“I heard the front door shut all the way from upstairs. What’s going on and where is Athena? Allesandro questioned in confusion after not seeing his best friends face. After being caught up on the situation, he was more than ready to go out and find Athena.

“We can’t just let her wonder off alone after that bombshell dropped. She’s my person, I need to be there for her.”

“I raised my daughter to be more than capable of taking care of herself. She will come home when she is ready. I don’t want to talk about this any further now if you will excuse me, I have party to cancel since your engagement to Athena was a sham.” Matias storms off, ending the conversation.

“Romulus? Remus?” Sandro turned to the brothers hoping for some support but instead was met by their drooped shoulders.

On Dante’s jet, a few hours later

“Boss look, Commissioner Pope just held a press conference announcing his removal from office and his support for Captain Daniels to be elected in his place.”

“I’m glad he finally saw things from our point of view, after all if we leaked any of the blackmail we found on him his life would have being ruined. Tell Donny to make sure Pope doesn’t go back on his word or there will be consequences.” Dante smiled deviously while Antonio did as he requested.

Panama City, Panama

“Boss man?”

“What is it? Can’t you see I’m enjoying my vacation?” Pedro answered while half naked women threw themselves around him in the pool.

“Commissioner Pope from LA resigned.”

“What the fuck? How dare he make a move without my go ahead? I want some of our guys to pay a visit to his family tonight and teach him a lesson.”

“Yes boss man.”

“Dammit this has Dante’s greasy hands all over it. I thought Ramirez was keeping him at bay but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Where’s his pretty little play thing now? I think it’s time I paid her a visit.”

“But boss, you know which family she belongs to.”

“Oh I’m very familiar with her family, you can say that we are old friends. Now where is she?”

“In Venezuela with her family.”

“How convenient for me. Have some of our guys over there grab her. Let me know when the job is done and I’ll fly over.”

Pedro’s lackey nods in understanding and runs off, leaving him to soak up the Panamanian sun.

“Fly over to where?” Pedro’s son Fernando questions.

“My heir, do not worry. It’s just some business that needs my attention.”

“Well if I am going to take over for you someday, it’s my business to. I’ll have my bags packed and ready father.”

Ruiz Manor, that night

“Are you some incompetent fool? My girl is in there and I intend on taking her home with me so let us through before I put a bullet through your skull.” Dante pulls out his gun and aims it at the security guards head.

“Dejarlos entrar.” (Let them in) Romulus walks up to the guard and instructs him.

Once on the marble tiles of the foyer, Dante’s impatience ran out as he screams for Athena, drawing her family member’s attention.

“What’s all this noise about?” Matias groaned

“Dante?”  Allesandro thought he had been staring at a ghost.

“Wait the Dante? Athena’s Dante? Remus questioned.

“You son of a bitch.” Dante charges towards Allesandro and punches on the jaw. The two men end up wrestling on the ground before being broken up and kept apart.

“What the hell was that for?”

“You’re engaged to my girl?”

“Your girl?” Matias questioned. “I don’t remember Athena ever mentioning you, fake engagement and all.”

“Wait fake engagement?”

“It seems we have some things to discuss. Romulus get one of the help to show Dante and his guest to the spare rooms where they can tidy up. Then join me in the dining room for dinner.”

“I have to ask though, where is Athena?”

“Father it is getting late and she is not back yet.” Remus sounded worried, almost like he knew something was wrong.

“Track the car she took and bring her home. Tonight we will eat together as a family.”

Athena’s p.o.v. 

My father’s revelation had left me in shambles. Why is it that the ‘what if’s’ of a situation tend to play a bigger role than the actual truth. My truth was I had being raised by a father who loved and gave me everything I needed to be a success but right now all I could think of was what if Pedro had raised me?

Would I be next in line to run his drug empire? Would I break the law and hurt people just to ensure my own success? With my foot on the pedal and hand steering the wheel, I had no idea of my destination, I just drove for what felt like hours far away from my home.

Parked along some side road that didn’t seem to have much vehicular traffic, tears began trickling down my face. I wanted to be comforted by someone, I needed to be held and told everything was going to be alright and the worst part was I didn’t know by whom –

Dante who was thousands of miles away probably plotting his next move against my ‘maybe daddy’ or Allesandro who seemed to be my ride or die. I was brought out of my thoughts by a tap on my window and that’s pretty much the last of what I remember.

My head buzzed, almost like a swarm of bees decided to make my skull their new home and my ears rang as if someone rung church bells nearby. There was a wound below my left breast, leaving me bleeding and in slight pain.

The room I was constrained in felt cold and was obviously damp from what I could smell – rotting wood and moss. My eyes had been blindfolded shut, almost has if my capturers wanted to remove it and scream ‘surprise’.

Okay all I have to do is remain calm and save my strength and negotiate to buy my father some time to find me.

Footsteps and the dragging of a metal door against the concrete, its funny when one of your senses are impaired the others seem to pick up the slack.

“Remove her blindfold.” A voice commanded as someone with callous hands obeyed his instruction.

“Hello Darling.” A fairly attractive older man stood in front of me with a wicked grim across his face.

“Who are you?” I curiously asked, avoiding the urge to be arrogant.

“I’d be offended if your little boy toy Dante didn’t tell you who I am.”

“Pedro.” My chest tightened staring into his stormy grey eyes that would tempt the devil.

“The one and only. I must say Miss Ruiz, you look quite similar to your mother.”

The mention of my mother from this sicko’s mouth raised by blood pressure. I desperately needed answers from him which meant I had to go along with his plan while devising my own.

“You knew my mother?” I played dumb and questioned him.

“I loved your mother. She almost turned me into a good person.”

“And then what happened?” I asked, surely not believing the lies he spewed.

“That doesn’t matter now that I have you.”

“You should at least answer my questions before you kill me.”

“No te voy a matar, solo te voy a hacer mucho dano.” (I’m not going to kill you, I’m just going to hurt you a lot)

End of p.o.v

“Father. Father.” Remus shouts in panic as he runs through the house.

“Did you find her?” Dante questions.

“Is she alright?” Allesandro follows up.

Romulus and Matias recognise and understand the emotion pained across Remus’s face.

“What happened?” Matias asked.

“I found the car, its windows were shattered and Athena’s belongings were scattered all over the place.”

Matias turned to his older son and said “You know what to do.”

Romulus nodded and headed off with purpose.

“Father, there was blood at the scene.”