"Baby, drop them bones.
Baby, sell that soul.
Baby, fare thee well."
~Dorothy,
Raise hell.
I WAS GLAD NO ONE really found out about the stunt we had pulled earlier. And even none of the older ones in my family made no move to indicate that they knew about the entire party thing— I knew they were suspicious. At least my father and Alessandro were.
You may wonder how I knew this.
"She's rebelled more against you then we had in the past year," Alessandro said, not even bothering to look up from his phone.
My father sighed, his mouth in a pursed line.
"Well, she is his daughter, isn't she?" My uncle grinned at me.
I didn't react, "Why are y'all pretending that you didn't drink at my age?" I questioned nonchalantly.
I saw my uncle tense. Why is it they can ask and look up my past but I can't know anything about them?
"We never had proper parental supervision," My father said, pouring himself a drink, "We were practically orphans, with no fucking idea of how to not be... ruthless."
"Leo—" My uncle tried to interrupt.
"No, let her know," he downed the entire glass in at a time— maybe this was why I wasn't a light weight—, "My father wasn't a... good man. And it turned worse when my mother died.
"He was what parents used to scare their kids with," He shrugged. The entire room stilled, and I wondered if anyone dared to breathe, "I hid Dante away from his clutches, and he thankfully didn't seem to care.
"When I was your age, I was an alcoholic. And to be honest, I wouldn't have recovered if it weren't for Rora. My father never cared if we drank or what we did. He was just there..." I glances around, Austin was looking at his lap, he didn't seem to have heard this the first time. And Luc was glaring at the wall.
I don't think anyone would understand him as well as I did right now, we were both struggling at our ages— me who consumes less food than what was considered to be normal and him who consumed more than normal.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?
"I pity you, father," I said, leaving my seat, "for how much we are the same and how much it shows that we're fucked up. In more ways than one."
I would never let someone be like me. Someone who'd kill for money, someone who'd lost morals and someone who was the reason of anyone's nightmares.
Someone who'd lost morals.
If eight year old saw what I am right now, she'd be ashamed.
"Pick up your phone," Alessandro gestured to me. I shrugged before realizing that it was my phone.
Rolling my eyes, I exited the room and closed the door. I never loved the caller as I did right now.
Just taking precaution, I played a random time from my phone at the loudest peak. I waited, seeing as no one came out, it meant the room was sound proofed.
No sound enters or no sound leaves.
"Hello, Ms. Knight." His voice whispered.
Ryder was, to put it in the nicest way possible, one of the worst people to ever exist on the planet. And his twin was worse, if that was even possible. There twins' were redheads, and the heirs of the German Crime family. And while Ryder was arrogant and specialized in hand-to-hand combat, his twin— River— was the smarter fighter. To be honest, I River was even a few more inches taller, I was sure she could beat her twin.
"Ah, the Zika twins," I whispered back, not showing them the smirk I had on my face, "I almost thought you both died in a ditch somewhere."
"Careful, Knight," I could hear River snarl, "Someone might think we actually care about each other."
I whirled around, "That's a nasty bruise, Riv." I remarked noticing the blue-black patch of brutal pain left on her jaw. The phone call was a decoy.
"Watch your mouth, Knight." Ryder snapped, "Or should I say Romano."
"Do. Not. Bring. Them. Into. This," I hissed.
"I see someone's playing happy fucking family," River snorted in a way that couldn't be sane.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Ryder interrupted before I could say anything, "Such a shame you got attached to them, baby."
"Oh, brother it's a shame she isn't with us, we could have so much fun," River placed a hand above her heart, her untamed ruby hair framing her face.
"A shame, indeed," Ryder agreed.
"There's always time for fun, bitches," I grumbled.
"Now, now," Ryder's stoic facade broke as he almost seemed disappointed, "That's not nice coming from a princess."
I never thought about it, but being the daughter of the Italian Crime family meant that I am the princess here. And there would be expectations for me.
"Fuck you, Zika." I snapped.
"I'd be careful with my wishes if I were you, Knight." Ryder said, almost nonchalantly.
"Let's get on with it, shall we?" I said.
They say The Falcons are one of the best hunters on the world.
The Falcon was known for her ability to stay hidden, to slip under people's grasp and she was known for her ability to be swift like an arrow tearing someone's flesh apart, swiftly but with scorching pain. Catching the Falcon was like grabbing fog with your eyes blinded.
That was The Falcon's skill.
Never having an easy win, but a glorious one. One that was worth telling others, one that looked like it was a dance, graceful and beautiful.
That was exactly how Astrid worked.
It was River who started the move. Lunging for Astrid, the redhead moved with precise speed. Ducking under her arm, Astrid elbowed the girl in the ribs, not hard enough to bruise but hard enough so she could stall.
Ryder was at her, his fist colliding in the same place she'd elbowed River. Coughing quietly for air, Astrid shook her head once, blinking away the sudden movement, she slammed her foot into Ryder's. Without a sound, Ryder backed away from The Falcon.
Standing between the twins, Astrid's heart thrummed in her chest, so loudly that it was almost distracting. The anticipation of who was the first one to attack was maddening her senses.
River attacked first the last time, so it must be...
She was right, blocking Ryder's punch, Astrid hit and inside of his offensive elbow and kicked him in the shin. Throwing him on the ground by the block, Astrid kicked him twice in the ribs before she felt herself in a chokehold position.
"You put up a great fight," River nipped at Astrid's ear, still in the same position, "But it's enough, baby."
Like hell it's enough.
Astrid hooked her leg behind River's ankle, elbowing her right in the face, River fell on her back.
Gasping for air, Astrid coughed harshly. She whould have taken an entire meal if she knew they were going to grace Astrid with their presence.
Ryder grabbed her waist, smashing her against the railing if the hallway, Astrid feared he was going the throw her down. The fall would be nasty and she was sure she would at least a couple of bones and puncture her lung.
Pressing her torso against the railing, Ryder applied pressure on Astrid's spine, for her to bend over the glass.
A horrifying crack sounded and Astrid knew her rib's been broken.
"Now, there's that the crack I love to hear," Ryder prided himself. It wasn't everyday you cracked one of the world's top assassins and get away with it.
"Asshole," She gritted through her pain.
Abandoning the sharp, shrill pain that came with every breathe, Astrid slammed her hips back to his' and stood back up, holding her ribs.
River grinned, grinned noticing that movement of weakness.
Astrid took a moment to catch her breath. Her heart was beating too fast and her blood was rushing to her ears and her hair was so wild that it keeps getting in her eyes. And she had a bob cut.
Hissing at the pain, Astrid tried to jab Ryder. Tried. Instead, Ryder's elbow met her chest, the air leaving her almost in an instant.
The German twins didn't give her time to recover. Maybe skipping breakfast was a bad idea, after all. As River's foot met Astrid's ribs, pain, that sense of grounding left Astrid.
That hard, ferocious kick had her crushing the side of the hallway and right into the glass. The material cracked beneath her body. Black spots appeared in her vision...
Not like this. Not like this. Not like this. Not like this—
Blinking and forcing herself to stand, Astrid's legs protested beneath her. Not like this.
This time Astrid was the one to initiate the move. She sidestepped the jab to her jaw and jump-kicked Ryder in the ribs. Hard.
"Now, there's that satisfying crack I love to here," Astrid purred, hearing the crack.
River grabbed her from behind, the tip of her knife pressing to Astrid's throat, drawing the tiniest bit of blood, "Not so tough now, are we?" River taunted.
They were toying with her, as I'd she were a puppet made for their pleasure and fun.
Locking her hands around River's armed wrist, Astrid forced her in front of herself. The movement so quick and precise that Ryder— who was watching was too stunned. How did she move that fast? And... that too with a broken rib.
"A pity I have to kill you," Astrid purred, before jabbing the red-haired girl in the throat. Pushing her to the ground, Astrid roundhouse-kicked Ryder.
Staggering back for a moment, Ryder backed away to give his twin time. Taking the hint, River locked her arm around Astrid's throat and pulled her to the ground with her.
Straddling her, River sat on top of the assassin, "This," She grumbled before punching Astrid in the jaw, "Is," punch to the collar bone, "For," a jab to the ribs, "My brother!"
Astrid grunted in pain, locking her legs around River's throat, she watched as her pale face turned red.
Something trickled down her ankle— the left one to be more specific. Blood. And a moment later, pain kicked in. Along with adrenaline.
Ryder's crooked grin just showed her what she wanted to know— he stabbed her.
Not a fatal wound.
Kicking River on the face to get off her, Astrid jumped to her legs.
Should. Not. Have. Done. That.
How did she forget that she was stabbed?
Abandoning the pain, Astrid used a right hook on him. Ducking under her arm, River leaned down, "A bit too slow,"
Kicking her on the back of her spine, River climbed on top of Astrid, straddling her.
Astrid heard a rustle and then—
River pressed the knife to her throat, drawing blood, "She's slacking, isn't she, brother?"
"Try being pampered by a family, Schwester. I'd say that does a lot for a person's fitness," Ryder scoffed.
Sister.
"You have a lot of nerve for attacking me in my own home," Astrid snarled at them, "I wonder what will happen if they heard us right now."
"If they heard us, we'd have been dead for a long time, now," Ryder snorted as he dragged the knife across her throat, her blood spluttering.
A harsh wound on her throat.
River laughed, "The Zika twins— killers of one of the best assassins to ever walk on this earth."
Ryder snorted.
"What's taking so lon—" Leo's eyes fell on the three of them as soon as he opened the door. His daughter's throat slit open, the bruises on both the redheads, Astrid's split knuckles.
She didn't go down without a fight.
And then rage. That red hot, blinding wave that crashed against his veins. The roaring of his blood against his ears, the rapid pounding of his heart.
"You just signed your death warrant, kids," Leo purred.
He didn't have time for bullshit, not when his daughter was bleeding to death. Astrid's eyes were closing. She extended her arm with great difficulty, her mouth moving as if to say Leave, please.
But all that came was blood.
He had to end this now. But... he might regret it later.
The twins didn't have time to react as Leo shot the red-haired girl on top of his daughter.
Ryder snapped, the sound was a plea.
River's body fell limp on Astrid's, both of their blood mixing together on the floor.
Since the door was open, Ryder's voice traveled inside— and...
Luciano heard a couple of gun shots.
What was happening outside?
—E D I T E D—