Reign
the return of a group of people usually on a special occasion to a place formerly frequented or regarded as home
At my Father's house.
"You should've called." Dina says from the stove.
"I told Nate to call." I say looking at him.
"I was busy so I told Jycobi." Nate points across the table.
"I honestly forgot." Jycobi, the not so bright brother says.
"Where's Rage?" Dad walks into the kitchen.
"With Katorah, so you know how that goes." Nate says.
"Call him." Dad says. Jycobi pulls out his phone and calls him.
"Hello." Rage says coming from the front door.
"Dads asking where you at?" Jycobi asks literally looking at Rage.
Rage removes the phone from
his ear. "Are you blind or?"
"Well, what kept you so long?" Jycobi asks loudly. "Did you get attacked by leaches?" He gets up and presses the hickey on Rage's neck.
"Fuck out my face." He gut punches Cobi.
"Stop cursing." Dina says and Rage apologizes.
Raven comes down stairs and sits beside me. I know she's nervous but today she wanted to tell us about Luca's mom.
Dad and Dina start to bring things to the table.
"When you said you wanted to have a dinner, I didn't actually think you meant it." I say a bit awkwardly.
"It was Raven's idea." Dina says sitting down across from Raven. Dad sits at the head of the table.
Everyone begins to eat in silence but I can't help and notice Jycobis leg literally jumping up and down.
"Ugh, I can't do this. It's so weird." Jycobi says
"Yeah, me neither." I agree with him.
"We're like one big dysfunctional family." Rage laughs and Nate joins him. I see a smile creep on my dads face.
"Eww now he's smiling." Nate makes fake gagging noises. They all begin to chatter.
I look to Raven and see her fork dancing around a potato. "You okay?" She nods with a small smile. It looks like she wants to say something else, "What is it?" I ask trying to encourage her.
"I don't want to ruin this with what i'm about to say." She whispers barely enough for me to hear.
"You won't ruin anything, I promise. But if you're not ready to talk about it, you don't have to."
"I'm ready." She says rather quickly. And I nod. Looking over I see dad has his eyes on us already.
"Everything okay?" Dina asks and my brothers stop talking.
Raven nods and takes a breath, "Before I say anything know that i'm not trying to ruin the dinner." They all nod. "Do you all know a lady named, Leila?"
"Yeah, she's Luca's mother." Rage nods slowly. "Why'd you ask that?"
"Well I think she may be the one who sold me to Almanze." She says looking down and whispers how it's so embarrassing.
"Hey." She looks up at Nate. "There's no need for you to be embarrassed, okay?"
"And plus we've known as much." Jycobi says giving her a warm smile, she returns it but it fades away.
"What do you mean 'we'?" Dad asks gripping his fork tightly. Dina places her hand over his. "You knew also?" She nods. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"It wasn't my place." She shakes her head.
"Why are you telling us this?" He looks to Raven.
"Because I have intentions to believe that she's also my mother." She says making everybody eyes widen, except Dina's. Her eyes are filled with tears.
Wait one damn second.
"It's her, Ro." Dina sniffs.
Huh? What the hell is going on?
My dad stares at Raven, blinking he looks away. "No it isn't."
"It is, Roman-"
"How, Dina?!" He gets up. "You want me to believe that when I sent you two to California, you came back with my daughter?! Life doesn't work like that, D. So stop with this nonsense." He walks into his office.
Wayment?
Hold the goddamn phone.
And pump the breaks.
"What the hell is going on?" I ask.
"His daughter?" Raven asks looking at Dina.
She nods. "Roman told me why he wants you to kill Luca. To make a long story short. He was supposed to kill Leila but he didn't. He slept with her and she got pregnant. Roman kept her hidden for a while and they have a baby girl, Luna Miray Dal Bon. Somehow Santiago finds out Leila's alive and next thing you know her and the baby are gone. That's all he told me."
"That's all? What do you mean that's all?" Raven says getting angry.
"That's all he knows swe-"
"You're telling me that he's my father?! My blood father?!" She screams with tears. "Why didn't he look for me?" She gets up from the table and heads towards dad's office.
"Raven, wait." Dina calls after her. We all get up and follow them.
She pushes dad's door open, he sits in his chair, his head down and elbows in his knees. "Why didn't you look for me?!" She walks closer to him. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" She begins to shove him. "Why didn't you look for me?" She sobs, punching him. "Why?"
He gets up and pulls Raven closer, hugging her. "I'm sorry."
"They tried to do so many awful things to me." She cries harder against his chest.
"Cmon you guys." Dina says to us as we watch the scene unfold. She closes the office door and we go into the living room.
"Fix your face." Rage says to Jycobi.
"I'm not even crying, anymore." He says as the tear streaming down says otherwise.
~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~
Roman
Flashback 13 years ago.
"Cmon, you can do it!" I say to my baby girl, who is trying to learn how to walk. She falls face forward and begins to cry."You're okay, moonie." I scoop her up in my arms and sit on the sofa.
"Roman." I look at the mother of my child, who's also my brother's wife. "I don't want to live like this anymore." She says and takes a seat next to me.
"Leila, please not right now."
"Yes! Right now!" She screams making Luna jump.
"Chill the fuck out. Your scaring her."
"I don't give a fuck! I wanna see my son!" She screams even more. Making Luna cry. I get up and take my daughter to her room, staying with her until she falls asleep. Then walk back into the living room.
"Leave. I don't care if he kills you. You're a grown woman. If you decide you want to leave then go ahead."
"You're guilt tripping me." She says quietly.
"I'm not. Honestly, I don't give a fuck what you do anymore. I do know whatever it is my child wont be apart of it."
"What?" She laughs. "Wherever I go she's going."
"No she isn't. Santiago wants you dead. Six feet under. What do you think he'll do once he founds out you're alive and have had a child that isn't his?"
"You really think he'll kill me?" She laughs. "Why do you think he sent you to do it? San loves me, he wouldn't dare."
"What about Luna, huh?" I ask. She only keeps quiet. Which pisses me off. "What about my fucking daughter, Leila?"
Her eyes start to tear up. "The only reason I had sex with you was to get back at him."
"So what are you saying?"
"I didn't mean to have a child." She whispers quietly.
"So you don't care what happens to our child? You don't love her?" I ask.
"Of course I love her. But she doesn't deserve this." She gets on her knees. "Please Roman, we have to put her up for adoption."
"No. Fuck out of here with that." I back away from her.
"It's only right, Roman. You know she doesn't deserve this." She says and I shake my head trying to ignore her words. "I'm leaving tomorrow. So you need to figure out what you're going to do." She gets up and walks down the hallway.
~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~
Leila
9 years ago.
"San." I call out my husband's name. He looks up from his computer.
"Leila? What?" He gets up and makes his way to me.
"I'm sorry for everything. I didn't mean any of it. I just wanted Luca to have a normal life. I do-" He cuts me off by kissing me.
"Oh. I've missed you mio amore." He guides his hands over my hair and it's reminds me of Roman.
Why? I don't know.
But i'm quickly reminded that's it Santiago when his grip tightens. "Ow. San. Stop."
"But you're a conniving, cheating little whore. Roman told me everything." My eyes widen at his sentence. "Yeah, how you tried to sleep with him, to get back at me. And how you were planning on coming back. I'm glad he didn't kill. Because I wanna see you rot."
"What?! No! He didn't tell-" He slaps his hand across my mouth.
"My son is sleeping. If you wake him up i'll hurt you." He removes his hand slowly.
"He didn't tell you everything."
"Yeah? What did he leave out mio amore?" He leans against his desk and smirks.
"That I had his baby." His smirk fades. "I had his child." He gets up and rushes to me. "No! No! Wait! Please." I hold my hands out.
"Where's the child?" He spits out disgustingly. He smacks his hand against the wall when I don't answer.
"We put her up for adoption."
"You're gonna find her. And when you do, I want you to show me how much you really love me." He kisses me again.
"I will."
~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~~~•~•~
Roman
Present
"Moonie, i'm so sorry." I pull my daughter closer.
"Why didn't you look for me?." She squeezes my jacket tighter.
"I thought after sending you off to foster care, you would be safe, having a normal life, but I was wrong. You were hurting." I pull her away. "I'm so sorry baby girl. This is my fault."
She sniffs and I wipe a tear that has fallen. "Not yours, Leila's." Her eyes turn a shade darker. "And if she isn't already dead, i'll be delighted to give her that opportunity."
"No, I'm going to handle this. I don't want you to get involved in any of this." I say and she shakes her head.
"Aren't you the one who told me, If someone hurts you, put them in a grave?" I look down.
"Yes but I won't allow this. I will not put you in danger ever again."
"It's too late. This is what I need to do, to have my peace." She wipes her eyes once more. "Kill Leila and the Garrido clan."
"How? You just gonna walk in there by yourself?" I scoff. "The second you do, they'll have your head. And plus you're not ready."
"I am ready, especially for this. But if you're not going to help me, I know just the people who will." She says and walks out the office door.
What have I done?