I rush up to him and drop to his side, getting ready to home in on my medical training, but before I even touch him, I know there’s nothing left to save.
His body is covered in blood and bullet holes from head to toe. I can barely distinguish his face from the gory mess.
Pain twists my insides and fractures my brain as the truth sinks in.
He’s dead.
My brother is dead.
Death has taken him from me, and for all the power I have in this world, there’s not a fucking thing I can do to bring him back.
Once again, my years of medical training count for shit.
When I lift my head, my gaze settles on Priscilla lying by the safe room door, and more grief fills my soul.
I move over to her and stop in my tracks the moment I take in her burned face and body. There is nothing left to save of her either, nothing recognizable of her beauty.
She’s dead.
A massive burn patch mars the wall behind her, as if someone blasted her and the wall with a dose of fire.
Is that what happened?
Fuck…
She was my brother’s wife but my…
Whatever she was to me died long ago, but I never wanted this for her.
Never. Allowing her to be with Eduardo was supposed to be the right thing.
A faint cry catches my attention, causing me to look away from her. The sound comes again seconds later. It’s… the soft whimper of a baby.
Mia!
Adrenaline moves me the moment I realize the sound is coming from inside the safe room. Frantically, I type in the passcode on the panel and yank the door open, nearly pulling it off its hinges.
Relief washes over me when I see Mia on the floor wrapped in the light pink blanket I gave her.
I pick her up and hold her to my heart. The contact awakens the part of me that was once human, and for a few brief moments I’m not the monster many fear.
In those moments, I’m not the ruthless Cartel King I had to become to rule the Ramírez Empire. Instead, I’m the Alejandro Ramírez I once was.
I allow my soul to savor the joy of knowing this pure being of light survived this vicious attack meant to harm her as much as it did her parents.
The feeling, however, dissipates the moment I step out of the room and look at her mother.
That’s when the monster returns.
I imagine Priscilla must have put Mia in the safe room and attempted to help Eduardo. My gut is also telling me all of this could have only happened because of what Eduardo and I did.
I can feel it in my bones. This happened because of the contract we signed for the fucking oil company. That is one contract no one is supposed to know about.
Clearly, they do.
I knew we were playing with fire and dancing with devils when we signed. I just never imagined something like this could happen.
If I’m right—and I suspect I am—the enemy will come for me next.
As Mia starts crying I hold her closer.
She is mine now.
I will take care of her from now onwards, and this massacre will not go unpunished. Nor will I wait for my enemy to come and kill me.
Or her.
Blood will rain from the sky in all corners of the earth as I exact my revenge on whoever did this.
I vow it on my soul.