tobiah pov (two days ago, December 13, 2022)
"wassup man." i dap bryan up.
"hey. i found that info on those people you asked for. you sure you want to go crawling down that hole? looks to me like it gets pretty deep." he says.
him and his damn metaphors.
"yea. i'm sure." i reply.
"ight. you need me to come with?" he asks.
"you want to?" i ask.
"hell yea. you know i'm nosy as hell nigga." bryan laughs.
"ight man." i sigh.
"i can go?"
"yea. but when we get there, please stay in the car first. i have no idea how this is gonna go and i don't want them to feel unsafe." i explain.
"i got you man." he replies.
"ight. plane leaves tomorrow." i say.
"ight. see you later man."
"see you."
as we part ways, i can't help but think if i'm making the right choice. bryan was right. there is some deep history between us. all i can do is hope for the best.
kiara pov (December 15, 2022)
"why are you here?" i ask.
"i just really wanted to meet my siblings. i've never met you guys before. i just wanted to know you." he says.
"our father said he wanted us to stay away from you." i sigh.
"is it because of my dad?" he asks.
"yes. also because he doesn't know you. we don't know you. he doesn't want to risk our lives." i explain.
"kiara, please. just let me explain. let me explain my story to you." he pleads.
i look back at uriah and isaiah for an answer. isaiah doesn't say anything.
"ok." uriah says standing up. "come in."
i know as the second or third oldest i don't really have much of a say when uriah agrees or disagrees to something, but i'm not sure about this. i just figured we could look for him and if we didn't find him, we can go back home. act like nothing happened. i hadn't made a plan for if we actually met him.
tobiah sits on the couch just as uriah does.
"give me a second." i say. i run upstairs to my room. aliana is wearing undergarments looking for clothes in my closet.
"is maliki here?" she asks.
"no, but tobiah is." i state.
"you're fucking lying." she says.
"nope. downstairs. wants to explain himself." i state.
"let me put on my clothes and i'll be right down." she says.
"can you come with me now and we'll touch you up later?" i ask.
"yea."
she hurriedly throws on jeans and a shirt. the both of us walk down the stairs together. we walk into the living room and sit on the couch opposite uriah and tobiah.
"hey. you must be aliana, right?" tobiah says turning his attention to aliana.
"yea. that's me." aliana replies.
"nice to meet you." he says.
"you too." aliana smiles.
"so tell us about your story." uriah says.
"when i was younger, mom was never around. i lived with my dads sister, marila. she took care of me, until one night. one night, mom stopped by. she had blood dripping from her abdomen. she said something had happened and we had to leave. so we packed our bags and moved to new york. i was twelve. after that day, mom made sure i knew how to defend myself. i studied karate, jiu jitsu and i took up boxing. i became a black belt in karate at 17. then i became a red belt in jiu jitsu at 19. she also took me to shooting ranges. she said there would be a time where i would need to defend myself. a time where even she couldn't protect me." tobiah explains.
"protect you from your dad, right?" aliana asks.
"precisely. she finally told me about what happened to tiana at 21. it truly does break my heart what happened to tiana. i blamed myself so many times, despite mom telling me it wasn't my fault." he takes a deep breath. "as the rightful heir to the De Luca Mafia, i have to know how to protect myself. if my father found out i was alive, i have no idea how he would react. i don't know if he would accept me because i'm still alive or hate me because i hid from him all my life." tobiah says.
"he's your father right? shouldn't he accept you either way?" i ask.
"that's not how it works in a mafia. betrayal is the one thing that isn't tolerated in a mafia. you have to be loyal to your capo or, as we say it in Italy, the Don. if you're not loyal, severe consequences will follow." tobiah debriefs.
"we uh—we planned a trip to new york to meet you this weekend. do you think your father would've found out we were looking for you?" uriah asks.
"a hundred percent. he has his men everywhere. that's why i never go anywhere alone, or go anywhere at all." tobiah sighs. "wait, you were gonna come find me?"
"yea. isaiah was gonna go either way. i just wanted to make sure someone was there with him." i say. tobiah looks back at isaiah.
"speaking of you isaiah, you haven't said a word since i got here. what's up?" tobiah asks curiously.
"can we trust you?" isaiah asks.
"of course you can." tobiah replies.
"but isn't it dangerous for us to meet? why did you do it? why did you come here?" isaiah asks standing from the bar stool.
"i just wanted us to meet."
the front door opens.
"who's car?" dad asks. he stares in shock at tobiah. "what the hell is he doing here?"
i stand up quickly and walk over to dad.
"dad it's ok. he just wanted to meet us." i say. he looks at me angrily.
"i told you it was too dangerous for you to meet." dad rages. he looks at us angrily.
some guy appears behind dad in the doorway.
"tobiah. we have a problem." he says. tobiah looks at him slightly angry.
"excuse me." tobiah says. tobiah slides past dad and walks out the house.
"what did i say?" dad yells. "what did i say?"
"you told us-" dad cuts me off.
"i didn't ask you to answer." i sigh and put my head down. "i told you guys he was dangerous. i told you not to go looking for him."
"technically, we didn't go looking for him. he found us." uriah says.
"so i'm supposed to believe he just found you?" dad asks.
"that's how it happened." tobiah says from behind him.
dad turns around.
"why are you here?" dad asks.
"i just wanted to meet them. i wanted them to know me. i mean them no harm. none of them." tobiah answers.
"if you hurt them in any way, you'll have me to deal with." dad says.
"yes sir." tobiah shoots him a small smile.
dad turns back and glares at the four of us.
"i'm trusting you to take care of yourselves." dad says.
"ok." i reply. dad walks past us toward the stairs.
"don't worry dad. we got this." uriah says dramatically to dad. he throws a thumbs up at dad. dad shakes his head then continues upstairs.
i turn my attention back to tobiah.
"guys this is bryan. he's my best friend." tobiah introduces.
"nice to meet you bryan." i smile.
"pleasures all mine." bryan smiles excessively at me. tobiah nudges him.
someone knocks on the already open door.
"hey guys. the doors' open." maliki says.
"oh shit." aliana breathes.
"hey maliki." i smile nervously.
"hey kiara." maliki replies.
"sup man." isaiah says. he walks up to maliki. he daps him up.
"hey man." maliki smiles. he turns his attention to uriah. "hey uriah."
"hey maliki." uriah throws him a fake smile.
"sorry, maliki. i totally forgot." aliana apologizes.
"no it's fine. i promise." maliki says. "you still want to go right?"
"yea. yea. let's go." aliana says. "i'll see you later ki." aliana says.
"bye. have fun! i love you!" i yell after her.
"i love you too!" she yells back.
"go get that vitamin d!" i yell again.
"kiara." isaiah says disgustedly.
"what? she needs it." i shrug.
"you need it?" bryan asks.
"no. i've already had my dose of deadbeat dick for the month." i reply.
"what?" isaiah and uriah yell in unison.
"i meant to ask you about that. you're dating mikey williams right?" tobiah asks.
"you want the truth?" i ask.
"always." tobiah answers.
"not anymore." i say. i walk back to the couch and sit down.
"what happened?"
"obsession years ago. blah, blah, blah. started dating. blah, blah, blah. he found out. they broke up. the end." isaiah briefs with a smile on his face.
"seriously?" tobiah asks.
"well, yea." i reply. i throw my legs on the couch.
"ok, i have to know about this." bryan says.
"bryan." tobiah says sternly.
"there's nothing to tell." i say.
"obsession?" bryan asks.
"ok, yea. i had an obsession with him. i eventually got over it though." i say defensively.
"yea after a couple years." isaiah snarls.
"shut up, zay." i say rolling my eyes.
"so i want to know everything about you guys. what sports you play? what your favorite color is? favorite food? everything." tobiah says looking between uriah, isaiah and i.
"cool. uriah first." isaiah smiles.
uriah rolls his eyes. i smile.
maybe this could actually work. maybe.
maliki pov
"i was so relieved when you said yes. i didn't know if you would agree or not." i say nervously.
"of course i said yes. you haven't given me a reason to say no." she smiles. i smile back. i open the car door for her. "you know i can open a door right?"
"yea. i know, but i'm a gentleman. chivalry isn't dead yet." i smile. she rolls her eyes with a smile in response. i walk to the drivers side of the car and get in. she already has her seatbelt buckled. i buckle mine and take off down the road.
"so where are we going?" she asks.
"i'm taking you to a bar." i reply.
"a bar? you do realize i'm only 18 right?" she questions with a smirk.
"i know aliana. we're going for the burgers. not the beer." i smile.
i pull into a parking lot to a small bar 17 minutes later. the both of us get out the car. she walks closely behind me as we enter the bar. the sound of beer bottles clanking together and laughter fill my ears.
i love this place.
i lead her to an open table. we sit down together.
"how do you know about this place?" she asks.
"last year, i came here a lot. mainly to drown my sorrows in beer and liquor. i didn't like that we had to move and even after a year i wasn't taking it so well. i had to break up with my girlfriend too. i wasn't in the best state of mind, until i came one day and decided not to drink. my favorite waiter told me to order food instead. so i did. i got a burger, and that shit was bomb as fuck." i laugh. she laughs with me.
"that's an interesting story." she said raising an eyebrow.
"trust me. you don't wanna know." i reply.
"hey mal." a waiter, bill comes up to our table.
"hey bill." i reply.
"what can i get you guys?" bill asks.
"water." i reply.
"sprite." aliana says politely. i smile at her.
"do you guys know what you want to order or should i give it a minute?" bill asks.
"we're ready." aliana says. she glances at me for a split second, then looks down at the menu. "i'll have the char grilled burger." she says.
"ok. how would you like your meat?"
"well done."
"ok. the usual maliki?" bill asks.
"yes bill. thank you." i smile. bill nods his head.
"i'll be right back with those drinks." bill says. he smiles at me excitedly and walks away.
"he seems nice." aliana says.
"he is." i reply.
(later)
"hey maliki. how did it go?" mom asks as i walk through the door.
"great actually." i smile.
"am i getting a daughter-in-law?" mom asks with a smile.
"chill mom. it was one date." i sigh.
"so it was a date?" she asks intriguingly.
"well no but—i—she-"
"what's wrong?" she asks smiling excessively.
"i'm going to bed." i sigh.
"wait mal. i wanted to know how your date went." mikey says coming around the corner.
"you didn't hear me just tell mom about it?" i ask, an annoyed tone in my voice.
"nah. i was in the bathroom." mikey replies.
"it was good." i reply. i head up the stairs.
"how—how's kiara?" he asks. he hesitates as he speaks. i stop in my tracks. i turn around to face him.
"she's good. she seems happy." i answer.
"oh. ok." he says. he turns his head away from me. i look back at mom. she watches mikey intently.
"some guy was at her house though." i say. i wait for a reaction from him.
he snaps his head at me quickly. "who?"
"someone named tobiah. aliana said he's her brother. he's from new york." i debrief. he looks at me in realization.
"oh." his voice shakes as he speaks. "ok. i just wanted to make sure she was good." he says, trying to play it off like he doesn't care.
he turns to head toward the living room.
"hey mike?"
"yea?"
"it's ok to be vulnerable. it's ok to be hurt. you have a right to be. if you miss her, tell her. you're both miserable without each other." i say.
he nods his head. he looks at me as a tear escapes his eye. i walk down the stairs and pull him into a hug. he cries into my shoulder.
"it's ok, mike. it's ok." i sigh and look up at the ceiling to hide my own tears.
♕⚤♔
~TT