Deadly Hearts: A Post Apocalyptic Romance Novel

by Priscila Santa Rosa

  I rest my hands on my knees, head down, as I try to control my breathing back to normal. Breathe in, breathe out. Focus.

  “Bel, hey…”

  Hearing that nickname is like being jolted with electricity. I stand straight, ignoring the pulsating headache from the sudden movement.

  It’s not Liam’s face that greets me, but Diego’s. His eyes are not bright blue, his skin isn’t sensitive and too red from sunburn, and there are no freckles. Where Liam was lean and soft, wavy, sandy hair matching his light pink complexion, Diego is hard edges, black hair fitting with his sophisticated features. But his deep, dark eyes are soft and full of worry, and the color of his skin is as coppery as my own. We’re the same, him and me.

  He cups my face with his firm hands, pulling me back to reality. “Hey… Are you okay? Were you hurt?”

  I’m struck silent, embarrassed by my mistake even if there’s no way he can know I just confused him with my ex-boyfriend. He’s everything Liam is not. To compare them is downright unfair.

  At my unresponsiveness, he reaches for my forehead. “You’re sweating buckets. What’s going on?”

  It’s not like I can confess to having panic attacks, so I move back and away from his hand.

  “I’m fine. It’s too hot here.” After a long sigh, I stash my knife back into its holster again. “We should bury the carcass far so that the smell won’t attract more of them.”

  He steals a glance at me as I kneel down to inspect the jaguar and find the least gross spot to pick it up. I’m still a little disoriented, the sensation of being choked lingering inside my throat.

  Something cold touches the back of my neck, and I immediately reach for it to toss it away from me, but Diego rests a hand on my shoulder.

  “It’s okay. It’s just a cold patch. I used to place one on Alex’s neck to calm him down. He had nightmares when he was little. I thought it would help you too.”

  My shoulders relax, and I succumb to the soothing temperature. It feels nice, especially under this damp heat. I allow my eyes to close as my heart rate slows down.

  “Who was that woman? The one you hesitated to kill?”

  A few days ago, I would never have considered telling Diego anything, but right now, I want to share this with him. I want someone to understand me. I guess you never know how much you’re starving for something until you get a taste of it.

  “She was one of the foreigner doctors who came to Bonita to help us. Before I left, she was fine. Seeing her like this … I feel responsible for it.”

  “Why?”

  Feeling like a lump of coal is stuck in my throat, I hesitate to continue. “I abandoned them to escape the island with my mother.”

  “So? You needed to save your mother. She was your priority. In the end, family is what matters.”

  “Maybe.” Sighing, I give the patch back to him. I don’t want to discuss this with him. “We should focus on moving the carcass. Can you help me?”

  “Sure. How do we do this? I grab him by the legs and you… take the head? Is that the head?”

  I nod. “I think so. Let’s do it.”

  For a half-eaten carcass, the jaguar still weighs a considerable amount. Together, we lift the animal. As we do this, bits and pieces of it fall on my boots. We carry the carcass away from the tunnel’s entrance and toward the tracks leading out of the camp, moving between the warehouse and the radio tower.

  Blood drips from the carcass, but it’s the glimmer of red on the tracks ahead that catches my attention. This trail of fresh blood is too recent and uniform to have been made by an injured jaguar limping before dying.

  Someone dragged that animal to the entrance. Someone who knew it could attract infected out of the tunnel thanks to its smell.

  This is a trap.

  I let go of the mangled head of the animal and grab’s Diego wrist. “We need to go. Now.”

  A shot hits the exposed stomach of the jaguar, rupturing the carcass in two, the remaining organs exploding everywhere.

  Covered in the remains, we run.

  Too far from the entrance to the tunnel, we find shelter inside the warehouse instead. Out of breath, I push the door open and close it behind us. Just a second later, another shot hits the metal door.

  Diego’s brother, or whoever is following us, was waiting for the right opportunity. He waited until we were distracted and relatively stationary to strike.

  “I don’t understand. They were behind us. We took a boat. How did he get here so fast?”

  I rest a hand on Diego’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter now. We need to get you to that tunnel.”

  His breathing slows down, and Diego nods. “Yeah. How?”

  We stare at the window. The bullets came from the building to our right—the only one with two stories—its roof housing an old, busted radio antenna. He has the vantage point, and, as long as he has it, we won’t be able to cross the distance to the tunnel.

  “Diego, I’ll try to circle the building, enter it by the back, and neutralize him.”

  This breaks him off his daze. “Alone? No. I can’t let you go out there alone.”

  “I’ll get him while you stay here, safe.”

  His voice breaks, words coming out fast. “We should go together. We don’t know his numbers. If Ana is—”

  I shake my head furiously, panicking at the thought of seeing him shot right in front of me. “No. I won’t risk you.”

  Diego raises his eyebrows, but before he can react, I add, “If you die, I’ll never get my mother back, so please listen to me. I can take care of this myself.”

  He slumps his shoulders, lips pursed. “Your mother. Right.”

  A second of heavy silence follows.

  I move to open the door, but he stops me with a hand on my shoulder. “Isabel, wait.”

  “What?”

  It’s stupid, but as he takes a deep breath, I realize my heart is beating faster in expectation of another cheesy line. Even after pushing him away, I want him close. What’s wrong with me?

  But there’s no romantic confession. He merely hangs his head lower before I can read the genuine emotion in his eyes. “Nothing. Be careful.”

  I slip out of the building, rolling behind a few barrels. A bullet pierces the metal barrel at my left, a foul-smelling liquid dripping from the hole.

  Exposed, I dive into another hiding spot, moving closer to the radio tower. He takes two more shots but stops to reload. I use this pause to dash around the building, and then I use my elbow to break a window.

  But as I jump inside, someone kicks my chin, and I go flying backward. My world goes dark.

  As the world comes back into focus, I slowly become aware of my own body. My arms are behind my back, and I feel the rough texture of rope brushing against my tied-up wrists. When I try to move my head, a splitting headache forces my eyes shut again.

  I’m sitting down. My feet are also bound. I don’t struggle against the ropes. Saving my strength is the best strategy here, at least until I find out what’s happening.

  Once the ringing inside my head stops, I risk trying to open my eyes.

  A man smoking a cigar watches me. He’s leaning against a pillar with a large sniper rifle at his side, on the floor. Dressed in camouflaged cargo pants, but with no shirt, I can only describe him as an older, rougher version of Diego—a version that has been living in the jungle for months.

  His casual posture reminds me of the corrupt officers in Bonita—give them one inch of power, and they believe they’re the alpha male of the pack. Where Diego is smooth, this man seems to be all sharp and dangerous edges.

  His hair is messy and thick with grease. He has a scar under his chin, and a graphic tattoo of a jaguar eating a man covers the defined muscles of his exposed chest.

  I raise my head to look at his face.

  “Like what you see?” He smiles, holding the cigar between his teeth.

  There’s no doubt in my mind now. Their smiles are too similar. This must be Rico, D
iego’s older brother.

  At my silence, he takes a handgun out from a leg holster and pulls the slide, checking if it’s loaded. Finally, he strides forward, squatting in front of me, his eyes running all over my body, appraising me like a piece of meat.

  “I was surprised when I saw you getting cozy with Diego in the jungle. You don’t look like much compared to that Brazilian top model he dated last time. I forgot her name, but she looked like a porcelain doll, and you’re more of a … wild cat. I suppose considering the world we are living in, survival is the new sexy. And you’re a regular Ripley, aren’t you?”

  I say nothing.

  He snorts at my silence. “Do you know who I am?”

  “You’re Diego’s crazy brother, Rico.”

  Rico laughs, a harsher version of Diego’s more melodic laugh. “Crazy, huh? And what did my dear brother say about me, exactly?”

  “That you tried to kill him. And almost succeeded.”

  “He told you that, did he?” He inhales, burning the tip of the cigar, and then blows the smoke into my face. The ashy smell of old leather and nicotine lingering in the air. “Well, that’s a lie, girl.”

  I roll my eyes. “Please. I saw the scar you gave him.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you did.” His smirk is filled with innuendo. “The assassination attempt happened. And what a story, right? A knife missing his vitals by a few inches. Very heroic.” He pauses to take a drag, sucking in the smoke this time, and then slowly blowing it out. “But I had nothing to do with it. I don’t use assassins. When I want someone dead, I do it myself. As you will soon see.”

  He gets up and walks in circles, tossing his gun from one hand to the other. “Diego set me up. He wanted me out of the game, but he didn’t have the guts to kill me. Still doesn’t. So he destroyed my reputation with the cartel and kicked me out without causing a turf war. You see, I’m not the villain here.”

  “That’s why you shot at us? Because you’re the good guy?”

  Rico uses the barrel of the gun to scratch his stubble. “Well, you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

  I wrinkle my nose. “I’m alive because you’re going to use me as bait to get Diego.”

  He laughs again, giving me thumbs-up. “Seems I caught myself a regular lady detective.”

  “It won’t work, you know. He won’t fall for it.”

  “Oh, he’ll fall for it. But not for the reasons you think he will.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Licking his lips, he crouches again. “I’ve been following you two since you left Punta. I managed to hear snippets of conversation, especially after you got separated from Ana. Thank you, by the way, for that. Made my job easier.”

  I bite my lip so sharply that it stings.

  “A piece of advice, don’t believe a word my brother says. Diego lies. That’s what he does. I kill; he lies. I don’t know what deal you have with him, but he won’t honor it.”

  Despite the dread rising from the pit of my stomach, I hold my head high. “He will.”

  “Why? Because he wants to get into your pants?” This time, his laughter is bitter, empty. “Wake up, Ripley. He’ll use you and then discard you, just like he did to me.”

  I glare at him but say nothing. My heart is beating fast, too fast, but I try to squash the doubts growing in my mind. I shouldn’t trust this man, but, at the same time, I can’t pretend his words aren’t feeding every fear I had since I met Diego.

  He puffs another cloud of smoke; the cigar smell now nauseating. “Ah. I see you had your suspicions too. Nobody survives this new world without some trust issues. Of course, my brother knows this. So, he did what he does best—laid the charm on you, wormed his way into your heart. He tried that with Ana Cruz, back in the day.”

  My neck is stiff, my muscles tight. I’m not sure if I’m jealous or just pissed off at Rico’s insinuations.

  “Of course, she has more sense than that. She likes her men real. Honest. Like me.”

  Tired of his smugness, I say, “Really? Then why isn’t she here with you, Rico? Last I saw her, she was more interested in Diego.”

  He narrows his eyes, smirk fading for the first time during the conversation. “That will change. With a bullet in his head. Enough pleasantries. Let’s get this show on the road.”

  Rico turns around to grab his sniper rifle. As he does that, I quickly test the ropes on my wrists, hoping to gauge how much wiggle room I have. None, apparently. Seems he’s pretty good with his knots. I need time.

  Time that I don’t have.

  While holding the handgun in his right hand, he drags me painfully by my ponytail, pulling my body toward the exit of the building with ease.

  My scraped knees sink into the mud as Rico throws me out in the open.

  “Little brother, I have your newest pet! If you don’t want her to end up a corpse, I suggest you step out with your hands behind your head. That way, we can talk.”

  Standing behind me, Rico shoves his gun against the back of my skull as we wait for a response. Rain has started to pour down, its cold torrent soaking me in seconds.

  “Nothing? You think I won’t hurt her? Think again.”

  He walks around me, then raises his gun and clocks me in the face. My skull rattles, a throbbing pain spreading on my right side. I taste blood, but I keep my mouth shut. I’m not giving him the satisfaction.

  “That’s the first of many, D.”

  Silence.

  “What? No response? Are you willing to let her die just to avoid a conversation with your own brother? I thought you cared about her. About your son. What happened to the poor, regretful Diego? Was that a lie too?”

  My stomach twists into painful knots. No way will Diego be dumb enough to step out of that building just for me. It would be a death sentence. He won’t do it. He can’t.

  The warehouse door opens, and Diego steps out of the building with his hands in the air. I open my mouth, lips dry and heart beating fast. No, no, no.

  Rico lets out a roaring laugh. “There we go. Now, kneel, D.”

  Slowly and without taking his eyes off me, Diego obeys his brother. We’re facing each other. He gives me a slight nod as if telling me he will handle this. I can only shake my head in disbelief. He shouldn’t have come out.

  He addresses Rico. “Fine, you got me. Now let Isabel go.”

  “I never said I would let her go.” He grabs my hair and plays with a few strands. “No, I think I want her around to make sure you behave ‘til we finish talking.”

  Trying hard not to show any emotion, I stiffen at his touch.

  When Diego speaks to his brother, his eyes are fixed on Rico’s fingers moving between my hair. His expression is flat, unreadable. If I dared to, I would think he’s trying to restrain himself. “Talk? About what? We’re done, Rico. Let her go.”

  Rico clenches his jaw and releases me. Nostrils flaring, he leans forward, near his brother’s face. “Oh no, we’re far from done. I want you to admit it. I want you to be honest for once in your damn life. I want to hear you say that you set me up.”

  Diego is unimpressed. He looks upward to meet his brother’s sour gaze. “Set you up? Did the jungle rot get to your brain? You tried to kill me. But that? That’s not the worst thing you did, Rico. You lied to me about Alex. You want to talk about honesty? How about you admit you left my son to die because you were afraid for your own skin back at Rio Alto?”

  Rico strikes Diego on the cheek with the back of his gun. I flinch at the sight of him in pain, but Diego only spits blood, his expression neutral. This only invites Rico to press his gun against Diego’s neck. I hold my breath in, immediately twisting my wrists in an attempt to escape my bonds.

  If he dies here, it’s over. For me, for my mother. He needs to live. I need to get us out of here.

  “The kid didn’t want to come. And I wasn’t about to die for a spoiled brat. That’s not being a coward—that’s being smart. You can pretend this is about Alex all you want, but I can
see through the bullshit. No. You wanted the business for yourself. Years of taking care of your ass, and the second you have the chance, you betray me. Our mother is tossing and turning in her grave for what you did to me.”

  While they talk, I’m busy slowly freeing my wrists from the knots binding them together. It’s a difficult task. I can feel my skin scrape against the rope, bruising it more at each twist and rub, but it’s working. Just a few more seconds, just a few more, and I’ll be free.

  Diego rolls his eyes as rain runs over his glistening face. “I already had the business, Rico. Why would I bother almost dying just to kick you out? You were just as irrelevant to the cartel as you are today. I was the one doing all the work while you would drown in booze and coke.”

  It dawns on me that Diego’s speech is calculated. He’s buying time for me. Time I can’t waste. I free my hands, and then start working on untying my feet.

  “For the longest time, I kept you around out of guilt. But you know what? I was willing to do it, to keep you out of trouble, because we’re brothers. We’re family. And I would forgive you in a heartbeat for trying to kill me, for leaving Alex behind, if you help me get him back. Because I’m done putting others ahead of him.” He nods his head at the entrance to the tunnel. “We’re so close to getting him back, Rico. If you stop with your stupid nonsensical revenge, if we work together, we could save him and put all this shit behind us.”

  Rico stays silent for a few seconds. Slowly, he lowers his gun. I widen my eyes, surprised he would listen to his brother.

  But when he speaks again, his tone is dry, lacking even bitterness. “You really say anything to survive, don’t you, Diego? Family, my ass. You know what? I’m done being manipulated by you.”

  He points his gun at Diego’s chest, with his back to me. Big mistake. Finally free, I throw the ropes away and rush in his direction.

  I jump in the air, and then spin. As I kick him in the back of his head, a gunshot rings around the camp. Rico goes limp and falls. Knockout in one strike.