I looked around me, there was blood everywhere...but the horror of it all was seeing Santiago holding his dead brother in his arms.

"Santiago". Leo whispered hesitantly, tears in his eyes too, his voice filled with pain at the sight of his cousins. "Santi, we have to go."

"I can't leave him here. Help me put him in the truck, I have to take him back to my father." Santi croaked out. Daniel and Leo helped him carry Joel's body and put him in the back seat of the Hummer.

My brothers ordered all the men to get rid of the bodies and then go back to the Hacienda, the bodyguard who had been sent off to bring a doctor had already been ordered to take him to the hacienda instead so that he could check on all our injured men.

I convinced Daniel and Leo to go in the same truck as my brothers so that I could drive the Hummer back to the Hacienda with Santi. Chamuco's dead body had already been removed from the passenger seat but there was still blood smeared all over the steering wheel and front seats.

How were we going to tell Don Ernesto his son is dead? There's no easy way of telling a parent something like this.

My boyfriend was silent as I followed the other vehicles back to the house. There were no words I could say to make him feel better, he lost his only brother. Despite all the problems they had between them, there was no denying they cared for each other... in the end, Joel had given his life for Santiago.

****



ONE WEEK LATER...

The loss of Joel had been heartbreaking for Don Ernesto Bustamante. No parent should ever have to bury their son. Throughout the whole funeral process Santiago had stayed by his father's side. The Bustamante's decided to have the funeral services held at my family's Hacienda and then have the body sent out to their hometown, Culiacan, to be buried in the family crypt, where Mrs. Bustamante the wife of Don Ernesto and mother of Santi was also buried. Before any of us could go back to Sinaloa, Santiago had sent some of his men to scout out the area and make sure it was safe for us to go back.

"How's Santi holding up?" Sofia asked me while we sat in the kitchen having tea.

I sighed. "He's been acting all tough in front of his father but I know deep down he's hurting. He hasn't been getting much sleep the past few nights."

"Have you told him about the baby?" Nessa whispered, glancing around to make sure no one heard her.

"Not yet."

My boyfriend had been busier than ever, taking care of Cartel business and funeral arrangements. I had offered to help him out with the funeral but he politely declined saying that it was better for him to stay busy.

One of the cooks walked into the kitchen looking for us. "I was asked to come get you girls to tell you to report to Mr. Romano's meeting room immediately."

"All three of us?" Nessa raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, m'am. Everyone else is waiting for you girls."

"Gracias por avisarnos" I smiled at the old woman before exiting the kitchen with my two best friends behind me. (Thanks for letting us know)

We were surprised to see everyone gathered in the room already sitting at the large table. From El Cartel de Sinaloa: Don Ernesto, Don Rafael, Santiago, Leo and Daniel. From El Cartel del Golfo: My father, Martin, Alex, Tio Felix and Tio Carlos...my mother was also there sitting next to my dad.

When they saw us walk in Santi stood up from his seat and offered it for me to take, Nessa and Sofi went to sit next to their boyfriends.

"Now that we're all here we can begin this meeting" Santi stood at the head of the table. "Father..."

Don Ernesto went to stand next to his son. Since hearing about Joel he looked paler and weaker, he'd gotten a cane to help him move around. Despite everything he'd gone through he spoke with authority and firmness.

The qualities of a well deserved drug lord.

"The reason I called for this meeting" he started. "Is because as of today the Sinaloa Cartel has lost its second in command. As we all know my son Joel held that position but now that he's not with us..." he paused, looking down at the table. Santi put a hand on his father's shoulder. "We need someone to step up and take over that position. My son, Santiago has done a terrific job keeping this Cartel as the number one in the country...we need someone to help him continue making this cartel the powerful organization it has been all these years."

"So" Santi took over for his father. "My father and I agreed that the best person to take over second-in-command is, Leo Bustamante." he gave a nod to his cousin.

Leo was shocked. Vanessa hugged him and stared at me with wide eyes.

This was a big deal for Leo but I knew he could handle it, aside from being cousins he and Santi were also best friends.

"I'm honored you chose me for the job." Leo walked over to hug Santi and his uncle. "I promise I won't let you down, I'll honor of Joel with everything I do."

Daniel was genuinely happy for his older brother, there had never been any bad blood between them. He went up to congratulate Leo and give him words of encouragement.

Deep down I was glad they had chosen Leo over Daniel, being second-in command meant working closely with my brother Alex who held the same position in my family's cartel. It would have been a bad idea to have Daniel working with Sofi's ex-boyfriend, knowing my brother still has feelings for her.

One quick glance at my best friend and I knew she agreed with me.

"Now that Hector is dead his people will want to avenge his death." my dad spoke up from where he was sitting. "We have to be prepared for any attacks."

"With no leader to order them around Los Zetas will be off the business market for a while, that means as of now Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon are permanently our territories." Martin grinned happily. "We can move merchandise through the border without any problem."

Everyone was pleased to have Hector out of the game. Son of a bitch deserved it.

"Who will be going back to Sinaloa with us?" Don Ernesto looked around the table. "We just got word that it's safe to go back."

Leo and Daniel raised their hands without hesitation, their father Don Rafael along with them. Santiago looked at me for confirmation but before I could say anything my mother interrupted me.

"Gabriela will have to stay behind with us."

No.

I turned to glare at her. "I will not! If Santi goes back to Sinaloa I'm going with him."

"Vicky, you can't force our daughter to stay with us. She's a grown woman." Dad looked between my mother and I uneasily. "If she wants to go, she can go."

"You heard what your father said earlier!" Mom yelled at me, there was a panicked look in her eyes so I knew she was only being like this because she was afraid. "Los Zetas will be after us for what we did to Hector. I can't let you out of my sight...and certainly not in your condition!"

Fuck. Not now mom! This was not a good time to announce my secret.

But my mother was a force to be reckoned with. Especially when it came to protecting her unborn grandchild and daughter.

All the men in the room looked at each other confused, Nessa and Sofi looked at me expectantly...waiting for my response.

I'd been putting off telling Santiago but I couldn't hide it anymore.

"What are you talking about, Victoria?" Santi asked my mom. "What's wrong with Gabby?" he looked at me questionably. The fear and uneasiness that rolled off his body was proof enough that his love for me is his one true weakness.

"Dile Gabriela o le voy a tener que decir yo..." mom threatened me, making me feel like she did when I would misbehave as a little girl. (Tell him Gabriela or I will have to tell him myself.)

"There's nothing wrong with me." I answered slowly. "It's just something I wasn't expecting."

"Does it have something to do with the day you almost fainted by the stairs?" he asked.

"Yes"

"What is it?" he crouched down to look at me in the eyes. "You know you can tell me anything, amor." (love)

I bit my lip. "Estoy embarazada" (I'm pregnant)

A moment of silence passed and it seemed everyone held their breath as we waited for a response from Santiago. And for the first time since his brother died, a huge smile broke out onto his face. His eyes wide with excitement. "A baby? I'm going to be a dad?"

There were tears in my eyes as I nodded my head, with a grin of my own. "Yes Santi, you're going to be a dad."

"Well..." Martin was the first one to speak from our small audience. "There go our chances of ever trying to outrank you guys. We're family now!" he joked.

Everyone laughed and stood up to congratulate us.

"Vamos a ser abuelos, Salvador!" Don Ernesto kissed the top of my head and then went off to hug my mom and dad. (We're going to be granddads, Salvador!)

"The first baby in the family and it'll be a Bustamante Romano" Dad declared proudly.

"Unbelievable!" Alex shook his head. "Gabby gets knocked up before marriage and Dad is proud of her?!"

He gave me an evil smirk and I stuck out my tongue at him.

"Congrats sis!" he crushed me in his arms.

Martin joined us wrapping his arms around us in a small group hug. "You've always been dad's favorite." he agreed with our brother Alex.

"I guess I'm daddy's little princess" I joked along with them.

*****



After the meeting Santiago decided to take a break from his responsibilities as leader and joined me in our bedroom. We laid together in bed with his head above my flat stomach, he ran his finger in circular motions over my skin...almost waiting for a reaction from the tiny human growing inside me.

"How far along are you?" he asked looking up at me.

"A month. My belly won't start growing till' I'm four months or so...it all depends on my body and the baby."

"Why were you so scared to tell me?"

I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed. "I thought you might think it's too soon to have a baby with me. We've only been dating a few months."

"It feels much longer" he mused. "We haven't been dating long but I know that you're the love of my life, Gabriela. And I'm a fortunate man to have a woman like you be the mother of our child."

It felt great to be the one giving him this joy during such a hard time for him. He'd lost his brother but in a few months he would be having a baby...our baby.

I only wish Joel could be with us so we could share this happiness with him. During his last few days alive Joel and Santi had been working on mending their broken relationship. I'm sure Joel would have been excited to learn he was going to be an uncle.

"I promise I'll take good care of you and the baby. I won't let our enemies lay a hand on you or our child." he kissed my stomach and then kissed me on the lips,

It warmed my heart to know Santi cares so much about me. But I know the risks of being part of the Mafia. This baby will always be in danger, our enemies won't hesitate to hurt it in order to get to us. It's a risk we'll have to live with forever.

Our little family is bound to the Mafia for life.

*****



Before letting my parents know that we would be going back to Sinaloa, Santi and I had a very serious talk with my parents before leaving. Mostly to ease my mother's worries and try to get her to understand that she couldn't force me to stay. Santi and the guys had given us new cell-phones so that we could stay in contact with them. I gave my new phone number to my mom in hopes that she would let me go without a protest, I let her know she could call and check-up on me whenever she wanted.

"I promise to spend as much time as I can with her...and I'll have her under very strong surveillance 24/7." Santi said to my parents.

Mom wrapped her arms around me, her nerves getting the best of her. "I'll try to fly out to Sinaloa as often as I can so I can help out during the pregnancy."

Dad stuck out his hand for Santi to shake and my boyfriend shook it politely. "I trust you to keep her safe, son. If you need anything don't hesitate to call me or Martin."

"Will do. Thank you, Salvador."

I said my goodbyes to the rest of my family, promising to keep them updated with any news about the baby.

Our small group finally got on the trucks, flew in a private plane, and made our way back to Culiacan.

To Santi's home.

I never realized how much I missed Sinaloa until we found ourselves driving down the familiar streets of Culiacan. A few locals who recognized our vehicles waved at us as we drove by.

Their idolized drug lord was back home but news about Joel's death had spread like wildfire all over Mexico. Murals on the walls were painted to pay their respects to the Bustamante family, corridos were written honoring the legendary criminal Joel had grown up to be. Everyone knew what the younger Bustamante had done for Santi.

The girls and I were surprised to find out we wouldn't be living at the mansion anymore. Instead Santi's people had a bought a property in Mazatlan, the second largest city in Sinaloa. Our new place was a three-story house close to the beach. Mazatlan is a very popular tourist destination so there were a lot of resort hotels surrounding the beach and our house.

"Why did we come to live in a populated area? Isn't it risky?" I turned to look at Santi, the men were unloading our suitcases while we waited in the truck. There was a small crowd gathered outside the gates of our house. Curious people hoping to catch a glimpse of Santiago.

"We're only going to be here for a week" my boyfriend answered me. "I bought a ranch about an hour from here but we can't move in yet because they're still fixing a few stuff."

The new house was beautiful. Our room had a view and it had a balcony that looked out at the beach. Considering the girls and I wouldn't be allowed to go out during our stay here I would probably spend a lot of time hanging out on that balcony.

"Great view" Santi walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

We enjoyed the view of the local people walking around the beach and having a good time with their family and friends.

"I wish we could go hang out at the beach like everyone else."

He kissed my neck. "I know, babe. But don't worry, as soon as we move into our new place we'll be able to go out as much as we want. It's in a secluded area and there aren't as many people there."

"DON SANTIAGO!" a man's voice yelled out loud. Santi and I looked down from the balcony to see one of our bodyguard's waving a hand at us from the front gate of the house.

"Que pasa, Lalo?" (What's up, Lalo?)

"Prenda la tele al noticiero. Van a pasar un reportaje sobre su hermano Joel y tambien van a decir algo sobre las señoritas." (Turn on the TV to the news channel. They're going to show a report about your brother Joel and they're also going to say something about the girls.)

About us?

Santi let go of me and I followed him inside our bedroom. He turned on the large flat-screen TV and took a seat on our bed, I took a seat next to him as he changed the channel to the local news.

"There's a rumor all over Mexico that the second-in command of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joel Alfredo Bustamante died a few days ago in a standoff between several Mexican drug Cartels. We still don't know the reason for the fight but several leaders of the Mexican Marines think that it could have been because of the long going fight for the territories of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon."

The screen changed to an interview being given by a general from the Marines.

"We're sure that Joel Bustamante is dead. With the death of this dangerous criminal we hope that the Sinaloa Cartel stay away from the drug business for a while...With one leader gone we will focus our search for Santiago Bustamante and his cousins Leo and Daniel. Those men continue to be a threat to our country and we won't stop until we find them."

Santi shook his head. "They think because Joel is dead we'll stop selling drugs and having business with the gringos...they're sadly mistaken."

"Continuing on the topic of cartels...The FBI from the U.S. is looking for three young women that went missing this past March when they went on vacation to Acapulco. The parents of two of the women think they might have been kidnapped by a cartel because the other woman is Gabriela Lucia Romano, the daughter of Salvador Romano, drug dealer and ex-leader of the Gulf Cartel who is now under the command of her brother Martin Romano."

My mouth dropped open when I saw a picture of my friends and I with our full names and other information on the screen for all the world to see.

"If anyone has any information on the missing young woman, please call the number on screen."

Son of a bitch.The FBI is looking for us?!

Santi turned off the TV after that and stood up without a word. Pacing back and forth in our room.

"This is even worse than I thought! Not only do we have to watch our backs for Los Zetas, now we have the FBI on our ass too?!"

"I don't think Nessa and Sofi know their parents went to the police." I defended my friends, hoping Santi wasn't blaming this on them.

I have to let my friends know their parents are searching for them.

How long has it been since they gave them a call? Mr. Lazcano is only trying to look out for his daughters. When we lived in Chicago I saw how protective he was of them. He must be worried sick if he went to such extreme measures.

"We have to come up with a plan." he went to sit next to me and pulled me on to his lap. "I won't let the FBI take you or our baby away from me."







One more chapter left! I really hope you guys liked this chapter. What do you think will happen now? Are you guys excited for baby Bustamante Romano? Lol :D

Yes, there will be a second book. I will need your help naming it so maybe on the next update (last chapter of this book) I will include a brief synopsis of the sequel!

SPECIAL THANKS TO: @Human_World for the amazing cover she made, shown on this chapter :)

Song for this chapter: We Found Love by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris (Seems fitting for Gabby and Santi's relationship, right?)