How To Tame A Mafioso (PLAYBOOK #5)

CHAPTER 1: Who needs enemies with parents like this?

IVAN

I remember the day I became an orphan.

Despite what everyone thinks, I had never seen my parents argue the 7years I spent my life with them. Rosanna & Igor barely even spoke to each other when I was in the room.

We were not a traditionally happy family because my father was the future leader of the Russian mob and my mother was the brains behind it all. The heists, the shops and everything in between.

But I remember every single thing about them because they were my parents, my mother and father.

Rosanna Dzik was a true Ukrainian woman. Marrying into the mob was no different to her childhood life because she was used to violence and war which I see why letting her guard down was something she struggled with.

Especially after she had a child of her own.

Igor Dimitri Dominaka though had true Russian mob blood in his veins, also had a little Bulgarian in him due to Yaya’s contribution. Unlike his father, Vladimir, he had some personality and didn’t treat me like how I suspect he was treated during his childhood which was harshly.

My parents had it hard because their union was planned but they made it work, especially when it came to me—their only son—Ivan Akarove Dominaka.

We lived in Tomsk, Russia until I was 7years old in a house across from my uncle Romanoff, a butcher, his wife Daria, a baker and their two children, twins, Felix and Odessa.

Now that was a traditionally happy family but it all changed the day one of our local enemies stole Odessa’s dog which was a Siberian Husky and killed it before feeding it to their own dogs.

I knew we had darkness in all of us but to see it that young was a canon event.

She was the baby of the family, the youngest of us all so no one saw what Odessa did next coming. Our little Didi burned down our enemy’s cabin with the culprits still alive inside.

Odessa was only 6 years old when she killed with no mercy for the first time. This earned her the name Frostbite because of how cold and unaffected she was during the after math of it all.

It caused a ripple effect because I was sent to the U.SA after that almost immediately to start training.

Ironically, my grandfather Vladimir was so impressed by her action, he got me Goliath, a batshit crazy English bulldog that nearly mulled some little girl who didn’t wear shoes and had curly wild hair.

Yaya took care of it after she found her covered in blood and I never saw her again—both the dog and victim—because that same night, Rosanna lost her mind and doomed us all.

I was late for dinner due to the whole dog incident and getting reprimanded by Yaya took a while. When I walked into my parents arguing, I stopped to listen in because this was an anomaly for me.

I knew they were ruthless mobsters but I never saw that side until that night where I lost it all.

Everyone knew Rosanna was against living under Vladimir and being in American soil but to go as far as threaten her own husband, was surprising even for her.

She shouted in Ukrainian while my father sat calmly as he replied in Russian which was basically him repeating that his hands were tied.

Things changed the closer I came to the room because my parents who would never argue before only got louder. Then things started breaking before I heard choking.

I walked in, covered in splatters of blood from the girl Goliath nearly killed but no one noticed because my father had more blood trickling down his bare neck as my mother stepped back with a knife in her hand.

“Mama?” I hoped it was dream because I was only 7years old, I was too young to be an orphan.

“Walk away Ivan,” my father choked as his entire body trembled. “Run!”

I didn’t hesitate because earlier that day, I had seen what not running away from clear danger would do so I bolted but not fast enough. My mother grabbed me before I could reach the door and pulled me back with quickness I had never seen on a human.

The scary part is, her codename was headshot.

“Ivan, listen to me.” Rosanna threw away the knife like it was the dangerous thing that could cause me harm. “I would never hurt you,” she assured but I didn’t believe her.

“Is he dead?” I looked back at the room my father was probably bleeding out in. “Did you kill him?” I needed to know because I recognized another canon event.

“Yes, I need to be free.” My mother held my arms tighter as her pupils dilated. “I can’t be here and honey, I need you to choose.”

“Choose?” I choked because her grip was iron tight and painful.

“Between me and your father, freedom or your future of being a killer.” She shook me violently, “this place is hell and your grandfather is the devil. You see what they did to little Didi, they will—”

“Papa.” I made my decision quickly because he didn’t deserve to die alone. “I choose now, him.”

That was the first time I had ever seen someone truly heartbroken but I suspect it was because for the first time in a long time, my mother saw me cry.

I couldn’t stop the painful tears running down my eyes because I realized at 7years old the consequence of my choice.

Being alone.

“I love you Vi and I will come back for you, even if it is the last thing I do.” With that Rosanna disappeared as I returned back to my dying father.

I tried to call for help but he stopped me. Rosanna was good with a knife so we both knew it was pointless.

“I am sorry this happened so soon.” I was surprised Igor was alive as he reached out to my hand to put inside his ring. “I love you Vi but I trust you more,” he took his last breath and just like that I was an orphan.

I didn’t even get a chance to bury him or attend his funeral because as gift for my 8th year of life, I was sent away to live without my family or mother.

I was alone just like I knew I would be but thankfully, misery loved company and luckily I met Kudo Choi—now that was a future king with real baggage.

Not surprising, my welcome into Kook Academy was anything but warm. They had me living in a dungeon room that looked like a prison cell and because I wasn’t Asian and had an accent, it made it look like I was an easy target.

Keyword: looked

When one of the older gangs jumped me my first week, I did my best to defend myself but the only reason I won was because of Kudo.

He resembled an anime character with his spikey short hair and bony little arms. Honestly, I am man in enough to admit he was more trained and naturally skilled than me which is the reason we were able to succeed despite the odds against us.

We were 8 years old when we took on a gang of 13year old kids. As we cleaned up in the locker room, I finally asked why he helped because I knew Asian stuck with Asian.

“I have 6 brothers, I am told one day all this is going to belong to me and that I have big shoes to fill.” Kudo looked like he didn’t like hearing that.

“Okay.” I wiped blood off my lip and waited to hear more.

“I am also told you have the same destiny as I and the truth is, I love my brothers but I have always wanted a friend.”

I stopped attending my wounds to look at him, Kudo had double lid eyes that made his irises look black. For a second, I saw the desperation in his request that touched me.

I may have lost everything but Kudo Choi looked like a kid who was living in hell despite having access to so much.

“Fine.” It beat being alone and honestly, I respected Kudo, he was mature for a child.

“Yeah?” He smiled brightly despite our disgruntled appearance, “shall we seal it?” He cut his hand with glass before stretching it out to me, “brother’s blood bond?”

“Sure,” I cut my hand next to shake his but the moment he connects, my eyes darken as I say “if you betray me, I will kill all your brothers.” I meant every word.

“And if you betray me, I will kill your entire family.” Kudo agreed with his own stern look.

We were only 8years old but it felt like we were older, like 30 years older which is no surprise we ended up running Kook Academy by the end of my first year away.

Still, I missed my family. I missed my parents and knew sooner rather than later that I had to find a way back home.

I was told at 5 that I would take over my father and grandfather’s seat at the crime table and be head of my family which meant inheriting all the family fortune.

I was told I was the mob prince, the heir and the next leader for the Dominaka Family mob. I understood it but not much changed after knowing that information.

I was 8years old when my mother killed my father. To say that was when everything changed would be an understatement because I grew up without my family because of it.

I was 12 when I got my first kiss and it was because Kudo didn’t want to be the last one to kiss a girl between us so I waited for him then made a move on one of the kook girls named Jennie Han.

It honestly cemented our friendship because having someone wait for him, did more than just bond us. He wasn’t used to it despite having 6brothers and we began to trust each other.

Later that day, we handled the weight of our harsh reality together because we spent the night burying a dead body for the Yakuza.

I was 14 when I saw my cousins again. Odessa had always been beautiful but I knew then that her looks would call for trouble. Felix had changed too but I loved that he didn’t put a wall between us like he did with everyone but his twin sister.

He told me everything I missed including one name worth mentioning, Bianca de Faría Hidalgo.

To say seeing them again didn’t change something in me would be a lie because as much as being with the Choi’s was necessary for my safety, I still wanted to be with my family—the Dominakas.

That is the reason I held on to my accent so much. It is why I aimed for perfection in training because when we were reunited, I didn’t want to be apart from them ever again.

I am 23years old now and nothing has changed.