Page 33 of The Guardian

“Blin,” Rain said. “We are not easy targets. We are also the best there is at what we do.” He again gave me a smirk. “In fact, I am surprised that he hasn’t bragged about that already.”

Henry shook his head then he told Rain, “I’m glad you are onboard. Because this is also down your alley.”

“Da, I have tracked quite a few people that became foreign hostages or as they call them… International Abductees.”

“Yes, that and you know Catemaco well.” Henry nodded at him.

“Catemaco?” Rain asked as he looked puzzled.

I shot my gaze over to Henry. “Why are you telling him that?”

He shrugged. “If he’s gonna help, he needs to know what, where and when, Maya.”

I almost growled. “Che palle…He is not going to help!”

“He is,” Henry replied.

“Ma dai! Why aren’t you listening to me?” I demanded as I glared at Henry.

He stepped up close and took my hands in his. Looking me in the eyes, he softly told me, “Do you honestly think I will just say goodbye to you while you go off to Catemaco to find your family? I can’t do that… Not after getting to know you. Do you think I could live with that? Wondering if you lived or died? Hating my shabby self for not being there to protect you. No, Miss Maya. The answer is NO.”

I swallowed heavily at the tender look in his eyes and his heartfelt words.

“Besides,” Rain cut in. “Henry is bull headed and bossy. He will just follow you there anyway, so you might as well give in and tell us all that you know about this.”

I lowered my head. “You are both very cretini testardi…” Stubborn morons.

“Vy govorite po-ital'yanski?” Rain asked me. You speak Italian?”

Henry dropped my hands and looked back and forth at us. “What are you two saying?”

I didn’t answer Henry. Instead, I smiled at Rain. “And you speak Italian too?”

He shrugged. “Speak it, not really. Understand it? A lot. I had an Italian girlfriend once. And man, did she have a temper. So yeah, when I messed up… I learned a lot of Italian. Like the word moron.” He laughed.

Henry grunted when no one answered his question. So he took out his phone and tapped the screen. He spoke into his cell, “Translate: A cretin’s testicles.”

Rain and I swung our gazes over at him.

Rain laughed loudly. “Not testicles, Henry!”

I had to laugh too.

The phone beeped and replied in Italian, “Testicoli da cretino.” A cretin’s testicle.

Rain and I laughed even louder.

Henry scowled at us. “Oh, do shut up. But it did sound just like she said.”

Our laughter then faded a bit as I turned to Rain and explained, “I am Italian.”

Rain swiped at his tears of hilarity and looked over at me, confused. “But we thought…”

I nodded. “It’s ok, I look the part. It helped that I speak several languages too. Like Spanish. The tías would have never hired me if they’d known I was anything else other than Mexican.”

Rain nodded. “So please tell us why you are returning to Catemaco?”

I slowly shook my head at him.