Once Broken

Chapter 5

Daniel POV

    During the few minutes before the sermon, when we were all greeting each other, after some of us not seeing each other for nearly a week, I was having discussions with numerous different people, greeting them all to my house, asking how they were, before going to the next one. It was in one of these moments that I saw Nicole, out of the corner of my eye, looking at me. I turned around, staring into her eyes. I couldn't help but smirk, as she looked so innocent, and cute. She looked for only a few seconds more, before turning away. This was when I started walking towards her, to talk to her a little bit, though I had no idea what I'd say. I liked how her new uniform made her look; irresistibly sexy.
        I was almost there, when my brother walked up to her, making me stop for a moment in surprise. She looked at him, and I heard him start talking to her. The blood in my ears roared. Oh hell no. Mine.
       I stepped between them, giving Oliver dirty look. Oliver seemed genuinely shocked at this from me, before pressing his lips tightly together, squinting dangerously as me.
           "Happy Sunday, Daniel. I was just talking to.... what was your name?" He started, looking at Nicole behind me
        Before Nicole could respond to him, I snapped at him.
        "Nicole."
        "Cute." Oliver said. This made my blood f*cking boil. I wanted to slug him
        I didn't respond, just staring at Oliver. Oliver smirked a little, an evil smirk, walking away, to sit at a pew. I turned to Nicole, about to say something, when P.J walked up to me. I talked with him about his 'health predicament'. He was like a second father to me, when my dad didn't act like one. Oliver didn't like Joey, because he was once caught by Joey while Oliver was using drugs, and sent him to rehab.
         He then went up to the front of the room, about to start the sermon. I was about to talk to Nicole, when the pianist started playing, signaling the start. I went to my seat, sitting begrudgingly beside my brother. After a good morning word, and a few announcements, we went to the first hymn, Alleluia, Song of Sweetness.
The entire congregation started singing, all in their own different pitches and vocal types, but one stood out to me that I never noticed before. It was a soft, beautiful tuned voice, to my left. I looked over, and was shocked to see that it was coming from Nicole. I was so captivated that I stopped singing, time around me seemed to dull out, and go silent, and all that had my attention was her and her beautiful voice. It was like... an angel's. So soft and sweet, drowning out the crowd. I felt chills run through my body, staring. She must have noticed my look, because she turned her gaze to me, still singing.
        I only held the gaze for a split second, before quickly turning to the front, resuming the hymn from where we were. My heart was racing. Nicole...... my angel.
       After the sermon was done, I was going to find Nicole, when Oliver pulled me aside, to the corner of the room.
      "What is it, Oliver?" I asked, exasperated.
      "I want her." He said immediately.
      "You want.... Nicole?"
       "Yes. I want her as my maid. I'll pay you for her."
      "Oliver, she isn't yours to buy. She is a human."
       "Is Daniel Falcor actually... SOFT, on a girl?" He said sarcastically.
       "No. I'm not soft on anyone." I snapped back.
       "I saw you stare at her. You can't get her Daniel. Bad guys like you don't get innocent girls like her."
"Oh, so like you would?" I asked him sarcastically.
"If you are brutal and mean enough like me, brother, you get whatever the f*ck you want, and no one can say anything about it." He responded, chuckling.
"I'm not soft on her, Oliver. You are delusional. Those drugs you always take must be messing with your ALREADY f*cked up head." I said, leaving him to go join the crowd for breakfast.
"In the mafia life we don't get true love, Daniel. Accept your fate." He called after me.
"I'm not in love, and you aren't getting her." I growled lowly, too low for him to hear.