Chapter 1

Sabrina’s Pov

 

The sound of the gunshot made me cover my ears and shut my eyes. Blood splashed on my face, the first time I tasted someone else's blood. I touched my blood-stained lips and wiped the blood off. The next thing I saw was my dad's brain splattered everywhere in our sitting room.

 

"Dad!" My mouth was ajar, I kept screaming for as long as I could remember.

 

"Be quiet, little girl," Rodrigo barked. He was the drug lord in Tijuana. Dad told me stories about him; he was the criminal my dad was so eager to catch, but Rodrigo was the death of my him.

 

"Take her outside," Rodrigo ordered one of his gang. He had earlier taken my mum out the moment he entered the house, he let me watch him kill my dad, but drove my mum outside somewhere, I hope to find out as soon as I get outside.

 

My shoulders slumped, my voice quivered as I sobbed loudly, and my cheeks were flushed as tears streamed down.

 

"Shut it, kid." The mean man spanked the back of my head and pushed me forward. I tried to suppress my wail so as not to get spanked again, but I just couldn't help it.

 

When we got outside, he walked toward one of the gang members standing by the car and whispered something to him.

 

"Where is my mum?"  I managed to utter amidst tears.

"I want my mummy," I cried louder. The man was about to slap me, but the other man stopped him.

 

"Your mum is in the car, now get in the car quietly else the boss will deal with you,” I kept quiet and entered the car as the man ushered me in. How could they even speak to a 10-year-old like she's an adult? He even tried to scare me by saying the boss would deal with me.

 

As I entered the car, I saw her mouth gagged and her hands tied, I managed to remove the gag from her mouth.

 

"Sabrina," she called breathlessly as I hugged her in tears.

 

"Are you okay, baby? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine but Dad….he…is," I managed to say and I stuttered saying the last three words, the scene played in my head again—Rodrigo shot Dad in his head as Dad begged him not to hurt me.

 

"Shhhh! Mama is here." She tried to console me despite crying profusely; she had become a widow in her early 30s, and she didn't know what was ahead for her and her baby girl, me, Sabrina Sanchez.

 

While I rested on Mum's shoulders until Rodrigo and his men came out.  What were they doing inside with a dead man all this while? Were they clearing the evidence that'd link my dad's death to Rodrigo, or was there something he was looking for?

 

He came out displeased, and one of his men asked loudly.

 

"Did you find it, boss?"

"No, I didn't. The bastard is shrewd even unto death, but his family will suffer it,” He stood outside the house, just in front of the three cars he had come with. Rodrigo was such a coward for bringing men in 3 cars to kill a man, his wife, and his 10-year-old daughter. The whole charade was not necessary, except that now I know that he's a man who loves to flaunt his wealth and power. He loved to be feared, and hell, I fear him.

 

Rodrigo had a scar on his face that extended from his cheek to his jawline. He had a tattoo on his chest—It was a snake with its tongue out, its scales and curves were perfectly etched, and it looked so real. I saw it through his unbuttoned upper chest.

 

"What do we do with the wife and kid?"

"They're just collateral damage, they'd be my spoil,”He gave out an evil laugh, and his men followed suit.

 

Rodrigo took us to his underground den, as his men dragged us in, my eyes flickered around the surroundings. We walked past some men packaging some powder, and we finally got to a dark room where the lady released my hand and pushed me inside.

 

"In case, you are wondering where you are, you are in my den, you're my captives, you'd remain here until I say otherwise and you were blindfolded when coming here so that you'd perish the idea of running away, you are in the middle of nothing—no one can escape from Rodrigo, I'd track him and gun him down and his blood shall be in his head for obedience.”  He lifted his two hands over his chest and took the posture of an alpha and Omega of Mexico, no one could challenge him or stop him.

 

"As for this pretty face, I'm attracted to explore,”  He said as he lifted my mum's face and caressed him.

 

"You, son of a bitch!" she yelled and spat on his face, our hands were tied behind, I'm sure she'd have slapped him as well if she had her hands.

 

"Woah! The detective's wife is feisty.” He smiled as he cleaned his face and turned to his men, and smirked.

 

"You're such a coward for killing a weaponless man, taking your convoy of soldiers to kill just one man, were you that scared of my husband?" She began again with every anger within her. Her face was flushed from adequate sobbing, it was the first time I saw my mum being so courageous—we were in no position to confront Rodrigo, we were at his mercy.

 

"My husband was a strong man, you'd never measure up.”  Rodrigo got angry as she kept on talking and slapped her hard across the face. She fell to the ground. Her face was pale, and the was blood on her lips.

 

"Mama!"  I screamed as she fell from the weight of Rodrigo's slap.

 

"Leave my mama alone," I screamed.

 

"What a pretty little girl you have here, for her safety, you better keep your guts to yourself,"He bent down to squeeze my mum's face, he turned her face to me, where I stood like a scared rat after exhausting my tears.

 

My mum nodded calmly, she couldn't risk losing me as well.

 

"Lock them up, this is their new home," Rodrigo ordered as he walked out of the room. I watched the door close, leaving us in a dark room, sitting on the bare floor.

 

"Who dares, Rodrigo?" He broke into boastful and mocking laughter as he stood right outside the room's door.