~ papa's mansion ~
I woke up in my room, rays of the sun decorating my desk and bed. I sighed happily and stretched my arms.
I stepped out to the balcony in shorts and a long sleeve shirt and stared out at the view. The breeze made me shiver yet I felt... refreshed.
The events of last night replayed in my head as I stood out there, the people and cars rushing along as they normally would.
Suddenly, I felt my head being pulled back and a blade touched my neck.
"Walk." his voice said.
"Enzo..."
"Walk."
"At least let me put on some sweats."
"Fine." he huffed.
I grabbed some sweats and pulled them on. The minute I stood up, the knife took its place back on my neck.
"Jeez..."
"Cállate." he shushed me.
[translation: shut up]
I stayed silent. Clearly something was going through his head and I didn't want to be killed.
I still hadn't listened to the Good News album fully.
He walked me out of my room and through the living room of the mansion.
"Enzo, qué estás haciendo con mi hija?" my dad said.
[translation: what are you doing with my daughter?]
We turned around to see my mother standing there in shock and my father with his hands held up as if he was ready to surrender something.
"I'm sorry Don."
With that, he pulled me out of the house and shoved me into his car. He gagged me and I sat in the backseat, my hands tied together in front of me.
"Enzo. Mírame, por favor."
[translation: look at me, please.]
His eyes flicked up to the rear-view but kept driving.
"Why are you doing this? Who's making you do this?"
The car screeched to a halt and I winced at the sound.
"Get out."
"I can't really-" I started as he cut me off.
"I know you undid the ropes, so get out."
Damn, he's good.
I stepped out the car, running my fingers over my wrists to soothe the pain of the ropes. Enzo walked to me and pulled out his gun.
He glanced at me every now and then as he secured the bullet rounds and clicked the safety off the gun.
I inhaled sharply.
"When I was asked to kidnap you, I didn't want to do it. I never wanted to get involved. But I did. And now I regret it because I have to kill you now."
He lifted the gun and pressed it to my temple.
But, why? Why would he need to- Oh.
"Oh. I get it now," I said, smiling like an idiot, "the Martinez Mafia is small, but the Cortez Mafia is... ¿como se dice? [how do you say?] Ah, es grande y poderoso. [ah, it's big and powerful] No? If you kill me, there isn't anyone to take over. So my father would clearly pick you." I poked at his chest and he swatted my hand away with his gun.
"When your padre came to me about a kidnapping mission, I wasn't on board. I had never kidnapped anyone and it seemed unlikely that it was gonna work. It was easier than I thought. When he told me that I was kidnapping his daughter, I was shocked. Then it hit me - you would be the heir to the Mafia and you would become the don to the largest mafia." [translation: father]
I snorted at him. All he wanted was power, wasn't it? And I just had to stand in the way of that.
"As if!"
"Are you seriously quoting Clueless before you die?" he said, his face twisting into a look of shock.
"If you wanted to kill me, you would've done it much earlier and yes I did just quote clueless because there is no way that Papa will give you the mafia now. You just put a knife to my neck as if it was nothing!!"
I saw my window of opportunity and used it.
I kicked his hand and the gun flew out of it. He tried to grab my throat so I punched him right across the jaw, grabbed his arm and turned him around, placing my switchblade on his neck.
He groaned in pain and anger.
"I would kill you, but I think there's someone that wants to talk to you. Now get in." I said, ushering him into the car.
_______________________________
"Eres un hijo de puta!! After all these years; taking care of you, allowing you to rise up as your own person yet this is how you repay me? You tried to murder my daughter!!"
[translation: you are a son of a bitch]
Papa outstretched his hand and smacked Enzo who was chained to the wall by his hands.
His head tilted to the side and he coughed out some blood.
"Don.." Enzo said, his voice all raspy and low.
"Vaffanculo. I would've killed you on sight but you're lucky that my daughter told me to spare you till we got to the basement."
[translation: go fuck yourself]
He punched Enzo across the jaw again then kicked at him.
As much as I wanted him dead, something in my head was begging me to leave him be.
"Papa, por favor."
[translation: please.]
"Do you want to kill him yourself?" Papa asked me.
"Let him go." I sighed.
Papa looked at me as if I was a madman.
"Amore, mírame. ¿Estas bien?"
[translation: love, look at me. Are you okay?]
"If he tries this again, kill him on the spot. But something is telling me that he won't. So let him go."
Papa hesitated before he spoke again.
"As you wish."
"All of you, leave. I'll do it myself." I said, stepping slowly towards him.
Sighing, Papa motioned for the men to leave and followed them out.
I unlocked the chains on his arms and legs then dragged him to the seat. As I cleaned the blood off his face, he watched me intensely.
"Who asked?"
"You don't know him." he scoffed.
"Doesn't matter Enzo. Who asked you to do it?" I gritted my teeth. He was getting on my nerves.
"Damien Mozorov." he hissed as I dabbed at the cut on his cheek. Papa's ring was a weapon on its own.
The Russians? But they're only the third largest mafia. Shit.
"You do realise that they would've killed you once you had finished me, right?"
"It was a risk I was willing to take."
I let out a small laugh and shook my head at him.
I continued to clean him up, then left.
Before I fully exited, Enzo called out to me.
"Don't go after him. It's not worth it." he winced. Clearly he needed rest and I was certain he wouldn't get any here.
Shaking my head, I walked away.
I went up to my room and grabbed my weapons bag. I changed into some suitable clothing then walked out of my room, seeing red.
As I hurried down the stairs, I saw my mom.
"Mija, where are you going in such a hurry?"
"I'm gonna go back to my apartment; I'll be back later."
I kissed her on the cheek and as I went she called out to me.
"Be back before dinner baby!!"
"Claro, mama."
[translation: of course mama]
My car sat in front of the house and one of the men that worked for had the keys in his hand and the door open.
"Your father had a feeling you would be leaving after what happened, Miss."
"Please, call me Lucía. And also, would you tell him that I'm just going to my apartment and I'll be back later?"
"Of course Mi- Lucía."
I gave the old man a smile then took the keys from him and stepped into the car.
As I drove, Enzo wouldn't stay out of my thoughts. Our friendly challenges, when I first met him then to a couple hours ago.
The red light made me and the other cars stop. An unknown feeling started bubbling up in me and I began to drum my fingers on the steering wheel.
To drown out my thoughts, I blasted some Pop Smoke then sped away when the light changed.
I swerved into a parking spot and shut off my engine. I jogged up the stairs, my keys and phone in my hand. The lift was taking too long to arrive so I opted on taking the stairs.
Three flights of stairs later, I got to my floor.
The floorboards creaked as I walked to my door, only to see that it was slightly ajar.
I whipped out my gun and clicked the safety off. I stepped towards the door slowly and nudged it open with the barrel.
I swiftly looked around, thankful that no one was hiding. Grace's hair was hanging off the sofa as the TV showcased a classic rom-com.
"Grace?"
She didn't move.
I walked around the sofa and my heart dropped.
Grace had a bullet hole in between her eyes. On the wall behind her, the words "you're next" were painted in blood. Her blood.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I picked up and was greeted by a crackling noise. Finally a voice spoke.
"Lucía Rosalina Cortez."
"Who are you?"
"Now darling, that's a bit forward. I assume you received my gift?"
"Burn in hell, you stronzo." I spat. [translation: asshole]
"My god. Where are your manners?"
"They burnt to a crisp when I came back from hell. Now I'm not going to ask you again, who are you?"
"Damien Mozorov, heir to the Russian Mafia. It's a pleasure to meet you darling." he replied, his accent far from his mother tongue.
"You're Russian, yet your accent is... I want to say British?"
"Good ear. Yes, I've been spending my time in my childhood home; not that you care. Now it's my turn to make threats. Step down from the mafia; run away. If you say no, I'll just have to kill you and your family. Don't test me darling, because I'm not here to play games. Goodbye now."
With that, he hung up and left me in the eerie silence of my apartment. I gritted my teeth and my phone slipped out of my hand, causing a loud noise to echo around the area. I grabbed the vase I had once stored roses from my father in and threw it against the wall.
I didn't cry: it felt impossible to do. I was angry. Not sad. I called someone. Someone I trusted. Someone who knew much more about this than I did.
I swiped my phone off the floor and dialled the one phone number that I had etched in my memory.
"Hello?" the voice came.
"Dante?"
"Fénix?" he replied. I could hear the shock in his voice.
"One and only."
"The sun never sets in the east."
I thought about it, then it hit me.
"And it would never rise in the west."
"You know where; be there." he said, then hung up.
The east side. The city where the sun doesn't set.
_______________________________
hi mis amores <3
i hope you are all well, and looking after yourselves. here is the chapter for the week and i hope you enjoy!!
let me know if you see any mistakes or if i missed a translation somewhere (hopefully not!!)
have a great week everyone, mwah <3
~ m 🤍
p.s: i'm doing a q&a so feel free to comment any questions you have down here ✨