Resist - A Continuation
Part 48
“What? Thank God I didn’t kiss him! But I’m guessing if this is true, he would not have kissed me anyway.”
“Mama, how do you know this. And are you sure it’s true?”
“Sheer luck. After Ray and I overheard Pilar and Colin in the garden, I followed Colin and had Ray get Pilar. He immediately took out his cellular phone and made a call. All I could here is “I need to get my sister out of here tonight.”Danny that’s when I came to find you to let you know that Michelle was telling the truth about being Andrew’s mother and you his father. But I couldn’t elaborate on what I had just heard Colin say, not just yet.”
Danny and I are both surprised. Could it be true? I have another brother? He went through such great lengths to protect me. I guess he was protecting me. Is that why he came to the hospital? This is all so bizarre.
“Carmen, was he protecting me? I always got the feeling he wanted to be romantically involved with me. He could have just tried to be my friend.”
“I asked him the same thing when I confronted him earlier today. Colin said the plan was to become just a confidante, but when Danny asked him to go on a phony date, he had to go along. He said it was weird, but he had to do what he had to do. He knew Danny loved you and had planned to try to convince Danny to open up to you. But Colin didn’t know Pilar was going to pull what she did. He didn’t realize the extent of Pilar’s obsession. None of us did.”
I’m staring at my husband, who’s staring at his mother. “This is just unbelievable.”
“Yes, unbelievable. Mama, what was he protecting Michelle from?”
“His world. Our world. Colin blackmailed Nino into marrying Michelle. Nino never loved you Michelle, and he couldn’t let Pilar go. Colin didn’t want the Santos’ and Rivera’s united because it would be too great an alliance. He was so power hungry that he sacrificed his sister. Colin made Nino pursue you. Nino told Colin he wanted out of the marriage with you, but Colin said no. That’s probably why Nino turned on you…retaliation.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe his story and I want to talk to him. Where is he?” Danny is furious, while I’m just…confused.
“Danny, Colin is gone. He’s not dead, but he’s gone from our world. And Michelle, he said he was sorry for almost destroying you. Colin wishes he had known that you and Danny would fall in love. But he had to keep Nino in check and keep the Santos and Rivera family apart. You would bring him more power by having Nino’s baby. The business would be handed down to Nino and then to Nino’s heir. Colin would control that heir.”
She stops briefly. Then continues, “He didn’t know what Nino did to you. Colin manipulated everything except the night at the docks.”
The thought of my brother, using me for power and money, I just can’t comprehend. “How is he going to convince the other families to let the Santos’ out? Carmen, how can you trust him? How can you believe him? And what about the FBI? What about his boss? Does he have a boss? What was he blackmailing Nino with?”
“Michelle, Claire Ramsey is his mother. And that’s all you need to know about his family. Trust me. We are nothing compared to the family Colin comes from. Nothing. We thought we were controlling him, but it was the other way around. Colin played the little mole, because he was collecting information on everyone. And when someone would step out of line, Colin would blackmail them.”
Danny runs his hand across his face. “Come on mother. I know there’s more.”
“Nino had asked Colin to help him take over his father’s business. Nino, thinking Colin just a person that makes things happen, wanted him to kill Bernard, too. Since Colin didn’t really live by our code, he taped Nino’s request as he did anyone else. And then when Colin discovered Nino had planned to marry Pilar, well he pulled out the tape and Nino had no choice but to do whatever Colin said.”
Danny still isn’t convinced. “Or Nino would find himself dead by his own father’s hand? Yeah, well, if Colin’s so powerful, how can any of this information being exposed bring him down?”
“It probably can’t. But I convinced him that all the families could unite to bring him and his family down. I also pointed out that Michelle and Andrew could be killed as well. Plus, I would turn states evidence. And I told him in the event of my death, certain family members would turn states evidence. I said that, if the families had any hint that some rich, pretty boy was hindering their operations and blackmailing people that they would stick together, no matter what. Which could happen. But the point is he knows his family doesn’t want a war. They don’t won’t any ripples in their society.”
“Carmen, please tell me something else about his family. Are they my family too? Or his father’s?”
“It’s a secret society. Look; please just sign the documents. You and Danny are free to live your lives as you please. This house is yours and there are trust funds set up for you, Danny, Pilar, Andrew and the baby. I also have a family trust for heirs to come and every other Santos. Danny, you will become CEO and President of SanCorp.”
“Mama, what will you do?”
“Danny, I’m going to enjoy my grandchildren and make sure my daughter gets better.”