Taken

"I'm sorry_"

"It's okay, you have my protection" he murmured holding her in his arms, she sobbed clinging onto him.

He stared at nothing, maybe his father was not the man he always imagined him to be.  

...

Max put Angelica in a safehouse with Stella and Mia, driving to the prison during visiting hours to see Hugo.

Sitting across from him. Hugo looked away stubbornly, Max rubbed his chin 

"I need your help, I've been a damn idiot and I need to hear your side of the story"

After a minute or two, he leaned forward "You really wanna know, your father was a Pr@#K"

"How did this all begin?"

"We were brothers, under Davíd Martinez, your grandfather, he was wise, noble and very creative, he had wit and grit"

He licked his lips "I was first born, I worked my heart out to please my father while Alejandro was chasing shadows until David came down with Malaria. I never left his side when he was ill, I wiped every drop of sweat that fell from that man's forehead" 

He beat his chest with conviction.  

20 years ago

~Madrid

    Hugo growled when Alejandro shoved him backwards

"You ass kisser, you actually pulled it off and got everything to yourself didn't you?"

"Remember I'm first born, show some respect and stop being unreasonable, father left four hundred thousand US dollars to you to make a man out of yourself!"

"It won't last"

"That's what money does to you, you always end up wanting more"

"Don't throw father's sermons at me you pretentious fool, you just couldn't wait to get your hands on the manor"

"Aside from being first born I worked hard and that counts for something"

"You always think you're better than me"

"Don't be that way, we're brothers" Hugo's expression broke into worry coming closer.

"You're just saying that because father loved you more!" He shoved Hugo and Hugo fell on his butt on the hard ground.

They broke into a fight until Siena, their mother seperated them with the family doctor. Hugo spat on Alejandro 

"Boys, boys, stop this at once" Siena said "I don't like seeing my children fight over something so silly and as for you Hugo, I am very disappointed in you"

She faced him, his head lowered

"Lo siento"

Alejandro stuck his middle finger out at him.

"Alejandro, apologize for disrespecting your brother"

"No way..." His voice faltered and he turned bitter "So you've got mom too huh?" He scoffed.

"Stop being so childish" Hugo retorted.

"Alejandro__ Alejandro!"

He pushed the doctor aside and ran off.

She faced Hugo even more shattered than the last time.

"What's wrong?"

"It's your father...he passed away"

"Dad?..." His eyes watered.

...

"David died, we grieved and I never thought we would move on but in those dark times, we chose hope and everything worked out just fine." His hand traced the table, Max glanced at the clock instead of his watch, they had an hour to themselves.

The day he was going to take over, they celebrated, Alejandro brought the cake and gave me a knife to cut it, he was so happy he even wore his favourite gloves.

Two days later an evidence was raced against him for commiting second degree murder. The family of the worker pressed charges. Apparently the evidence was the same knife he used that day, with his DNA.

When he went to prison, it all made sense why he wore the gloves that day when he had so much time to himself to think.

"I lost the respect of that family, I lost my reputation, I lost my birthright, I lost my dignity and I lost my brother"

His voice cracked "I suffered a twenty year jail term and through that time, I learned to forgive, vengeance only darkened my heart. I was even lucky to get a job and acquire a little wealth for myself with everything David taught me" 

  He never knew Alejandro had a son, he only knew of Mariana and his lover. 

"Mariana"

He looked up at the sound of her name.

"I was there, you wouldn't believe me if I told you he killed her in cold blood, there was a slender woman in the room with him. I only wanted to talk things out and move on but I realized he wasn't through with dragging me down yet"

He heard their conversation, the girl wanted out but Alejandro took matters into his own hands.

"I had called the police that time but everything turned against me when he accused me of killing her and keeping them hostage."

"Here I am, thinking I could make a fresh start, I'm 67, I'm not married and my foster child might be disappointed in me" He looked away.

Max stood up when the guard arrived "Thank you for your time, Hugo"

His lips thinned, the guard escorted Hugo back to his prison cell . Hugo slipped something into his pocket 

"Safe trip"

...

Stella fed and bathe Mia while she cried.

"Come on, it's only water" She muttered while Mia shrunk wailing and gurgled when she patted her back.

"That's my girl" She muttered and rubbed her back swivelling to cradle her in her room.

She didn't know the dispute that was pushing Max to bring her here. If there were a crisis, he would tell her.

She held the fold of her leather jacket crossing her legs at the end. "Cute baby"

Stella looked around when Angelica appeared out of the corner. She gave Angelica a second glance and shuddered at the gun in her hand stepping out.

A lump formed in her throat at her and she pulled back.

"Please" She whispered while Angelica flipped the chair to sit down in front of her with the gun steady.

Angelica's eyes flared "Please? Oh my god, you're pathetic. Look at you and I thought I would never be able to compete"

She flicked her hair back and lit up a cigarette.

Stella ogled at the windows with the guards outside.

She smirked at the shadows moving across the curtains, knowing that she couldn't cry for help,

The guard stepped in and raised his hand slowly when she pressed a gun to Mia's head. In this case, she was cautious, never slowing down, never giving space for any distractions.

She had Stella subdued and he lowered dropping his gun.

The others pulled out their guns at her, there was tension in the air and Stella paled.

"Call for backup" She shot the man who said that outside and the others dead.

She was cold, she had precision and an ability to lure out targets with her looks and bite, like a black widow.

"Don't dare me" Her eyes were paler and lethal. In this case, she was the enemy within.

Stella gasped when the trigger clicked. "Oh god, please no"

Her hands shook calculating, her heart raced, the risks outweighed the pros.

Knowing that if the poor billionaire's little treasure and his wife died while under the protection of so-called professionals then they would meet their ends and she would unleash a very dangerous man.

"Lie down" She instructed while Mia cried hysterically squirming.

"Quiet you" She jerked her.

"What do you want?" The man set to supervise questioned on the floor with blood on his shoulder and she smirked.

"Call your boss, I want the fortune, the assets all of it" She sounded dead serious.

No, she had to negotiate somewhere else, this wasn't the one. Where he wouldn't suspect a thing.

Damn it, the police would be here any moment.

A big mistake on the guard's side.

"No_no, please, I'll do it," Stella said

At least the tides turned in her favour.

Angelica grinned "Excellente, then he'll give attention to"

She pointed at the door and Stella took her phone reaching the door, her legs wobbled but she tempered up at least for Mia. One small misstep and she would lose her baby.

She jumped at the blast and her head turned at the guard slumped on the wall with his eyes open and a bullet in his head with blood dripping.

"Move" She nudged and they went outside rushing to the black car.

Angelica shot at the guard again and climbed in holding Mia and the gun on her.

"I suppose you know how to steer"

Stella couldn't stomach driving in this state but put her hand on the keys.