Mafia Princess

Chapter 10: Only girl

I dropped to the mat. My arms were noodles.

I got to six. My arms shook. At seven, I collapsed.

Jake did all ten. Show-off.

“Pathetic,” Viktor said, looking at me.

“She’s 5’0... and 90 pounds,” Zack snapped. “She’s not pathetic. She’s small.”

“I’m not 90 pounds,” I mumbled into the mat. “I’m 95.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Zack said. “You’re not him.” He jerked his chin at Jake. “Don’t compare her to him.”

Viktor ignored Zack. He crouched next to me. The floor shook. “Up. You will learn to fall. If you cannot fall, you cannot fight.”

“I don’t want to fight,” I said.

“You do not have choice,” Viktor said. “You are Wilson. You are girl. That makes you target twice. You learn, or you die. Your brothers cannot be everywhere.”

Zack made a sound. Like a growl. “She won’t need to fight. That’s what we’re for.”

“And if you are dead?” Viktor asked. Simple. “Then what?”

The room went quiet.

Zack didn’t have an answer. His jaw was tight.

Alexander stepped forward. “Zack. Back off. Let him work.”

“No,” Zack said. “Not if he—”

“Zack,” I said. Small.

He looked at me.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I can try. Just… don’t let him break me?”

Something in Zack’s face broke instead. “Never,” he said. Fast. Fierce. “Never, Jane. I swear.”

That was the first time he said my name without sounding like it hurt.

“Okay,” I said. “Then I’ll try.”

Viktor nodded, like we’d passed a test. “Up. We start with falling. Not fighting. Falling keeps you alive.”

For the next hour, he threw me. Not hard. Not to hurt. But enough to knock the air out. He showed me how to tuck my chin. How to slap the mat. How to breathe.

Every time I hit the mat, I heard Zack inhale. Sharp. Like he was taking the hit for me.

Every time I got up too slow, Jake was there with a hand. “Up, twin. Come on. You got it.”

Every time Viktor said “again,” Alexander was watching with his arms crossed, and his eyes said if he goes too far, I stop it.

I was exhausted. Sweating. My hair was out of the bun. My knees were scraped.

But I wasn’t alone.

“Stop,” Viktor said finally. “You are weak. But you are not coward. We fix weak.”

“Thanks,” I panted. “I think.”

Viktor looked at Zack. “You were right. She is small. So we make her fast. Fast girls live longer than strong boys.”

Zack nodded once. “Good.”

“Training over,” Viktor said. “Eat. Shower. Dad at 10. Do not be late.”

He walked out.

I collapsed on the mat. “I’m dead.”

“You’re not dead,” Jake said, dropping next to me. He offered me a water bottle. “You’re pink. And gross. But not dead.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking the water. My hands were shaking.

Zack crouched on my other side. He didn’t touch me. But he was close. “You hurt?”

“Everywhere,” I said. Honest.

He nodded. “Good. Means it worked. Means you’ll be sore tomorrow, but alive.”

“You’re terrible at pep talks,” I told him.

“You’re terrible at pushups,” he said back. No heat. Just fact.

I laughed. It hurt my ribs. “Shut up.”

Alexander was on his phone. “Dad says good job. He watched the cameras.”

“He watched?” I squeaked.

“He watches everything,” Jake said. “Especially you. Now that you’re here.”

Zack stood up and held out a hand. “Up. Shower. Food. Then we prep you for Dad.”

I took his hand. His was huge. Callused. Warm. He pulled me up like I weighed nothing.

“Prep me?” I asked.

Alexander put his phone away. “Dad’s gonna tell you things today. About Mom. About why you were hidden. About what’s coming.” He looked at me. Really looked. “It’s gonna be bad. We’re gonna be there.”

“All of you?” I asked.

“All of us,” Jake said. “We don’t let the only girl go in alone. That’s rule #8.”

“You said there were seven,” I said.

“We made a new one,” Zack said. “For you.”

My throat got tight. Stupid. “Oh.”

“Come on,” Zack said. His voice was softer now. Just for me. “Let’s get you cleaned up. You’ve got blood on your knee.”

I looked down. I did. “It’s just a scrape.”

“Not to me,” Zack said. “Not to any of us.”

And I believed him.

Because for the first time since Tuesday, I didn’t feel like a blurred edge.

I felt like a Wilson.

The only girl.

Theirs.