Gringa - in the Clutches of a Ruthless Drug Lord - 2 by Eve Rabi Page B

plan to take them shopping today and splurge on them. And me - all courtesy of Diago.
     

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
     
    Almost skipping up to Paris’s door, I breeze in and kiss my nephew.
    ‘Wow Payton,’ my dad says, giving me a one arm hug, ‘you look great!’
    ‘Yes …you look different,’ Elaine remarks, her voice accusing. ‘What’s got into you?’
    ‘A little chunky,’ Paris says, her eyes sweeping over me. ‘Why you all glammed up? Spit it out.’
    She has put on a lot of weight, but I’m not in the mood to hurt her.
    ‘Yesh,’ I say, pinching Liam’s cheeks affectionately. My boootiful nephew is being christened and I’m stoked, big time.’
    There is an unusual silence in the room today. I look around and for the first time notice the anxious faces. ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’
    ‘Payton,’ Elaine says, ‘we eh, we think it’s not a good idea for you to ... to attend the christening.’
    My eyes grow huge. ‘Wha …?’
    I look at Paris. She shrugs.
    I look at my father - he looks away.
    ‘But … why?’
    No answer.
    I turn to Paris again.
    Paris wrinkles her nose. ‘It’s like, complicated. The Devil’s men - they follow you around and like, shadow you and stare at everyone ... not something I want on Liam’s big day.’
    ‘Men? It’s only Marcus, Paris.’ I look at Marcus who is frowning. He quickly looks away, his face turning red.
    ‘Yeah, but we can do without that,’ she says.
    For a moment, I can’t think of anything to say. Then I look at my dad.
    ‘Payton, I’m sorry,’ he says and moves towards me.
    I take a step back. How can he let them do this to me? I’m his daughter – he’s supposed to protect me. How can he allow people to hurt his child and do nothing about it?
    ‘Payton, I tried to talk them out of it, but they ... ’
    Paris shakes her head. ‘Diablo ... ’
    ‘It’s Diago Paris! Diago. Diago!’
    She shrinks back at my angry tone.
    I shake my head. ‘I don’t understand. I’ve like, sacrificed so much, suffered so much - so, everyone can be safe. Yet you guys can like, so causally cut me out because of a “shadow” I have no control over?’
    My father nods in agreement. ‘I told them that Payton. Trust me, I did. But the villagers also agree so I stood no chance.’
    ‘The villagers ...’ I turn and glower at some village women cleaning the place. They can obviously hear the entire conversation.
    ‘The injustice of this - really pisses me off. I was plucked from my family, taken prisoner and repeatedly ra …forced to do things I didn’t want to. Now everyone forgets what I did for them? How could they? How dare they?’
    ‘My God Payton!’ my father cries, reaching out to me.
    I step back again. ‘Dad, you – grow a spine. You’ve never protected me from them,’ I say, jerking my head towards Paris and Elaine.
    ‘Now don’t you say that,’ Elaine snaps. ‘There was nothing to protect you from.’
    ‘Yes, there was! There always was.’ I was beyond caring what I said.
    ‘Oh, stop playing that card Payton,’ Paris says. ‘Stop looking for sympathy.’
    I ignore her and turn to look at the village women. They quickly look away. ‘You guys seem to have forgotten who saved your asses. I saved your children, your grandchildren, your family, your friends, your fucking village and you treat me like this ? This is my only nephew and I love him!’
    ‘Payton, calm down,’ Elaine says. ‘It’s not a big deal.’
    ‘You’re right, it’s not a big deal.’
    It is a damned big deal to me. What about the box of money I have? What about the pretty white satin suit? What about the lovely dress I was going to buy Paris? Disappointment coils around my heart and I have to steel myself not to cry. An hour ago I was so happy, now I feel rejected, humiliated.
    The village women whisper between themselves.
    I look at them and narrow my eyes. ‘You have the power to exclude me, to hurt me, huh? Guess what? I got power too. You’ve no idea how