HOLD MY HEART · santiago garcia

00 | parking lot

  

  He promised to himself that he won't get back to his old life.
He was done with running, with killing, with those sleepless nights where all he could do was lay in bed and let the guilt eat him alive.

  But it was so fucking hard to forget about his old self when he looked in the mirror every single day after returning from Colombia. The images of Red Fly's dead body flashing before his eyes, his thoughts screaming in his head.

It's your fault! He's dead because of YOU. Tom will never see his family again! YOU killed him!

  Because he was certain that they could win this time. That they would all come home in one-piece with hands full of money. Soaked in Tom's blood. They lost, again. This time there was no return, no back-up plan.

  Santiago lost everything. His friends, their trust and faith that they put in him since military times...He lost a chamce for a normal life, for finding peace and home on this god-awful planet.

  Always a loose game. Always homesick.

  Santiago Garcia, a man of nothing.

  And then...there was her.

  His only salvation. His latibule, the reflection of his mind and soul...

  Hailey Rikard.

'°´

JUNE 21st, 2019.
NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO.

  His knees were becoming a problem. He got old, no scratch that, he was old. Way too old to be alone, without a wife or a kid. He didn't even had a dog or any other animal. He was alone and stubborn.

  That's how he ended up here - on the empty Walmart parking lot in the middle of night, thirsty for something else than the apple juice that currently was the only thing in his fridge. He could've waited with that till the morning but his stubbornness wouldn't let him.

  He was leaning against his car, right after buying some neccessary food to fill the empty space in his fridge. He even bought some vegetables and fruits and that didn't happen very often when he was coming back from the store. Usually he never carried any bag, it was just him and his whiskey or beer laying on the passenger seat, shining in the light of the street lamps he was passing on his way back home.

  Santiago was a mess. That full of rage kind of mess that wasn't looking for a rescue. His silent cries for help were not meant to be heard.

  Until the moment he stopped at the lights and saw a woman sitting at the bus stop. She couldn't see him, keeping her head down low, when all of a sudden she was approached by a man.

  Santi cursed himself and squeezed the steering wheel. He should go home. He shouldn't care.

  He shouldn't have parked on the pavement and walk out of the car, ready to punch the shit out of that guy who was forcing himself on her.

  "So, you wouldn't mind if I took you home, beautiful?" he heard his disgusting gravel towards her.

  Motherfucker.

"I would," he stepped in, making himself known. "Get the fuck away from her."

  The girl was taken back by the sudden change in the situation, looking at him in pure fear, her posture totally frozed.