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Conversation
Chapter 56 Conversation
Alfredo’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of proposal?” he asked, a note of suspicion in his voice.
“I’ll let you speak to Raven,” Ramos said. “You can talk to her, and I’ll ensure that no one else is listening in. You can ask her if she wants to be released, and I’ll abide by her decision. What do you say?”
Alfredo considered the offer for a moment. On the one hand, it would be good to know that Raven was alright. And if she wanted to be released, he would do everything he could to make that happen. But on the other hand, it was hard to trust Ramos. He could be lying, or he could have some other trick up his sleeve. He didn’t know what to do.
“How do I know that I can trust you?” Alfredo asked, his voice wary.
“You don’t,” Ramos said simply.
Alfredo thought about what Ramos had said. He knew that the other man was right – he didn’t have any reason to trust him. But he couldn’t let his doubt get in the way of helping Raven. He had to take a chance.
“Okay,” he said, his voice strong and determined. “I’ll talk to Raven. But if you try anything, I’ll never forgive you.”
“I’m a man of my word,” Ramos said, though his tone was more smug than reassuring. “Just let me know when you’re ready.”
“You ain’t a man of your words. You have never kept your word. So forgive me if I don’t believe any word you say.” Alfredo said.
“That’s fair,” Ramos said, his tone betraying no emotion. “But let me ask you this – if I did let you talk to Raven, and if she said she wanted to be released, would you believe her? Or would you think I was making her say that?”
Alfredo hesitated, considering the question. He knew that he would want to believe Raven, but he also knew that Ramos could easily manipulate the situation. He just didn’t know what to think.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“That’s understandable,” Ramos said. “I know it’s difficult to trust anyone in this situation, and I know that you don’t have any reason to trust me. But I’m offering you this opportunity because I know it’s important to you. I’m willing to give you a chance to help the people you care about, even if you don’t believe I’m sincere. I’m willing to take that risk.”
Alfredo thought about what Ramos had said. He still wasn’t sure if he could trust the other man, but he knew that he had to at least try.
Alfredo took a deep breath and then said, “Okay, I’ll talk to Raven. But I want to do it over video chat, so that I can see her and know for sure that she’s okay. And I don’t want you to be there – I want it to be just me and her.”
“That’s fair,” Ramos said. “I can make that happen. You have my word.”
“Your word doesn’t mean much to me,” Alfredo said. “But I’ll take it. Let’s do this.”
Ramos nodded, and then said, “I’ll get things set up. Just sit tight and I’ll get back to you in a few minutes.”
Alfredo sat back in his chair, feeling a mix of emotions. He was nervous and anxious, but also determined. He was going to do everything he could to help Raven. He just hoped that it would be enough.
After a few minutes, Ramos called Alfredo back. “It’s all set up,” he said. “You’re ready to talk to Raven?”
“I’m ready,” Alfredo said, his voice steady and calm. He knew he had to be strong for Raven, no matter what. He just hoped that she was okay.
Ramos connected Alfredo to the video chat, and he saw Raven appear on the screen. She looked tired and pale, but she was still smiling, and he could see the relief in her eyes when she saw him.
“Alfredo!” she said, her voice shaking. “Thank goodness you’re here.”
“Hey, Birdie,” Alfredo said, the nickname coming to him naturally. “I’m so glad to see you. Are you okay?”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
“I’m doing okay,” Raven said, though Alfredo could tell on the phone that she was putting on a brave face. “I’m just so glad to talk to you. I’ve been worried about you. Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” Alfredo said, even though he knew that wasn’t completely true. He was worried about Raven, and he was afraid of what Ramos might do next.
“Is anyone there with you?” Alfredo asked.
“No, but I know that I am not alone here.” Raven said.
“Look, Alfredo, I don’t want you to risk your life or the lives of the Carlos family to save mine.
No matter what happens, I want you to protect them and never allow Ramos words get to you. We both know that he sucks at keeping promises.” Raven said.
“I know… but what about you? I don’t want anything to happen to you and your father. If I don’t accept his deal, I don’t know what he would do to you since he already knows you are with me.” Alfredo said.
“It doesn’t matter. I know that you still feel guilty over what happened to my father. That if you had helped him, probably we won’t be in this mess, but Alfredo, you can’t blame yourself for my father’s decision.
So don’t you worry about us, and do what you need to do. I’m not scared of Ramos and I know he won’t do anything to me.” Raven said.
Alfredo felt a surge of emotion at Raven’s words. He had been carrying a lot of guilt about what happened to her father, and it was a relief to hear her say that she didn’t blame him. But he still worried about her, and he didn’t want anything to happen to her.
“Raven, I can’t just sit here and do nothing,” he said. “You’re like family to me, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.