The Black Dahlia (Cartel Series #1) ✔️

49. Dead

Gabriella

I am in a daze and don’t know what to do or how to react. My whole life flashes in front of me as I visualise all the scenes of me growing up with my dad, all the happy moments spent with him. As life slowly drains out of his body I am rooted to the spot, the very thought of losing him made me go numb.

Then I noticed something that brought me back to reality. My dad was resting on Alejandro’s lap and things finally started making sense. The bullet was meant for him and my dad risked his life in order to save him.

I didn’t know how to react in that situation, should I be angry or sad? my mind was a hub of confusion.

Ricardo rushed to the scene and broke my spell of shock. He helped Alejandro lift up my dad and take him to the hospital, so that he could get immediate medical attention.

The three of us rushed towards Alejandro’s car. Ricardo and I sat in the backseat holding my dad and urging him to stay awake, while Alejandro rushed his car towards the nearest hospital. Luckily, we didn’t have a big traffic jam so we made it in under fifteen minutes.

My dad was rushed into the surgery room immediately to extract the bullet from the wound. The three of us waited with baited breath to hear good news of his survival.

My heart was literally pounding in its cavity and I could hear its fast beating. I was sweating profusely and felt like someone was choking me and I couldn’t breathe.

I looked at my palms, soaked with my dad’s blood and it made me break down, I couldn’t hold it anymore. I had already lost my mother and brother; I cannot afford to lose my dad. This would make me all alone in this world, an orphan in the truest sense of the word.

Suddenly I felt a warm hand on my shoulders. When I turned around to find out who it was, I discovered Rosa standing with a warm and comforting smile. I returned a sad smile, all the joy inside my heart had evaporated the moment I saw my dad laying in the pool of his own blood.

After a wait of around two hours the doctor exited the operation theatre. He had a sad smile on his face which confirmed the verdict. I didn’t need to ask him what the end result was. My dad was gone…. Forever.

I couldn’t stand there any longer, I walked away from the premises and found myself on the street. Suddenly I heard thunder clouds roar above me and soon it started to rain, but I was unbothered.

Nothing could faze me from the shocker I received right now. My life had been shattered into smithereens. I didn’t know what else to do, My future looked absolutely blank.

I was reeling from the shock of losing my unborn child and the love of my life, this shocker has completely broken me. I am in no position to hold myself together leave alone the prospects of taking over the reins of the erstwhile Medellin cartel.

I walked on for God knows how long, suddenly a black Mercedes approached me at speed and slowed down besides me. It took me some minutes to recognise the owner, it was none other than Alejandro. He opened the passenger side seat, I just sat in without thinking about anything else.

Seeing that I was all wet from the rain, Alejandro turned on the car’s heating.
“Why did you walk away from the hospital like that?” he asked me. I replied that I didn’t know the reason for my behaviour.

“Alright, but now that you know your father is no more you have to stay strong and complete his funeral properly, he deserves a nice sending off” He continued.
This statement of his really really angered me. What the hell does this guy think of himself?

Instead of being kind and considerate he has the audacity to tell me to think of the funeral. I had enough of his bullshit, my dad took a bullet for this asshole and look at him lecturing me about courage and strength, disgusting!
“It makes all sense now, you don’t really care, do you?
Why would you? your family is intact I am the one orphaned after this unfortunate accident. You can live happily ever after but what about me? My life is over!”

I let out all my rage into an angry tirade aimed at Alejandro. He remained silent, but I could sense he was really pissed, but he was holding it in but I didn’t give a damn, because I had more things to say.

“You are the sole reason for my misery. You not only ruined my life you sucked out the one thing that made me hopeful about the future. If he hadn’t taken that bullet that was meant to pierce your fucking heart, he would be alive hugging me and filling my heart with joy with his enchanting smile. I would have loved to see the bullet pierce your heart”

Alejandro was taken aback by my tirade with sadness in his voice he asked “so it doesn’t matter to you if I live or die?” I remained silent but in my hearts of hearts I knew losing him would have equally devastated me. Before he could pry out an answer from me, we had reached the hospital.

I completed all the formalities to get the body back and also paid the dues.
Rosa asked me if I needed any help but I refused. I wanted to take my dad back to Colombia with me and give him a proper resting place besides my mother.

I wanted to go back to my home, my motherland with my father and mourn the loss. This strange foreign land with monsters like Alejandro didn’t feel right, I was like a fish out of water.

Mirana appeared at the scene and she was in tears, consoling me for my loss. We shared a warm embrace . I asked about her dad and I was glad to hear that his wounds weren’t too deep and  he would make a fast recovery.

Mirana offered to accompany me for the funeral. I flatly refused because she had just got married and must spend time with her husband and enjoy a honeymoon with him instead of mourning, but she was adamant, because of our closeness and deep bond my dad always treated her like his own daughter and that love was speaking through Mirana.

She had already made up her mind and I couldn’t stop her. “I would be there to help in arrangements and support you, I know you don’t show it but you need a support system Gabriella, even if you refuse, I am coming” she said in between sobs.

Sandra overheard our conversation and she also put forward her name to join us in Colombia. I tried my best to dissuade her but like Mirana she was adamant.
“I wont desert you in your hour of need. You cant stop me” I had nothing else to add in the argument of why she shouldn’t come with us.

Next I went to my apartment to pack my bags for the trip and went to bed because I had to catch an early flight the next morning.

Going to bed was just a formality, sleep was my foe tonight. My mind raced with thoughts about the events of the day. Everything started off so well and it seemed like a new start for everyone but now my lie is ruined forever.

I forced myself to rest, because from the moment I land on Colombian soil there will be no time to rest. From funeral preparations to taking up the reins of the cartel,  “hectic” would be an understatement, its going to be hell!
In that moment I really missed my mother and brother and I really wished they were here to comfort and console me. Being alone amplified my sorrows and  pains.

My brother would have helped me out with the responsibilities of the cartel as well, now I have to fend for myself.
I made a promise to myself whoever planned this attack I wont forgive them,even if they hide in the deepest recesses of earth I will find them, drag them out and kill them!