Joe-Bruno's POV.
"On the outskirts of Choco, Columbia lived a man called Joe Bruno. Someone who had learned to relish his own company and that of his seven-year-old daughter Isabella. To Him, only she was important." Martin teased.The moment I heard those words I knew it was Martins, my very good friend. I smiled and turned to look at him."He also loves his coffee Shop where he makes quality coffees for the people of Choco, " we both chorused and hugged each other. Two years have passed since our last encounter, so I was surprised to learn that he could still recall Isabella's all-time favorite poetry. She would always sing them to me while I prepared coffee for customers in the early hours of the day.I remarked, "You are wise to have added her present age to her favorite rhythms," and we both burst out laughing."Where Is Isabella," Martins questioned as he looked around my shop in search of her."Bella started school last year and has gone to school," I replied."It's been how many we last saw please?" Martins asked as he looked at me."It's been two years buddy," I answered excitedly and we shook hands."Choco must have been treating you nicely brother. You look amazing," He teased as always and we laughed."I'll attend to the few customers left, and then join you shortly so we could catch up on all the gist you've brought from Bogota," I said. Martins moved from Choco to Bogata two years ago after receiving a contract job there."How about I join you in serving the customers like good old times," he said, and I nodded."Hey, man!Don't hit the black womanDon't hit the black womanHey, respect my ladyEhh, you can still hear, hear him yelling at the gatesDon't hit the black woman,"While serving my clients their coffee, we sang along to the iconic "Salsero Joe Arroyo" song "Rebellion" that was playing on the radio.A few moments later, we were seated at our regular spot in my coffee shop,"Any news from Martina? " Martins asked and I nodded."Nothing at all," I replied."How's little Isabella coping without her? " He inquired and I took a deep breath.It's been simple thus far because she hardly knows her. Isabella is a bright child, so I know she'll ask questions about her mother soon," I remarked, and we were silent for a short while."You miss her right?" Martin asked as he noticed my countenance and I nodded."A lot. I had never imagined a life without her. But here we are Four years without a word from her, even if it was for Isabella our daughter," I grunted."No one would I believed a time would come when the both of you would drift apart considering how you two were inseparable," Martins said."I messed up," I added and tried to hold back my tears."That was all in the past Joe, You are a better man now and Bella must be proud to have a dad like you," He assured me."I doubt she would when she hears all her dad had done in the past and how his stubbornness has destroyed their once beautiful hope," I blurted out and sniffed my nose."You went against all odds. Leave all the pleasure in Bogata because you want a better life for them. You sacrificed everything including your loyalty to the Don,"I raised my head to give Martins a stern look as he mentioned the Don."Don't tell me you've been in touch with him all these years you were away from Choco?" I questioned and Martins gave a blank expression."No Martin's. Those people are dangerous. They killed your family, how could you forget so easily," I said."I haven't been in touch with him. He only contacted me last week. He wants to speak with you," Martins said with a shaky voice."Was that the reason you came back to Choco? " I asked and he nodded."How did he know you were in Bogata? ""The Don has his way around things. He misses you the best gangster he had ever trained," Martins whispered."I have no business with Him or anyone related to him. Don Santos caused me a lot and the day I walked away from his mansion was the last," I said angrily and stood to leave the table."Bruno, Are you truly happy living an average life in the outskirts of Choco as an ordinary man?" Martins asked and I halted."You are Bruno the sniper. The greatest of its kind. The Don is concerned about you Joe," He said, and I walked back to his table."Don-Santos cares only about two things, His spoilt brat daughter and then himself. Don will only keep you for as long as you are useful to him and when you are done being his toy. He would end your life like he did to others including my best friend Alex," I said angrily."Maybe you don't know him," Martins said and I chuckled"I worked with Don Santos from when I was a teenager until I became a man and broke out when how discovered how dubious he was and you think I don't know him?" I asked sternly."My family had died in a car crash and that wasn't Don's doing," Martins said defensively and I shook my head."Don had instructed them to tamper with the car. I overheard him because he wanted your loyalty and felt your love for Margaret your wife would be a distraction since you had potential," I said and watched Martins's disbelief."He didn't send me to you. He doesn't even I am in Choco Bruno, I want a better life for my sister's daughter Isabella. No one knows where my sister is but at least Bella deserves the best and Choco can't offer that, ""Martina loved it here. She begged me to leave Don and start a quiet life here with Bella but I was stubborn." I said with a sad tone."Martina was pregnant when she left," Martins said, and my heart skipped a beat."How do you know?" I asked angrily"She had confided in me and that she wanted to protect the baby from you. She left Bella because she felt you would give her a better life," Martin said and I grunted.I never knew my wife was pregnant. I was away for one of Don Santos's missions which she had warned me about and when I returned she was far gone."I have customers to attend to Martins," I said and excused myself since the last thing I wanted was for him to see my tears drop.My wife's name still made me swoon even after all these years, and I longed could see her again.Monalisa Parker's Pov. The last heist had claimed the lives of four of my men and left me heartbroken. The last thing I wanted was for Don to sweep that under the carpet without proper compensation. Even when I had wanted to break free from Don's grip for the sake of my son, He has always found a way to bring me back to the gang. I would never want my son to find out how dirty my work for Don was just to keep us alive. As I walked into Don's mansion for the urgent meeting he had called all I could think of was how I almost lost my life even when I was the best female gangster in Don's team. Was I getting too old for operation already? Perhaps I wasn't prepared for the operation or the years I had gone into hiding for the sake of my children had made me weak.The last thing I wanted was to let anyone find out how I had run for cover when the shooting by the police became intense and had abandoned my men to face them by themselves. Everyone was seated at the table waiting for Don's
Monalisa's POV. "This is a bad idea and you know it," Missy said. "Do I have a choice? You talk like I do and I am refusing to accept it," I said angrily and she sighed. "Facing Bruno after all these years shouldn't be an option. That guy almost made you kill yourself when he got married... ""You don't have to remind me about all that, I remember and I have my plan after Don's mission with him is over," I said. "And you think Don's mission with Him would be done after the heist? " Missy scowled. "You should know Don better Lisa, He wouldn't let us go that freely," Missy added and I frowned. She was right. Don releasing us unhindered after this assignment was impossible. He had previously made promises to others, and we never heard from them again after they departed. There are rumors that he killed them, but no one has been able to provide evidence. "How are you even sure Joe Bruno is still alive?" Missy questioned. "Because I keep seeing him in my dreams putting a bullet
Joe Bruno's POV. Martin's words kept bothering me throughout the night, making it impossible for me to fall asleep. How on earth was I not aware my wife was pregnant? I wished I could see Martina again, to live a new, tranquil life together, as she had always desired. "Daddy, It's morning already," Isabella said as she walked into my room and I smiled. She was my only consolation since she was Martina's replica. "Yes my not-so-little princess," I said and poked her nose while she laughed cheerfully as usual. I wished I could be as cheerful as my daughter was. Even when I try hard not to think about my past, I can't let go of the constant fear I keep having about my past haunting her someday. I would have chosen the better option if I had been given one. I was naive and all I wanted was a better life for myself. My mother had been continuously humiliated by my father till she passed away, leaving my two sisters and me. Malissa and Selena. Nobody knew Selena's whereabouts, a
Monalisa Parker's POV. "Lisa, You can still change your mind," Missa said as soon as we got to Bobby's residence. The mansion's strategic positions were manned by snipers equipped with advanced weaponry. Like Don Pablo, Don Winfold was a man of courage. They had been fierce rivals and each other's worst nightmares. Even when his security wasn't on guard, nobody dared to enter Don Winfold's mansion. After a botched business, they got into an intense dispute, and Don-Winfold attempted, but failed, to stage a coup against Don Pablo. Don Pablo planned to send four of his strongest men to Winfold's house at night in revenge. Bruno's late friends Alex, Pascal, Bruno, and I. Bruno had insisted he would go alone and deliver Don Pablo's message. Since Winfold wouldn't spare his life if they caught me, I tried to persuade him out of it because we all didn't think that was possible. He had humiliated their son by making him apologize to me. Pascal became enraged and told the winfold abo
Bruno's pov,It worried me that I couldn't get in touch with Martins after our previous disagreement. He rarely remained angry for extended periods. Martins was someone I knew who was very forgiving; maybe he was enjoying himself with his lover or maybe he had changed his attitude the years he had been apart from Choco. After dropping Isabella off at school, I was going to stop by the brothel to see how he was doing. A few moments later, I bid Isabella goodbye and headed for the brothel to give Martin my sincere apology. All he wanted was a better life for his best friend and his niece. I heard a loud gunshot from a distance as I approached the brothel, and I instantly saw a car with a black tint speed off. It wasn't alarming because it was a common sight in Choco. I felt sympathy solely for the victims, who are frequently taken too soon by egotistical means. A small crowd was gathered around a body as I got close to the brothel with people wailing, I scanned the crowd for Martin
Bruno's pov.It's been one week since Martin's demise and I still couldn't let go of the hurt his thoughts brought me. Even though I failed him by not being able to protect him when he needed me, I was glad I could fulfill his long-time wish to be buried in Choco his hometown. Isabella handled the news of his demise with so much maturity even though it was obvious she missed me as much as I do. For the past week, I had locked the coffee shop in honor of my late friend. If Martins was alive, he wouldn't want that, he believed in not wallowing yourself in sorrow and regret no matter what happened. I resumed work that morning after dropping Isabella at school. I tried to pretend all was okay like Martins would advise but deep down my spirit was down. As I walked toward one of the customer's tables to serve him his order, I saw the same black car that had zoomed past me the day Martin died. The moment he got to where I was standing, the masked man lowered his screen and stared at me,
Monalisa pov,As we spoke, the animosity I had carried for Bruno throughout the years only deepened. It's becoming clearer to me why nobody could have recognized Bruno after all these years; he was a shadow of his former self, with an abundance of beard all over his face making him appear even older. He was so scarcely recognizable. "If Don Pablo had known of the winfold plan to kill Martins, would he have come after them?" Bruno questioned cutting off my thought. "Martins was not a member of the gang. Although rumor has it that Don wanted him back and that was the reason he sent him to you,""Don sent Martins to me?" Bruno gave me a shocked look and I nodded. "He never mentioned it to you?" I questioned."He did but never told me Don sent him. Now I know why they got him killed, I'm sure they saw him with Don," Bruno grunted. The death of Martin was never part of the whole plan as usual Bobby Winfold has shown his cowardice again by going against our bargain. He promised to threa
Twenty-five years earlier, Monalisa's pov, As I drove to Bruno's house, a cocktail of emotions swirled inside of me. There was anticipation and excitement, but also a hint of nervousness. I had never been with a man like this before, and I wasn't sure what to expect. But I knew that I wanted to experience everything he had to offer.I was finally going to have real sex for the first time with Bruno, the butterflies in my stomach turned into a swarm as I thought of what was to come. Bruno was the man I loved, the one I had waited for my whole life. And now, finally, I was about to experience the ultimate expression of our love for each other. I felt a sense of anticipation and joy that was almost overwhelming. I couldn't wait to be with him. Furthermore, I bit my lower lip as my lips curved in a smile, wondering what Bruno would think about the skimpy red dress I was wearing under my trench coat. He was used to seeing me dressed in Jeans and a masculine shirt as one of Don Pablo's