Born in Blood

Twenty-one

After I left Shade's arms I headed to the restrooms. Inside there was more marble with gold and bronze accents. I washed my hands when Mrs. Anwar came out of a stall. 

"Miss Sosa was it?" She smiled. 

"Yes. Lovely to see you again Mrs. Anwar." I smiled back with looking around to make sure we were alone. 

"You're married I see." She pointed to the gold ban on my finger. 

"I eloped with Spencer."

"Well, you only find your soulmate once in a lifetime. I'm glad you found love honey." 

"Love?" 

"Yes, you did marry the man after all. I also saw the way he danced with you at the ball. You two had a fiery passion in your eyes of each other."  

I thought back to the ball. It was only a few days ago, but it seemed like a lifetime since then. Then I remembered Mrs. Anwar mentioning the little girl from the warehouse. It was just her and I, so I asked the questions that have always been on my mind. 

"Mrs. Anwar, you said to me once that I reminded you of a little girl."

"You do. She was a small fragile little thing when the Italians stormed the warehouse. With raven hair like yours. That little girl's mother was actually a dear friend of mine. Holly Lebedev."

"Did you know the little girl well?"

"Why so interested dear?" She raised an eyebrow crossing her arms. 

"Many people have told me little pieces about her. Since I look so much like her, I just wanted to hear her story." 

"Then I'll be straight with you. You probably know my husband is the Boss of the Russian mafia." 

"I do." 

"Good. Well about twenty five years ago we had a poor little couple come to us. Both in ratty clothes with no home. I always had a soft spot for the young love, so I convinced my husband to allow them in. They were both of true Russian decent so there were no problems with them joining."

"They were Russians?" 

"Yes, last name was Lebedev. It means swan." 

"Lovely name." 

"Well, they both ending up choosing the assassin path in the mafia, the exact way they got there, I'm unsure. They killed for us five years before Holly gave birth to a little girl. Derek and Holly left the little girl in my care while then infiltrated the Italian Mafia. If I knew the outcome of sending them to Italy, I never would have let them leave that April." 

"You watched the little girl?"

"Yes, Holly and Derek never named her. They said one day the name will come to them. When they were away though, I called her Luna. Luna Lebedev."

"Moon Swan?" 

"Its sound weird when you say it like that." She laughed. "But I didn't keep my little Luna long." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You recall the part about Holly and Derek infiltrating the Italian mafia?" 

"Yes." 

"Holly and Derek were some of the most skilled in the mafias. Both skilled with daggers and guns. Well Leon Cassio, the head of the Italian mafia, allowed them in. Unfortunately, a maid in his mafia heard their night talks and phone calls back to check in on you and outed their Russian connections. Luna's parents barely escaped Italy with the skin still on their backs. When they returned, they were safe for about two weeks. The the Italians returned. They massacred my whole mafia. All of my family, including Holly and Derek. The only thing that made it worse was that those who lived heard the screams of Luna echoing everywhere."

"Did Bos-excuse me- Leon kill Luna?"

"I honestly wish he did. Instead he took her. Maybe he killed her later, sold her into sex trafficking, or drained her of blood. I just want her pain to go away. I loved her like my own." 

"So she was born in blood?" 

"I'd say that's accurate. She was born in a murder house and set free from her Russian roots in a pool of her parents blood." 

"Mrs. Anwar if I tell you a secret, will you keep it?" 

"Of course Katherine I am a lady of honor." 

"I was sent to kill you." 

"I am not surprised dear." She spoke calmly. "Are you going to do it?" 

"No, I've changed my mind. I have to go, but thank you Mrs. Anwar." I smile reaching to rest my hand over hers' for just a brief second. 

"Goodbye Luna."