Crossing the Lines

EIGHT

"Has she chosen her specialty?"

"Not officially, but I'm pretty sure she'll go for the knives." His eyes widened in surprise.

"Really? From what I saw of her she wasn't the slightest bit stealthy, or clever, seeing as she got herself into this."

"Well, when you saw her she was also drunk."

"Just keep an eye on her." He said, getting up. "As for the Americans, I would stay close to the compound for a few days, we haven't heard anything from them, and the last thing you want is the next heir coming after you with a vendetta."

"I'll survive." I tell him as he makes his way out of the door.

"I don't doubt that, but do you want to survive or do you want to live?" He smirked, knowing he got to me. He left without another word.

I wanted to live, but it's hard to live a good life when you grew up in a mafia. Don't get me wrong, I would die for anyone in this mafia, but I can't lie and say I've never wondered what it would be like to be normal. To have grown up with happy parents who had boring jobs. To have gone to a public high school and went on dates. Maybe to have even gone to college and found a woman I love. That's living. All I'm doing here is surviving.

I worked on paperwork and made a few phone calls. Since we didn't get the cocaine we needed, I worked out a trade with the Mexican cartel. The cartels only specialize in drugs so I should've made the trade with them in the first place.

I had to meet a friend for dinner and was on my way out when I got a phone call. A phone call from my father. He never calls or talks to me directly so this can't be good.

"Padre." I answered the phone.

"Fottuto Idiota!" He yelled through the other end. "You killed James!"

"I remember."

"Well, I'm glad you remember, because you just started a war." He said angrily. "The Americans just bombed all five of our U.S. compounds." I stopped walking.

"What?! How did they even find them?" No one knows where our compounds are but high ranking members. Even our strongest allies don't know where they are.

"I don't know." He sighed. "The Americans think you started this, though, and they will not stop until you or this mafia is burned to the ground."

"Well, I don't give a flying fuck what they think! He's the one who went after me and I will not be taking the damn fall for it!" I shout. I don't give my father time to respond. I quickly hang up the phone, sighing and running a hand through my hair.

If the American's want war, we can give it to them. I did not deliberately kill James, he came after me. He was the one trying to forge alliances and make wars when that is something out of his, and every other heir's, hands. 

I opened my eyes, expecting there to be no one in the training room, but saw Hannah. I quietly walked over to her, realizing she was in front of the knives. She was quiet for a moment. It was like she wanted to try the knives, but she was afraid.

"Have you chosen your specialty?" I asked her. She was good with the guns and, even though I think she'll choose the knives, it's her decision, not mine.

"No." She said shyly. I don't know what it was, but I could tell I intimidated her. "Sorry about earlier." 

"It's fine, it happens." It really does. I can't even recall all of the times I've had arrows, bullets, and other stuff thrown at me accidentally. "Why didn't you try the knives earlier?" There has to be a reason as to why she didn't try them.

"I already know they aren't my specialty, I already have a bad track record with them." I have a bad track record with bullets, but I still never go anywhere without my gun.

I look at her inquisitively, waiting for her to go on. She blushes a little before clearing her throat and taking a step away from the table. She turned around and I expected her to walk off but instead she lifted the back of her shirt over her shoulders.

Just below her right shoulder blade was a white scar, around an inch or two long. I gently reached up and ran my fingers over it, causing her to let out a sigh. I wish I could lie and say I didn't want to explore more of her exposed back, especially since she wasn't wearing a bra, but I decided against it. I gently ran my hand up her back until I grabbed her shirt and pulled it back down.

I asked her if she got the scar from a knife, which I already assumed she did. Apparently she got it from a foster father who was afraid of losing his check when she skipped school one day. She also said she's never broken a rules since. I could tell she wasn't one to normally break the rules, but now I know its because she was forced into that way of thinking.

I wanted to tell her I was sorry, or show remorse of some sort, but I couldn't. I don't know how to, I was taught to never show remorse. Instead of trying, I said nothing. I started to make my way to the door, remembering the dinner I had to be at. I stopped halfway, turning to face her. 

"The knives are your specialty." I tell her. "They scare you the most, so they'll be the one that helps you grow." With that, I left.

I made my way out the door and to the garage. I got in my black Maserati and made my way to the city. It was around an hour trip, but I cut it down to thirty. I couldn't stop thinking about Hannah's story. She was normal, she had a life before all of this. Yet even that life didn't seem that good.

I pulled into Ristorante Vittorio, a seafood restaurant, and quickly got out. I was already late for my dinner, but I had a feeling she would still be here. I walked inside and was quickly recognized and escorted to a table in the back of the restaurant. At the table, sat a beautiful, young Chinese woman, with long black hair and a red business dress. A beautiful Chinese woman who also happened to be the heiress of the Chinese mafia.

"Ace, you're late." She smiled. She slowly stood up and walked over, giving me a light hug.

"Cixi, it's been a long time." I walk her back to her chair and push it in before sitting in my own.

"It has, and I hear you've stirred up quite a bit of trouble."

"I hear the same about you." I tell her, pouring some of the champagne she ordered into my glass.

"Well, it seems much hasn't changed since we were younger."

"Maybe, but this time a war is involved."

"So is that why you called me all the way out here? Hmm, and I thought it was because you wanted to rekindle an old flame..."

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Sorry for no update yesterday, I had to get my wisdom teeth out! Comment and Vote!