Mafia Girl

Chapter Three

                      Decimo and Renato were in the meeting room for what seemed like hours and I was getting tired of waiting. I decided to go upstairs where Decimo’s and my room were. The staircase leading up to our rooms was made of black marble and met with a burgundy coloured carpet when it reached the top.    

                   The door to the bedroom was crafted out of cherry wood and creaked slightly when I opened it. Inside, a large king-sized bed was pressed up against a warm white wall. Two doors led off to what I assumed were a bathroom and a closet. A desk that was piled with books and a matching chair were placed in the corner of the room. So this is what the bedroom of Cielo Decimo looked like.

                       I decided to wait for him there. I sat on the bed and sank into the mattress. Boy, this thing was comfortable. I looked over to the bedside table and selected one of the many books piled there to read. It was probably going to be a while before Decimo returned.

                       Seven chapters into the book, the door finally opened to reveal Decimo. He hadn't noticed me because he walked straight past me and through one of the other doors.

                       A short while later he came back out dressed in loose fitting jeans and a hoodie. He still hadn’t noticed me as he went to sit at the desk and picked one of the several books piled on it. The one he chose had a large shiny X on the front of it. Decimo opened the book to a blank pace and grabbed a pen. Just when he was about to write something, he sighed loudly and ran a hand through his light brown hair.

                       This is when I decided to speak up. “Tough day?” I asked.

                       Decimo nodded then tensed up when he realised that I was in his room. He stood up and turned to face me. “How long have you been there?” he asked.

                       I placed the book back on the nightstand. “I think I’ve been here for about an hour or so. I wanted to talk to you.”

                       He smiled and walked over to me and sat on the bed next to me. He gestured to himself and smirked. “I’m all yours.” He said.

                       I rolled my eyes. “Be serious.” I said. “It was about Toro.”

                       Decimo’s facial expression fell to a frown. “Oh.” Was all he said.

                       I nodded. “I can’t understand why you have a kid like that working for the mafia. Why would you do that?”

                       “Because he wanted to,” Decimo said solemnly.

                       “Huh?”

                       “The reason I let Toro join was because he wanted to.” He repeated.

                       “So if a dog came up to you wanting to join your family you’d let it?” I asked.

                       Decimo shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He said. “Maybe I should tell you the whole story.”

                       “I think that would be best.” I replied.

                       “I first met Toro when he was five years old and I was fifteen. He was sitting on the side of the street begging for people to give him food or money. He was injured as well and kept falling over when he tried to stand up. I couldn’t just stand there and watch.” Decimo said. “So I picked him up and brought him back to my house where my mom and I looked after him. When everyone first got involved in this mafia thing, I refused to let him fight. But…” he stopped talking.

                       “But…?” I urged him to continue.

                       “There was this fight between the Cielo successors to determine who would be the next boss; their whole families would duel. Once again, I ordered Toro not to fight. Then he finally spoke up. He said that he felt left out whenever I wouldn’t let him fight alongside everyone else. Once he finally got me to let him fight, his opponent was this really big and muscly guy.”

                       “So what happened?” I asked, leaning forward in interest.

                       “Although Toro put up a really good fight, he was just a little kid. The guy he was fighting put him in a coma for three weeks.” Decimo said sadly.

                       I gasped.

                       “By the next time we had to fight like that, there was no way I was letting Toro fight. Until Renato spoke up and said that I should give him another chance. So I did; and he one. Toro has matured since then. All of us have.”

                       “So Toro felt lonely when you didn’t let him join in.” I laughed without humour. “I guess he is a kid after all.”

                       “Was that all?” Decimo asked.

                       “You sound as though I am bothering you with my presence.” I said.

                       He smirked. “Not at all.”

                       I rolled my eyes and shook my head, laughing. This guy was impossible. I think I liked the dork version better. Then I realised that I had no idea who Renato was to him. I’m sure I’d heard the name before, but I wasn’t sure. Besides, if Renato wasn’t important, why would he slap Decimo and if he was, why wouldn’t he be invited to the meeting? “Decimo, what does Renato have to do with you?” I asked.    

                   “He’s my tutor.” He replied. “And please call me by my first name.” He added.

                       I nodded. Decimo is Tino now. “So is he involved in all this…” I struggled for the term. “…mafia stuff?”

                       Tino nodded. “When I say ‘tutor’, I mean the guy who stalked me for a month before telling me that I was supposed to be a mafia boss. ‘Tutor’ was the excuse he told my mother so that he’d have a reason to be at my house everyday. But really, he was training me to fight and all that other stuff.”  

                    I didn’t say anything. This Cielo family is weird. “Why did he slap you?” I finally asked.    

                   “He was very into Spartan Education. If I said something wrong, he slapped me. If I did something wrong, he kicked me. Once he even made me camp out on a mountain for a month with no supplies but a dagger.” Tino explained.

                       “Wow. What a guy.” I said, amazed. This Renato guy sounded like a great person. “I had someone like that too. Well, maybe not as violent and extreme. And he didn’t stalk me for a month then tell me that I was going to be a boss. But he taught me how to fight and all that stuff.”

                      “Really? Well that’s one thing we have in common.” Tino said.

                       I smiled and nodded. Maybe I could actually get married to him without hating him for the rest of my life. I mean, he’s kind, he’s powerful – not to mention he’s gorgeous.

                       I decided that it was time for me to leave and go to my own room. I waved to Tino before leaving then walked down the hallway to my bedroom.

                       When I opened the door I noticed someone sitting on my bed. The curtains on the windows were closed so I couldn’t quite make out who it was.

                       I turned on the lights and gasped in shock. “Toro?”