Adele- Love In The Dark
Zella Day-Ace Of Hearts
Khalid, Normani-Love Lies
Meg Myers-Numb
Rain Paris-Memory
Moncrieff-Serial Killer
Cardi B-Money Bag
The Weeknd-I Was Never There
Maroon 5-Cold
Hinder-Better Than Me
Ally Hills-Space
Rihanna-Fool In Love
Bruno Mars, Cardi B-Finesse
The Devil Wears Prada-Sour Breath
NF-Wait
NF-Let You Down
Ace Of Spades
Part 1
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. –Confucius
Old Money Roulette: Book Three
Chapter One
Past- 23 years old
I was a self-made god.
If I wanted someone to die, they died.
If I wanted someone to suffer, they suffered.
I could guarantee a man would have all the wealth he desired, and when he got it, I could just as easily take every last penny of it away.
When people like Ricardo Rias came to me asking for help, I made them get down on both knees and beg until their voice turned hoarse and the skin on their lips cracked and spread like a web.
After giving him my ultimatum, I motioned for him to get up off the floor where he’d been groveling for the past twenty minutes. His knee popped as he rose.
Tilting my head to the side, I remained silent, not immediately giving him the attention he wanted.
What was left of his pride wrapped its fist around his throat, stopping him from being the first to speak. Instead, he began to pace, moving back and forth from one side of my oval shaped office to the other, running his hands through his dark hair until it stood on end.
Unfortunately for him, patience just so happened to be one of my best traits.
Leaning back in my leather chair, I sent off a few text messages, wondering how long it would take for him to finally open his goddamn mouth and say something.
I didn’t have to wait long.
“I don’t understand. You want me to sign off on everything with no guarantee?” His Spanish accent grew thicker with his mounting frustration.
Letting out a deep sigh, I slid my cell in my suit jacket and leaned forward, clasping my hands on my desk.
“You’re the one who came to me, which you have yet to explain your reasons for. I suppose they don’t matter, though. These are my terms.”
“You wouldn’t let me—”
Holding a hand up to silence him, I uncapped my favorite metal pen and placed it down on the documents using more force than necessary. Looking him straight in the eye, I repeated my ultimatum. “You either agree, or you get the fuck out of my house. I have better things to do than continue to watch your pathetic mental breakdown.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He held my gaze for a full two minutes and forty-four seconds before picking up the pen.
I’m sure he had more than a few choice words he wanted to say, but unless his request included a bullet to the head or the removal of his tongue, he knew silence was best.
“What now?” he asked once finished, recapping the pen.
“Nothing on your end. I’ll get in touch with my lawyer to make this look legit. While we wait for that to go through, you’ll be going home and staying put until I say otherwise, and I’ll be going to eat a nice dinner.”
He attempted to fix his hair, trying to hide his glassy eyes.
If this filho da puta started to cry, I would be severely pissed. I wasn’t his therapist and I didn’t feel sorry for him.
He put himself in this position by not having the balls to do what should have been done years ago.
This man was living proof of what happened when a relationship went sideways. Love was such a fickle, complicated thing.
I’d admired Ricardo once, for being exceptionally ruthless and never folding no matter how tough things got.
Now, he was up shit creek without a paddle or a life-vest, and had come to drown right in front of me. He didn’t fight hard enough in my opinion, thus losing all the respect I’d had for him.
“When will I hear from you?”
“Sometime tomorrow if I’m not too busy drowning in pussy—the unrelated kind, of course.”
With my final jab delivered, he turned away and shuffled from the room, looking as if I’d shoved a broom handle up his ass. The door to my home office clicked shut with his departure. He’d knowingly just signed over his entire legacy to me, never even obtaining my word that I wouldn’t destroy it.
Which, coincidentally, was exactly what I intended to do.
Another round of roulette won.
There were just a few more details to deal with. I flipped open the file Ricardo had brought with him, and stared down at the information.
Skimming over all the details about his estate and bank account, I stopped on a fairly recent photograph.
Two nearly identical faces stared back at me.
Elena and Eva Rias.
I hadn’t thought about them too much, to be honest, and I was unsure how to handle this little hiccup. Thumbing my lower lip, I tried to think of a solution.
What the fuck was I going to do with two twelve-and-a-half year old girls?
Chapter Two
Present
I stared at the box of ashes for what felt like hours. My left arm hung limply by my side, Eva’s jagged heart pendant clutched within my fist.
For a minute or two, I tried to convince myself this didn’t mean anything, that she could still be wherever it was she was supposed to be. I knew she was gone, though. On a sub-conscious level, I’d always known.
I continued to search for her because as her sister—and the only family she had left who gave a shit about her—I’d felt obligated to do so.
My prolonged denial made the truth a bitter pill to choke down.
Two symmetrical tears ran down my face, dropping off and falling silently to the beige carpet.
My cell continued to vibrate in my back pocket, stopping me from settling into a full-blown state of melancholy.
I knew who it was without having to check. I’d told him I was leaving, not where I was going; I’d simply hopped in the car and left.
The idea of going back to him wasn’t feasible to me. I felt the weight of his world in every inch of my spine. His presence would only make me go completely out of my mind. I couldn’t put up any semblance of defense against him in my current emotional limbo.
Shutting my eyes, I took a few deep breaths, pushing all the hurt, anger, and chaos to a dark corner of my mind.
I needed to remain cognizant of every move I made. I needed to get away from all of this and take time for myself, to regroup and sort out my shit.
I could bet my life that the car Mateo had bought me was equipped with a tracker. Taking off in it wasn’t an option. Running wasn’t supposed to be an option, but at this point, Mateo could go straight to hell. Then again, he’s probably love it there. I was positive that’s where he’d spawned from.
I slipped Eva’s necklace in the front pocket of my shorts, and gently placed the lid back on the box of ashes, ignoring the framed king of hearts card altogether.
There was a high possibility this wasn’t Eva, and nothing more than a statement confirming she was gone.
The whole cremation thing wasn’t Mateo’s style. The man just wasn’t that considerate.
That nugget of realization had me even more desperate to sit and evaluate this entire situation, but I was on borrowed time.
Quickly coming up with a wild, may-possibly-get-me-killed plan, I whipped my phone out and read the last text he’d sent.
It was a simple three worded message.
Mateo: I’ll find you.
I swallowed around the sudden obstruction lodged in my throat. How was he always so in sync with me? Knowing my every move?
Hitting reply, I typ
ed out a quick response of a lie riddled with truths.
Me: I’m not running. I just need to get away. I’ll come back to you. Promise.
Not waiting for a response, I jammed the phone back in my rear pocket and rushed over to Raine’s closet.
It was damn near impossible to ignore the deep suture in her throat that had caused the life to drain from her body in a mess of reddish-brown liquid.
Her fixed, glassy eyes blankly judged me as I reached in and yanked a bright pink hoodie off a hanger.
I slipped it on and grabbed my box of ashes before dashing out into the hall. My phone vibrated with another call, followed by a text.
I continued to ignore it.
I was hoping on a silent prayer that Mateo didn’t dispense any suit-clad henchmen to drag me back to him.
Moving into Raine’s parents’ room, I took a second to carefully study the interior, spotting what I wanted on a nightstand.
I stepped over her father’s body whilst managing not to look down, and lifted his wallet.
I’d just touched back down on the first floor when I heard a car door slam.
“Shit,” I mumbled, creeping towards the front window. Shifting the wallet and my box of ashes into one hand, I wet my lips and cautiously lifted one corner of the thick curtain obscuring my view.
I caught a brief glimpse of two men and what I believed was a Porsche, immediately my pulse to spike. I darted away after double checking the front door was locked.
From what I’d seen thus far, Mateo’s men drove the same brand of SUV, which meant these visitors more than likely wouldn’t be pleased to find me here with three dead bodies, and one of the deceased’s wallets in my hand.
“They said she’s inside.” A heavily accented voice reached my ears as I crossed the threshold into the kitchen.
Were they talking about me?
Hearing footsteps on the back deck, I snagged a purse off the breakfast bar and headed in the direction I hoped the garage door was.
I made my way around a coffee table, a massive sectional, and a bamboo plant as quickly and as quietly as my legs would carry me.
Finding what I prayed was the correct exit, I cautiously reached for the door knob. Relief flooded through me when vapid heat rushed at my face and two cars appeared in my line of vision.
I slipped through the small gap in the door and gently pulled it closed, creeping towards the cherry red sports vehicle on the far side of the garage, acutely aware of the men now inside the house.
Luck was apparently on my side because the door popped right open and a key fob with a BMW symbol embellished on the back was resting right in the center cup-holder.
It was pretty damn bold to leave the key to something so expensive so readily available for anyone itching to take a spin in a stranger’s sports car.
Then again, it probably would have been no big deal for these people to call up their insurance company, file a claim, and have the car replaced all within the same day.
Placing my box on the passenger side floor and the purse and wallet on the seat, I shut myself inside and began searching for a garage door opener.
I found it in the middle console and placed it on my lap. After adjusting the seat so I could actually reach the pedals, I took a deep breath and hit the start engine button simultaneously with the opener.
The beamer’s engine roared to life as the garage door began to lift. With no hesitation, I reversed and sharply turned the wheel to the right, forcing the car to spin around.
Shifting, I pressed the pedal to the floor, barely clearing my Cadillac and the Porsche as the BMW shot forward.
In the rearview, I saw one of the men running out of the front door, yelling something I couldn’t hear. He was nearly albino, and his head was shaved bald, nothing like Mateo’s usual men.
I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but that wasn’t anything new.
That needed to change.
Gripping the steering wheel, I exhaled a shaky breath and focused on putting as much distance between me, Remmington Hills, and my wacked fiancé as I could.
Chapter Three
I struggled to contain the bubbling anger rushing through my veins.
This wasn’t something I was accustomed to dealing with. I was always clear minded and in total control. Elena tested that control religiously.
Two of my Falcons, Eric and Junior, stood in front of me, swallowing nervously as I stared them down.
“Why has it taken you three hours to tell me absolutely nothing?” I stubbed my cigar out in the ashtray and began rolling back the sleeves of my dress shirt.
“We’ve done all we can, Patrón,” Eric answered, his hazel eyes boldly looking into mine.
Elias, who was standing on the far side of my office, watched on as I stood up and rounded the desk.
I moved to where I could stand toe to toe with Eric, silently continuing to stare him down. I was a good few inches taller than him, reminding him that he was beneath me.
His audible breathing seemed to echo through the room. With no warning, I fisted a handful of his dreadlocked hair and forced his head back, exposing the naked column of his tan throat. Pulling the Glock from my waistband, I cocked it and jammed the rounded silencer beneath his jaw.
“That was the wrong answer.” I pulled the trigger. His head jerked slightly as the hollowed bullet burned through his flesh, shooting straight through his skull in a clear cut line.
Blood, a bit of brain matter, and a morsel of sinew sprayed Junior’s shirt and the side of his face.
The gunshot had Sergio rushing into the office with his own weapon at the ready. He lowered it as soon as he saw there wasn’t anyone that needed to be dealt with.
I stepped back, letting the body land and not giving a shit about the crimson puddle rapidly forming on my shiny hardwood floor. I’d seen the likes of those a million times. A nice rug would always suffice until I got the stain taken care of.
“Elena abandoned her car and the BMW she stole. Her cellphone has led you on a wild goose chase. We’re all aware you don’t know where she is, but…” Pausing, I placed the Glock back in my waistband, and returned to my desk.
Sitting down, I pulled open the top drawer and removed one of the dark cloths I kept inside, wiping a few speckles of blood from my hand before continuing.
“She can’t get out of Vice City. The only way in or out is by crossing Plaza Bridge, and that’s being monitored as we speak with ‘cargo’ checks.”
“Looks like you’re in charge of the search now. What are you going to do about that?” Elias asked Junior, finally inserting himself into the conversation.
“I-I’m…” He paused and wiped the side of his face, visibly shaken by the death of his partner. Normally his stuttering and open display of jittery nerves would have him joining Eric on the floor, but he was a newbie, and young—I’d say between nineteen and twenty—so I allowed him a few seconds to compose himself.
“I’m going to send guys to search the hotels, motels, and back roads,” he finally replied, standing a little taller.
I looked at him a minute before smiling broadly.
“That’s a much better answer. You should probably go get started on that. I want an update within the hour.”
He gave me a sharp nod before making a prompt exit, not once looking down.
“We’re going to find her,” Sergio said the minute Junior was gone.
“Before Ace does,” Elias added, coming to sit in one of the wing backed chairs positioned across from me.
I steepled my fingers and rested my chin on them. I wouldn’t guarantee my brother was correct, but I knew he meant well.
The problem was that the game had been accelerated and Elena had no idea what that entailed. She’d made her smartest moves at the wrong fucking time. Not only that, but she’d done the one thing I specifically told her not to do.
Finding her wasn’t my main concern; I knew we would.
I needed to ensure we did so be
fore she could end up in the same position she was in when we first met—or worse.
She would meet the same fate our sister had: gutted and left behind in a dumpster to rot.
Chapter Four
Past-28 years old
Survival of the richest.
That had always been the main objective of old money roulette. It was a power struggle between old money and new, with an outcome of lucrative blood money.
I excelled at it in every aspect, with a natural desire to win. I calculated, and then I decimated.
It was vital to always be two steps ahead of everyone else. You needed to know someone’s move before they made it—maintaining the upper hand, so to speak.
No one had ever been able to catch me off guard. No one but him.
My last judgment of him had been wrong. He turned out to be a worthy adversary in almost every aspect. He alone was solely responsible for altering my entire strategy of the game. He set in motion a chain of events that could never be undone.
The last time I saw Ricardo Rias was five long years ago, to hand him a copy of the finalized documents he’d signed. He disappeared shortly after, and a memorial service was held in his honor when he didn’t resurface.
So when an unmarked white box was delivered to my guard shack, addressed to me from Ricardo, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and couldn’t guess what the contents might be.
Elias and I stood in the dining room watching Sergio cut off the blue sash tightly wrapped around it.
He removed the lid and we all looked inside.
“Why the hell did he send you this?” Elias asked.
Reaching into the box, I pulled out a blank DVD case and an envelope. I popped the case open; a plain disc rested inside. There was no written description to indicate what was recorded on it.
“Let’s see what’s in here,” I said, shaking out the contents of the envelope.
A silver house key with a tag on it, a photo, and two folded pieces of paper landed on the tabletop.
The picture had my immediate attention. I picked it up and studied the beautifully youthful face of Elena Rias.
Old Money Roulette: Complete Trilogy Page 22