TIME FOR WAR

"Prepare a bed for him, and send some flowers to his family." El Russo murmured.

With that, he strutted angrily up the stairs. His men exchanged tense glances as they watched him walk up the stairs.

El Russo sat in his office later that day, with his hands on his lips. Everything from the death of his father, to the attack flashed through his memory.

His eyes were dazed and his fury seethed underneath. Suddenly, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.

He pulled it out and to his surprise, it was an alarm. A reminder for Lunch with Bestie.

"What?" El Russo's eyebrows furrowed together as he assessed the phone in his hand again.

First of all, he had been certain he had a pass lock on his phone.

It wasn't until he went through the phone's contact list that he realized it wasn't his phone.

There were strange contacts like, "Big bro" with a heart emoji, BFF, with a kiss emoji, and Dad with a heart emoji.

El Russo's heart clipped at the last contact. He missed his father a whole lot.

Then, green eyes flashed in front of his eyes again.

"Stay calm! I'm getting help!" Her face had only come into view a few times, when he drifted in and out of consciousness.

Yet, he knew he would never forget those green eyes.

"This must be hers. Miss girl scout." he smiled.

Curious to know more about the girl who saved his life, El Russo went through her gallery, and there it was.

A full one hundred bold shapes of those same green eyes.

"She's beautiful." he thought to himself.

El Russo continued to scroll through the strings upon strings of pictures. There was one of her outside the El Salvador Central College.

And more of her and some other girl. A few of her with some guys, but more of her alone.

Just as he was scrolling through the phone, a knock sounded on his office door which pulled him out of his thoughts.

He put the phone down. "Come in!" he called out in a deep husky voice.

The door pushed open and a younger Version of him walked into the office.

It was his brother, Devon Puerto. With blue eyes and blonde hair, the handsome guy smiled at his brother.

"Glad you could finally join us." Devon joked.

El Russo got up from his seat and hugged his brother.

"I'm sorry I missed father's funeral. I tried to leave as soon as I could. Everything had to be done properly."

"It's fine. I understand. You would not have wanted to be here for it anyway." Devon replied.

El Russo's face was crowned with mourning, and tears formed in his eyes as he held his brother in solidarity.

He patted his shoulder and turned around hastily to sway the tears that lingered in his eyes.

"The men who attacked you were said to have been found in the clearing last night." Devon said to him.

"They sped off towards the center of town. Although, we weren't able to get clear details on who they were."

"Isn't it obvious?" a second voice sounded from the door. The voice was grim, hollowed and hoarse.

A tall man, with an intimidating presence walked into the room. Both Devon and El Russo bowed to the man who walked into the room.

"Uncle Gonzalez." El Russo kissed his hand. The man who was dressed in a fur coat and a black hat, held his staff as he regarded El Russo's injured frame.

He was their father's older brother, Gonzalez Puerto.

Devon pulled out a seat for him and he sat in it.

"I am glad you are back, El Russo. I heard what happened, and that is why I came."

A frown was crested on El Russo's face, as he thought in anger about the incident that had killed his driver.

"Carlos was closer than a family. He had served the Merchant family for years. I am sure you must remember him as a boy."

"Yes Uncle. I remember him quite well." El Russo's face remained dimmed by grief.

"You have to make them pay, El Russo. The Madrigal's have bitten more than they can chew.".

"They haunted us first, and now we have to pay them back in full force. Our retribution must be heard across the four corners of El Salvador." Mr. Gonzalez Puerto said.

"Do not forget the plan. My brother's death must not go unpunished. Your father's death must not go unresolved."

"You must settle this the Merchant way, blood for blood."

"The question is, whose blood are we going to spill this time?" Devon asked. He had never been one to support the killings of innocent people.

As much as he hated the Madrigals for what they did to their Father, he did not know what his uncle was planning.

One thing was certain, he knew very well what El Russo was capable of doing.

"You do not have to be here for this, Devon." El Russo muttered with an air of indifference.

"Brother. I know you, you will not stop until you make then pay."

"Do you not care that this family has suffered enough?" El Russo asked him.

"They think we killed Inna Madrigal. They only struck back because we did not plead better. We acted indifferent to their pain, the exact same way that they are responding now."

"Are you saying that we are guilty? Are you saying that Father deserved to die the way he did?? Left on the streets of El Puerto!!!"

"Murdered like an animal!!! He was a Merchant's father!" El Russo's bull like rage quietened his brother.

Devon shuddered in response to his brother's anger.

"I never said that, brother. I want the Madrigals to pay, but we must leave innocent people out of it." Devon said, and left the office.

"He is just a child, and has never understood the importance of defending legacy, but you do. You, El Russo, are El Puerto's only hope."