Alejandro
Present day
The radiant sun sparkles against the surface of the turquoise sea like a million diamonds have been splashed over it.
The view against the rock formations is one of the beautiful sights of Camburi Beach I’ll admit I miss.
I can’t remember the last time I came here, or any beach for that matter.
My presence today is business related. Nothing remotely close to the past times I spent here with friends and family.
Friends and family who are no more.
My pace quickens when I spot Eric Markov standing on the veranda of the beach house he’s rented for the duration of his stay.
He got married to his girl two days ago. They eloped.
He was scheduled to do some work for me in a few days, but I had a feeling he was going to use the excuse to take his girl for a getaway and marry her in the exotic paradise Brazil could offer.
Eric is several years younger than me, but we’re a lot alike.
I knew what he was going to do long before he even had the idea. Eloping is the kind of thing I would have done in another life.
Eric’s wife, Summer, is out on the beach by the rock pools collecting seashells. He’s watching her with that devoted look of love you know will last a lifetime.
I’d be envious of him if love hadn’t been so cruel to me.
I am extremely happy for him, though. He’s one of the guys love was kinder to. Or maybe that was fate. If so, it would explain what happened to me.
Eric has been helping me track down the people responsible for Eduardo’s death.
He called me here because he found something.
Although we’ve seemed to come to a dead end over the last few months, it’s only through his help and my newly acquired membership with the Syndicate in L.A. that I managed to get anywhere in my pursuit for vengeance.
Cristiano survived the massacre and was able to tell me Micah Santa Maria from the Camorra was the man who killed Eduardo and instigated the attack on his home.
With Eric’s assistance I was able to bring Micah down, but we discovered the source of my problem stemmed from a bigger threat. A man people are calling El Diablo, whose goal is to take everything from me.
Everything, including my life, those I love, and the Ramírez Empire.
The fucked-up thing about it is, I don’t have a damn clue who El Diablo is. And nobody we’ve spoken to has conveniently seen his fucking face.
Nobody.
His name was dropped several months ago. In that time, this bastard has known how to hide and play me, using my own people against me.
I already knew the massacre at Eduardo’s home was an inside job, but since learning about this El Diablo, the problem has worsened, and I’m a fucking mess.
This has been the only time in my life when I’ve had to keep those I trust close and my eyes glued to potential enemies. From the dirty politicians Eduardo and I bargained with to get the biggest business venture of our lives, to the men I work with in my cartel who should be as close to me as brothers.
When I reach the veranda steps, Eric looks at me and smiles.
Like most days, I smile back with the same mask of cool and composed, so I look like the last one year and three months haven’t taken its toll on me.
“Don Alejandro,” he says warmly, sitting in one of the chairs behind the wicker table. Once he motions for me to sit, I do so opposite him as he steals another glance at his wife.
“Hey, how’s married life?” I glance at Summer on the beach, too.