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The Pact with the Devil
When compelling economic circumstances catapult a headstrong and successful Texas business executive on to a collision course with Mexico’s most ruthless drug lord, only one is likely to survive. One man bullies his way through life leveraging the force of his personality and the advantages of his executive position. The other rules strictly through the intimidating scepter of physical violence. Neither has ever known a peer in his own domain.
Travis Nelson is a highly respected, and admired businessman, who owns a housing development company. Handsome and articulate Nelson runs in elite social circles and has an impressive home in a prestigious community. His “perfect” family and trophy wife seem an impeccable complement to his professional achievements, except that the home front is a virtual sham. Suddenly his company is suffering an unprecedented cash crunch. Coincidentally, the Los Toros drug cartel in Durango, Mexico is desperate for new ways to distribute contraband across the Rio Grande. A brash US educated cartel member proposes to drug lord, Rodolpho Morales, using the Texan’s border properties as halfway houses in their smuggling operations. Nelson, who has never let ethical issues deter him, quickly strikes a deal, which promises to bring him the cash he desperately needs.
The devious arrangement works well for a while but sours just as Nelson’s tenuous personal life falls apart. Feeling jilted by the American’s perfidy, the cartel boss kidnaps him to a remote outpost in the bleak Chihuahuan desert, where sitting alone in a cold adobe hut he finally realizes what his obsessive ways have cost him. He is facing a firing squad while his sons rush to rescue him. Fate steps in at the drug lord’s compound when the condemned Nelson’s impulsively acts during a surprise suicide attack by a hated rival warring cartel and creates an immense debt which the drug lord cannot ignore. The Mexican cannot release his dishonest ex-partner, but should he execute him as planned?
Travis Nelson is a highly respected, and admired businessman, who owns a housing development company. Handsome and articulate Nelson runs in elite social circles and has an impressive home in a prestigious community. His “perfect” family and trophy wife seem an impeccable complement to his professional achievements, except that the home front is a virtual sham. Suddenly his company is suffering an unprecedented cash crunch. Coincidentally, the Los Toros drug cartel in Durango, Mexico is desperate for new ways to distribute contraband across the Rio Grande. A brash US educated cartel member proposes to drug lord, Rodolpho Morales, using the Texan’s border properties as halfway houses in their smuggling operations. Nelson, who has never let ethical issues deter him, quickly strikes a deal, which promises to bring him the cash he desperately needs.
The devious arrangement works well for a while but sours just as Nelson’s tenuous personal life falls apart. Feeling jilted by the American’s perfidy, the cartel boss kidnaps him to a remote outpost in the bleak Chihuahuan desert, where sitting alone in a cold adobe hut he finally realizes what his obsessive ways have cost him. He is facing a firing squad while his sons rush to rescue him. Fate steps in at the drug lord’s compound when the condemned Nelson’s impulsively acts during a surprise suicide attack by a hated rival warring cartel and creates an immense debt which the drug lord cannot ignore. The Mexican cannot release his dishonest ex-partner, but should he execute him as planned?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2017
5 people are currently reading
870 people want to read
About the author
Robert John DeLuca
35 books22 followersRobert John DeLuca writes on a variety of fiction and non-fiction topics, drawing much of his material from enriching life experiences during careers in banking, real estate, and fatherhood. He holds BA and MBA degrees from Brown University and the University of Pittsburgh, respectively, and was a USMC captain who served in Vietnam.
He is the proud dad of four sons, who have delivered ten rambunctious grandchildren. Robert lives in South Texas with his wife and fifth son, Floyd, an inexhaustible Lab.
He has published ten books, including a memoir about his college and military service in the turbulent 1960s, two non-fiction books about NFL coaching, a young adult series about Texas high school kids, and a thriller series about a headstrong Texas entrepreneur and his dysfunctional family. Additional books are in the works. In addition, he has won many short story contests and has been published in several anthologies.
He is the proud dad of four sons, who have delivered ten rambunctious grandchildren. Robert lives in South Texas with his wife and fifth son, Floyd, an inexhaustible Lab.
He has published ten books, including a memoir about his college and military service in the turbulent 1960s, two non-fiction books about NFL coaching, a young adult series about Texas high school kids, and a thriller series about a headstrong Texas entrepreneur and his dysfunctional family. Additional books are in the works. In addition, he has won many short story contests and has been published in several anthologies.
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April 2, 2016
I will start out by saying I grew up with Robert DeLuca. I was friends with his younger brother and Robert used to beat the crap out of us every now and then.
Now on to the book! I really like this book! It's not perfect, maybe we don't need to be reminded how low income tax credit properties work so much but that doesn't take away from the story. The book starts fast and except for a short bit where the workings for the property's the book continues along at a good clip. Robert shows his skill as a master story teller. I've read some books by "Award Winning Authors" that aren't anywhere near as good as this book! I look forward to reading more of his books. Yes he is that good!
Now on to the book! I really like this book! It's not perfect, maybe we don't need to be reminded how low income tax credit properties work so much but that doesn't take away from the story. The book starts fast and except for a short bit where the workings for the property's the book continues along at a good clip. Robert shows his skill as a master story teller. I've read some books by "Award Winning Authors" that aren't anywhere near as good as this book! I look forward to reading more of his books. Yes he is that good!
Displaying 1 of 1 review