"Boss, I need to tell you something," Biggie muttered to him. "Let it wait, until we're done with this." He replied and shut his room door. El Russo put on his t-shirt and jeans trousers before rejoining his guard outside. "Where did you put her?" He asked him. "At the spare house," Biggie replied. His blonde nappy hair shining in the sunlight. El Russo was led to the back of the large mansion grounds which belonged to El Puerto. The second house was a two-storey building. It was where the El Puerto bodyguards lived during working days. Immediately the door opened, Irina froze. Her hands were tied behind her back and she could only try to make out the sounds of the men in the room. "Take off the bag". Her ears perched up at the sound of the familiar voice. "No!" She thought to herself. Her heart took on a rapid rate. "He could not be the same person", she thought. Biggie walked up to her, and pulled the bag off her head. El Russo froze on the spot. Irina glanced up
Mr. Madrigal was a bomb waiting to explode. His face was filled with wrath and his eyes blinded by rage. He let out an angry scream and threw everything off his desk."El Russo!!!!!" He roared out. Everyone who stood inside his office was frozen to their spots. Mr. Madrigal looked like he was ready for murder. Antonio, his older son, stepped forward."Father, we must act fast. I have already sent predators marking the streets of El Puerto. By night fall, El Russo will get enough messages to last him a lifetime.""Blood, I want blood!!" Mr. Madrigal growled beastily. "Spill blood!! The blood of children, adults and pregnant women!!! Spill everyone in El Puerto's blood!"Antonio nodded and rushed out of the office with series of guards. Mr. Madrigal picked up his phone and sat on the edge of his table.El Russo's study telecom phone rang out. He had been lost in thoughts that he did not hear it ringing. He pressed the phone to his ear."You have twenty-four hours to produce my daughter,
With no further response from El Russo, the men turned around and left the room.Devon turned to his brother. "Is this what you wanted? A war with our associates? Come on, El Russo, let the girl go." "She is none of your business, little brother. Get the men to sort out the abductees. I need a report by morning.""What are you going to do with her?" Devon asked. In the dimly lit office, El Russo's face was only visible by a fragment.The silhouette of the moonlight cast a light glow on his hard features, and from that light, Devon caught El Russo smiling.As El Russo stormed into his bedroom, a wave of guilt washed over him. He picked up a piece of furniture and threw it against the wall, screaming out."What have I done?" he muttered to himself. He sat down on his bed, and the thoughts of Irina kept roaming through his mind. How could he have been so careless?Then, he remembered his words to her. "I owe you my life." His eyes froze open, and fury was reflected in them. What was he
Her mouth burnt from the bitter taste of the medicine her father gave her. "Are you okay?" He asked her. She nodded slightly. "You have always been resistant to the idea of a war on El Puerto. Now, you know what kind of beasts those people are."Irina's eyes brightened in the dim light of her bedside lamp. Unshed tears reflected in them."We must retaliate. Blood for blood, Irina. Rest now. In the morning, we will talk better." Mr. Madrigal kissed her head and left the room.The next morning, Irina sat up in bed, her arms wrapped around her body as she thought about everything. El Russo in particular. Her heart ached from the pain she was feeling, her cheeks damp from having cried all through the night.He had occupied a certain part of her brain, and she found it hard to believe that he was the same man she had despised her whole life. She remembered the wrath in his eyes, the materialistic nature of the hate she had felt when he spoke to her.Something new awakened in her. It wasn'
He cut it open with a letter cutter and pulled out some photographs which he scattered on his table for El Russo's viewing.Stepping forward, El Russo stared at the photographs one after the other. They were all images of Irina and him. From pictures of them at the masked ball dancing together to photographs of them at the bar.The last set was a few of them walking into the hotel, and others were of him walking out of the hotel the next morning.El Russo's brows creased in a frown. " How did you get all these?" He demanded of his uncle in silent rage.Everyone knew that El Russo's anger was bad. Many said he had the anger of an enraged bull. Yet, his uncle remained calm."I have trained you boys from when you were little boys, even before your father died, bless his soul. I have done my best to raise you both to keep the standard of this family intact. Your father, my brother, was an honorable man.""Ruthlessly murdered when you were merely a teenager. By the same people you see now.
Then, he fell flat on his stomach and leaned towards the edge of the cliff. He used the hand which was tied with his tie to secure his hold on the cliff, while the other hand reached for Irina. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, shaking with fear. "Come on!" He shouted at her. There was equal terror in El Russo's eyes, and he could hear blood rush to his ears. "Reach out to me, I'll grab you!" He said to her. The branch which Irina held onto was frail. It was quickly losing its resolve because of her weight. "No." Irina whispered in tears when the first part of the branch broke. "Come on!" El Russo shouted. "Let the branch go! Trust me!" He said to her Irina looked into his eyes for a moment, and when she saw that he meant what he said, she decided to trust him. She reached up to grab his hand, and just as her fingertips touched his, the branch lost its stability and broke. But El Russo was quick enough to catch her wrist before she fell with it. Irina's screa
"That's rich. Is that the “Thank You” I get for saving your life?" El Russo asked in a cool voice. "Saving my life? You were the one who sent those men after me in the first place!" Irina yelled at him. El Russo's face pinched with anger. "If I wanted you dead, Irina, you would be dead by now." He replied coldly. "Then, what am I doing here? Why haven't you killed me yet?" El Russo backed her, he had his face turned to the window. He turned round on his heels slowly, and walked towards the bed. "Marry me, Irina Madrigal." He said to her. Irina gurgled out a chuckle. She assessed his face, waiting for him to laugh in return, but El Russo's expression remained serious. "You can't be serious. You're insane! Why would I want to marry the man who killed my sister?" She asked him bitterly. A shadow passed over El Russo's face, and he turned towards the window, and murmurred in a deep, husky tone, "I did not kill your sister, Irina." Irina scoffed at him. "And my father did no
Antonio walked out with a sad expression on his face. Cathy pat his shoulder. "I'm sorry. Irina would be so broken." She hugged him as tears streamed down her eyes.The door to her room was pushed open, and a couple of guards walked in with a couple of clothes, which they lined up on the bed, and one of them was a wedding dress."What is going on?" Irina turned to one of the men who was Biggie, El Russo's top guard."I would hurry up if I were you. The Boss does not like to wait." He said and shut the door. The windows had all been tightly sealed. There was virtually no escape route for her. Irina clutched the gown to her chest as she shook out of the dress she was wearing.She didn't bother with anything else, not even her hair or the make-up which had been neatly organized for her. After showering and brushing her teeth, she put on the beautifully hand sewn wedding dress.The fabric was soft to touch, and she could feel the roughness of the thread and the beads which had been sewn i
Irina glared at her friend Cathy. "I will go back there, father." Cathy replied. Mr. Madrigal turned a sharp glare at his daughter."Have you lost it?? What sort of unintelligent suggestion is that, Irina?" Antonio asked her.Her father regarded her with an interested expression on his face."Yes, Irina. What are you saying? El Russo wants you dead." Cathy regarded her friend closely."If El Russo wanted me dead, father, I'd be dead by now. Instead, he married me." She rolled her eyes at the nauseating feeling that came with the words she was about to utter."I think he's in love with me," Irina added. Cathy let out a hasty chuckle."No way. Are you listening to yourself right now, Irina? A heartless man such as El Russo. In love with you? Impossible." Cathy muttered.Mr. Sanchez folded his hands and shook his head at Cathy. "I'm sorry." Cathy apologized to Irina."Are you certain you want to do this?" Mr. Madrigal asked. A question which completely stunned everyone."Yes, father. You
As soon as they approached the crossroads and El Russo took the turn labeled 'La Madrigal', Irina's eyes widened."Had he caught her sending a message? Was there a camera in the room?" She thought to herself.She continued glancing at him through her peripheral vision. El Russo's eyes focused on the road, and his face was contorted into a serious frown.El Russo sped though the gates of La Madrigal as the guards pushed them open.When he brought the car to a stop, he unlocked the doors and looked through his side mirror, and watched the guards shut the gates."Get out", El Russo ordered her in a firm tone.Shocked at his tone, Irina fumbled with her seat belt and pushed the door open.She kept turning back to watch him through the windscreen, but he sat put, with the same extraterrestrial expression hovering over his face.Irina walked through the doors, into her father's house. Mr. Madrigal was in his living room along with some guards, Cathy, her father and Antonio."Dad?" Irina cal
El Russo's eyes flung open, and he stared at her. " Going somewhere?" He asked.Irina froze to the spot and stared at him. "I..."El Russo turned her over, and pinned her to the bed, underneath him. Irina winced from the pain which radiated from the injury at her ankle.His tall frame towered over her, and he held his torso suspended over her. His jaw tightened, as his eyes ran down her tempting frame.Her eyes stood pinned to his. She licked her lips, as her hand touched his lusciously half-opened shirt."How do I punish you for what you've done?" He murmurred in an animalistic growl. Irina opened her mouth to speak but instead of words, a moan escaped her mouth, immediately betraying her own desires.Without waiting for her to speak, El Russo pressed down on her lightly, and claimed her lips with his. His hand moved up to her shirt, and began to pull open the buttons one after the other, while he kissed her.Irina felt herself sink into his touch and caresses, and she instantly forg
He pulled the trigger, just as the horse was about six feet away from where he stood. The Moreisian white horse immediately applied brakes, and came to a sudden halt, almost tossing Irina off its back.Irina whimpered as her injured ankle came in contact with the horse's back."That's enough drama for today. Get off my horse." He said in an estranged tone.Irina pulled herself off the horse with the help of El Russo's men, but when her feet touched the ground with force, she screamed out.El Russo turned back sharply to look at her. Immediately he caught sight of her badly twisted ankle, he walked up to her, and held her."How can you be so stupid?" He scolded her. "You hurt your ankle this badly and still rode a horse?" His eyes shone into hers. Irina looked up with an insurmountable amount of pain rendered in her eyes.El Russo felt his anger ebb away. He put his arm under her knees and swept her up into his arms. "You're so stubborn." He murmured.Irina admired the sight of his ha
Irina's eyes filled with wrath. El Russo was such a scum. He had wasted no time before rubbing their forbidden marriage in her father's face. "What am I going to do now?" Irina thought to herself. She needed to find a way to speak to her father, or Antonio. She walked towards the room door. Pulling the handle, she realized it was locked. "Dammit!" She cussed. "I need to let Father know what is going on. I need to let him know that this farce of a marriage was not my idea!" She rushed to pick up her phone which was charging by the bedside, but to her surprise, there was no service. "Damn you, El Russo!" She murmurred. The sound of feet shuffled outside the door. Irina crouched on the floor, to peer through the small opening underneath the door. She caught a pair of black shoes, with ankle-length trousers. There was a guard outside the door. She turned towards the window. It was open, and the sun was hot, but there were a series of guards patrolling the premises there as well.
Antonio walked out with a sad expression on his face. Cathy pat his shoulder. "I'm sorry. Irina would be so broken." She hugged him as tears streamed down her eyes.The door to her room was pushed open, and a couple of guards walked in with a couple of clothes, which they lined up on the bed, and one of them was a wedding dress."What is going on?" Irina turned to one of the men who was Biggie, El Russo's top guard."I would hurry up if I were you. The Boss does not like to wait." He said and shut the door. The windows had all been tightly sealed. There was virtually no escape route for her. Irina clutched the gown to her chest as she shook out of the dress she was wearing.She didn't bother with anything else, not even her hair or the make-up which had been neatly organized for her. After showering and brushing her teeth, she put on the beautifully hand sewn wedding dress.The fabric was soft to touch, and she could feel the roughness of the thread and the beads which had been sewn i
"That's rich. Is that the “Thank You” I get for saving your life?" El Russo asked in a cool voice. "Saving my life? You were the one who sent those men after me in the first place!" Irina yelled at him. El Russo's face pinched with anger. "If I wanted you dead, Irina, you would be dead by now." He replied coldly. "Then, what am I doing here? Why haven't you killed me yet?" El Russo backed her, he had his face turned to the window. He turned round on his heels slowly, and walked towards the bed. "Marry me, Irina Madrigal." He said to her. Irina gurgled out a chuckle. She assessed his face, waiting for him to laugh in return, but El Russo's expression remained serious. "You can't be serious. You're insane! Why would I want to marry the man who killed my sister?" She asked him bitterly. A shadow passed over El Russo's face, and he turned towards the window, and murmurred in a deep, husky tone, "I did not kill your sister, Irina." Irina scoffed at him. "And my father did no
Then, he fell flat on his stomach and leaned towards the edge of the cliff. He used the hand which was tied with his tie to secure his hold on the cliff, while the other hand reached for Irina. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, shaking with fear. "Come on!" He shouted at her. There was equal terror in El Russo's eyes, and he could hear blood rush to his ears. "Reach out to me, I'll grab you!" He said to her. The branch which Irina held onto was frail. It was quickly losing its resolve because of her weight. "No." Irina whispered in tears when the first part of the branch broke. "Come on!" El Russo shouted. "Let the branch go! Trust me!" He said to her Irina looked into his eyes for a moment, and when she saw that he meant what he said, she decided to trust him. She reached up to grab his hand, and just as her fingertips touched his, the branch lost its stability and broke. But El Russo was quick enough to catch her wrist before she fell with it. Irina's screa
He cut it open with a letter cutter and pulled out some photographs which he scattered on his table for El Russo's viewing.Stepping forward, El Russo stared at the photographs one after the other. They were all images of Irina and him. From pictures of them at the masked ball dancing together to photographs of them at the bar.The last set was a few of them walking into the hotel, and others were of him walking out of the hotel the next morning.El Russo's brows creased in a frown. " How did you get all these?" He demanded of his uncle in silent rage.Everyone knew that El Russo's anger was bad. Many said he had the anger of an enraged bull. Yet, his uncle remained calm."I have trained you boys from when you were little boys, even before your father died, bless his soul. I have done my best to raise you both to keep the standard of this family intact. Your father, my brother, was an honorable man.""Ruthlessly murdered when you were merely a teenager. By the same people you see now.