Cash and Reece have come to an uneasy friendship because when angel says get along she isn't kidding.
Surprisingly there is no reprimand from Don Valera as Cash spends his time distributed amongst Angel and his classes. "Let the boy have some fun," Don Valera says in his cracking husky voice when Alexi reports to him. There is nothing that goes around that Valera doesn't know.
He had sent a strong message to Ivan as a warning by sending him pictures of Ivan's wife and kids. Valera knows how to scare his rivals. But he has not become the Don of the under world by letting people like Ivan threaten his turf that too Infront of every one. By uploading the torture of his men online he has not only threatened Valera but had also made a mockery of his control. He would deal with Ivan but first he had cake to buy.
Angel drags Reece to the bakery. " what the hell girl, you said get along, not to go buy him presents and shit. There is only so much I can take. Birthday my b..." "Reece" she screeches, "he's our friend." "he's not my f.. ING friend, he trying to steal ma girl!" " I am not your girl, I am your friend and his friend. That's what friend do".
"he is not my friend, he mumbles" as he follows her to the bakery.
CASH wakes up to someone banging his door, "who the f..." his sentence is lost half way as he pulls his door open and sees his dad standing there. " the f.." "language Sonny Boy, but I'll let it go since it's your birthday". They hug as Valera looks around his dorm room, " slumming it eh!" he cackles. "I'm so proud of you Sonny Boy, you have finally become a man worth carrying the Valera name. I hear you doing well in school and finally graduation in two weeks."
Cash smiles, " I'd retire but you need to work your way up boy like I did, then only will you succeed. " He raises his hand and Alexi quickly hands him a wooden box." for you boy". Cash takes it from him and stills, his father's most prized Cuban cigars, " you get to smoke your first cigar with your old man". It's a right of passage and Cash is honored.
Right then there is noise outside the door and Alexi takes out his gun, Cash gets up alert, then he hears angel and Reece, "the hell man we his friends, what is this shit".
As angel and Reece reach Cash's dorm room, two big thug like men guard his door. REECE spies a gun, " what the hell man, is Cash is trouble". Angel shouts, "Cash!! Cash!!" even Reece is worried, "man you ok? Hey let us in".
Right then Cash yanks open the door and angel and Reece freeze. Cash is still in his pajamas, no shirt, silver hair bedraggled and a cigar in his fingers. "Happy birthday???" squeaks angel. " what the hell man we thought you were dead" huffs Reece and here you are smoking a cigar.
"worried for me" Cash mocks Reece and Reece grunts, " only because I didn't want angel to worry."
" who do we have here?" a gruff voice that send shivers down angels body says from inside.
Cash motions both of them in and Alexi exits the room. Angel looks at Reece uneasily, the old man sitting in a business suit on the chair in Cash's room has an aura around him. You want to kneel and kiss his ring like in the godfather movies.
"my father, Don Valera" Cash says with pride. father my friends" " ah yes, the angel and her bodyguard". I know of these two. CASH looks at his father and he says, " Sonny Boy nothing in your life I don't know about."
"man!! Your dad's the bomb, yo man! You rocking this mafia look, am so gonna kiss that ring on your finger." Valera laughs softly, " I like him, you been watching too many mafia movies boy. But if you ever wanna pledge loyalty to me, you'd be an asset."
Angel is rooted on the spot as Valeras cold grey eyes take her in, so much like Cash yet so different. She shivers, these eyes belong to a man with a past.
" let's cut the cake" Cash says but angel has an uncanny feeling that she has bit off more than she can chew. Cash may be a simple young man but Castello Valera is a different story.