Chapter 2: The Dict Legacy

Women are impossible to live with and even more difficult to live without. I always ended up in trouble every time I got involved with women, especially the pretty ones. They may appear cute, friendly, sweet, and kindhearted, but the truth is, they were just the devil hiding inside their angelic faces. A predator hunting for innocent men as their prey. She will take advantage of our frailty and exploit our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Scam! Despite it all, we still choose to love them.

I swore to myself that I would never fall for another pretty face with a big rack, a voluptuous physique, and seductive eyes. Never again!

I'm still disoriented after what happened. I still can't believe that I accidentally killed one of the most notorious assassins on the island. I kept thinking about it over and over again. The sight of her lifeless body with a cracked skull and parts of her brain poking out of her head still lingers in my mind. It will hunt me every night and give me nightmares. 

It took me a while to finish putting on my clothes, and when I walked out of the bathroom, everything was neat and clean, as if nothing had happened. I was astounded by how quickly they cleaned up the room and how there wasn't a single drop of blood on the carpet floor. Kitty was already in the body bag, ready for disposal.

"So, this is how you guys work," I said astonishingly while looking at the entire room.

The room was spotless and squeaky clean. They clean better than the hotel staff. Not a single trace of dirt or dust was spotted in the room. I am completely amazed. I wished Grandpa would let me borrow one of them to clean my house.

"Yes, sir. They call us Cerberus. We take care of things like this," one of the men in a suit replied to me.

Kitty was carried to the bathroom and placed in the bathtub. One of the Cerberus men asked me to keep my distance so I wouldn't smell the chemicals inside. They are pouring some sort of chemical into her body.

"What are they doing?" I wondered

"They are dissolving the body by pouring hydrofluoric acid," he said bluntly and without flickering. It appears that they are used to this kind of work and have done it too many times.

After a few minutes, the men exited the bathroom and asked me to come with them. When we walked out of the room, the men in suits were all lined up in the hallway, and as I walked through the hallway, the men dropped and bent a knee on me with their heads lowered, facing the ground.

"What the hell are they doing?" They treat me as if I am a god who must be worshiped.

"They're paying their respects to you for killing the widowmaker," one of the suit-clad men explained. "You have no idea how many people she has killed in our organization." This is their way of welcoming and accepting you as their next ruler," he explained.

"Are you sure that it is an organization and not a cult?" I said sarcastically. They are creeping me out!

"Yes, sir and your grandfather is the leader of El Latro. The Dict clan has been running the show for decades now," he explained to me in a serious tone.

"Wait a minute," I said, perplexed. "There must be some sort of misunderstanding here. I am not their next ruler, and everything is just an accident and misunderstanding," I exclaimed, panicking. "I'm not good at taking on responsibility. How can I be the leader of an organization if I can't even take care of myself? Everything is a mistake!" I said it hysterically.

When we arrived at the parking lot, they asked me to ride in a black limousine. As soon as I sat in the backseat, they blindfolded me and covered my head with a black cloth. Dread made my body chill. Being kept in the dark with a group of strangers causes me to be anxious. I'm not used to confining spaces, and I feel suffocated by the cloth covering my head.

"Is this necessary?" My voice was tinged with fear as I inquired.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but this is the organization's protocol for non-members. The location of our headquarters cannot be compromised. It's for your safety as well as ours." He explained everything thoroughly.

Our journey took an hour and a half, and I was blindfolded the entire time. They led me to a building while my head was still covered in black cloth. As I heard the sound of buttons and the doors closing, I knew they were taking me inside the elevator. I felt the floor shake and move as well, but I couldn't tell if we were going up or down. When the elevator door opens, everything falls silent. I was dragged out of the lift and told to take a seat on the wooden chair. They finally took the cloth off my head and the blindfold off my eyes.

My vision was still blurry and hazy when I opened my eyes. There is a group of people surrounding me. I look around and scan the whole place to find out where we are. My eyes widened in surprise to learn about our location.

"Seriously? We drove for an hour and a half blindfolded with a cloth over my head, only to bring me back here to the hotel. Are you fucking kidding me?" I yelled angrily.

I can't believe that I almost crapped my pants out of fear, thinking that they were going to take me into the middle of nowhere and salvage me. I was trembling in rage until a familiar face approached me.

"There he is, my boy, the man of the hour!" Grandpa greeted me proudly with a warm hug. "How did you do it? I mean, how did you take out the infamous assassin, widowmaker?" Inquisitively, he inquired.

"You don't want to know," I grumbled, letting out an audible sigh. "How can I possibly tell him I murdered Kitty with sex toys? I used a dildo to defend myself, and she died by accident on a bottle of lubricant. By far the most humiliating experience I have ever had." I was thinking to myself.

"Of course, the true Dict never reveals his secret," he said, winking and smirking at me. "My boy, I'm so proud of you. You just proved that you deserve to relieve my post." He patted my shoulder.

"I don't understand. Is it true that you are truly involved in a mafia?" I thought our family was just honest businessmen," I said confusedly.

"There are lots of things that you need to learn, my boy. Our family has been running El Latro since before you were even born. It's been going on for generations, and it all started with your great-great-grandfather," Grandpa said with pride and joy. He motioned his index finger to the painting of a man that was hanging on the wall.

"We are already rich with the DICTator group of companies; why do we need to engage in illegal activities?" I inquired, giving him a puzzled look.

"Where do you think we got the money to invest in all those businesses? Besides, we used that business to hide our illegal transactions," he said casually as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

"What do you mean by that?" I was more confused than ever.

Grandpa asked that his men leave the room so that we could have some privacy. He escorted me to the Sala set, where I sat on one of the couches while he went to the minibar to make drinks. He poured me one of the family's favorite snakebite drinks and sat next to me while we continued our conversation.

"We owned the Dig Deeper mining company, which had many tunnels that we used to illegally transport people and smuggle goods. The DICTator Hotel is a haven for those fleeing the authorities. The rest of our company was merely a front for the real deal." He patiently explained everything to me.

I admired my grandfather so much as a child that I considered him my hero and aspired to be like him when I grew up. My entire childhood was a lie, and I no longer know who my family is. I had always assumed that we were leading an honest and decent life. While we are busy discussing, my father barges into the room.

"My boy, junior. You just set a new record in mafia history for being the most wanted man on Bendoveh Island. Your reward has increased from a million to a billion bucks. I'm extremely proud of you," Dad said excitedly. He jumped on me and hugged me.

"Wait, what?"  I almost choked on the snakebite that I was drinking when I heard the figures.

"It's no surprise that the bars have been raised to the next level after you murdered the lover of the assassins' leader, Vulzach. He called in all of his assassins and placed the targets on your head," Grandpa responded as if nothing had happened. He takes another sip of his drink.

I was completely taken aback by how my grandfather and father reacted, acting like they were different people. I'm trying to process and am in denial that the family I look up to were criminals.

"It will never happen if you don't announce that I will be the successor to your mafia organization. I can't believe that you just put your grandson's life in danger," I blurted out.

"The Routiers have already killed five of our associates. Threats have been made against your uncles and cousins, who run some of our family businesses. We're out of options, and we need someone to divert their attention so we can figure out how to handle the situation." Grandpa went on to explain.

My rage erupted when I learned that my grandfather sold me out to the assassin to save their asses.

"Are you saying that you made me your bait to lure the enemy and keep you all safe?" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I feel like all of my respect for them just vanished with the snap of a finger.

"Son, it's not like that." My dad was attempting to give me excuses, but I cut him off.

"Oh, don't call me son because you just threw away that relationship when you decided to make me the leader of an organization that I did not know existed. Am I truly that useless and dispensable that you have no disregard for my life?" I exclaimed angrily.

"Please allow me to explain," Grandpa said calmly, attempting to console me.

He invited me back to the couch, but I declined and pushed his hand away from me.

"Who are you guys? Did you even love me?" I questioned him while seriously looking into his eyes.

"We love you, and you are my flesh and blood. There was no one I wanted to take my place but my grandson. A true hard-core Dict that will carry on my legacy," Grandpa said with pride, and it felt as if he meant every word more than it sounded.

"We are not going to let them kill you that easily. We are going to provide you with anything you need." Dad placed his hand over my shoulder and gave me a reassuring smile.

If there is one thing that my grandpa is good at, it is his talent for bargaining. He always gets what he wants by bribing people with their greatest desires, but not me. I will never falter, no matter what he offers me. As of now, I don't care if he gave me all of his money, cars, properties, and trips around the world. I will never be part of any illegal activity, put my life in danger, or join his organization.

Grandpa tried to bargain with me, saying, "I will provide you with the best bodyguard who will stay with you twenty-four hours a day and will obey anything you demand."

"I don't care because I am not going to join your organization," I firmly stated, standing up from the couch.

I was about to walk out on them when my father grabbed my arm and stopped me from leaving.

"Please, son, at least try to consider it," my father begged me desperately.

"Thank you very much. Nothing you can do or say will persuade me otherwise." I made it perfectly clear to them. I took a stand for the first time in my life, and I have never been more determined in my life decisions.

"At the very least, allow me to introduce you to your bodyguard," he insisted.

Grandpa activated the intercom and directed his assistant to contact the bodyguard he wanted me to meet with. After a few moments, the door opened, and to my surprise, it was someone I hadn't expected to see. I expected them to send someone tall and muscular, someone scary, or an ex-convict. She was the complete opposite of what I had in mind.

"Junior, I want you to meet Athena," he said, giving me a dirty look.

I may be still alive, but I think that I am already in heaven. She had a sculpted hourglass figure that complemented her average height. Her waist was tapered, making her breasts appear larger than they were. She also had a gleaming, fair complexion that looked good on her long, ebony-black, silky hair falling over her shoulder. A set of pearly white teeth shone so brightly as she smiled at me when our eyes met for the very first time. Her seductive hazel eyes captured my soul with the way she looked at me. She is more than a bodyguard; she is an angel!

Women—you can't be with them, but you can't live without them. I hate to admit it, but my grandpa knows my weakness. He played it too well and hit me right on the spot. My life, for a fact, will never be the same, and everything changed the moment I met her. My mind says no, but my traitorous heart and body betrayed me once again. I made my choice in a heartbeat and gave them my reply.

"Okay. I'm all in!"