Killing the Mafia king Softly

"Jojo, put down the gun." With exposed palms, he looked at me. Sadness poured from his eyes, his dipped voice. He never imagined I would be the one to betray him. "Por favor no dispares." *Please don't shoot*

The bullet left my gun, roaring through the air. It only took a second before being embedded in the target. My heart lurched, watching him bleed through his chest.

I shot my husband.

~

One year ago

My instructions were very clear. I was bred for this moment since seven. Although my nerves flared, I knew how to curb them. After all, this wasn't the first time I was putting up a show to entice someone. Unlike other cartel women, I knew what I was being prepared for. I wasn't the scapegoat sent to the Los Zetas syndicate, I was the trump card.

Daddy's trump card.

"Are you ready?" Dad walked into my room, a smile appeared on his crumpled face.

Over the past fifty years, he had suffered in silence, endured the betrayal of enemies, and imbibed it in every wrinkled line of his skin. Every step he took hurt him; the trembling walking stick and the pain dancing on his face confirmed it. He engulfed it with a confident sneer.

"You look good." Moving closer, he lent his shaky hand. "Vamonos."

Dad's cartel days were numbered, with him unable to help much since the incident. The consequence of not having a male heir was quite evident. Our business would be taken over by the Gonzalez, the leading cartel family.

Before we entered Dad's chambers, I squeezed his hand. He may have grown old and weary, yet there was determination lurking behind those milky eyes. Looking at me, his lips parted. A smile emerged. Although he wanted to assure everything would turn out fine, his eyes conveyed the truth.

Dad was as terrified as I was.

Still, we Lopez' wouldn't go down without a fight.

Facing the golden ornate double door, I felt my mouth turning sour. Having been prepared for this day, the turmoil from facing the reality felt different, sickening. Every option from running away to jumping off a cliff looped in my mind.

Dad's gentle hand squeeze pulled me back to reality. This was happening.

The help pushed open the doors. The draft blew my perfectly placed hair. Pulling them affront, I walked in, resting my hand over Dad. We didn't take long to spot them - the Gonzalez heirs.

Sitting in the middle of his family seating, I saw him. El Demonio.

His stoic gaze travelled up and down, evaluating his prey - me. The man didn't have a hint of an expression, yet intriguing enough to catch my attention. Neatly placed hair and hooded eyes reminded me of the last time I saw him. With raised eyebrows, the predator slid back on his chair, crossing his legs. Confidence and arrogance went hand in hand with this man, whose crimson-touched face and bloodshot gaze shifted momentarily to his brothers.

The other two men who sat on adjacent sides of him had a striking resemblance to their father, Benjamin, the head of the syndicate.

Dad dragged a chair. The room echoed with a screech, souring the tips of my teeth. The demon and I were locked in a staring match. His glance didn't waver, nor did mine.

Never show your back to the predator. I didn't.

The helper closed the doors behind. Thud.

"We all know the takeover is impending." Dad broke the silent treaty. "With my position in the cartel gone, I would...I mean..." His voice wavered, and the smile on his face was wiped clean by what he said. "I won't be able to fend for my daughter. She is my everything and..."

A long, deep silence filled the room. I pursed my lips, giving him a tight nod. Holding his trembling hands, I could feel the pain in his heart. He was parting with our business and his dignity. Staying silent, we let the Gonzalezes take over.

Benjamin Gonzalez was the first one to stand. Being the current head of Los Zetas - one of the biggest Mexican cartels, he portrayed the demeanor of a leader. Tall and slender as a grapevine, Benjamin oozed charisma. Walking across the room, he smiled at his family as if taking their permission. His wife, Carmen, gave him her nodding affirmation.

"We know what it is like to maintain business, Raymond." Pulling a chair closer to us, Benjamin sat. "Although I don't have a daughter, I know your sentiments in protecting her." His eyes travelled towards me. Carmen walked close to him, facing Dad.

The woman was an epitome of a walking angel. Her dewy face and kind, greyish-green eyes reminded me of my mamá.

"We are glad that soon Josefina will become a part of our family." She smiled at me and then at Dad. I simpered, playing along. "From today, she is as much our daughter as she is yours."

Walking back to her sons, all of whom sat in a perfect semicircle, she lent her hand to the eldest. Leonardo Gonzalez didn't spare a second, intertwining her hand with his and walking back. Such a sweet mama's boy. Nobody would ever know his dark side had he not revealed it - the dark, demented demon that he was.

And look at him now, hiding away behind his mother's trail.

Carmen closed our distance. I look away, portraying the blushing girl. Act and impress. She took my hand and placed it over his, pulling my attention back to his emotionless eyes.

The specks of green remained frigid as he stared at me for a second before pulling his hand away. Both Carmen and I felt the jerk reaction. El Demonio murmured an insincere apology, rubbed his palm over his pant and walked back to be seated with his brothers.

I wasn't offended by his reaction. What caught my attention was the cringe on his face as if my touch burnt him. After that, he didn't bother me with his unfazed stare. My heartbeats eased, the sizzle over my skin calmed.

As dad talked to Carmen and Benjamin, I sat beside them, unravelling the loose thread from my sleeves. Carmen gestured to her boys, one of whom walked up. In contrast to the demon's expressions and demeanor, his was much better.

With a smiling face and a hand projected out, he introduced himself. "Hi, I am Adrian Gonzalez."

Shaking his hand, I continued. "Josefina Lopez."

His smile widened. The grey specks of his eyes, too. "Can we talk outside?"

I nodded, letting him walk ahead of me. Before the doors opened, I heard Carmen's faint comment. "Accompany them, Leonardo."

I turned around to see if he was coming. With a hand waved in the air and dismissing her words, he continued talking to his second brother. The ball of fire simmering inside my gut raged up. Leonardo acted as if he were purchasing a mule for trafficking drugs, uncaring of anything.

Calm down. Remember what we want.

Adrian and I crossed the foyer and walked into the garden.

"I know you must be nervous," Adrian said, plucking dead leaves from withered plants. I nodded, pretending to listen while my mind focused on the discussions happening inside. "Don't worry. Mama had instructed us all to behave once we were married. We won't be running around the house like madmen if that's what you are worried about."

When his gaze lingered over mine, I snapped back to reality. "Sorry, my mind was somewhere else," I stated the truth. Well, half the truth.

"Don't worry," His hold engulfed my palm, intertwining our fingers. "I know Leonardo looks angry or mad most of the time, but deep down, he is a sweetheart."

I played along, smiling. "Thank you for letting me know. I feel much better now."

Adrian continued his rant without catching a breath. "It takes time to get used to him, but once it happens, you will love him too. Even Maya had the same reaction at first, but..." Abruptly ending the statement, he scanned my face.

"Who is Maya?" I asked, sensing it was someone important in their lives. He nodded sideways, hanging his head low. Feeling sorry for him, I continued, "If you don't want to tell me, it's fine."

He looked up, a soft smile spreading across his sun-kissed face. Adrian Gonzalez smiled a lot. "Leonardo's late wife."

Only privileged cartel members had heard of Maya's death. We weren't one of them.

The Gonzalez family controlled both the government and the press. So it was no surprise that they held back the news of their daughter-in-law's death from spreading like wildfire. All we unprivileged members knew was that she had disappeared.

All the power in the world, yet they couldn't save their own. I felt a wave of joy spread inside me, knowing the hurt it must have caused the Gonzalez to lose their own. Their pain and suffering gave me a sense of relief. It blamed the ache I felt since childhood.

"We should go back. Dad must be missing me," I gestured at the door, and Adrian happily walked alongside. On our return, he talked more about the emotionless Leonardo, the levelheaded middle-born, Juan, and being his talkative self, about him, the last-born, Gonzalez.

Once the doors reopened, Dad's gaze landed on me. He leaned over and whispered words for my privileged. "I am signing the contract." I gave him a tight nod, blessing the business takeover. In a way, I was signing away my life, too.

The Gonzalezes were very persuasive. They knew that Dad didn't have a foothold, thanks to the absence of a male heir. They ensured that he was pushed to an extent where he had no other option but to accept their demands and let go of everything. If only I were a boy to take over the Lopez business.

As always, the tyrant family won. The weak were crushed beneath their power-driven force.

After the signing formalities, flutes of champagne were circulated. Carmen closed our distance, tugging a rogue hair behind my ear. "Bienvenida a la familia." *Welcome to the family*

Smiling to show I was glad about everything, including being signed up as collateral to a business deal, I dug into my lips as she kissed my forehead. Carmen beamed with joy, cupping my face. "Although we'll make everything official soon, I want to tell you that from now on, you are my daughter."

Not knowing how to display the required reaction, I continued fidgeting with the flute stem. Dad rescued me from the torture. "Carmen," he stooped low, both in voice and stance. "Josefina is a stubborn girl. I hope you would forgive her if she-"

Holding dad's hands, Carmen stopped him from speaking further. "She is my daughter now, Raymond. Josefina will be treated like any other Gonzalez."

I wanted the façade to end as much as the next person, but the torture of enduring their sugary gestures was merely beginning. They stayed back for lunch, talking and laughing, extending the torture duration. My jaws hurt from the smile I donned.

Blushing brides win hearts, I reminded myself.

The talks eventually died down, and the elitist family bid adieu, leaving us behind.

Dad turned to me, holding my hands and tugging me closer. I wiped a rogue tear from the corner of his eye and fell into his warm embrace. "Don't worry. It'll all work out as we planned."

He nodded over my shoulders, letting off an unsatisfactory chuckle. "I know, I know." Sighing, he pulled my face up. Kindness danced over him, helplessness hid behind the walls of his heart. "I am sad that you have to bear the burden of this. No father wishes to see his daughter be a widow."

Looking at him, my back straightened. Courage to endure everything washed over. "I wouldn't be just a widow, Dad. I'd be a Cartel head too."

Josefina

A few weeks have passed since the Gonzalez clan decided to poach me as their new daughter-in-law. Constantly reminding myself of the goal, I played along. A part of it included keeping Carmen happy. She found happiness in shopping.

Wedding shopping, to be more specific.

Carmen had called Dad a couple of times over the past week, enquiring about my likes and dislikes. She must be reluctant to talk to me after her son pulled an untouchability stunt at our first 'unofficial ceremony'.

Hijo de puta.

Carmen seemed very excited. At least Dad presumed it to be. My focus was on the plan, so the less I mingled with the Gonzalezes, the more beneficial it was for me. Yet, a shopping treat from the future mother-in-law wasn't a thing to be passed over either.

Trying on one dress after another, I landed on the one I'd wear to the gown fitting. Tiny sunflower design-laden, white summer dress was perfect for the stifling weather.

Dad waited at the bottom of the stairs, watching my descent. As a kid, he used to swing me up when I'd hop off the stairs and launch into his arms. I still remember his laughter resonating through our mansion, jovial as ever. There was never a day when the Lopez mansion didn't liven up with the sounds of life thriving inside.

It all went sideways after Mama's demise. Dad lost direction in life and his business.

One good thing emerged from all the pain he suffered. I took over and learnt the workings of our cartel. Although women didn't get involved, Dad's unstable mental state paved the way for me to handle our business. Devastated after losing the love of his life, he didn't bother with any rules, much less caring about what his daughter did.

We did well. We thrived. We were the largest exporter of ammunition around the world, yet we stayed independent. That was till the greedy Gonzalezes' eyes fell upon us. Their kingdom wanted ours. As always, they got their way.

They coerced Dad into giving up everything. His business and allies were let go a long time ago. I was the latest sweetener to the deal to ensure we had a say in the Syndicate.

A black SUV screeched outside, breaking my reverie. The driver opened the door for me, awaiting my entry. I sensed it was one of the Gonzalez customs, escorting the bride everywhere before her wedding.

Dad walked beside me, his eyebrows bridging together. "They are showering you with gifts," he gestured towards the car. "Trying to please you."

"They are getting in the habit of treating their future boss."

Boastful? Maybe, but who cared? These precious moments were all I had left. A few days of freedom before my wings would be clipped.

The drive to the bridal store was short and passed in silence.

Outside the shop's window, I peeked at the beautiful dresses that hung on every white corner of the place. It felt like a little piece of heaven. White heaven, if that was in fact its color.

A soft voice turned me on my feet. "I hope you found no trouble with the drive," Carmen smoothed my rogue hair strands. "You look beautiful, as always."

All I could do was smile. Carmen took my hand and walked us inside.

The shop looked posh, filled with expensive veils and tiaras. Looking around the crowd less place, I felt a knot of uneasiness pressing on my gut. Everything looked expensive. I couldn't even afford to breathe the air in the room. The boutique staff smiled at me, bringing us flutes of champagne.

"Do we have an appointment for the day?" I asked, trying to breathe deeply while Carmen answered.

Carmen walked with me, nodding sidewise. She placed a veil over my head and turned me to one of the full-view mirrors. "We booked this place for the whole day. So you have nothing to rush about. I want you to take all the time to decide what you would want to wear."

The room started spinning at her words. That must have caused them a few zeros. Oh! Who was I kidding? These were the Gonzalezes. The filthy rich Mexican cartel family. A few zeros weren't even worth a thought for them.

I ran my fingers over the gowns hanging on the rack. Soft, satin laces and works caught my eye. This was too hard. Nobody told me I'd have to pick one from a million. Carmen must have noticed my apprehension. She walked over to my side, waving her hand over to the staff, who scrambled.

I had half consumed my cuticles in the process of selecting a gown while trying to ensure I didn't blurt out anything wrong to the Lady Head. Carmen placed a hand over my shoulder, jerking my body into attention. Every time I was close to a Gonzalez, I felt a sudden urge to bolt.

I guess it was my body's way of telling me to run and survive. But surviJojo for us, Lopez meant the destruction of every Gonzalez.

Pulling out a gown I had previously gazed over, Carmen tilted her head. "You like this one?"

I nodded violently, but words refused to emerge. Bloody cat got my tongue. I looked at the price tag and my head snapped up. She tipped my fallen jaw up, shut it.

"Pick whichever you want. How about you pick five and we can choose from them..."

My feet fired at her words. My lungs churned air faster than before, and the previous state of delirium faded with the blood rush. Within an hour, I'd managed to assemble five variations. Placing them over the rack, I turned to Carmen.

"Please help." My voice emerged whinier than I intended. Her laughter filled the room with soft echoes, rumbling the air and rippling it with happiness. It reminded me of my mom's smiles that used to fill my chest with an indescribable flutter.

Placing a black credit card over the counter, Carmen slowly blinked at the staff who worked like mechanical toys, tossing tags and covers and neatly folding dresses in bags.

"Wait... I want only one..." I stuttered, watching the quick reflexes of the staff's packing handiwork.

They would probably close the shop for a whole year with the business they roped in with us. Carmen held my hands, walking me outside. Sun's warmth unknotted my spine, relieved me from the air-conditioned prick over my skin. Yet, it didn't have the power to dissolve the memory of her buying spree.

"When you are a Gonzalez, you don't have to choose. Never," she stated with such confidence, I shuddered under the wordily impact for minutes. "We get what we want."

I wondered how she could state it so casually.

This family had proven it time and again, the part about taking what they want. Our business was a heartbreaking example of it. Nonetheless, I nodded again, faking a complete understanding of whom I had to transform into to fit in. There was no place for weakness. Ruthlessness was the need of the hour.