Page 2 of The Guardian

I laughed and replied, “They are not babies anymore but yes, me and my guards are bringing your children to you.”

All I could hear was more crying.

And no, I did not say anything about Carlos, he had pleaded with me to let him handle all of that. I had told him, he wouldn’t be alone in this. His two friends then spoke up, saying they would be with us all the way.

Finally, we pulled up to the front.

The twins were staring through the window at the largest house they had probably ever seen.

Hell, it was probably the largest I had ever seen.

The double doors opened up and there was Gabriela at the top of the long stairs. She sure looked beautiful. I never realized she had turned out to be so lovely. A man held her arm and helped her down the stone steps. I assumed that this was Alberto Mancini.

Rain and Henry exited the SUV and opened the doors.

I got out and helped Esperanza out. On the other side, Carlos got out and had Alex with him.

As Gabriela came closer, she stared at her daughter. Her body trembled as she reached out and smoothed the young girl’s hair with her hand. Then she looked over at Alex as he came around the front of the vehicle to stand in front of her. She stared at him with wide eyes. “Alex!” she wept. “He looks just like him!” She referred to my brother, the father of the twins.

I nodded and had to keep my own body from shaking. I had vowed to see this day happen. I promised it in prayers to my brother. But I had something I needed to take care of before I could see this through. I stepped close and told her, “I also brought your brother.”

Gabriela had been hugging the twins as she raised her head and stared at me in confusion. “Que? What did you just say?”

“Gabby,” Carlos called to her as he stepped around the SUV.

Looking over, she stared at him and sucked in a deep breath, raising her already shaky hands to her mouth.

Alberto Mancini stood silent next to her as he glared at him.

His tall guard stepped to his side, as did another man who had come down the steps from the house. He looked like Alberto so he was probably one of his sons.

Rain and Henry moved to stand next to Carlos in protective mode.

The two sets of men all seemed ready to pull their weapons.

Seemingly oblivious to the tense standoff, Gabriela rushed over to Carlos and grabbed him up, hugging him fiercely while babbling in cheerful Spanish. Saying, she never thought she would see him again. She kissed his cheeks and cried like a little girl.

Carlos had tears on his cheeks as he held her.

Alberto Macini looked angered but being the man he was…he knew how to keep control of it.

After Carlos’ attempt to harm his daughters and family, I couldn’t blame him. But I would stop him from harming Carlos.

This could all go very badly in the blink of an eye.

Chapter One: Face Off

Henry

We all stood, waiting.

It should have been a good day. A reunion of children with their mother after so long. Instead, it might end up to be a really bad day.

This looked and felt like a face off. The kind that never ended well.

Selena looked over at Maya and nodded at her. “Please take the kids into the house.”

Nodding, Maya paused to look up at Mr. Mancini.