A WEEK LATER:
Edna parked the black Toyota Camry opposite the bus station. I sat in the passenger's seat in a pink dress and pink shoes. My hands were sweating ostensibly wetting the piece of paper I was holding. In the back seat was a small bag that contained a few clothes, one pair of shoes, and products of feminine necessity.
She turned her body toward me though her hands were still on the steering wheel. "Hey, don't blow this up. Get the info and report back to me, but be smart about it. If you ever get caught, don't mention any names... You hear me?" I nod my head. "Good. Now take this." She hands me a small burner phone. "For infos only. Don't call, just text. And hide it well."
"Okay," I picked up the bag from the backseat, stepped out of the car, and walked across the street to the bus station. A cab stopped right in front of me. I entered the cab, acting as casually as possible. The driver is a member of the gang, he nodded his head as a hello, before concentrating on the wheels and driving me to my destination: Malba.
My mission is to infiltrate la casa de Beltran, a well-known family that owns a big construction company here in the United States with branches all over the world. But only a few know of their secret involvement with the cartel. King has been trying to be a part of the Beltrans for years but to no avail. Now, he wants to steal from them instead. It is scary, but I braced myself. What's the worse than can happen? They find me out and kill me? Well, my pack tried to eat me, so I'm pretty sure that I've gotten over any phobia of dying.
The taxi came to a halt in a fancy-looking neighborhood... I got out, shut the door, swung the bag over my shoulder, and walked down the street until I reached a tall black gate. I compared the address to the one written on the piece of paper in my hand. Once I had confirmed the address, I pressed the button beside the gate. After a few seconds, I heard a buzz. The gate opened and I walked in.
Leading to the porch are millions of white stones on the ground that make a crunching sound under my feet, but that wasn't enough to distract me from the picturesque view before me. Behind two big oak trees and a colorful garden is an off-white colored mansion. Butterflies in the garden hopped from one flower to the next and squirrels ran up and down the trees. An angel fountain stood tall in front of the house, splashing water in a timely fashion.
A man in a black suit and a strict appearance approached me. "You are?"
"Lana. I am here for an interview with the lady of the house, Mrs. Sofia Beltran."
He accessed me and started to make a phone call. He spoke in Spanish to the person on the other end of the line. Then he turned to me. "Go in"
"Thank you sir" I entered the house, and a maid in her forties-ish led me to my seat.
"The lady will be with you shortly." As soon as she finished her sentence, an old woman walked down the stairs with the aid of a much younger maid. The old woman had on a straight purple gown and a pair of black sandals. Her grey hair was tied up in a bun, and her green eyes accessed me closely. You could tell that she was quite a beauty back in her prime.
She took a seat next to me, way too close for comfort. I moved a little.
"When people avoid me, it is mostly because they have something to hide. Do you have something to hide, Lana?"
"No ma'am" I sat upright, with my upper body facing her.
"Where are you from?"
"Pennsylvania"
"You speak Spanish?"
"No, ma'am"
"You need to learn."
"I am a fast learner, ma'am"
She shook her head. "Everyone calls me Abuela, you should too"
"Okay, ma'am...Abuela, sorry"
"No problem, you will get used to it"
My eyes widened. "So, I got the job?"
She took a moment to observe me some more. "There is something in your eyes that I am curious about, and the best way to learn what it is, would be to keep you here. Not so, Lanita?"
"Yes, Abuelita" I grinned.
She chuckled. "She is my favorite already."
The young maid was about to help her up when she stopped her. "Don't worry, Ava dear, Lanita will take me upstairs, I want to show her around"
The maid shot me a bitchy glare, before giving room for me and the old lady. I helped Abuela up the stairs, listening to her complain about not getting an elevator. We got to the second floor and she led me down the hallway.
"This is my granddaughter, Alma's bedroom." Abuela knocked on the door. A girl in her early twenties opened the door. She was on a call and didn't pay attention to Abuela or me. "This is Lana, our new maid. She'll take care of you"
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and shut the door.
"Alma is messy, you'll have to clean up after her a lot." Abuela led me to the next door after a small flight of steps.
Loud heavy metal music was playing from inside, the door was partly ajar. She pushed it open to reveal a guy probably in his late teens. He was staring into the mirror and combing his brown hair. His upper body was bare and covered with tattoos, and a pair of jeans hugged his waist and legs. "Nicolas!!" She yelled over the music.
He turned to us and his sharp green eyes focused on me. He tuned down the music with a remote. "What?"
"Don't be rude to your abuela! Well, this is Lana, the new maid".
He eyed me again, with his eyes focusing on my cleavage. Disgusting. I shift my weight to my other leg in discomfort. "Welcome Lana, you will like it here, I'll make sure of it" He winked.
"Hijo del diablo! Come on, Lana" She pulled me along and led me to the upper floor where she showed me her son's home office. He wasn't home at that moment, hence I didn't meet him. I kept a mental note of the home office, it would be a great place to get some pointers on their illegal dealings.
Later that day, I changed into my maid's uniform: A short, white, and blue flared gown. It gave a modest-yet-slutty appeal. My cleavage popped out of the top of the dress more than I would want. But after Kaitana worked on it, I fell in love with the dress. Kaitana is the maid I met at the door.
The girl, Ava walked in while Kaitana was adjusting my dress. She has sharp almond eyes, an oval face, a slim and tall physique, and red hair which I presume isn't her real hair color.
"Lana." She grimaced.
"Yes?"
"Abuela wants to see you."
"Okay, thank you." I thanked Kaitana and walked toward the door.
Ava held my arm and whispered. "I used to be everyone's favorite too until you stepped your wretched foot in this house. I'd be careful if I were you."
I smiled at her. "Thank you, Ava". Then I walked out of the maid's quarters and up the stairs.
I got to Abuela's bedroom door, but she wasn't alone. A man in his fifties was standing in front of her, with his back facing me. He had on a black suit like a businessman, and he exudes power.
They were saying something in Spanish. Despite what I told Abuela, I understood the language quite well.
The man said something to Abuela that translated to: "We have no more left in the warehouse..." He paused and turned his head slightly to the left. He caught sight of me with his peripheral vision. "¿Quién eres?"
Abuela noticed me. "Oh, Lanita" She came to me and placed her hands on my cheeks. "You look amazing, Mi favorita". She turned to the man, "Lanita doesn't understand Spanish, mijo."
I notice the resemblance between the man's face and Abuela's, from his hooded green eyes to the shape of his lips. But his serious demeanor and manly haircut distinguished him from the old lady.
"This is my only son, Adriano Beltran. The Chairman of Beltran Group of companies and owner of this house." She introduced him with so much pride. I have a feeling she must enjoy telling people about how successful her son is.
"Good evening Sir" I bowed my head as a sign of respect— or by instinct.
"You still haven't answered my question, who is she?" The man asked in an unemotional manner.
"The new maid"
He ignored his mom and took out his phone from his suit pocket, then placed a call. "Peter, come upstairs... the cheque is ready". As soon as he said those words, he hung up and returned his impassive attention to me. "Excuse us, maid"
I bade Abuela farewell and stepped out into the hallway. What a jerk!
I moved toward the staircase, maybe I can help Kaitana in the kitchen. A tinge of pain hit me when I thought about that. My mom...
Heavy, calculated footsteps approached from the bottom of the stairs. Gradually, the person's face came into view. A guy roughly in his early twenties with brown eyes, low-cut hair, and a sharp jawline. Tall and well-built. He had on an all-black outfit that enhanced his mysterious aura.
His eyes made contact with mine and the first words he said to me were: "When you're finally done ogling me, you can get out of my way, missy"
"What?" I huffed. "You wish"
He walked past me and went into Abuela's room. He must be the Peter that Sir Adriano spoke to on the phone.
Well then, I have my work cut out for me: Seduce Peter and get information out of him.
Easy-peasy, Lemon-squeezy!... Right?