Dark Paradise

chapter twenty-three

*** trigger warning: mention of r*pe, blood, & guns ***
( more spanish dialogue this chapter! reminder for readers that translations are in the comments of the dialogue sentences! )

C H A P T E R  T W E N T Y - T H R E E

JAVIER PUT OUT THE CIGARETTE IN HIS HAND. He reached for his glass of scotch while his attention turned back to the maps and photographs in front of him. It was in the middle of the night and he couldn't fall asleep without dreaming about what he thought was happening with Celia. The agent remembered what had happened to Helena a few years ago. She was beaten senseless so she could be raped multiple times by multiple men. Javier couldn't forget the sight of her when he found her. She was naked, trembling in fear and covered in bruises. It was trauma that she was going to carry for the rest of her life. Javier didn't want that for Celia and he hoped, prayed, that they just left her alone. Deep down he doubted that.

Despite Noonan's warning about Javier staying away from those working to get the hostages back, he couldn't. Even if Celia didn't want anything to do with him romantically, she was still a good friend to him. Celia had family and friends who loved her and prayed for her safe return. Javier was going to fight for her and he'd die to get her home.

Javier was then pulled away from his thoughts when Enzo, Celia's dog, jumped onto his leather couch and laid down next to him. Enzo stayed curled up next to Javier while keeping his head in his lap. The agent moved a hand to set on Enzo's head and stroke the fur on his head with his thumb.

"Yeah, I miss her too." Javier admitted to the dog who only looked up at him with his big brown eyes. He then nudged the dog to get up and gestured with his head to his bedroom. "Let's go try to get some sleep, Enzo."

/ / /

CELIA LAID IN THE STIFF MAKESHIFT BED. She faced the wall and listened to the sound of Gorilla playing a board game with Diana. She couldn't help but let her mind wander about how slow the days were passing by. Marina had ceased causing pain to Celia as Gustavo had warned her about placing another finger on her. Celia was happy to see Marina even angrier at her, knowing she couldn't do shit about it.

But just because Marina wasn't bothering her didn't mean Gustavo wasn't. He was constantly stopping by to see his ex but Celia refused to even utter a single word to him. Gustavo would sit at the end of her bed and try to get her to talk, but Celia would ignore him.
She realized a long time ago that the man she fell in love with never existed. The whole businessman was a facade. He had put it up to lure her in without confessing who he really was.

Celia couldn't help but sometimes let her mind wander to how their relationship was before she even found out how horrible of a person and the things he did were. She reminisced how she'd play a game of soccer after his nephew's lessons. It would be him against her and his nephew. Celia could almost feel his arms around her waist as she remembered how he tried to pull her to him if she got the ball too close to his goal. All the times she imagined a life with a false part of Gustavo as her husband and as a father. It hurt to remember their relationship, but her anger towards him outshined the pain.