AFTER

DAMON'S POV:

The news about her pregnancy was still shocking to me. After she disappeared that day...that meant she never died in the first place. Derek was right, I didn't bother searching for her body, perhaps because I trusted that Leo and Jessie knew the best thing to do. I was too devastated to even look at her. But it seemed as though two and two were beginning to click. When Leo and Jessie took her out, where did they take her to? Did they take her to Derek to take care of her after the case happened? What the fuck were they both thinking? That I was going to harm her? The poison wasn't meant to kill her for chrissake. And yes I could tell they were scared for her, but their lack of trust baffled me.

Especially Leo's lack of trust. I sighed to myself. Her faked death allowed me to eliminate those who were after her and I killed most of them. But not all. There was one of them that knew her like the back of his hand. I still was uncertain about the kind of relationship they had or maybe what he had against her. But I knew there was something he wanted from her. Still doing my research about him, I needed to know what he was up to. I didn't think there was anyone that he was connected to. If he had a backup, I would have known, but it seemed like he didn't. The way I used to target my victims was from their source. He didn't seem to have any, or perhaps he was just good at hiding it. I went back to my laptop to look at his picture.

Lamas Mendez.

I'd never heard of him. He seemed new to the mafia world. I furrowed my brow. I couldn't help but wonder how someone like Lamas Mendez could have emerged seemingly out of nowhere in the mafia world. He just appeared overnight, with no traces of his past or anything. It confused me. There were no connections to even the criminal underworld. Or so I thought because it piqued my curiosity. I deepened my research, from various online bases with the help of Leo. There was no digital footprint of him whatsoever and it made me believe he was connected to Derek in some ways. He left no trace of existence and that fanned my suspicion. I expanded my research with Leo's assistance who found out that he had an ex-wife. His research traced Mendez to an abusive husband who took everything away from his wife. But that was it. Nothing more. There were no other clues about him. This was so unusual to me. He kept everything hidden about himself except that. Leo entered the office walking up to me like he did when he had information.

"So I made my investigation and found some things out. About Lamas Mendez, I just found his wife and asked her some questions about him. She didn't give me everything though, but she informed me about his hidden past. It appears that he managed to erase them all so no traces will be found about him. According to her, he's a womanizer, an undercover criminal. He's not part of the mafia in any way, he only has connections with some of the most powerful mafia men. I believe he's trying to make his way to the top and of course, he does have a target. And about the fact that he's a womanizer, he worked as an underground boxer once. Illegal boxing. He erased all that from his past to move on so the authorities wouldn't find him. He killed so many people who had a lot of information about him except his ex-wife because he had no idea she knew about his escapades. His parents are dead, siblings, are dead. He killed them all right in front of his wife. He manipulated her for so many reasons and never wanted her to have another man. He emotionally abused her while she stayed thinking he would change and other things like that. But he didn't. Instead, he threatened her so many times to kill her if she said a word of the things he was doing to her to anyone. So she stayed quiet till she found a solution."

"Where is she now?"

"She's living in another apartment far away from home because she knows Mendez will kill her if she doesn't. So right now, we running away from him." Leo emphasized. "It turned out that, Derek had given her more than enough and returned everything that was taken away from her, even security. She could be certain about her safety now."

"Was he an abuser?"

"According to her, not physically. He brought in mistresses into her house and fucked them right in front of her. She mentioned she had no time for herself and needed to get herself mentally stable because he didn't give her that all through the seven years they were married. I questioned her about Derek Antonio but she said nothing about him. She only mentioned that she knew him and was the only one that could deal with her ex-husband the way she wanted him to be dealt with." He said. I cocked a brow. So he did know Derek.

"How I'm I sure they both aren't connected?"

"They aren't. According to her. But he wanted nothing more than to partner with Derek."

Lamas Mendez was not a simple man. He was the master of deception leaving no breadcrumbs for anyone to follow. His true intentions had to be uncovered, if he had a wife, why was he still so obsessed with Elena? What was their relationship? I turned back to my laptop, analysing a few images of him. The room was eerily silent as I studied his facial expressions, his body language and more details that could reveal his character. But I didn't get a clue. I was frustrated enough already.

"I see. But if that's the case, how did he know about Elena? He keeps calling out to her on the mafia internet. Does he know she's dead?" I intentionally asked that because Leo didn't know I was aware that she wasn't dead.

"I asked his wife and she told me he used to love going out to ease himself with women and she mentioned something quite stunning. He was one of the regular customers of Lorenzo Field." He stated and my eyes widened.

Fuck!