Chapter 3
2069 Words
Carmela
“Maria.”
The word hung between me and the old man, his grey eyes waiting, hoping for confirmation.
“She's my mother,” I sobbed. “she…she gave me this,” I brought out the rumpled envelope from my jacket, raising it so he could see.
I glanced back into Victor's face. “Are you really my dad?”
A strong hand wrapped around my wrist. “For someone that was so confident before,” Victor’s son growled, “you sure are stuttering now, but I certainly won't let scum like you near us.”
Before I could reply, the old man’s voice cracked the air like a whip.
“Let her go, Axel.”
Axel. My brother's name was Axel. He was staring down at me with murder now in those eyes, his grip unrelenting.
Victor sighed. “Call the club members for a meeting,” he grits out. “Now.”
Then he turned back to me, his gaze softer. “Follow me please.”
I snapped my hand out of Axel’s gaze, ignoring the tightly coiled snake pooling in my lower belly. Victor moved so fast for someone his age, so I scrambled behind him, managing to slip into the door he went through right before it closed.
The office was larger than anything I had seen. Our small dingy apartment could fit in here, and they would be able to house another family here.
There was a large brown table, so fukcing clean that when I glanced down, I could see my reflection. The big chair on the opposite end was rotating, and there was a large picture of the man that was my father staring down at me, coldness in his eyes.
“Sit down please,” he said, walking over to where I stood.
“No thanks,” I replied. I was too nervous, plus, I was still soaked from the rain. I would definitely ruin his sofa.
“Very well,” he said. “How is Maira doing?”
Fuck, my mum. I fisted my hand in my jacket, shaking my head.
“You knew about us all this while?”
The door swung open. Axel strutted inside, but he was not alone.
The second man was slightly shorter than Axel, but his hands were so big, the black T-shirt he had on seemed to be too tightly stretched across the muscles, like they wanted to snap. His black was longer than Axel, short spikes sticking up like he just rolled out of bed and he smelled just as good as his brother, even as his eyes landed on me.
I tugged my jacket tighter, suddenly feeling naked.
“Jax,” Victor breathed. “I can see your brother found you.”
Jax. Axel. His sons. How many brothers did I have?
“Yes,” Jax replied calmly, his eyes burning through me. “He said there was something interesting to see.”
I ignored that comment. “Answer me,” I snapped, facing Victor. “Have you been aware of me, all this while?”
The old man sighed. “Yes.”
“Oh my God,” I gasped, covering my mouth. “You knew you had a child, a daughter in that f****d up place and you…”
“Your mother asked me to stay away from you. She said I should never come close, I should forget you both existed. I am sorry, but I promise, I will make it up to you, my child.”
His child.
“Hold on.”
Axel stepped forward, frowning. “How can you just freaking believe she is yours?”
“Because she is a spitting image of her,” Victor retorted. “The last time I saw her, she was so young she could not possibly remember me, but I will know my own child don't you think?”
“Father, how many people have tried to get close to you this way?” Axel asked angrily. “What if shes another f*****g scam?”
“I don't think she's a scam,” Jax replied, causing me to glance at him again. Tattoos lined his hands, a colour that seemed to disappear under the sleeves of his shirt. “shes a part of our father brother. One that we were not aware of.”
“How convenient,” Axel hissed. “She just suddenly miraculously showed up, right after our father got a freaking death sentence.”
The gasp escaped my lips before I could hold it back in. “You're…you're dying?”
My only living parent, the one I just got a chance to meet was dying?
“No, it's not,” Victor's words get cut short by the door opening again. Six men walked into the room, along with an older lady.
The youngest one walked to Victor and bowed slightly. “Axel said you're calling us, Father.”
My God. Three brothers. The man straightened up, turning to face me. His face is the exact copy of Jax’s, all apart from the black frames that seem to make his grey eyes stand out even more. Just like his brothers, he is tall, standing at least six feet two, but he is much leaner than the both of them. His dark hair is sleeked away from his face, making his jaw and nose seem sharper.
“Carmela?”
What? Have I been staring? Have I been f*****g drooling?
“Carmela,” Victor called again, “are you okay?”
“Yes,” I replied quickly. The older woman stood in front of all the men, her hands crossed in front of her, her face stoic. When our eyes met, she smiled at me a bit, before glancing away. An older man stood behind her, he was looking at me so intently, it felt like spiders were crawling on my face.
“Knox,” Victor said. “I want you to meet your sister.”
Knox said nothing, just staring right at me.
“My trusted friends,” Victor got up slowly from the chair he was sitting on and walked towards me. “Today, I received a gift. I had a daughter years ago, and I never thought I would see her again,” he smiled, “but she is here. Alive.”
All the people in the room are silent, their heavy gaze on me. “You have nothing to say?”
Axel ground his teeth so loud, it was echoing in the room. “She has to complete the blood rites.”
Heat sparks in Victor’s eyes, yet he nods. “I supposed so,” he replied. “I believe she will prove herself through there.”
“That will not be enough, Saint,” one older man said, stepping forward. “We cannot just trust that she is your daughter.”
“Are you calling me a liar, Mickalis?” my father's voice dropped so low even I trembled.
“No sir,” the man replied, bowing down, “I just want to protect you. We need proof she is actually blood.”
“The only proof she had was a letter her mother wrote,” Axel sneered. “Anyone could fake a letter.”
“I said she is my daughter,” Victor shouted, his chest rising. “I know my daughter, I know my Maria.”
His Maria.
The room grew even more silent. My tongue felt too heavy to speak. What were the blood rites?
“Fine,” Victor conceded. “You can do your stupid tests, but she starts the blood rites first.”
Maybe I should just leave. I have met the man, that did not mean I had to stay with him.
“I'll supervise her, father,” Axel said, cutting my train of thoughts again.
“We all will,” Jax said, slapping his brother's back. “Can't let you have all the fun, big brother.”
My eyes locked with Axel's grey ones, anger and hatred all I could see. He was so kind before, when he thought I was just another scam. Where has that gone?
“Meeting dismissed,” Victor said. “I need to rest.”
They all walked away from the study quietly. “Welcome home child,” Victor said in a calm voice. “I hope you know, regardless of whatever happens, you are my daughter.”
A small tear fell. “Thank you.”
“Good. Now, there'll be someone to show you all you need,” he smiled back. “I'll see you later.”
Victor left the room, and the air suddenly grew chiller than usual.
“Welcome child,” the older woman said with a smile, walking up to me. “Come see me for food after, okay?”
I smiled. “Thank you,” I breathed, meaning it.
The old man behind her gunrted and I looked up at him. He had a menacing cut on his face, one that seemed to have healed, but not properly. My neck hurt from looking up, but I refused to show weakness, even though he was so high, I was sure my entire body was the weight of one of his arms.
“Listen here girl,” he spat. “You better not be a fake. You don't wanna know what I do to fakes, do ya?”
I shook my head. He pointed at the ground and I followed him, staring at his hands. Two fingers were missing from his right hand, making it look like he had a hook. “Down there.”
Everyone left the room, till it was just Jax and I.
His grey eyes still felt like fire on my skin, one that burned away layers and layers of my clothes till they left the black scorched mark to signify he was there.
“I'll break you.”
I looked up. “What?”
“I will break you. The last rite,” a small cold grin stretches his lips, the scar there making them seem even longer, “you will not forget it.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. I smelled bad. I had barely eaten. My landlord had kicked me out and I already did not have a ducking job.
Just how much worse could life get?
“And if you don't?”
My brother let out a deathly chuckle. “It's a bet then.”
He finally leaves the room, and as the door closes behind him, I grab my chest, my heart racing. When did I even hold my breath?
Get it together, Carmela.
I took in a couple of deep breaths, then opened the door.
A young woman was standing there, wearing a small cleaning uniform. “Master Creed has instructed me to show you to the room,” she said.
I smiled and followed her up the stairs, through the left wing till we got to a large brown door. “In here.”
She opened the room and a small gasp left my lips.
Large lights, a king sized bed that was covered in more pillows than I have ever owned. The room smelled amazing, and even through my dirty sneakers, I could feel that the rug we stood on would be softer than all the couches I had slept on in my short life.
“I don't have my things,” I stuttered suddenly, still in awe.
“The guest room has all you need,” the maid replied.
Guest room. Right, I was still a guest here.
I turned to her. “Thank you.”
“If you need anything, please dial the number 6 on the telephone by your bedside” she said, leaving me alone in the room.
I stood alone in silence, taking it all in..I had a father. I had three brothers.
I was a part of one of the scariest families alive.
Ugh, I need to fujcing shower. I dragged my sneakers off my feet and started pulling my clothes away, one by one. The wet clothes splattered dirt on the rug, a little guilt flooding me.
As I dragged my jeans down my legs, someone knocked on the door.
“Coming,” I called, scanning quickly for a towel. I wrapped a hand around my breasts, even as the door burst open and a shriek left my body.
- Writer
