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Bon Appétit!
Elizabeth's POV
A raw, husky voice breathed into my ear. "Wake up, Elizabeth."
I curled up, my mind instantly tuning into a level of high alert. Who was this man uttering such simple words in such a sinful manner? Before I could turn around, a veiny arm locked me in his warm embrace and someone laid his head in the crook of my neck.
Soft kisses lined up my neck as a set of full lips travelled from my collar bone. Nipping at my jaw, the foreign lips edged towards my own pair. A pair of icy blue eyes absorbed me and Angelo's cocky smirk caused my heart to explode.
Just like you, I really wanted this to be real.
"Angelo, we're coming in!" A loud voice echoed in the room. I sat up in a morning daze, still trying to differentiate reality and fantasy. The Mietitore prince peeked out from the bathroom, shampoo foam clouding his wet hair. "Fuck!" The prince exclaimed, wrapping a towel around his hips. He ran out of the bathroom just as the main door's handle was pushed down.
Everything happened at doubled speed afterwards.
His glance shifted from the door to me as Rafael stepped in, adorned in a purple suit. Other than Yan, the three other Yilian brothers trailed behind the Valentine prince. Each of them wearing blood-red and silver, but in their own styles. I could only let out a yell of surprise and roll off the bed, throwing the thick blanket over my own head.
Yet, it was too late because the last thing I did before I landed on the floor was making eye contact with Rafael. "Boys, we shall backtrack and let these lovebirds get ready. Together." Rafael declared, and I was so glad to know that I was the source of amusement in his tone.
Resounding cheers followed his words, interrupting Angelo's efforts to clear the air. Angelo were shushed at every attempt of making a sound and before he could get a word in, Rafael continued. "Come on, cockblocks. We'll meet you at the buffet." That being said, the noisy boys left.
When I processed the idea to explain myself, the group of unsolicited boys were missing from sight. Only Angelo and I remained in the room, at a loss of words or actions. Minutes of awkward silence only lured me back to sleep and I jumped back into bed. "Don't fall back to sleep, Elizabeth." Angelo instructed, padding to the wardrobe.
The prince hooked five bags onto his right wrist and dropped them down on the space before the bed. Easily pulling me up from the bed, he dragged me to the bags. "Put together an appropriate outfit. Give me twenty minutes, I'm nearly done." The prince told, simultaneously walking back to the bathroom. How is twenty minutes qualified as nearly done? I snickered at the retreating figure.
Peering into the bags, there were makeup, boxes of shoes, dresses and jewellery looking back at me. I poured all the items onto the bed and arranged them accordingly. It were options put together by a team of people. The varying sexiness of each dress told me that men and women had shopped for my possible outfits.
"Why do I have to wear like I'm going to prom?" I rattled the bathroom's door. The Crossing felt more like homecoming than deadly men and women discussing matters of great importance. "Formality, Elizabeth." Angelo's voice passed through the door.
I clicked my tongue at it, do we need such a thing when the conversations had throughout the Crossing talk about crimes and deaths? "Can't I be the odd one out and wear t-shirt and jeans?" It took Angelo awhile to reply and when he did, it was with a snicker.
"It would be a sight to die for, to see you piss off the governor. But. You carry my family name, Elizabeth, even if it's temporary. Another time, you will get your chance to shine. Now, go and pick an outfit." Angelo held finality in his tone and gave me a knock on the door, from his side. It sprung me out of my thoughts at the mention of the governor and off I went.
The dresses were all equally beautiful, some horribly more revealing than the rest. Yet, that was not the reason why I could not make a decision. Colours mattered strongly for today's outfit, as can be seen from Rafael and the Yilian brothers. It is the most obvious factor differentiating Mafia men and women.
Black sequins shimmered down the mermaid dress and every step taken will create a wave of glimmer. The spaghetti straps gave an illusion of wider shoulders, pushing for a hourglass body figure. Paired with silver block heels that no one could see under the floor-sweeping dress, I looked more elegant in the mirror.
Black was a good choice. A colour of the roamers, a symbol of neutrality. It was the opposite of the red dress sitting on the bed. My head angled towards the bathroom, still no signs of the prince coming out anytime soon. Shrugging, I peeled off the black dress and turned to the red one.
The bold dress bearing the Mietitore's family colours shot up my confidence as I observed my own reflection. It clung onto me and amplified my curves that are usually not worth mentioning. A thigh-high split showed off the scars on my left leg but also revealed the toned limb.
I was looking down at the dress when Angelo popped out of nowhere, appearing in the mirror. Startled, I turned around while pressing a hand over the scalloped, plunging neckline. Knowing that he had probably seen the sexy front did not stop me from feeling abashed about myself. Worse, the decepting lace material giving off the illusion of translucency was just adding fuel to fire.
Despite wearing a five-inch silver heel, I was still shorter than Angelo. He looked dashing in a blood-red suit. A jacquard jacket was worn over a satin black turndown shirt, matched with the same-patterned pants. Leaving the top two buttons unclasped, the tattoo on his chest was exposed.
Angelo finished his outfit by wearing a silver chain around his neck and sliding two silver rings to the index and pinkie fingers on his left and right hands respectively. "Help me." The words came out in a deeper voice as the prince closed the gap between us. His misfitting eyes slide across me, openly appreciating my body.
Scandalous was the best word to describe his loin-aching gaze. I was distracted by his soft demand until the prince turned his palm to me. A hooded angel holding on to a death scythe sat in his hand, its silver form reflecting light. It was a brooch that all men have to wear, above wearing the familial colours. In case of similar shades of colours, different families would have the brooch as another proof of their identities.
His short request did not went unheard as I picked up the brooch and faced him properly. Pinning the brooch onto the lapel in a single try, I adjusted his suit without thinking much. My eyes sought out any imperfections and soothed them out accordingly, only for Angelo to rest his hands on my hips. "There's another brooch in the left pocket." He uttered, tone full of anticipation for something I had no clue about.
I dug his left pocket for the said brooch and found an identical one. Eyeing the brooch, the prince and finally, myself in the mirror wearing the magical red dress, I sighed and stepped out of his touch. "I am a Mente not a Mietitore, Angelo. Blood-red and silver are not my colours." An apologetic smile was directed to the prince, who looked away from me fast enough to hide his expression from me.
Though the Mente family are not a registered Mafia family in the city, my loyalty still lies with them. With or without the contract, that is a fact that will not be proven otherwise. I did not seek an understanding from Angelo but only hopes that he would not insist on me taking up a new identity as a Mietitore servant.
With that statement, I pulled off the silver heels and reached for the zip at the back of the red dress. It costs too much to put the red dress on. The black dress will be sufficient for someone like me, homeless. Halfway through unzipping, the zipper refused to bulge any further. No matter how I tugged, it stayed at the same spot.
Cursing my own luck, I grabbed Angelo's arm. "Could you unzip the dress for me, please? It's stuck." I pleaded and received an arrogant smirk. The prince raised a brow and pulled out his phone and cigarette casing, occupying both his hands. He refused, waving both hands. "Sorry, my hands are full."
Shooting invisible lasers at him, I returned to the mirror and depended on myself instead. Unable to hide his chuckles, Angelo strolled away and sat down on the bed, enjoying my struggle. "If you put that into your mouth, I'll shred you into pieces." I warned angrily, eyeing the cigarette in his fingers.
Angelo defied me and stuck the unlit cigarette between his lips. Grinning widely, he challenged me. "Come, shred me." I paused in my attempt to pull down the zip and flipped him off. Flipping my annoying hair to the back, I tugged the zip uselessly. Just as Angelo opened his mouth to say something smart, the door bell rang and the cigarette slipped out.
The Mietitore prince frowned, not expecting any guests so early in the morning. Placing a finger at his lips as a gesture for me to stay quiet, he jogged to the door as the bell rang again. Opening the door by a small fraction, he spoke to the visitor in a low volume.
I strained to hear the conversation or to see the visitor but Angelo obscured my view. Shortly, the prince accepted a rectangular box and closed the door behind him. "Who was that?" I quizzed, eyeing the shimmery ribbon tied around the midnight blue box. He replied me with his eyes, the twinkle of amusement gone.
Gently, Angelo placed the box on the dressing table and turned me around. I was facing the mirror once more as the prince quickly unzipped me. He made no move to push off the dress and stepped away from me. "Put that on, I'll fetch you in fifteen." His gaze remained on the midnight blue box, not bothering to conceal his irritation.
I wanted to protest when Angelo lit up the cigarette in his hand but his next words shut me down. "Governor's order." Playing with the cap of his box lighter, the prince stalked out of the room. A puff of smoke was all that he left behind, along with the unwanted gift.
With slightly trembling hands, I released the ribbon from its knot. The colour of the box should have been enough to give the sender's identity away. It was identical to the shade of blue Sam wore on his head. Lifting the lid up slowly, my body edged away from the box, afraid that my worst fears will spring up on me.
Nothing jumped out at me but my heart sunk. The box stored a complete set of outfit. You know it would had become the cutest gift, if it was from a prom date or my boyfriend. I would be swooning and hopping around in joy like a normal teenage girl would be doing.
But fucking shit, it just has to be from my family's nemesis.
"Charlie would have looked like a goddess in this and so will you...What the fuck. I guess I won't know if mama would look good in this because you killed her!" I flung the card aside and shouted at the box.
I threw the box at the floor, determined to stomp it into pieces that cannot be saved. My anger only burned even hotter as the midnight blue dress fell out of the box. The governor was mocking me by enforcing me to wear my family's colour. It was bound to create animosity against me as I threatened to spill the darkest secrets for some of the biggest Mafia families in the Hollow.
No one has ever dared to take up the Mente's family colour, whether out of ignorance or fear. So, the chances of me surviving this ordeal with a tattoo on my forehead saying, "I'm Sam Mente's daughter" are higher than me wearing the governor's gift. The sick man was announcing my identity to the entire Hollow. He was not afraid to leak out the well-kept secret.
After all, he was determined to kill me when the Crossing comes to an end. We all know, a dead corpse told no stories.
Kicking away the broken box, another note landed on the dress. Same as the previous one, both had words typed out in a script font. However, this one only had three yet equally devastating words.
Remember, your brothers.
I coughed on purpose at the smoke curling from the end of cigarette, my hands on my hips. Angelo was resting against the wall, blowing out wisps of smoke from his mouth. Surprise widened his eyes at my appearance. He must be shocked because I was five minutes earlier than expected. Not because of how ordinary you looked, Elizabeth.
"Put it out or I will make you swallow it." I snapped, eyeing the wrinkles on the midnight blue dress with distaste. The prince snuffed out the cigarette under his leather shoe and signalled for me to go first. A few large strides got me to the lift in seconds and I tapped my foot impatiently as the numbers on the screen increased at a snail's pace.
"How come you are so good at walking in heels?" Angelo queried, coming to a stop beside me. He was looking at the end of my dress as if he has eyes that could see through the layer of fabric. Pervert.
Grinning to myself, I rushed into the lift, eager to eat at a free buffet. "Thanks and it's probably due to the fact that I'm not wearing them." Angelo raised an eyebrow and moved in on me. Trapping me in a corner of the emptied lift, the prince whispered. "Let me see." Too stunned, I could not stop the prince as he grabbed a fistful of my dress.
Ding. The elevator door slides open, displaying the same group of boys who had barged into the room earlier on. Rafael looked at us with a fallen jaw, not believing his luck. "Boys!" An unheard order was passed down. In the next second, I was staring back at five boys wearing sunglasses and pretending to be blind.
Morons. "I only wanted to take a look at her feet." Angelo clarified, brushing past me. While Yosef and Yul followed him, they did not forget to throw me an identical sly grin. Wow, don't they look alike almost like twins? "You are a nine out of ten today." Yves complimented, sliding up to me.
Thwacking him on the forehead, I questioned with a frown. "Where's the other one? Not that you should rate girls under an circumstances." The Yilian brother stuck his tongue out at me and replied, "The colour of your dress. It's not red nor silver. You would have looked bombastic in the lacy red one." I narrowed my eyes in mock disdain, so he was the one behind that dress.
"She's not a Mietitore, Yilian. The black one would have suited her better, but this blue one was alright too." Rafael slung an arm around my shoulder, grinning at the Yilian brother who gasped. I did not bother explaining the midnight blue dress, nor did I know how to explain it too.
Chuckling, I watched the fashionista brother insult Rafael's fashion sense. "I think I've seen this gold and purple aristocrat vest somewhere. Oh I know! In Adonis Valentines's prom photos!" A big fashionista himself, Rafael was offended upon hearing his grandfather's name. Both of them took turns to wound each other's appearance but failed to notice the girls and women staring at them, with pumping hearts in their eyes like the emoji.
"Your stupid dress has a spoiled zip." I snarled, recalling the embarrassing moment of my struggles. Yves laughed heartily and patted himself on the back. "Did Angelo have a hard time unzipping it?" Beaming, I choked the Yilian brother, his face growing redder with every second. Only when his eyes nearly rolled to the back, did I release my grip. Despite being strangled, Yves only grinned as he rubbed his neck.
Rafael and Yves matched their paces with mine. The two friends were acting like my bodyguards, walking side by side with me. For a moment, I only thought to reject Yves's praise as I did with all the ones I received. I know how I look. The flattery was just a kind yet insincere gesture.
However, I caught the eye of Caspar Castello.
And I knew. Sam Mente was only locked away, not forgotten.
The Castello head was dressed in a simple royal green suit, would be the biggest joke anyone could tell. Who am I kidding? Simplicity and low-key were two words the Castellos had disowned. His peak lapel as well as the sleeves were diamond-studded and reflected light like a disco ball. Hazardous upon sight.
"Elizabeth." Rafael called and I felt a soft hold over my wrist. I blinked away from Caspar and focused on the Valentine prince. We were standing at the doors of the spacious dining room, one look and there were a splash of colours decorating the space. Men and women segregated themselves from the other families, bodies tensed from the concentrated potential of danger.
"Sorry, what were you saying?" Being the biggest gentleman, Rafael blocked me from view as I bent down to scratch my leg. The midnight blue dress has a low v-cut that ended a few fingers from my belly button. Thus, I was displaying more of my bosoms than I would like to be exposed as I eased the itch caused by the layered tulle dress. Honestly, I was questioning how old this dress was. While it does not look old-fashioned, the dust on the dress made me wondered.
I slowed down the scratching, taking my own time with it. Provided with a chance to avoid anyone's eyes, I was secretly glad. With all the Mafia heads present, those who knew now knows too much. Despite Charlie keeping her redhead and hazel eyes a secret, it does not take a genius to put together or at the very least, question my identity.
Breath in and out, Elizabeth. Forcing a light-hearted smile, I wiped off specks of dust and stood up again. "I was asking if you wanted me to get food for you. You look a little pale." Rafael explained, attracting Yves's distracted eyes. The latter was staring at the bunch of ladies sitting at a round table, not far away.
Nodding my head, I mouthed "thanks" as I dragged Yves with me to the table where Angelo was sitting. Julian or rather, the Oracle removed his red bucket hat and swung it in the air once, saying his greetings. The plates of food remained untouched on the round table, surrounded by Angelo, the Oracle and the incomplete set of Yilian brothers.
The round table contained seven seats with two unoccupied beside Angelo. "Who are you all waiting for?" I spoke upon reaching the audible range of the group. Yan, sitting next to the Oracle, hurriedly came over to pull out the chair next to Angelo's. He was avoiding my eyes at all times. I slammed a hand on the chair he was reaching for, causing him to back away three steps. "You." Yosef answered from the seat opposite the Mietitore prince. Yves who was blatantly ignored, sighed dramatically and left for the bar.
Offering a patronising smile to the boxer brother, I tucked myself into the chair. "How are you feeling, Yan?" The insincere question forced everyone to focus on the feast set in front of them. Chopsticks, spoons and forks moved about around the table while Yan flinched. "Better." A meek one-word answer from the boxer brother.
I chuckled and leaned forward, "I bet! If you didn't feel better after spewing a fountain of vomit on me, I would be tempted to ask you to do it again." A hand shot out and set down a transparent cup near my right hand. The circular charm with a "V" engraved on it perked up my curiosity as Yves settled down in the empty seat beside me, a beer in his own hand.
A sniff of the content in the cup made me pushed it back to Yves. "I don't drink on a job. Besides, it's such a waste if I splashed it at him." The bright blue contacts shifted as Yves's face was painted with horror at the thought of any alcohol wasted. He hugged the cup like it was his own child and poured me a cup of tea instead. Yul, who was sitting in between Yosef and Yves, let a shy smile as he overheard our exchange.
Yan's face lighted up at the sight behind me and he trotted past me, eager. Soon, he came back with a chicken drumstick and wing in each hand and offered it to me like they were the world's greatest treasure. Fuck yeah. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth." He bowed ninety degrees, taking it very seriously. Rafael dumped a mountain of fried chicken at my spot of the table and winked at me. Saluting me with two fingers, the Valentine prince sashayed to his own family's table.
A broad smile crawled its way onto my face despite me telling myself not to laugh. "Payment accepted." I took the delicious goodies from Yan, mouth watering already at their smell. The boxer brother remained in the same position and Angelo kicked me from under the table. Giving the Mietitore prince a death stare, I continued, "Apology too." Though the chicken was the deciding factor, the relieved smile on Yan's face cemented my decision. It was a genuine smile coming from him and one that made me feel like I mattered.
Evening segments started at nine am sharp, the start of the Snake hour. Oh, the irony. Once everyone was done with breakfast, the seven of us boarded a mini van and headed for the Spargimento Di Sangue. The route was rough and bumpy as Yan drove away from the urbanised area. Or it could be just Yves disturbing him from the passenger seat.
The holy ground included the only modernised building in the endless wilderness and a huge carpark. Nearby, the three-metres tall wooden fences surrounded the hill and the lamppost were turned on. Parking the mini van at the designated spot, we got off one by one and followed the sea of people into the modernised building. With solar panels covering every inch of its roof, the strong sun rays were absorbed by the dark surface.
Upon entry, the modernised building resembled a fancy theatre with its posh seats and a large screen. Instead of the dim ones in actual theatres, a square room that was well-lighted greeted me. Propped up on a raised platform was a throne made of tanzanite and black opal. Nothing like royal thrones of gold, white and red, this one radiated an aura of darkness.
It seemed like the throne was cut out from a huge piece of tanzanite. The structure of the regal seat was made purely of the purple gemstone, tanzanite. Different from the common thrones, this one did not have cushioned back support or seat. Replaced by slabs of black opal, the throne looked uncomfortable, especially unequipped for long hours of use.
On the raised platform, the throne overlooked circular layers of chairs. The circle was separated into four quadrants without any labelling. Yet, Mafia families automatically took their seats, accustomed to the arrangements. Angelo guided us to the right quadrant nearer to the throne. We settled down at the second layer, the first occupied by Brendon Mietitore and his own entourage.
Before I could figure out how the Mafia families are seated, roaring blows of a French horn echoed in the huge meeting room. The sound commanded everyone to stand up. "The governor has arrived." A booming voice announced as two men pushed opened the closed doors. Nervously, I picked at my fingers and awaited for the monster.
The governor appeared in a plain black outfit, which did not do justice for the effort all the families had put in into their outfits. But, the tanzanite tag hooked onto his belt swung left and right and that was worth more than any outfits in the room. As he strutted to the emptied table in the middle of the room, his cold eyes searched the room
Following his eyes, I understood the arrangement. Each family was arranged according to their territories. For example, the Mietitores occupied northeast Hollow and hence their seats were found in the right quadrant nearer to the throne. Meanwhile, the Valentines who ruled over the southeast Hollow sat in the right quadrant further away.
"Sit." The governor gave permission but no one dared to sit before him. Ignoring the formalities, I sat as allowed and receieved many stinky eyes from all directions. Men stared and shook their heads as they made a judgement against me. Yet, there was a difference in their stares. Some were incredulous, and others had admiration.
I smirked at those who became a squeaking mice in front of the governor. Where did their fearless attitude go? It really puts their name to shame if their victims saw them right now. These men stood proud and arrogant in the eyes of insects and vermin. However, these men became mere scum dirtying the shoes of the governor, worshipped by them as the higher being.
Family heads begin to take their seats first, followed by their heirs. I noticed that though they owned the same title of family head, the smaller families waited for the royal families to settle down before acting on the instructions. Also, their seats were in the layers further behind in the quadrant, harder to be seen by the governor. Such was the preferential treatment given to the royal families.
My first time at the Crossing was becoming less and less impressive due to the nonsensical hierarchical treatment getting on my nerves. Therefore, being a roamer is the best option in my eyes. My loyalty and respect only belongs to me, and me alone. In addition, the only rules I have to abide by are the blood rules. Life as a baddie should not be so...restricted.
"Friends, today shall be the first session of the Evening session. You know the one rule by heart. Simply, there aren't any. Be free to speak your mind." The governor clapped and the sound echoed in the pindrop silence. His wolfish grin did not sit well with me. It was not one that meant goodwill, but one that appeared at the promised entertainment that was about to start.
A paddle went up in the air. Instead of the ones seen at auctions, the paddle had a family symbol printed on it. It came from the southwest side, a smaller family sharing territories with the Castellos. "Death stalker scorpions, that must be the Tuttofares and that's Jack Jack." Yves informed, staring at the man who held the paddle.
I stared at the raised arm and zoomed in on the tombstone. It was hugged by skeleton hands on either sides of the block. A common tattoo for most of us, to remember the time spent in jail. Some saw it as a trophy and others took it as a shame and a reason for them to become better criminals. "2014 to 2019," I muttered softly, reading off the tombstone. That man had served five years of sentence.
"Abolish the familial colours for the non-royals." Jack Jack requested and the smaller families cheered noisily. It was not too difficult to understand their pain. A swift look around the room and I nearly burst out laughing at the ridiculous shade of colours worn. They looked more like fashion show models than Mafia men and women.
Especially for the man's family, they were more like traffic police with their neon yellow theme of garments. The humiliation felt must be too much to bear. "Rule number twenty-one has been debated over many years. What does the royals have to say?" The governor nodded at the man, who remained standing.
The stiletto whooshed through the air and nearly got Jack Jack, who dodged just in time. "Aish. What the fuck do you want, Jerry?" Lilith Immondo cursed out loud, her bare foot shown. Spargimento De Sangue banned all weapons but that did not stop the woman from improvising.
Jack Jack ensured that his men were unharmed before he turned to the Immondo head. His eyes travelled from her high bun which revealed the undershave cut and skipped past the barbed rose on her left arm to the red Medusa piece on her forearm. "Are you zonked?" He roared, kicking the shoe away.
"Quit your nagging, Jude. It's just fucking colours. Snort it up." Lilith dismissed him, looking back at her men with a smirk on her face. Men jeered at Jack Jack as Lilith unhooked her other heel, directing her middle finger at him. She teased a smile out of me but I was unable to put my finger on what made me smile.
"Lilith's a falling meteor as always but Jack Jack is right, my governor. Tattoos are sufficient, there's no need for family colours. It may even deter correct recognition of families." Brendon played the middleman, an easy smile on his face. When Brendon conversed with the governor, Lorenze Mietitore tilted her head and focused on me.
She knows. If not told by her husband, the dress was the give away. I met her eyes and tried to read her thoughts. Would she offer the same terms as her husband or will she imitate the governor and kill me once I hand over the ring? Not that her husband might not be plotting the same thing.
I looked away from her to gaze at her son, Angelo. Giving the Mietitore prince a wide grin, I shifted back my focus to his mother. Lorenze Mietitore was more collected than her husband in most times but a mother can never hide her innate instincts. Though her emotionless mask stayed on, her hand reached out for her husband's out of reflexes.
Tilting my head to the side, I arched my eyebrow and broke the eye contact. A warning delivered, mess with me and I would not be the only one going down. By crook or by hook, I will dragged their remaining child down with me. But of course, let us look at the brighter side and pray that, that does not happen.
"Put off rule number twenty one for non-royals and cut down the colours to one for royalties. Is that your final proposal?" The governor confirmed, his full attention on Brendon. With a sharp nod, the Mietitore head picked up a wine glass from a passing waiter and tipped it to the governor, then to Jack Jack before returning back to his seat.
"Tuttofare, satisfied?" Jack Jack bowed to the governor in agreement and the French horn was blown thrice. It was such a majestic sound but I thought it was unnecessary for the Mafia. Lightly slapping Yves's hand, I clarified my doubts. "What's with the blowing?" Another paddle went up and an unfamiliar face showed up again. It was a sign of me losing touch over the Hollow's Mafia, for I used to know everyone and the colour of their underwear.
When there was no reply from Yves, I turned around only to see him pouring alcohol from a tiny flask. Yves placed another wine glass under my nose, giving me a charming smile. It was alcohol yet again, which I refused once more. Stifling a yawn, the Yilian brother gulped down the hard liquor.
Angelo replied in his place. "Twice for rejection, thrice for acceptance. Only when the horn is blown, is there a final verdict for the issue brought up." The prince informed without looking at me, listening intently on the current issue raised.
"Oh, I see. Why is there a need for a horn in the first place? Isn't there the Blood's oath or something called a black-and-white agreement?" I posed yet another question, fresh from my hardworking brain. Then, Yves slapped the back of my head, shaking his own. "You ask too many questions! Shush, Elizabeth!" He ordered, pressing a finger to his lip. I observed the tipsy Yilian brother and clenched my fist.
The professionally carved letter M on his silver signet ring stared at me as Angelo placed his hand over mine. Pushing Yves to Yul, who was sitting on his other side, Angelo caressed my head. "I like that you are curious, Elizabeth. Knowledge makes you alive." He assured me and glared at Yves. Remembering that we are in the middle of a segment, I called upon my own self-control and pulled away from Angelo.
I did not want extra pairs of eyes on him. On us.
Yves swung back to my side and roughly ruffled my hair. "Governor's formalities. He believes that full-yin men like ourselves need to be just as appreciative of culture as the full-yang community. Upgrade ourselves to fight the good better." He threw a wide grin at me before slumping against Yul. I gave a weak huff, frowning. The governor made sense but I did not want to agree with him on anything.
French horn was raised and a single blow announced that the governor has left the Spargimento Di Sangue. Once the governor's silhouette disappeared from sight, all the families unanimously breathed out a sigh of relief. The first Evening segment had finally came to an end and I understood why Yves got drunk so fast. By the time it ended, I wanted to be drunk too.
Unlike the meetings seen in the movies, the Evening segment was so boring. Despite the open floor, some families were too scared to speak up in fear that they would offend the governor or the royalties. Peanut-sized issues were raised over and over again, solving the smallest of problems and left the urgent ones undiscussed. Either that or it were impossible dreams some families were daydreaming about. It was a frustratingly waste of my time.
The Mietitores have gathered together but I slipped away to the foyer, for the sake of my sanity. No more discussions or I will hang myself. Looking around the holy grounds, I smirked at the pair of stilettos and smashed glasses littering the space in between the quadrants. Lilith Immondo was responsible for all that.
Calling him Chase, she threw the other shoe at Caspar Castello when he dared to bring up an increment in taxes for the goods traded at the docks. The Immondo head was the only one verbalising the thoughts of many others in the room. Even though the governor had reminded her several times that it was rude, I thought it to be a spunky move.
I heard from Angelo, that she is only thirty this year. Among the five royal family heads, she is the youngest. The Immondos rose through the ranks at a speed faster than the Mentes under the lead of the seventeen year old Lilith. It had only taken them three years to become the sixth largest Mafia family. After the governor eliminated the Mentes, it was natural to rank up the Immondos to the royal status they have currently. But even before that, to climb to the sixth largest family was no easy feat. Lilith Immondo had depended on her own strength to get to where they were ten years ago. Despite acting loud and immature, she was someone to be wary of.
"Oi, little kid." Lilith Immondo had changed out of her gun metallic silver gown and wiped off her makeup. In a muscle tank and black ripped jeans, she appeared to be much younger than thirty years old. "Ma'am Lilith." I greeted, not backing down from her hawk-like stare. The family head circled me, inspecting every inch.
The governor had said nothing but glanced at me every now and then during the Evening segment. People who were observing him would have followed his line of vision and found me, in my midnight blue dress. It was a confirmation of my identity and I wondered how many Mafia members would approach me.
So far, Lilith Immondo was the only one. "Are you from that family, Me..." She trailed off, scratching her head. I stared at her, surely she has not forgotten about the Mente family? It was an easy name to remember.
"MacDonalds? No..." Tapping her foot non-rhythmically, Lilith Immondo sunk into deep thought. I sneered at the name of the fast food chain and was about to tell her when I saw the tilt of her lips. While her body was turned away from me, her gray eyes did not wander off far. She's waiting for you to answer her. To confirm your own identity.
I hesitated, not knowing if she was a friend or foe. In my experience, a friend could turn into a foe in the next second. "Think a little harder, Ma'am. I'm sure it is on the tip of your tongue. You'll have a lot of time to do that." Attaching a polite smile, I looked behind her to see her men approaching us, panic colouring their face pale.
A woman with a high ponytail, taller than the Immondo family head stepped forward from her other comrades and edged towards Lilith. The red Medusa tattoo encircled her neck. "Ma'am! We told you to stay put." Her voice carried annoyance, which I was sure not something the family head would love to hear from her subordinates.
Lilith ignored the girl with the high ponytail and crossed her arm. "Ding ding ding. Here they are, rushing me. I wonder who is the boss?" She lamented, pulling the gun metallic hair stick out from the bun. Her black hair cascaded down to the waist and hit me in the face as the Immondo family head flipped her hair to the back. Together with her men, Lilith strutted away barefooted.
Just as I was entering the meeting room, someone tapped me on my shoulder. I froze, thinking if I should run away or find out more. Usually, I let out screams of anger when the main lead in a horror movie chooses the latter. These characters acted like they have never seen other horror movies in their own parallel worlds! Did they not see how other people in the same situations as them either dies or loses their minds?
However, I was neither in a horror movie nor the main lead in that said movie. Actually, none of that mattered as I was not given a chance to choose. The one who blew the French horn stood in front of me. I gulped and peeked into the meeting room, the Mietitores and Valentines were mingling about and completely unaware of my situation.
"Miss Mente." He called out and my mind went to the short knife strapped to my thigh. I did not answer him but glared at him. The man raised up both hands to show his innocence, "I meant no harm. The governor wants to give you this." With one hand up in the air, he took out a card from his back pocket.
I snatched it from him and read the typed out message, "Whenever you are ready." Opening the card, there was an access card to room number, three three three. A shiver past down my spine, it sounded like the Devil's number, six six six. The message did not sound as patient as it seemed, given that the governor had personally sent someone to deliver it.
"Tell him that I-" My words were cut off as the man was already gone. Vanished into the air, I was left standing alone in the foyer. I looked down at the card, wondering when is the best time to pay a visit to my death trap.
A rowdy crowd they formed as the Mietitores and Valentines emerged from the meeting room. The two family heads were engrossed in their own talks, involving their wives as well. For the two heirs, they were surrounded by loyal friends.
Family after family, they followed the two biggest ones out. The smallest consisted of four people, a head, a heir and their advisors. The biggest, could barely fit into a mini van. But the point was that they were all not alone. It was a sight that ached my heart as I stood a distance away, by myself.
Hitting my own chest which was throbbing away in psychological pain, I answered the French horn man long gone. "I will be there soon."
I loved researching on the different outfits everyone is wearing and can't wait to come up with mood boards on that! Thank you for reading and see you in the next chapter! :)