GRINGA (54 page)

             
‘What shall we call her?’ 

    
             
He shrugs. ‘That’s up to you. She your responsibility now.’

    
             
My responsibility? Typical man. I think about a name for a few moments. ‘Mmm ...Taco Bell,’ I say. ‘We shall call her Taco Bell.’

    
             
‘Whaaat? That’s a Pussy’s name.’ 

    
             
‘She
is
a pussy,’ I say, reaching over and stroking her soft fur, ‘but she’s the cutest pussy I’ve ever seen. Hey Diago, you have three girls in your life now; Gringa, Gringa Two and Taco Bell. That’s a lot of PMS.’

    
             
He shakes his head and gives a weary sigh. ‘Too many.’

             
Taco
Bell
very wins over everyone over at the ranch and is soon spoilt by all. Everywhere I go, Taco Bell and Gringa Two follow. Diago makes a little pouch for Taco Bell that I place on Gringa Two so I can take Taco Bell on horse rides as well.

             
Taco
Bell
loves it but Gringa Two – not happy. I think she’s jealous. Imagine that. But soon Taco Bell is also swimming and we have great fun together. 

    
             
Often, Diago, Taco Bell, Gringa Two and I, go for rides and watch sunsets together. I’m having fun with my family now. I love them all and I feel complete. Almost. 

             
Diago is also very contented and happy with our new family and he’s changed so much since I first met him that sometimes I wonder if that hairy monster who murdered me was just a bad dream.

             
He spoils me with expensive gifts, a beautiful watch, gold earrings, a leather jacket and my life with him is rich in affection and love. 

It’s Saturday and we’re seated around the table having lunch, when I hear someone shouting my name. It’s a woman’s voice. A shrill, familiar, angry voice.

   
             
Everyone dashes outside to see who it is. We see
Paris
, screaming like the banshee she is.

    
             
‘Ohmigod Paris!’ I race to her. ‘Is something wrong? My dad …?’

    
             
‘It’s all your fault!’ she screams. ‘He left me because of you, you bitch! You destroyer of marriages, you slut! You ...you ... ’

    
             
‘Who
Austin
? He
left
you?’

             
‘Duh! Who else? You caused all of this shit and now he wants out, because ... he says he  ... still ... loves you! You fucking home wrecker you!’

             
My hands fly to my mouth. How the hell could
Austin
leave her with a baby? What the hell is wrong with him? I hadn’t heard from them for a while, so I just assumed they worked things out. 

    
             
I glance at Diago and I see the cords in his neck. That happens when
Austin
’s name is mentioned. I really have to stop
Paris
. 

             
‘I can’t live without him,’ she wails. ‘He’s my ... my everything. My soul mate. You just had to come between us, Payton. Had to take him away.’ She sinks dramatically to the floor giving the guys at the ranch a splendid, opera-like performance.

    
             
Tongue steps forwards, a smile on his face. ‘Bebe, there is no need to worry about a man like that,’ he says suavely. ‘I am here. They call me Tongue and I have balls, see?’ He flicks his tongue to reveal his piercings.

             
The men laugh at Tongue’s antics. Even I have to suppress a laugh.

    
             
The beauty queen’s eyes sweep slowly over him as her lips curl downwards. ‘Get the fuck away from me you miserable gnome! And take your disgusting tongue with! I don’t know where that tongue has been and it will be the apocalypse before I let you touch me, so fuck off!’

   
             
I gasp. Nobody talks to Tongue like that and gets away with it.

             
To my surprise, Tongue breaks into a huge grin. ‘I like a woman with spirit. My room is up there,’ he says, pointing to his villa. ‘You come anytime. I leave my door open for you,
si
?’

    
             
‘Tongue!’ I hiss. ‘Leave her alone.’

     
             
I kneel down besides her. ‘Look,’ I say, ‘I don’t think Austin…man, look
Paris
, he’ll be back. He probably didn’t like, mean it. Maybe he’s just gone to cool down or something. Just ... like, just keep it together, okay?’

   
             
She narrows her blue eyes and stabs me in the chest with her index finger. ‘You should never have kissed him the other day! He’s a married man! She flashes her wedding ring at me. ‘My fucking husband! We have a baby. That mean you anything to you? Helloooo!’

       
             
I feel Diago’s angry glare before I see it. ‘Payton? You kiss him? Payton?’

     
             
‘No Diago! I ...
he
kissed
me
.’

    
             
‘He
kissed
you?’ Diago’s nostrils flare. ‘When?’

    
             
‘Eh, um, the last time I met my family.’

             
Please God, don’t let
Paris
mention the FBI.

             
‘Diago, this is not important
now
. I have a crisis on my hands right now, so please, cut me some slack, will you?’

    
             
‘Cut you? I will farking cut you
and
him!’

             
‘Hey, what did you do to the devil?’
Paris
asks peering at Diago. ‘He looks cool. Cooler than
Austin
for sure. Not scary anymore. Wow!’

             
I realise she has not seen him since the makeover.

             
‘Okay devil,’
Paris
says, ‘you do that - cut him dead. Then at least I’ll be a widow instead of a pathetic old woman dumped by her miserable, cheating husband. All my bitchy society friends – they’re gonna laugh behind my back when they hear the son-of-a-bitch dumped me.’ Her head jerks to look at Diago. ‘He’s heavily insured. You kill him, devil, and I’ll give you twenty percent of the insur ... ’

    
             
‘
Paris
! How can you …? Twenty percent of the – are you friggin nuts?’

     
             
She sighs. ‘Okay, fine, twenty
five
percent then. Not a cent a more, devil.’

             
‘
Paris
shut up!’ I say under my breath. ‘You don’t know Diago – he’ll really kill
Austin
.’ 

             
‘Don’t you tell me to shut up,’ she says, stabbing me with her index finger several times in the chest. ‘You fucked up my marriage. You kissed my husband while I was in the
next
room. My own sister. Now he wants to leave me because of your skanky ass.’

    
             
I grab her finger and shove it back at her.

     
             
Suddenly, we hear a car screeching down the driveway and lots of shouting. Paris and I sprint over to the driveway and see four ranch-hands running behind a car, guns pointed at it, threatening to fire.

    
             
‘Stop!’ I shout. ‘It’s my dad and Elaine! Stop!’

             
The men look at Diago. It takes a while before he nods. They lower their weapons.

             
Elaine is driving, while my dad’s in the passenger’s seat, carrying baby Liam. Elaine screech’s to a halt, flings the door open and rushes over to
Paris
.

    
             
‘Oh my baby,’ she cries, flinging me a dirty look. ‘How you must be hurting. ‘It’s going to be okay honey.’ She glares at me.   

    
             
‘What the hell did I do?’ I ask, my eyes darting between her and my father.  

    
             
‘Nothing Payton,’ my father says.. ‘You did nothing. This is all
Austin
’s fault. He needs to grow up, grow a goddamn backbone and start acting like a man. He has a child – he needs to take responsibility. Children need their fathers. If he doesn’t, Liam going to really suffer.’

    
             
I stare at my father, my jaw dropping. This coming from
him
? I’m blown away. Stunned, I resist the urge to throw back my head and cackle, then tell him that he is the most spiritless, henpecked idiot I’ve ever met. His lack of backbone gave Elaine her strength to treat me like crap. 

             
‘Don’t worry,’
Paris
says, casting me a smug look. ‘The Devil’s gonna kill the bastard for me and we’re going to split the insurance money.’ She frowns. ‘Payton insists I give him twenty
five
percent.’

    
             
Elaine and my father look at me in horror. ‘You would do that to Liam’s
father
?’ Elaine cries, clutching her chest. ‘What is wrong with you, Payton? When did you become like this?’

    
             
‘It was his idea,’
Paris
says, jerking her head towards Diago.

             
My father and Elaine look at Diago. ‘This is the devil?’ Elaine asks. ‘Goodness me, he looks so … normal, nice. How on earth did this happen?’