Page 64 of Fragile Twisted Vows

Made me hate him so much that as soon as I graduated high school, I packed up all of my shit and left for the Marines.

When I went to bootcamp, I learned that the art of deception traveled far. Even into foreign parts of the world. Into governmental powers.

During my time in the military, I learned that deception is an essential tool in our arsenal. It wasn’t just about brute strength or tactical maneuvers; the art of misleading the enemy was a skill we honed with precision. We were taught to create elaborate ruses, to manipulate perceptions, and to plant false information to gain the upper hand. It was a delicate dance of strategy, where every move had to be calculated and every detail meticulously planned. The training emphasized that deception could save lives, disrupt the enemy’s plans, and turn the tide of battle. It was a sobering lesson, realizing that victory often depended on our ability to outwit and mislead. This aspect of military strategy became ingrained in me, shaping how I approached challenges both on and off the battlefield.

But I didn’t realize that the strategy was actually played against us and not for the benefit of saving innocent lies. I learned that when I climbed the ranks and landed in Special Forces. When I was tasked with tracking the Mexican Cartel. When I found my birth mother living inside one of them.

“Adrian,” I say as I twirl my pen in my hands, unable to focus on yet another merger I’m meant to sign off on.

“What is it?” he asks, clearly annoyed with me and my constant bullshit.

Hell, I’m annoyed with myself too.

“Do you remember when I found my mother?” I ask and he swallows tightly, offering me a short nod and nothing more.

“We found her that night when we got our disguises. We had a truckload of coke that border control gave us and we transported it from Texas to the residence. You were scared shitless,” I say and he nods, because he was.

And I was too.

“We were mules, you know?” I say as I lean back in my chair, the sour taste that’s forever been in my mouth growing stronger.

“That’s it. Lifeless cattle meant to transport goods and information. They didn’t care if we were shot to pieces on their drones or plants. But Eduardo and his father…they cared,” I say, and I can tell from the look in Adrian’s eyes, he remembers.

“They knew we were tapped the whole time,” Adrian said, and I nod.

“And they never killed us,” I say, and he sighs.

“Because they didn’t want a bigger war with the feds-”

“Because they clothed and fed my mother. Because they knew the woman that worked so hard for them for years, only wanted to see her son,” I growl, and he falls silent.

Eduardo’s father was the head of The AG when I first was introduced.

Meeting the head of a cartel was an experience that left an indelible mark on me. The room was thick with tension as I was ushered in, my heart pounding in my chest. He sat at the head of the table, exuding an air of authority and menace. His eyes, cold and calculating, seemed to pierce right through me. Every word he spoke was measured, every gesture deliberate. I could feel the weight of his power, the fear he commanded. It was a world I had only heard about in whispers, and now I was face-to-face with its reality. The encounter was brief, but it left me with a profound understanding of the dangerous game I had stepped into. The memory of that meeting still haunts me, a stark reminder of the fine line between survival and peril.

But his son, his son was vastly different.

Meeting Eduardo was an unexpected twist in my time there. I had braced myself for someone hardened by the world he was born into, but instead, I found a kind and gentle soul. He had a warmth in his eyes that contrasted sharply with the cold, ruthless environment he came from. We talked about our lives, and I was struck by his genuine curiosity and empathy. Despite the shadows that loomed over his family, he carried a light within him that was impossible to ignore. It was a reminder that even in the darkest places, there can be unexpected moments of humanity and connection.

We bonded over the course of the week that Adrian and I were there.

He made me feel safe. Safe enough to tell him that I was working for the Feds and that I wanted to find my mother.

It turns out, Eduardo was good at keeping secrets too.

He kept my secret about working in special forces until I quit, just as I had kept his secret about how he had slowly been poisoning his father until he died so he could take over.

I trusted Eduardo. And he trusted me.

He knew what it was like to be controlled by the devil, just as I did. He knew what it was like to lose an important woman in his life, just as I did.

Joining The AG was a decision that changed my life forever. I remember the day vividly - the tension in the air, the weight of the choice I was about to make. It wasn’t a path I had ever envisioned for myself, but circumstances had pushed me to the edge. The allure of power, money, and a sense of belonging drew me in. The realization that my mother was there and that she was cared for. The initiation was intense, a test of loyalty and resilience. As I stood among the seasoned members, I felt a mix of fear and determination. The reality of the cartel’s world was harsh and unforgiving, but I was ready to embrace it. Eduardo had my back just like I had his. That moment marked the beginning of a journey that would shape my identity and challenge my morals in ways I could never have imagined.

“She reminds me of them both, Adrian,” I say as he narrows his eyes.

“Of my mother and Eduardo,” I explain, and he sighs as he taps on his chair.

“She’s warm like my mother, hard-working like her. She’s honest and obedient, for the most part that is. But she’s also determined. She’s steadfast in her approach. She can be hard when she needs to, handle the bullshit life throws. She’s different than Megan. Different than all of them,” I say, and he shakes his head at me.

---