"So what's with you and Luciano?" Hazel sits on Alice's couch eating another spoonful of ice cream "he was being a dick, and i won't put up with it" i shrug "you got into a fight?" Alice walks over with her ice cream.
"yea i guess" i take another sip of the silky red wine "what did he say?" Alice sits on the black couch "what did you say?" Hazel tilts her head.
i lean into the corner of the couch a bit more "he said that just because i have mommy issues doesnt mean i have to help everyone" i take a larger sip as hazel's expression drops "your kidding" i shrug "wish i was" i set my glass down.
"That's awful, want me to kill him?" Alice laughs a bit "there's no need for that" i fold my arms "i'm gonna kill him,i don't need your permission niki" hazel holds her hands up.
"what did you say back?" Alice tilts her head. "that his mother would be disappointed in him and that he should have a fun relapse" I fold my arms and both their eyes widen.
"niki" i shrug "what. i don't regret a thing" you do a little bit. "i refuse to be disrespected,i don't care how much i-" i take a deep breath as anger flares in my body.
"I don't care how important he is to me,I'm not going to be stepped all over by a man" I pick up my glass of wine and take another large sip. "i'm going to need more of this" i hold up my almost empty glass.
...
Hazel Alice and I lay face up in Alice's bed. We all decided that we should try to get some rest but by the feel of the room we're all more than awake.
"i killed my step father" alice's voice breaks the silence "what?'' Hazel turns her head in the darkness "he killed my mother so i slit his throat open and it was marked off as an accident because I was a 16 year old girl who lost her mother and stepfather in the span of a month " she let out a breath of relief.
"shit" i laugh a little and so does alice "do you regret it?" I turn my head to her "no. Not one bit" I nod "how did your mom die?" I turn over on my side leaning on Alice's shoulder.
"my step dad. um- he shot her. in front of me" hazel flips so she's closer to alice "i'm so sorry,no one should see that" hazel moves her leg onto alice and i follow "i can't imagine seeing something like that" we both squeeze her gently
"i'm in therapy for it, but a lot of professionals have said that this isn't something you exactly heal from" I place an arm over her. "How could he get away with that" i tilt my head to look at her.
"she was admitted into a mental hospital when she was fifteen, that was enough to convince the shitty racist officers" her voice cracks and Alice starts to cry. Hazel and I both hold onto her tight as she lets the emotions go.
I don't know how long she cried but hazel and i never let go or lost our grip. Alice is talking through the sobs but I can't make out a single word.
Eventually she calms down and we all sit up "sorry about that" she wipes her tears in the dark "don't be" i rub her back a bit "thank you guys" i lean over and turn the lamp on.
Alice takes a deep breath. "I needed that" she nods "I guess that's my sob story" she lets her hands down in the puffy comforter.
"at least you guys know" i laugh a bit "does stefano know?" Hazel tilts her head "yes, he's been really good with it. he's the only man i've been with that truly makes me feel happy" she smiles.
"that is the most surprising thing i've ever heard" alice laughs "you make my brother happy, you should see the way he smiles when he talks about you" i smile at her
"Have you guys said I love you yet?" Hazel wiggles her brows. Alice shakes her head "no, he just has other ways of showing it" she shrugs "how come?" I lean on my hand.
"My mom's last words were 'you know I love you right' so I just don't like it" she takes another deep breath "but he says in other ways" she smiles a little.
"like?" hazel lays on top of the comforter "the way he does my hair care,or makes sure i take my meds, sometimes he picks me up from work and just come home with me to sleep" I smile.
"He's learning how to braid" she laughs "safe to say it's going well" i nod "i'm glad you're happy with him" she smiles wider "okay let's go to bed like we have a tough next few days" alice looks at both of us. hazel and i nod slipping into her bed.
...
The last three days have been non-stop because we're incorporating the new mafia into our ways. It's easier for younger members but anyone over 35 is having a hard time.
"Nicoletta," a woman older than me, holds a stack of red files "what do i do with these" she tilts her head "just put them on the table so i can see what it is" she nods and walks over to the dining room table.
i pick up the first file
romano
-Alexander Romano
-sadie Romano
children:
Leo Romano
I read over the rest of the file and then put it down to turn to the woman.
"you're going to walk past my father's office by the ballroom,go up the first set of steps you see and walk down all those hallways. you're gonna see a door at the end,the room to the right of that is the file room" she nods.
"We use alphabetical order" she smiles "thank you" i nod i turn to walk up the stairs but see luciano walking down. hell no
I turn around and walk down the hall. I hear footsteps behind me and turn around "why are you following me" i fold my arms "don't flatter yourself sweetheart i'm going to dominicos office" he scoffs at me and my blood boils sweetheart really.
He walks past me and I let him. I wait until he's out of view to walk down the hall and past the ballroom to avoid him.
"ils n'ont aucune idée" (they have no clue) I furrow my brows as I peek over and see Jason with his back turned. what?
"d'accord au revoir" (alright goodbye) he puts his phone in his pocket and turns around, stopping in his tracks.
"Who was that?" I lean on the ballroom pillar. he laughs "my cousin" i nod and furrow my brows "i'm going to visit my family during your trip to take over the french mafia, i'm surprising my parents" i nod "alright"
"niki" my head snaps and i turn to see luciano "what" he looks over at jason and then back at me "i need to talk to you" i laugh a little "fuck off" i walk past him asshole.
he turns with me as i walk down the hall "so now your letting the whole mafia eye-fuck you" i look over at him "excuse me?" we both turn "we get into one little fight and you turn into a whore" i stop in my tracks.
"what?" he turns to me "you were all over him" he scoffs at me "you're a dick" i turn into dads office and shut the door in his face.
I turn around to see him going through a small filing cabinet. "I'm not going to ask" I walk over to the couch and sit down.
"good" i take a deep breath "what are you looking for?" Dad sighs "I had a folder on the french mafia and i can't find it, i put it in my desk a few weeks ago but it's gone now" he opens the second drawer.
"it's probably upstairs in the filing room, the newbie could have accidentally grabbed it" dad nods "you're probably right" he sits back down.
"Did you and Rose get into fights?" Dad sighs "only a few" I nod "how do you handle them?" dad rubs his temples "what happened?" I hesitate for a moment.
"we're both just aggressive people" i fold my arms "he didn't hit you did he? Did you hit him?" dad sits up in his chair "no dad, i just- he- and then i-" i let the breath out of my nose.
"i'm going to stay out of it" i nod "what do the different color folders mean?" i tilt my head "red is our members, yellow is gangs and other mafias, green is weapons, and blue is our business' like sanchez" i nod
"seems like an easy system" dad nods going through his desk folders again "check that bottom cabinet" dad points to the behind him and i stand up.
...
Luciano's pov:
My throat feels dry and I tap my fingers against my phone just because you know the number by heart doesn't mean that you have to call him.
the mixture of anxiety and anger fills my body more niki used her death against me. The bitter taste of cocaine fills my mouth for the third time in the last fifteen minutes.
I stare at the wood planks on my floor. Do you think she meant it? guilt fills my body i shouldn't have said that, she's just retaliating.
fuck it, she knew what she was trying to say. you had every fucking right to get mad. my door opens and my head snaps.
"Is it a bad time?" Hazel peeks her head into my room "no what's up?" she smiles and steps in shutting the door behind her.
as hazel steps closer to me her smile drops "you know how much i care about niki right?" here we go "yes" i lean back into the couch placed in my room.
"now, I don't know how to use a gun." she steps towards me "but i'll learn, just so i can make sure that you don't have working joints" i sigh "what's with the empty threats" i fold my arms and her brows raise.
"empty threats? i'm going to learn how to use a gun just so you can live in the constant fear that i might just snap one day and just put a round of bullets in you" she leans down to be face level with me.
her eyes dart across my face "like father like daughter i guess" she laughs a bit a smiles grows wider onto her face "watch what you say to her"
like father like daughter? she stands up straight and stares at me for a moment before turning around and leaving without another word the fuck was that