Guilty By Association

Chapter 10 - Alex Diaz

Ever since, Caleb was missing. Alex believed that it was his mother’s death that had triggered his violence, combined with his father’s murder.  Whatever it was, he turned out to be really dangerous.

He got involved with the gang his father was involved with and quickly climbed up the ranks. He killed Simon Navarro, who had been the main guy up till then and took over the gang. He started doing drug dealing and was now one of the biggest drug lords in America.

Even though Alex refused to sympathize or even empathize with criminals, he still pitied them. He pitied how they gave their lives to crime and to wrong, not realizing their mistakes until they reached their deathbed. Sometimes, for the more unfortunate ones, not even then.

When Alex had chosen his path, he’d decided he wanted to dedicate himself to it. He couldn’t imagine himself with a woman. He had three sisters and two nieces. Sure, little Elisa had just turned one a little while back, but he knew what women were like. Women sought comfort and time from a man, and once Alex had chosen his path, he was certain he could never provide so much time to a wife or lover. It just wouldn’t last.

Sometimes, when he saw a man with his wife and children, Alex felt jealous. Even the biggest criminals had the pleasure of having a woman in their life, a woman who would love them, care for them, and give them children.

When Alex visited his sister, Gabriella, who had two children, Diego and Sophia, something inside of him craved that kind of unconditional love, a love that only a child could provide.

But then, he would see what he did, the importance of what he did, and he knew that the sacrifice he’d made was worth it. His sacrifice helped protect all these families. It protected Diego, Sophia, and Elisa. It protected his siblings. It protected his mother. His father had made the same sacrifice.

And lost his life, too.

Alex had only been five years old when his father died and Gabriella hadn’t even been born. He remembered very little of his father’s death, but he didn’t remain hidden from the tears in his mother’s eyes and all the lonely nights she’d had.

Alex didn’t like Jonathan, his mother’s second husband, very much, but he made Maria happy, and so Alex tolerated him. He brought the smile back on her face. Alex got three more siblings because of him and Alex loved Dana, Isabella, and Leonardo just as much as he loved Gabriella.

Alex never doubted the life he’d chosen. He was proud of what he did. He knew that if there were people asleep in their beds at night without a worry about their safety, it was because of Alex and hundreds of other individuals who dedicated their life to their job.

Alex never thought about getting a wife and children, despite Maria Diaz-Carrillo’s constant nagging. Why would he? That would be selfish. If anything ever happened to him while he was working, his family would be alone and Alex didn’t want that for people he loved.

Sophia loved him like another dad. Diego respected Alex. He saw Alex as an idol. Even Leonardo respected Alex and Alex loved his family. He did this for his family and hundreds of other families out there.

He’d been doing and he never strayed from his path. Yet, in the last few days, Kelsey Winters had managed to slip under all of his walls. With one smile from her, Alex was speechless. Her laugh brightened up Alex’s day. He didn’t know her that well, but he liked what he did know and he had a constant craving to know more. And that scared Alex more than anything else.

Because he shouldn’t get close to Kelsey.

Even now, with her face in his memory, Alex was fighting the constant urge to find an acceptable reason to spend time with her.