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As soon as I’d left, Raul had immediately moved in, taking over the role meant for me. I’d been too busy to care, and now I had no desire to continue any kind of role here.
All that mattered was Tatiana.
The house had a somber feeling to it. Gone were the babbling water fountains out front, the gardeners or the cheerful visitors. The only thing remaining were the guards out front.
They nodded respectfully as I approached, and Pedro met me at the front door. Just like the outside, the inside was dark and somber. Instead of doing business out in the open in the frontsala, Raul had set up in the office my abuelo rarely used.
I felt no nostalgia as I passed the sala or my Lita’s kitchen, and went through the hallway with original artwork and beautifully carved statues. It was nothing but a relic to me now—the people who made this place a comfy home, no longer here to fill it.
I stopped outside the closed doors to Abuelo’s office, with Pedro standing silent and loyal by my side.
"What about this process do you not understand?” Raul’s gruff voice through the door was filled with disdain. “As soon as you agreed to talks, you should've cut off any other clients. That’s a complete disrespect of my position."
"Sir--" Tatiana's father sputtered, "it's not that. This had been arranged long ago. The Venezuelan only visits once every few months, and I couldn't cancel with him. He's--"
"That's not my concern," Raul growled, letting the room fall into silence.
I clenched my hand into a fist, fighting to control my emotions. Tati wasn't at her house tonight because she had an 'appointment' with some Venezuelan drug lord. Even now, when they’d be given enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, her parents were trying to squeeze out every drop.
“Sir,” her father begged, “please let us just?—“
"It's a fucking disrespect and you knew it!" Raul slammed his fist on the desk, "It's as if you didn’t even want to sell her off, youperros sucios.”
"Raul," her mother interjected, purring, "we swear, there was no intent to disrespect you. Of course, we'll go there right now and--"
"Don't bother," he spit out, “I’ve already…made adjustments to the contract for the impertinence." There was the sound of Raul collecting papers, pushing them towards her parents. I didn't need to read them to know that Raul only wanted an excuse to pay less.
I'd heard enough.
Plastering a feral grin on my face, I strode through the door, and the room suddenly descended into silence as all eyes turned towards me, blinking in surprise.
“Hello,Tio,” I passed Tatiana's parents without looking at them, headed towards where Raul was sitting. "Am I interrupting something important?”
Raul jumped to his feet, stuttering for the first time. "Kn-Knight. Pedro didn't tell me you were coming."
"Do I need permission from you to return to my home, Tio?"
"Of course not," grabbing the papers on his desk, no doubt trying to hide the contract from me, he abandoned his seat and began to scramble towards the door. "I'll let you do your business. Let me know if you need me for anything."
Tatiana's parents also got to their feet, asking me to excuse them, following Raul to the door.
“No. Stay," I demanded.
Raul hesitated, but when he turned around, his expression was polite and respectful. "Of course."
He held out his hand to Tatiana’s parents and they, too, tried to make excuses. But, at the look on Raul's face—that he would skin them alive if they dared leave the office—turned back. They all sat on the blue sofa across from El Abuelo's desk.
“Pedro?”
Pedro poked his head through the door.
"You can shut the door now."
“Yes, sir." He nodded, coming inside and closing the door behind him, and I caught the glimpse of resentment on Raul's face before he schooled it back into a polite mask.
Now he understood that Pedro and I were in alignment.
I had always known that Raul hated that Abuelo meant to leave the business to me. I was much younger than Raul, and half American. I was also in and out of Cuba, deciding to spend most of my time in Vegas, instead of shoring up thefamiliain Cuba.