ODESSA
"I want to know more," Liam connects his eyes to mine and they darken again. "Tell me everything," he dooms us again but at this point—I am honestly used to it.
I push hair off my face and exhale since I'm a little rusty on the history but I do know the basics.
"My grandfather, Vladimir is in charge of the 7 families" and like real politics he is just a front man.
Switzerland if I may be so bold.
"There are 7 seats at the table of crime which means there is 7 families. The Dominaka," I point at my chest "is trade, mostly car parts and weaponry. Hidalgos are transport, anything to do with identity and legalities. The Choi's—"
"Property, I got it." His jaw clicks and I roll my eyes because he is using his bias towards Kai to be a jerk.
Which means he probably doesn't know that I punched him.
"And minerals" I enhance. "Also illegal mining and everything in between. Kai's father speaks for both the Japanese and Koreans, he has armies."
Which is why we can't risk a war with them, the union with the Hidalgo's is not final so they won't back us up. He has 7 sons for a reason and each one represents the seven deadly sins because he is seriously a bad man.
"The Russians, Spanish and Asians?" Liam doesn't seem to be digesting it well. "Who are the other four?"
But at least he is keeping up.
"The Walkers, Browns and Stewarts is the British mob, also known as the pigs because they are mostly Mi6, spies and assassins. They play the fence and are the muscle, if you want to make someone disappear? Call them."
I'm not sure who is in charge because they are also currently in an internal war that no one wants to touch. There is nothing smart about pissing off royalty and the police.
"The German and Dutch share a seat, they are the Hosslewolfs pack," I watch him closely as I add "they are technology. Social media, A.I, blackmail and surveillance. They have the politicians and leaders under their thumb."
And money, lots and lots of money.
"I'm not even going to attempt to understand that," Liam runs his fingers through his hair and exhales before nodding at me to continue.
"The Sheikh-Massimo family united through marriage and also share a seat, they are the Italians and Arabs. Currently in charge of territory and manufacturing." They are also stupid hot and the deadliest because, "they control the borders" and the terrorists.
We might have weapons but they have bombs and idiots willing to risk their lives to set them off.
"Lastly is the Africans, the Haram war lords. I can explain the details but it's all fancy words for drugs, loads and loads of drugs."
From common streets drugs like Heroin and weed to fancy drugs like coke and even medicinal drugs like Viagra. Africa has the largest underground drug trade in the world and nobody knows about it.
"Wait, Haram? As in Boko-Haram?" His face makes an expression I have not seen, "Vecker—"
"I don't know the details," I raise my hands. "The seven families have an understanding but they are not friends, so I don't know anything and I won't be the first idiot that asks."
It's a crime table, what the hell was he expecting? Unicorns and puppies? That's not in our world because my 9 year old cousin got a gun last Christmas.
"No Americans?" I'm glad he is calm enough to make jokes, "you have everybody but us."
Us? Liam's eyes are clear proof he is not fully Caucasian because when my father checked his family out, we found out that his mother has Polish roots but I won't be the one to say it.
Because being in the mob has taught me, everyone has dark history even sparkling and clean families like the Griffiths.
"It's a system," I hold my cup. "The seven families were created to keep a balance and add some control, they are still more right under them."
From the French, Columbians to the bloody Australians. I'm really not interested which means, I have the least information regarding it all.
I was 8 when we moved here, it gets too much after a while and I decided to slowly peel back when I found out I could do music and it became all I wanted to do. I know one day, I'll be back to missions and being active but it will be my choice.
"You are a part of the Russian mob Vecker." Liam says like it's finally sinking in, "you're engaged to your best friend and..." He pushes his cup away, "why didn't you just tell me?"
Tell him?
"Would you have believed me?" I finish my drink, "if my family didn't intervene would you have really believed me?"
Not even America and Jessica know because no one outside our world understands it. We might be the bad guys in every storybook and action movie but the real world is not that black and white.
We have our own version of John Wick and he's deadlier that the one in the movies.
The real world is not as pretty because our mob world is hazardous and everyone who gets involved always ends up in the middle and I couldn't do that to anyone I care about.
Especially not him.
"I don't know," Liam admits and it does something to my chest. "It seems I don't know anything."
Well, this is getting sad and that's saying something.
LIAM
I'm sloshed.
I still have a lot of questions, despite Felix giving me the basics and Vecker providing some history. I still have millions of questions about it all but none of them make sense because Russian bourbon doesn't play.
Worst of all, Odessa looks fucking amazing.
Moving out is agreeing with her because her creamy skin is like porcelain in grey shorts and an oversized Oakwood hoodie. And I want to run my fingers through the curly locks of her dark hair so badly it's maddening.
But not as much as the fading pink on her full and perfect lips. Or the way the blue in her beautiful eyes is like the perfect storm in an ocean—already pulling me in without my permission.
"Are you done objectifying me?" She smiles provocatively and I realize she's not using her American accent.
That's right, Felix let it known that they water down their accents when I asked why he suddenly sounded like his father. Which made sense because drunk Vecker sometimes spoke gibberish.
But I am the one who's drunk now and she sounds hot.
"Not yet," I stand and go around the counter before laying my large hand on her perfect tiny but grabble ass. I give it a good squeeze and say, "now I am."
I am glad my hand still fits.
"You do realize I am trained to break your hand in 5different ways?" She warns as the last wave of her eyes takes my breath away.
"And you do realize I'd let you, just to feel your hands on me again." I finally remove my hand.
Okay, she slaps it off when I squeeze again.
"Do you mind if I crash here? It's John B and America's date night which means they'll be racking up all night and letting everyone in the entire house know."
I can't wait to move out next month, Oakwood is beyond suffocating since basketball season ended.
"Don't you want to sleep at one of your girl's houses?" She grabs my mug and tosses it into the sink. "You know, your little girls of the month. I can get you an Uber."
I smile like a drunk idiot because,
"Have you been keeping tabs on me?" I run my hands through my face to try to sober up.
If Odessa's eyes are the ocean, I must be in a boat because everything is blurry and spinning.
I think I actually hear thunder.
"You live with my best friend," she puts the bourbon away and exhales. "What do you want Liam? Other than opening old wounds and learning dead history, why are you really here?"
Isn't it obvious? I am here for her but she's not ready to hear that and I am not ready to answer her.
"Sleep," I stumble off my chair and walk to the couch. "I need to sleep."
I am not even mad it's knocking me out, I could use some rest since I am an insomniac now.
"Oh no, no sleeping on the couch remember?" She presses her hands against my chest and it's the best feeling ever.
I have had many woman—4—touch me since her and none of them have been able to reach me the way she is with just one touch.
"But—" she lives alone now.
"Mecca's mother will know, that woman makes my mother look like she's sane." She pushes me towards the door and I let her.
Right now I'd let her do anything to me because, "I hate it."
"What? Bourbon? I warned you." Odessa gives me the most heartwarming smirk I have ever seen on her.
I really miss her smartass comments.
"No," I hold her small face and stop us from moving. "I hate how it's been 6 months but it still feels like no time has passed."
How I am that same simp jumping on planes for a girl who is currently kicking him out. It's like Liam 2.0 just flew off the window because of one look into her miracle blue eyes.
I have really never seen such beautiful eyes before.
"Do you love me?" I sink my fingers into the back of her head and feel her locks on my fingertips, "do you love me Vecker?"
"Liam—"
Everything goes black.