Behind Bars

02

'The scars of your love remind me of us. They keep me thinking that we almost had it all.'

***

THE name instantly registered in my brain. I felt my mood shift a small bit at the mention of Alejandro.

He had to have been the most powerful man here in New York. Heck, I'm pretty sure the whole world knew about him and his business. If you could even call it that.

Russo was known for being the leader of the most ruthless and powerful Mafia Gang to ever rise in the big apple. He had people everywhere. Undercover spies lurking in places you wouldn't expect them to be. Hiding in plain sight. You're favourite ice-cream man or the local shop owner. He had something on everyone and used it to his advantage. Gaining more and more allies as the days went on. He could have someone watching over him right here, right now, and none of us were aware of it.

Rumour has it, Alejandro had been in here for up to fifteen years, but had still managed to run his gang with full force as if he were in two places at once.

I wouldn't put that past him.

He was arrested and put on trial for drug possession and man slaughter- which of course, were true accusations, but according to the lack of evidence, he could only be taken in for the selling and dealing of illegal substances. He never left a trace behind so I truly wondered where he had messed up.

His sentence, initially fifteen years had been cut down to only ten, on the basis of good behavior. In which this would be his last year, and then he would officially be a free man once again. The man had been put in here when he was merely twenty two, basically throwing his whole life away. But it was almost inevitable, he had to follow in his father's footsteps. Carlos Russo. Who had died unexpectedly seven years ago as the file leads on.

I've crossed paths with Alejandro only once during my time working here. His infamous smirk replayed in my mind and I rolled my eyes. He had been taken out of his cell and I had walked past him in haste, trying to reach my office which had been located only a few blocks down from his, when we locked eyes. He must have assumed that his smile had an effect on me, when really I couldn't have cared less. I was here for my job and that was my only purpose.

I was surprised at the reduction in his sentence. He never displayed good behavior, I couldn't count how many fights he had caused or the amount of inmates he had angered and sent to the nurses bleeding out. He was on the bad side of mostly everyone here, staff included. But I hadn't been around for too long to witness anything that serious happen.

He must have made a deal with someone of high authority to get his sentence dropped. Of course he had. Life fed him with a silver spoon and never once left his mouth.

According to what I knew, Alejandro had no family. No spouse, children or any offspring at all.

I was knocked out of my thoughts when I heard a faint knock at my door which was slightly ajar. I noticed Ana's silhouette and beckoned her to come inside. She shut the door behind her and walked up to my desk.