The Don And His Flower

9

Imani watched the bullet casing fall into the grass.

The final look of Ivan Giovanni's tears fell from his face right as he pleaded for the time Imani couldn't recall. His body collapsed forward, top half body falling into the half shallow ditch.

Imani looked at the side of the road, abandoned in the late evening as she looked at Valis Kholodov.

She couldn't find any energy to question anything. She wasn't remotely close to Ivan Giovanni, but it was a shame he had to die due to his father's actions. The life of what she knew as the Mafia, sucked awfully. Imani hadn't said a single word to Valis in the car ride. Imani had sent a few texts to Hannah, explaining she was simply tired and took an Uber back to Sontarc.

But now, she stood on a part of the Giovanni compound, miles away from home. In a deserted part of a community in Mongolia, notorious for kids to skip school and get high.

The sun was now out, making her almost curious about the time as she heard gravel crunching. Valis was near her, closer as she tried to contain her slow breaths.

Don't cry.

Don't cry.

Don't.

Valis grabbed her, his dirt touched hands on her skin as he kissed her hard. The tremble of her fingertips, holding onto his hands as she failed to control her quivering bottom lip.

"Tell me you wanted it, malyshka. Tell me I didn't fucking rape you back there."
Babygirl

Wanted it? Which time?

The flashbacks hit her for the millionth time. Eyes to tired and heavy to cry as she simply looked at him. Valis stood back, dry heaving as he bent over. He screamed, hands in his hair as he fell to his knees.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

"FUCK!"

Valis kicked the back doors again, turning to punching it as it didn't cause him the pain he knew he deserved. The black Corvette took a beating until Imani was blocking his bloody hands ready to swing again.

He grabbed her hair, tugging her face into his as he kissed her.

"I'm sorry."

Kiss.

"Oh God I'm sorry, Imani."

Kiss.

"Proklyani menya."
Curse me.

Imani felt the invasion his soul took as it swarmed inside of her own. 

"Proklyani menya tak plokho umeret."
Curse me so bad to die.

She let his hands grab her body, trapping her between the door before he hugged her. The pain was heavy, the guilt heavier. He wasn't a mind reader, she knew that. But it hurt to know how long it took for him to realize something was wrong. How he realized it and possibly still continued.

Or did he realize it after?

"Take me home, Valis."

"Imani."

"Please, Valis." She whispered, a single tear fighting through her throbbing orbs as it landed on his chest.

"Take me home."

***

The car slowly pulled up to the third compound. Turning into the driveway, Imani looked at her phone, unlocking it as she turned it on again.

Not a single call from her mother.

Valis got out the car, his hands leaving hers as he went to open her door. She sniffled and got out, leaving him standing in front of the car as she walked through the grass.

She looked up, eyes glossy as she made out the smirk on his face. Don Michael Kholodov stood there, a clear cup in his hand as he watched her from his office. The tears fell, stinging sobs in her chest as she was suddenly grabbed.

"Mani."

She turned, hands swinging at Valis as she connected every hit. He let her hit him, let her bleed his face as she cried.

The few morning nearby soldiers stopped talking, walking, anything they did and fell witness to the scene in the middle of the spar field. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" Imani scratched his jaw, crying as she tried to get from his grip. He tightened it, trying to grab her waist as he's flung to the ground.

"Get away!" Imani cried again, running off as she tried to make her mother's embrace her only destination.

Valis looked up, pouncing on his feet as he swung fast and hard.

Valis Kholodov and Theo Marley were on the hard grass, fists and grunts flying as men immediately rushed over to break them up. Don Michael Kholodov was fast outside behind a few more men, approaching the two young men who fought over Imani Milton.

"FUCK YOU!" Valis tried to get out the grips that he was stuck in, hands restraining him as he tried to kick at Theo Marley. Theo was picked up off the ground as he spat out blood to Valis's feet. "Rumors spread fast, you fucking-" Theo was grabbed again, halting his attempt to charge the Dons son.

"Get Theo out of here, now. Take him somewhere to cool off. Valis too."

"You're dead, you hear me boy! First fucking chance I get- you're fucking dead!" Valis cursed Theo Marley, promising him the end of his life as they are forcibly separated.

"Fucking rapist piece of shit! You think anyone respects you? You take up well after your father! Don Michael Kholodov is proud of the bitch you're growing up to be!"

Most of the eavesdroppers murmured amongst the selves. Watching the Dons son move from their grips, the distance finally long from Theo as he made his way through the compound. Everything within his reach was his enemy when he gotten to his room.

***

I'm sorry, baby.

Imani looked at the note over and over again, standing in her mother's bedroom. Deserted, everything that gave proof of her mother's existence was gone. Old suitcases that were under her bed, gone.

Her clothes. Gone.

Perfume. Gone.

Toothbrush. Gone.

Imani sat on the floor, letting the numbness swallow her as she laid on her side. Her cries echoed into the room that was once her mother's.

Was it Imani?

Was she that much of a burden that her own mother couldn't bother being near her anymore?

Did the words she say to her during their argument shove the wedge that was pinching between them?

The ringing on her phone and pounding on the front door made her wails go louder.

She needed someone.

Where are you mommy?