Sofia Karlberg - Bad Omen

Café del Mar was filled to the brim with tourists; eating, drinking, and watching the sun setting over the Caribbean Sea. It was beautiful; an array of dusty yellow and pastel pink colours. The Colombian flag swayed in the wind while music blares from a speaker near the bar.

Rory observed the opened venue with excitement but her guard - Jairo - merely stood beside her bored. His expression clearly not as impressed; he was a native after all.

Then it got her thinking; what if Luci felt the same? Unimpressed. God, she wished she hadn't suggested it. Rory glanced around the venue, her gaze darting between several faces - one after the other but none were Luci.

Among the sounds playing around them, Rory's phone blared in her hands and an unknown number flashed on her screen.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Luci." She said. "I've should've told that the café would be busy, it's a tourist hot spot. Do you think you can meet me at the beach instead?"

After getting the directions from Luci, Jairo escorted her towards the beach and the sounds of music and chitchat dies as they got further away from the café. It was peaceful with only the sounds of waves washing up on the shore reverberating around them.

Rory spotted Luci standing along the shoreline, the sea brushing against her bare feet as her eyes fixated on the sunset. Her hair danced in the wind and for a moment she looked like she was caught in a riptide; an eternal struggling raging inside her. But, all that washed away when she caught sight of Rory.

Luci broke into a beaming smile and trotted along the sand towards her.

"I never thought he'd let you out without him." She joked, lacings their arms while they walked along the shore.

A silence settled over them; different unlike the times before. But, Rory couldn't pinpoint what was so different this time. Luci was still the same Luci she knew, from the outside anyways. Before, she could speak Luci craned her head behind them, eyeing Jairo with her deep brown eyes, suspicious and untrusting.

He was following closely behind them - Gideon's order.

From the look on her dainty features, Rory could tell that Jairo's presence was making her uncomfortable.

"Can you follow a little further back?" Luci requested with a frown. "I just want some privacy with Rory, it's just some girl talk."

He glanced at Rory as if he was looking for permission. She slowly nodded and he backed off while they walked a little further - enough that he was out of earshot and that the waves washing ashore drowned out any sounds.

After settling into a comfy walking rhythm and Rory could no longer stand the silence.

"How are you?" She asked softly. "Lolo misses you."

"I'm good." Luci replied, her features visibly relaxes but the exhaustion was evident in her eyes. "I really just needed some time away from Gideon. He's too overbearing."

She recalled the argument that day though never knew what really happened. And, Gideon nor Sebastian wouldn't tell her. Their reactions only pointed her to one answer - Cristian Herrera. The mystery man they were both connected in some shape or form.

Rory could only assume that something terrible must've occurred for the three of them to hate each with so much passion. Did Cristian hate them though? Or was it all just one sided?

God, she wanted to know so bad. Perhaps, Henry wasn't the only who had a nosy streak in him after all.

"Who is Cristian Herrera?" Rory questioned before she could think. Thankfully, her mouth omitted the part about him being Cielo's father.

Luci halted abruptly. A look of pure shock and surprise etched on her features. She wasn't aware that Rory knew but at least it was one less thing she had to do on her list.

"He, Sebastian and my brother used to be friends." She continuing walking, her head turning back a few times to ensure Jairo was still a good few feet away from them. "Gideon and him were quite close since our families were too. They grew up together and everyone thought Cristian would be his second. Until, they meet Sebastian in the army."

Her jaw tightened recollecting the devastation Cristian had felt when his best friend - supposed best friend - chose somewhere else over him. The hurt and betrayal he must've felt.

She was 11 years old at the time and had the biggest crush on him. Her heart ached for him because she believed he was better than Sebastian; better than her brother and he deserved to be Capos.

"They betrayed him, threw him out like he was trash when all he did was try to do what was best for the family." She paused, facing Rory with a heartbroken expression. "Cristian wasn't the first man my brother stabbed in the back." Her fist tightened and she meet Rory's curious green eyes. "He killed our father in cold blood and his family too; my two little half brothers."

Horror stricken, Rory stumbled back as the air leaves her lungs. She shouldn't have been so surprised - Gideon had killed her little brother after all. Even children weren't safe from him.

"Rory," Luci swallowed, her eyes welling with unshed tears. "Is it so wrong to fall in love with the right person and wanting to be with them?" She asked fiercely despite the tremble in her voice. "That's what our father did. He fell in love with a woman, it was pure and untainted which was rare in a world full of blood and death and traitors. And he chose to be with her that's why he ran away. He chose her over a life that would've just caused him pain and misery. He chose love. Is it so wrong, Rory?"

Slow and hesitant, she shook her head. Love that was pure and untainted it was rare even outside the mafia world. Both her parents never loved each other neither did her father and stepmother; to some extent anyways.

Rory grew up without that kind of influence but Luci did. She saw it all, her father - Emmanuel - falling in madly love with one of the maids. She witnessed their secret rendezvous, gifts of flowers and chocolates; and the look of true love exchanged between them. It was mesmerising like something out of a fairytale book.

Their love was real just like her love for Cristian. And, for Cielo. Thus, Luci was determined to do anything to keep her family together. As long as Gideon lived, he won't let them go in peace. He'll do the same to them just like he did to their father. He needed to be put down.

Rory wasn't a romantic at heart but that was the kind of love any ordinary girl would - should - want. It was the kind of love she wanted too, was it it?

Luci observed Rory's features. Distant but it screamed longing.

"Do you love Gideon?" She cautiously asked.

It was Rory's turned to pause. She stared down at her sand covered feet, feeling her chest weighed down by several, unbearable emotions. God, what was with the people asking if she loved her husband today, she thought annoyingly.

"What you have isn't love for him." Luci pointed out, realising the truth.

Rory didn't have to say it aloud for the whole world to her know her feelings for him. It was there, loud and clear, in her deafening silence.

"It's toxic, Rory." Luci told her, grabbing both her shoulders. Her eyes were hard, desperate for Rory to see sense. "He's destroying you and that's not how love should be. It shouldn't hurt, it shouldn't make you feel guilty or ashamed."

A thick lump, that was too hard to swallow, remind rooted in her throat as tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. The first drop slide down her cheeks when the ache in her chest grew too painful to bear. The truth was so crystal clear yet she let herself fall for him anyways. Unintelligent and lacking common sense, that was the type of person she was.

Luci pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her until her eyes dried up and the sun disappeared into the water, blanketing them in darkness.

"He's not a good person." She said. "So help me get rid of him, Rory. You have every reason to."

Uncertainty flashed in Rory's eyes. Each time she went against him, he had done something horrible to her. And, Rory doubted that her threaten to kill herself would be enough to subdue him if she disobeyed him once more.

Nevertheless, seeing the hesitation in Roy, Luci played her ultimate card.

"He killed Alvaro."

Reaching into her bag, Luci pulled out the photos of Alvaro bloodied corpses. Brown eyes wide opened, his neck stained in crimson red while the thick liquid spills around him like a backdrop and his lips parted as the life leaves him.

Rory took the photo from her hand, her eyes squinting in dimly lit darkness unable to comprehend what she saw.

A cry of utter shock, disgust and heartbreak streamed from her mouth. Luci steadied her, stopping from sinking into the sand. Jairo may be far enough to not hear their conversation but he still had eyes. He would report Rory's condition to Gideon in a heart beat.

"How?" She murmured, clutching the photo to her chest. "I thought he got away. I thought he was safe. How did Gideon find him and why did he kill him?"

"Calm down." Luci pleaded, her gaze dropping to Jairo when Rory's cries got louder. "That's just the type of person my brother is." She explained. "He kills innocent people for fun. It's like a sport for him."

"I don't understand, how did you find out?"

"I sent you two away." She admitted. "I got you new identities and even got your mom out of her prison. Unfortunately that didn't work and only Alvaro manage to make it to Italy. I looked for him after a month to see if he was alright but Gideon, he got to him before I did." Luci soothed her arms, her palms encasing her in a protective warmth. "Help me, Rory." She begged. "For Alvaro, for your friend."

"Why are you doing this? He's your brother."

Even if Rory hated Henry, she would've never betrayed him.

"He's standing in the way of my family's happiness. He's keeping Cielo away from her father." Luci stated. "I won't let Cielo grow up without her father. So, help me Rory, please."

~*~

In an Armani tux, Gideon stood at his office window. His niece ran around the lawn with the maids as the dogs, Zorro and Mariposa, circled them, tails wagging. It was another warm day but Rory who was used to dull and damp weather, it must be simmering hot for her.

If she was here, she'd be running around in tiny shorts and one of his light cotton shirt that was far to big for her.

He would've at least got a good glimpse of her ample breasts in a triangle bikini top from this angle.

"Any takers?" Sebastian questioned, propping down on one of the velvet sofas next Rory's cat, Azul. "I assume those new smart bullets will be popular."

He was referring one of his company's new bullet design. A one of a kind weapon that allows the gunman to never miss their target. Once the target's face has been downloaded into the bullet, it can be fired from anyway within a five mile distance and it will hit the target in a spot of the gunman's choice.

Fatal or even to cripple them.

Gideon had a demonstration earlier on in the day, using some of Herrera's captured soldiers as targets. And, weapon as destructive as that was no doubt popular among his clients. Some had already ordered billions worth of it.

"That idiot Kaiser is already blowing up my voicemail." He scowled, "I wish I never gave him my personal number."

"You were pretty high and drunk when that happened." Sebastian chuckled, puffing smoke from his mouth.

Gideon sauntered to his desk. Eyes zoning to the new report Jairo emailed to him. He scanned the document diligently, curious to know what his wife had been up to. They talked almost every morning and night since she left.

According to his report, Rory spent most of her day at the care facility with her mother. She had volunteered there so that they could spend more time even outside of visiting hours. He wondered if that was why she was taking so long to come back.

During her time away from the facilities, she spent time with Luci visiting little boutiques and cafes. Although he had some misgivings about his sister, she made Rory happy hence, he was willing to let the issue go for now. Jairo was near if she dared attack Rory, he won't be regret the order to shoot for the kill.

Rory was his world and he would do anything to protect her.

Just as Gideon reached for his phone to call her, Rory's name flashed across the screen and the ringtone echoed through the room.

His heart leaped from exhilaration, she hardly ever called him first.

"Hi, baby." He smiled, leaning against his chair.

"Hey." Her soft voice rang through the phone, making him miss her even more. "I'm just calling to let you know that I'm coming back the day after tomorrow."

Excitement and anticipation seized his body. He never thought he'd heard those words. It had been a long and excruciating couple of days without her. He barely slept, his body craving her closeness, missing that sweet and intoxicating smell of hers.

"Gideon." She said, a hint of worry in her voice. "We need to talk."

Before he could ask, the sounds of a car screeching resonated through the phone, getting louder as if it was heading directly for her. Then, he heard Jairo's panic shouts.

"Señora! Rory!"

Sounds of several alarmed voices escaped through the phone. Screams, shouts and calls for the ambulance. The noise stopping the beating of his heart and raising the hair on his arms.

Gideon called her name then Jairo's name but no one answered him.

"FUCK!" he roared, startling the cat on his sofa and causing her dashing out of the office.

"What's wrong?"

"Somethings happen in Cartagena." He said, "Something's happened to Rory. Tell Luis to get my jet ready."

As they dashed into the garage, his phone rings in his pocket.

Jairo.

"What the hell is going on?" He snarled. "What happened to my wife?"

"Someone tried to run over." He reported breathlessly. "Several civilians have been hit and-"

"I don't care about them." He snapped, climbing into the SUV. "How is my wife?"

"We're taking her to the hospital right now."