The Secret Between Us
Chapter 40

We are my “father-in-law”, my brother, my father and I sitting in the armchairs located in one of the farthest VIP areas of the casino, each of us has a glass of whiskey in his hand and in the case of my father-in-law, he also has a cigar that he seems to enjoy as one of the best things in life -Everything is going great- He finally speaks.

-Better than expected, the merchandise is of high quality and the clients will pay a fortune for them,” adds my brother and it makes me sick to hear him talk like that.

-Yes, and that’s what Izan will take care of,” Lorenzo points out and looks at me.

-What is it? – I ask and take a sip of whiskey to hide my surprise.

-Negotiating the new merchandise.” He speaks and I don’t know how long I can stand it when they talk about women in this way.

-You know I’m not familiar with how this works, but if you explain it to me I will,” I inform him, hoping he’ll tell me something that can help Mateo get the information he needs.

He smiles, takes a sip from his glass and looks at me, “Every shipment has its destination already prearranged, others will stay here. Your job is to make sure they reach their destination and that you get paid on receipt. – He explains.

-You mean they’re already sold? – I find out by playing that I don’t care about any of this.

-That’s right, you just have to deliver them without anything happening to them, okay? – He announces and I nod.

-Sure, I suppose you’ll tell me the locations, won’t you? – I ask.

-Tomorrow I’ll give you the list, the merchandise can’t stay here for more than 48 hours because it could get damaged before it reaches its final destination, do you understand? – He says.

-Perfectly, I suppose you’ll pay me for this, won’t you? – I ask just to hide the fact that I’ve become one of them and he smiles.

Of course, son-in-law,” he replies and my father smiles.

-And if you do your job well and prove you can be trusted, we’ll make you part of the business, son,” my father adds and I take another sip of my drink.

-You know you can trust me, I’ve proved that to you all these months,” I let him know, and in theory I’ve been doing what they want all this time because I have no choice and obviously to keep Mia safe.

He smiles, “You see son? You are part of our world after all,” my father comments with a pride that makes me nauseous, I don’t know how he can like this world and much worse want his children to be part of it. I think of my daughter and what I want most in this world is to keep her away from all this, so that she never knows about the shit that is her father’s family.

-I know, it was hard for me to understand, but here I am, right? – I express feigning pride and my father raises his glass.

-I’ll drink to that.” He proposes and Lorenzo joins him immediately.

-Cheers! – My father-in-law exclaims and we all immediately clink our glasses and sip our drinks and then chat about casino business.

A few minutes later my father-in-law makes us return to the party and so the evening continues in the middle of all this hypocrisy that surrounds the world in which I am forced to move -Babe… are we going home? I’m tired- Giovanna asks me and I think it’s the first time that something she says or does makes me happy.

-Yes let’s go, I’m tired too,” I lie and she takes my arm so we can get out of here. Before leaving the casino, I say goodbye to my father-in-law and my father who let me know that they will pass me the information first thing in the morning and I just nod and then finish leaving the place and go to the car. I open the door for Giovanna to get in, but suddenly she tries to hold on to me without success fainting in front of me and I can only take her in my arms before she falls to the ground -Giovanna! – I exclaim and try to make her react without success -Call an amubulance! – I shout to the guy who parks the cars and he immediately dials the number on his mobile phone while I try to put Giovanna in the car to help her.

I can’t stand her, that’s obvious, but I don’t want anything to happen to her either… -Giovanna, please react- I ask him, but I don’t get an answer.

The paramedics take Giovanna out of the ambulance once we arrive at the hospital and I try to follow them to where they are taking her, but they ask me to wait here while the doctors attend to her. I have no idea what could have happened to her, she was fine?

-Where is my daughter?! – I hear Lorenzo’s voice and as I turn around he is entering the waiting room.

-The doctors are attending to her,” I explain as he approaches me.

-What have they told you? – He asks.

-Nothing yet, we have to wait…” I let him know and I just hope that nothing serious happens to her because otherwise all my plans will be ruined again.

The minutes seem to have turned into hours and anxiety is getting the better of me… -Giovanna Tacher’s relatives? – asks a doctor and as we raise our hands to make a sign, he approaches us.

-How is my daughter? – Lorenzo asks with all the concern in the world.

-Your daughter is fine, the fainting she has suffered is normal for her condition,” he informs us.

-Her condition? – I ask confused.

-The patient is 11 weeks pregnant,” he answers and at this moment I feel like the clock has stopped, I don’t understand anything… Giovanna pregnant?