Twisted Fate

by Ashley Jade

  Duncan assured me everything was safe and I would be able to lead a normal life. Bastard.

  Hopefully they didn't harm the hot blonde I was in the middle of screwing when they took me.

  That would sure be a beautiful waste.

  I hiss as I lean my back against the hard wall.

  At least I survived the first beating by his thugs.

  How many would there be?

  My thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of someone coughing.

  Apparently...I wasn't all alone after all?

  I turn my head to the side and see a shadow chained up just a few feet away from me.

  Whoever he was, he appeared to be in worse shape then me.

  “Bonita,” he screamed before his body twitches and he opens his eyes.

  “Shouldn't you at least offer to buy me dinner before you try and sweet talk me?”

  He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at me. “Well...if it isn't the prodigal son.”

  I laugh. “Yeah...clearly I'm just the apple of my father's eye.”

  “You and me both,” he grunted.

  What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  “So what are you in for?” I asked.

  There was no harm in getting to know my cellmate since I had nothing better to do.

  “Something I didn't do,” was his only reply.

  I wanted to ask him to humor me and go into a little more detail, but the sound of the cellar door opening stopped me.

  I watch as two men walk into the room and make a beeline for my cellmate.

  They unshackle him and grab him by his arms.

  “Levántate!,” a stern voice called out.

  Oddly enough, I would be feeling jealous about his temporary freedom... but something told me it was better to be chained up then whatever they were about to do to him.

  I watched as they carried him over to another set of chains.

  I turned away as I heard the crack of the whip against his skin.

  He didn't make a sound during the first few lashings.

  The fourth one made him scream.

  I turned my head and immediately regretted it. Blood dripped down his back and pooled at the floor by his feet.

  Against my better judgment I couldn't help but scream out. “Leave him alone. Stop.”

  The two men quickly turned their attention to me.

  They picked me up and slammed me against the wall.

  I tried to fight back, but they obviously had the upper hand in this scenario...being that I was chained up and all.

  I heard one of them chuckle before I felt something sharp graze my back.

  It was beyond agony...it felt like they were carving a piece of my skin out.

  Holy shit...that's exactly what they were doing.

  I screamed as a wave of blinding pain erupted throughout my body.

  Then...it was over. They turned me back around so that I slumped against the wall again.

  They soon focused their attention back on my cellmate.

  They dragged him back to his spot and shackled him.

  Both men turned to leave but one stopped right as he reached the cellar door.

  “I'm sorry about this Alex...but your Padre said we have to do it. He said you deserve to suffer since you killed your brother. He said this is your punishment.”

  The door slammed shut and I heard the sound of a lock being turned soon after.

  That name.

  My mother once told me that I had a brother named Alexandro.

  No...it couldn't be. I turn my head and look at him.

  “You heard him right asshole.”

  I wasn't shocked by much in the world anymore...lord knows I've seen my fair share of horrible shit.

  However this...this would have knocked me right on my ass if I wasn't already.

  Then I realized. “You killed Diego?”

  He gave me a sinister smile. “No, I didn't...but I'm going to take the punishment for it anyway. I have every intention of getting my payback though...one day.”

  That didn't make a whole lot of sense.

  “Why don't you just tell them that you weren't the one who did it? Why are you taking the fall?”

  “I have my reasons. I'm sure as fuck not telling you though. I know better then to trust you.”

  So much for trying to make nice with my cellmate.

  What the hell was his problem?

  Technically we were family. We were also both currently being locked up and beaten under our father's orders.

  Clearly his anger was a little misdirected.

  “I'm your brother Alex. If you can't trust me, who can you trust?”

  He averted his gaze away from me. “Ha, you're not my brother ese'. Your mother was nothing but some Texas beauty queen whore.”

  Yeah...the feeling of hatred was now very mutual.

  He just crossed the motherfucking line.

  “I swear to god if I wasn't chained up like a dog right now I'd kick the shit out of you. You're just jealous because dear old Padre loved her more then he could ever love his own wife.”

  “Yeah he loved her so much he kept her as his mistress puta,” he sneered.

  “You know what? Just shut the fuck up. I really have nothing to say to you anymore.”

  “Awe, what's the matter? Did I hit a nerve?” he taunted.

  “Go to hell.”

  He sighed. “Look around...I'm pretty sure we're already in hell.”

  A week had gone by before we spoke a word to one another again.

  **************************

  “The trick to getting through it is to let your mind drift off to someplace happy,” Alex said as I winced in pain.

  Today was my day to get whipped. It was the worst one yet.

  I actually begged them to stop...which only made them continue with even more force.

  Apparently my father wouldn't tolerate any weakness in his son's.

  He would beat it out of you first. I found that out the hard way today.

  “Thanks for the unsolicited advice asshole. I'll manage on my own.”

  Where the hell was Duncan? Why hasn't he found me yet?

  I laughed at the morbid irony of wishing that the man who kidnapped my mother and I all those years ago, would come back and do it again.

  Only he wouldn't be rescuing my mother this time.

  She died 2 years ago. It was a pain that was worse then any amount of torture.

  “Fine...suit yourself.”

  I closed my eyes and began to drift off to sleep. Between the beatings and the two measly meal's a day...my body was exhausted.

  I heard Alex shift against his chains. “Mira...maybe it was a little fucked up of me to call your mother a puta.”

  I opened one eye. “You think?”

  “At least now that you're back home you'll get to take over the family business,” he replied solemnly.

  I opened my other eye and sat up as much as I could. “You think I want any part of this? He's a fucking criminal. He's a killer. He's everything that's wrong in this world. He's a fucking monster.”

  “Wow...you really are one jaded motherfucker blanco. It must have been real fun living the good life in Texas. This is survival ese'. This is the way the world works. It's not full of rainbow's and fairytales. Had you not been kidnapped by some mobster hitman you would know a little about that. Maybe then you wouldn't be so judgmental.”

  “Look, you have no idea what I've seen or what I've been through.”

  He laughed and cocked his eyebrow. “Try me.”

  “Okay, fine. How about witnessing our father murder a beautiful, kind woman in the most horrific way possible when you're only 5 years old. All while being forced not to make a sound so they don't find you or your mother. Do you know what that does to someone? What about having to hold your mother in your arms while she takes her last breath after battling cancer for an entire year? Don't tell me that the world isn't full of fairytales ese'...I'm well aware.” />
  We both stayed silent for the rest of the night.

  **********************

  “Mira...I didn't know your mother was dead. I actually feel bad about calling her a puta now,” Alex's voice woke me up the next day.

  “Is that your way of apologizing?”

  “Yeah.”

  Our conversation was soon interrupted by the sound of the cellar door opening.

  I expected it to be the same two men as usual...but it wasn't.

  There stood my father with a stoic expression on his face.

  “I just wanted to make sure you both were still alive.”

  “Yeah we're just peachy,” I said as I gave him a look that cut him down to size.

  “You may hate me now...but one day you'll understand. One day when all of this is yours Tristan.”

  “Ha, you can take all this and shove it up your ass. I don't want any part of this. You're a poor excuse for a man. I'm ashamed that I have your blood.”

  I saw fear flash across Alex's face before he spoke.

  “He didn't mean it Padre. It's the lack of food...it's getting to his head...it's making him delusional.”

  Why the hell was he trying to defend me now?

  My father walked over to Alex and kicked him in the head.

  “You should be grateful Alex...your brother just saved you from getting beat today.”

  I glared at him and spit. “Bring on the thugs.”

  He met my eyes. “My men won't be the ones to give you your daily beating today son. I'm going to do it.”

  Alex sat up. “Padre I told you he doesn't know what he's saying. He's unwell.”

  He kicked him in the head again before he walked over to the small fireplace and threw a match in it.

  Alex turned to me then. “You really shouldn't have said that Tristan,” he whispered before he looked down.

  My father then walked over to me and dragged me over to the set of chains where we received our daily beatings.

  I expected the usual...a whip.

  However...it was so much worse.

  I now understood exactly why Alex had tried to defend me.

  I felt the sting of something scorching hot against my back as the smell of burning flesh filled the cellar.

  He was making it a point to burn over every single scar from all the whippings that I had acquired. He was searing them right open again.

  Pain wasn't even the word. It was an abomination on my soul.

  For the first time since I had been trapped here...tears streamed down my face.

  That only made him dig the metal rod deeper into my open skin.

  I locked eyes with Alex before I passed out.

  ***********************

  “I convinced the guards to sneak you in some extra food today. It will help you recover quicker,” Alex said after another two days had gone by.

  I can't believe I passed out for two whole days.

  I cleared my throat and hoped that my voice returned. All the screaming that I had done during the burning left me unable to speak.

  “You didn't have to do that. I appreciate it.”

  He nodded his head and leaned back against the wall.

  “How long is he going to keep us down here?”

  He shrugged. “I know how long he's going to keep me down here...but I don't know about you. My guess is that you'll be out way before me.”

  That was strange.

  “Why? How long are you supposed to be down here for?”

  “I'm trapped down here until it's my turn to take over the family business. However, seeing as we're only a year apart and you're older then I am...I would have to wait for you to die first.”

  I shook my head. “That's insane...besides I already told you. I don't want it. Take it...it's all yours.”

  He laughed. “You don't have a choice ese'. You still don't get it do you? That's the way it works with Padre and this family. Why do you think you and Diego were so far apart in age? The oldest son takes over the business first. Then, after the first son dies it's the next son... until he produces a son and continues the cycle. It's always been that way. Well...at least it was.”

  I raised my eyebrow at him. “That doesn't make any sense. I don't understand.”

  He sighed in frustration. “Mira, I'm telling you. Think about it.”

  “Then why did he have you? We're only a year apart. That would kind of defeat the purpose...don't you think?”

  Alex stayed silent as he looked down at the floor.

  Shit.

  No wonder Alex had so much resentment toward me.

  “He only had you because I was gone...didn't he?”

  “Yup. He thought they might kill you. I was just a backup. He has no use for me now. He could care less if I live or die. Especially since I fucked up the plan and Diego ended up getting murdered.”

  “So why don't you just tell him that? Tell him that you weren't the one who killed Diego.”

  “Because if he finds out what really happened...if he finds out that she exists and that I found her and let her go. Then he really will kill me.”

  ***************************

  Another three days had gone by and things were only getting worse for Alex.

  His beatings were longer then mine and they were serving him even less food now.

  “Alex can you please tell me what happened?”

  He shook his head. “I can't Tristan. If they ever suspect anything and think that you may know something...then they can beat it out of you. Then they'll kill me.”

  “I wouldn't tell them, I promise.”

  “You wouldn't tell them on purpose, but you could accidentally slip.”

  I guess that makes sense. I would sure as fuck hate to be the cause of anyone getting murdered. Especially Alex.

  As strange as it was, it felt like we had actually become...friends?

  “Okay, so don't give me details. Just tell me the gist.”

  “Diego was in the states doing the runs for Padre one day. It was about 6 months ago. He was driving by and he saw a girl. Let's just say that the girl looked real familiar to him. Almost like a ghost. She looked just like someone who did something horrible to Padre. Someone who had stolen a lot of money from him. One thing led to another and we came up with a plan to set her up. I was supposed to gather information on her for three months and make sure it was really her. That was my first mistake.”

  He had my undivided attention at this point. “How?”

  “I fell in love with her.”

  “I can see how that could be a problem. So what happened?”

  “I had second thoughts about the entire thing. Especially after I found out that she was in love with me too. I tried to talk to Diego about it but he threatened to tell Padre. Obviously, you know what would have happened to me then...and her. I really had no choice at that point.”

  He took a deep breath before he continued. “Anyway, I thought that I would be able to convince Padre to let her go after he got the money back. I know, I sound like a crazy person...but no one ever said that love was rational.”

  It was my turn to sigh then. “I wouldn't know...I've never been in love before and I don't plan to be. I just want to make a lot of money and screw hot girls.”

  “Consider yourself lucky. Love will fuck you up big time. Love will ruin your life like it ruined mine.”

  “So what happened after that?”

  “Well...without going into specifics. Let's just say that the plan went into full effect. I convinced her to run away with me. I was going to take her across the border and deliver her to Padre. We didn't tell Padre that we had her yet because if something went wrong and we failed...well, we would end up exactly where we are now. Even Diego was smart enough to know that.”

  “I don't remember Diego. But from what I remember hearing about him, he was a hot-headed idiot.”

  Alex laughed. “Yeah he was. In a way, that's what got him killed. So, we took the girl to Texas for the night, we
were planning on crossing the border the next day. I couldn't help but feel so guilty about what I was doing to her. She really was so innocent. I kept telling myself that I was going to convince Padre to let her go. Anyway, she overheard us talking and Diego went bat shit crazy. We needed to have her go across the border willingly...as well as calmly, for obvious reasons. He ended up tying her up and threatening her. He pretty much told her that everything was a set up and that Padre was going to kill her.”

  “Shit. What an idiot.”

  “Exactly. Needless to say...she was more then a little freaked out. I couldn't blame her. It was killing me. I wanted to let her go. Then, Diego tried raping her.”

  I stared at him wide-eyed. “Jesus.”

  I was beginning to feel pity for that poor girl now. That must have been horrifying for her.

  It sounds like Diego got exactly what he deserved.

  “Yeah. The worst was when she looked me in my eyes and begged me to let her go. My heart got in the way and I untied her.”

  So Alex wasn't like our father after all.

  “That was very noble of you. Especially knowing what it would mean for you if Diego told Padre.”

  He nodded his head. “Yeah, but I began to have second thoughts. I mean, I didn't want to be locked up and tortured. I really thought that I would be able to convince Padre that she was innocent. I never got that chance though.”

  “Why?”

  “Well after I untied one of her hands...Diego lunged at me. During the struggle, a gunshot went off. He didn't mean it. I thought I was a dead man.”

  “Holy shit.”

  “Pretty much...but that doesn't compare to what happened next. She picked up the gun and shot an entire round of bullets into Diego's head. I never thought she would be capable of something like that. Then, she ran. She didn't even check to see if I was alive or anything. She left me for dead when I had risked my life for her. That's why I have to find her and make her pay.”

  Hmm, something didn't sit well with me then.

  “Alex, didn't you say you had second thoughts about letting her go in the first place? The way I see it...it seems like she was defending herself. I can't say I blame her.”

  “Yeah, but she didn't know that I had second thoughts about letting her go. For all she knows, I was just trying to do the right thing. I really did risk my life for her. Just look at the predicament I'm in right now. The only thing that keeps me from going out of my mind is the chance that I may see her again. I hate her just as much as I love her now. Guess which one is going to be stronger after all the years of suffering that I'm about to endure?”