stolens goods.” Ricardo corrected. “Angel’s goods to be precise.”
Sparrow scoffs and forces a smile after. Ricardo was getting on his nerves but he needed to be calm for as long as possible. Once he got rid of Angel, he’d be coming for his father and his entire family.
“If you’re running out of money, I can give you some. You don’t need to do this. I’ll convince Angel to spare your life.”
“Nonsense!” He yelled, hitting his hand harshly against the table. He had his fill of hearing his father talk. How could he even bring up such thing in front of him. It was an insult saying he’d convince Angel to spare his life. As far as he was concerned he would never accept the fact that Angel was better than him. “I don’t need that fucker to spare my life because I’m going to kill him myself.”
“Why do you hate him so much.” Sparrow sneers and clenches his jaw. The answer was that Angel was everything he ever wanted to be.
“… Because he has it all. Praises from his peers, connections I could never have, the love of a father that wasn’t his biological father, a lover I could only dream off.” He says breathing heavily while feeling his anger rise.
” He is not a bastard like me and I hate to admit it. He dominates wherever he is. The club was another world and yet he ruled there too. I want everything he has and papa, you should know that always comparing me to Angel planted the seed of hatred for him. Seeing you praise him always and do the opposite with me hurt me.” He spilled the bitter truth with no filter.
“Are you saying you turned out like this because of me?” Ricardo said acting surprised. He always knew the obvious truth but was always in denial.
“Yes.” Sparrow said, his eyes filled with hate.
“One should never compare their children with another, I learnt this late. My father did the same to me but I didn’t turn out wicked and heartless.” Ricardo said chosing to tell Sparrow the rest of the bitter truth. “You know you had a choice not to turn out this way. I regret ever doing that to you but my intentions were pure. I always wanted to push you hard to be better than him but instead you….”
“Disappointed you?” He cut him off and they both stared at each other in silence.
Don Ricardo fought his tears, Sparrow was his son and he loved him so much. It pained him a lot that he couldn’t afford to show him any affection while growing up because then that would be loosing his other family, since he betrayed his wife by having an affair with another woman. He was afraid to loose his three daughters especially Lola whom he loved the most, he knew his wife would turn them against him at the slightest show of affection to sparrow. Now his son had turn into a monster and it was his fault.
“Come home sparrow and no harm will come to you.”
Sparrow shakes his head and begins to laugh hysterically. He stops abruptly and says, “I want you to know that I hate you papa.”
Ricardo stays frozen at a spot hearing him say those words. He knew that already but hearing him say that tore him in ways unimaginable.
“I’m sorry.” He muttered as tears spilled his eyes. He was never a soft one to cry and sparrow knew how much it hurt him if he had to spill tears. His joy knew no bounds seeing his father hurt so bad. With everything that had happened this was a gift to him. He smiles at Ricardo, his heart blossomed at the sight.
“Then help me with my shipment papa. if you are really sorry, do it without saying any more. My goods move in three weeks time.” He said patting Ricardo’s shoulder then he leaves.
________
Lola sits on a couch in their living room. Her long nails clicking the glass of wine she had before her. She overheard all the conversation that had happened between sparrow and her father. This was possible because of the watch she gave her father. It was bugged and recorded everything they discussed. She had suspected he would render help to sparrow someday so she got ready ahead of time. He went to meet with sparrow after he said he had a meeting with an important client but then she knew he mostly went to all meetings with her and even made her head some of it. When she asked about the client, he had said he didn’t want to disclose it untill the deal was sealed. Her father knew she wasn’t stupid but then he treated her like she was. While she helped him adjust his tie she gave him the watch pretending to have picked it from his collections. She falls back to reality and speaks to her assistant.
“Set a meeting with Angel. Sparrow is on the move with his goods.”