Book #1 of the Santos series
Ana Wright is an incredible doctor; a surgeon, who spent her life helping people, making her one of the most famous surgeons in Vancouver. But after an incident at the hospital, she was working at, she decided to quit an...
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It is 3 AM.
The nightmares of the events of last year still haunt me to this day. Ever since my father was captured by the police because of his brother, Ricardo, I have been eating myself alive. My father went to prison because he was blackmailed about something related to me and I can't forgive myself for what happened. I will do anything to break him free, just as I had promised him.
I remove myself from the girl's arm, whose name I don't remember, and left the room to get some water. This happens every day. I have nightmares, get up, get some water, and go back to sleep. I have been living like this for a year.
My men and I devised so many plans to break my father out of the Central Prison of Vancouver, but it is harder than we thought. We needed to know men on the inside who knew about the plan to help my father and that's exactly what we did. Some of my most trusted men, Cash and Alex, volunteered to do an offense and go to jail to be with my father. We wrote a plan that took months to complete to make sure nothing goes wrong. They have been in prison for a month and three days, one for killing a police officer who was harassing a woman, and the other for robbing a bank and distributing the money to the public.
I will forever be indebted to them.
Cash is my right-hand man, while Alex, who's Cash's brother, is the best hacker my mafia has worked with. Cash and Alex were abandoned by their family at the age of ten and thirteen. Their family didn't want them because they couldn't take care of them anymore. I remember Alex once told me that they had more siblings, but they were the ones that their family decided to let go of. If I hadn't found them in that ally, they would have been dead now.
I open the silver fridge, the light of the fridge helped me see around the kitchen as I didn't turn on the lights. I grab a bottle of water and drink it in one go. I panted when I finished, feeling satisfied.
I throw the bottle in the bin and walk back to my room.
The girl is still sleeping and I wanted more than anything to kick her out and have the whole bed to myself. But I am a gentleman, I wouldn't let her drive in the middle of the night alone.
I create some space between me and her and close my eyes, hoping no nightmares interrupt me this time.
* * *
2 PM - De Santos Mansion
"Se paciente, Alba!" I hear my mother yell at my sister.
-Be patient
I walk into the kitchen only to see them face to face, ready to get into an argument. My mother and sister love each other a lot, but they shouldn't be put in the same place for more than two hours because one, both of them are bossy, and second, both of them are stubborn.
"Que esta pacando?" I ask, standing between the two, making sure they don't do anything stupid.
-What's going on?
"She wants to cook!" my mother exclaims, pointing at Alba's chest with her index finger.
"So? This is my kitchen too!" Alba replies, her hands flying in the air.
"This is my house!"
"Then I should get a house of my own!" Alba yelled, stomping out of the kitchen like a child.
"Mom, why are you not letting her do anything?" I ask gently.
She sighs and shakes her head. "She's my daughter, I want to cook for her."
I chuckle, pulling her to my chest and hugging her.
That's Victoria Santos, the best mother in the whole world. A little bit controlling, but in a good way. She just wants to see her kids happy. Alba and I are very lucky to have a mother like her. She's sweet, kind, and understanding...well, not always.
"I know, mom, but she's a big girl, and sometimes, she wants to do things alone."
"I know...I'll go and fix it with her," she says, patting my shoulder. "Any news about your father?"
"Not yet, but I am waiting for a call soon from Cash and Alex."
"Oh, those two boys, I have missed them."
"Me too." I grin.
"I'll go check on that troublemaker," my mom says, walking out and leaving me alone in the kitchen.
It is at times like these that I feel somewhat complete, only if my father is here, I'd feel better. He was and still is the don of the Spanish mafia. I only took over when he went to prison, but I can't wait to have him back and work with me.
Ten minutes later, Alba walks into the kitchen again with a huge grin on her face.
"You called it a truce?" I ask and she nods.
I stand up and walk towards her. "Alba, no le vuelvas a gritar asi a mama, de acuerdo?" I gently say, knowing very well that she didn't mean to do it.
-Don't yell at mom like that again, okay?
"Si, Hermano." She nods with a smile.
-Yes, brother.
"So, how's Cash and Alex?" Alba asks as she starts preparing lunch.
"I don't know. Haven't heard from them since they went in."
"How do you know that they are still alive?" she asked.
"Don't worry, they are."
"Can we get them out, already? I miss dad," she says, putting the chopped carrots into the pan.
"Soon, Hermana. Soon. I am supposed to receive a call from them today. If everything goes smoothly, we will break them out in a week."
"I can't wait." She smiles.
"Do you need any help, mi rosa?" I ask.
"Aww, the big, bad mafia don wants to help his sister with cooking?"
"Never mind, you're fine cooking alone," I said, sending her a playful glare, and leaving the kitchen.
I leave my family's house and make my way to the warehouse. Our warehouse is one hour away from the family house. My father wanted to make sure that mom and Alba are away from everything. He made sure no one knew where the mansion is, only family members and trusted men knew.
Halfway, I receive an unknown call. I immediately know that it is the number of the burner phone one of my men gave Cash when he visited him in prison. He was so clever in delivering the phone, without anyone seeing or sensing.
"Hello?"
"Brother," Cash said.
"Good to hear from you, mi Hermano."
"Same here, brother. I don't have much time, but I called to let you know that everything is going according to our plan. They put Alex and me in the same cell since we were caught on the same day. Our cell is three cells away from Don Manuel. He is okay and knows about the plan."
"Hang in there, brother. In a week, you will be out. Take care and tell my father I miss him."
"Will do, see you."
With that, hope made its way back into my heart and for the first time in the past year, I smile.
I am not going to tell my mother anything, just because I don't want to get her hopes up if something goes wrong.
