Time

*Joseph*

Hector was almost yelling into the phone, so I was forced to raise my voice as well. "Hector, how long have you been with me brother? This will be completely squashed in days. I just have to get my strategy laid out. Promeso." I didn't know much Spanish, but I figured it might help to relate with him if I tried. "I hear ya Boss, I do. I will burn this whole world down if someone touches my Sof, Smoke, I will kill the lot of him. Promeso." His reply made me nervous. I loved Hector, but he could be reckless, especially when it comes to his wife. I have seen him shoot men in cold blood for that woman. I looked over at Sandra and felt heat travel through me. I understand why now. "You do what you need to do Brother, I got you. I can send in more men if you need them. We will head your way in the morning." I said it impulsively of course, only because I looked at her and suddenly completely felt his anguish and pain. If someone tried to attack her, or worse succeeded just because of how I choose to move and work; I think I would kill their whole bloodline. The more I thought about it the more the heat spread. I reached for her having an intense urge to feel her beside me, to know she was safe. She grabbed my hand and smiled, knowing I thought how I was feeling. "Thank You, Brother, We will see you then." He almost hung up the phone but I yelled his name to tell him not to do anything until we got there. He agreed. I looked around the room, trying to take count of who I should take and what I should do to protect all my men. I shook my head running my fingers through my hair. I know Sandra will want to go, she won't listen to me when I tell her to stay. "I need my circle to come with me to help Hector. The girls can be taken to the safe house, and We will report there as often as possible. I am not able to do certain things for myself with these bandages, so Sunshine can go. I want 4 guards around her at all times." I paused, "Jay come to the office, I will want you to pick out the very best." I was talking now through comms. "Sunshine needs a bag packed, as I don't think she has anything set up in Hector's territory." I hear everyone agreeing with me in my ear. "You want me to go?" I heard her voice soften, happy that I was taking her with us. Might not be the best idea either, but I had to keep her with me, I made a promise.

"Go ahead and start packing what you need. I will need to make some calls, and then I will be ready to go. I want you to have Jay get you prepared. Vested, and armed. This isn't going to be a safe drive Sunshine. You will need to listen to any requests and obey anything you are asked to do. If I tell you to run, you will run. If I tell you to hide, you will hide. If something happens while we are driving, you will listen to what the guards or any of us tell you to do. It will most positively be to keep you safe." I was trying to be stern which was harder looking into her beautiful soft grey eyes. I took a deep breath in as I watched her subtle reaction to my words. Her breathing increased and her chest rose following at a more rapid pace. "Do you understand what I am saying to you, darling?" She nodded and licked her lips showing how turned on she was even more. I licked my own in response. "Come here," I said darkly looking her up and down. When she stood up and walked towards me, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me. There were others in the room so I had to be careful with what I did, so I just pulled her to me and kissed her hard on the lips, moving to her ear to whisper into it, "I want you, like I know you want me baby, but I don't have time at the moment. Soon." She shivered and fell into me some. "Now go get packed beautiful so we can get through all of this and maybe take a vacation soon." I pushed her softly back to her feet, and she spun around heading for the door. "Jay send some guards up to help her," I said into my comms, hearing him respond almost immediately. "7, 5, and um, 8, go help Sunshine get all packed up." He said sternly to the group he was talking to. "Do you think it's a good idea to let her go?" I heard Henry behind me. "I am not thrilled about the idea little brother, no, but I promised her I wouldn't do things without her again. When we went to the peak, I lied to her Henry. I told her she could go with me. I sent her into the woods in the SUV with a guard. she was so mad at me, I know I could have lost her. I won't lose her." I said grabbing some things from my desk I knew I wanted to take with me. "You shouldn't have lied to her, but I know you were protecting her. This isn't going to be a safe trip boss, and you know how these things go. Chances are there will be casualties, and I don't want Sunshine to be one of them." Henry wasn't happy with my decision but his tone was unacceptable. I walked towards him, getting close to him, "I don't need you to tell me that brother. I am very aware it isn't going to be a safe trip, but I will die before I let MY queen be a casualty." I said in a deep scolding voice, "yes, sir", was all Henry replied.

After everything was packed up and ready to go, I watched as the guards carried everything out to the SUVs. I looked around at my family and said a small prayer to myself that we all came back whole. I reached for Sandra's hand, giving it a good squeeze, before we walked out the door. Part of me wanted to go back inside, something telling me to turn back, a deep pit in my stomach. I shrug it off as anxiety or PTSD from being shot at the peak house, but the feeling inside doesn't change. When we got inside the vehicle, I could still smell the cleaners where they had cleaned up the blood from my trip to the hospital. I took a deep breath in and wrapped an arm around the sunshine beside me. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly knowing I did not want to show weakness outwardly. I nodded and smiled kissing her on the forehead. She didn't buy it looking up at me like she knew I was lying. I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes, focusing only on the sound of the engine running. Sandra was talking to Henry and Zeus who had ridden in the vehicle with us. She was asking about the other girls and if she should have any extra knowledge about Hector, Sofia, and the rest of the people in that specific territory. Henry of course told her about Sofia's skills in making Mexican meals, and Zues told her to watch out for some of the members in that area, being too friendly. I wouldn't suggest any of them speak to my queen in such a way that will make them lose teeth, or worse. I opened my eyes and looked ahead. The sun was shining brightly into the windshield, but wouldn't be by the time we made it to the east area. "All you have to do darling is stay with the family and you will be fine," I said finally after they continued to babble from the back seat. She smiled at me giving me a return squeeze on my hand. "I am sorry you must go through all this my Sunshine, I swear our world is not always this messy, or violent," I said feeling guilty for dragging her to yet another unsafe location where there may be a war. She shook her head quickly responding to tell me yet again that being with me meant being willing to deal with the world I lived in. "Smoke, I have thought through this many times. Before I kissed you the first time before Ryan was gone, and when you were in the hospital." She paused giving me a soft smile, "Living without you would be much worse." I felt emotion rising in my throat, making it feel raw, and burning threatening to create tears in my eyes. All I could think was, am I worth it? Is it worth it, what we are doing? I have never questioned this before, because I always believed in my empire. I have wanted this for so long, and I worked so hard to get here. "You are worth it." She said without hearing my thoughts, she knew them. I smiled and kissed her passionately, not caring about the eyes staring at me.

When we finally arrived at Hector's home, I watched Sandra's eyes get large. Hector's place was much different than what we were used to. Men hanging all around the building, lights on everywhere, and the sound of mariachi music playing loudly, and bright colors all around. "This place is like a constant party, most of the time," I said noticing all the unasked questions forming. "I can see that" she smiled, almost looking excited. Maybe Hector and Sofia will be a breath of fresh air for her, having lived in such high-stakes, serious situations for so long now. "Hello Boss, Nice to see you here. How are you healing?" Hector said as I walked up to the porch. "Healing well, thanks for the hospitality brother," I said as he wrapped me up in a hug. "Come in, Come in, let's go discuss what we know." He said turning on his heel and heading inside. When we all sat down at his huge white dining room table, he looked up at me a shook his head. "It's been a fucking mess out there boss. Someone is coming after us, and I can't figure out who. Italians." He looked at me for answers, so I said the only thing I knew so far, "Tommasso".