The Mafia's Son

Chapter Four

Vigo thought about the proposal Connell offered to him. What if it was a trap? What if what Lily said about him was true? He couldn’t possibly follow Connell, who was a total stranger, to wherever he was about to take him. He could be dangerous.

“I-I can’t,” Vigo said. “I can’t go with you to Mexico.”

“I see,” Connell said. All this while, even though he knew Vigo felt skeptical about his offer, he managed to keep a smiling face on. Vigo on the other hand felt it weird that Connell still managed

“I know you might not trust me. I don’t expect you to. But then,” Connell said, taking a sip out of his glass. He looked at Vigo who still felt uneasy about the whole thing. “I guess you just need some time to think about it. Trust me, it’s a great offer. And you wouldn’t regret it.”

“I-I don’t know. I don’t think I’d want to go to Mexico,” Vigo said. He wasn’t ready to leave all he had behind just to travel to Mexico. What if it was a scam? What if going to Mexico wasn’t going to favor him?

“Well, I’ll give you time to think about it, alright? I know you’ll come back to it, eventually.”

There wasn’t much to talk about after the proposal Connell offered Vigo. They just spent the rest of the minutes in silence.

As Vigo got home, he was met by Marvin and his gang members with clubs and axes in their hands. Vigo was shocked. He looked at the entrance where Marvin stood. The door had already been rendered open, forcefully with the door knob detached. The window pane had been already shattered and the shards of the glass were scattered on the porch. And worse there was a wisp of smoke emitting from the house. What were they doing in his house? And why did everything seem to be in ruins?

“What are you doing in my house, Marvin?” Vigo asked Marvin who had an evil look on his face.

From the look of things, it seemed as though Marvin had done something probably evil.

Marvin snickered.

“You think you can call someone to fight us and go scot-free? No, Vigo. That’s not how it works. An eye for an eye, remember? You didn’t think we’d come back for you, did you?”

“What did you guys do?” Vigo asked, impatiently. “Why’s my window shattered and why’s—”

But then, before Vigo could say another word, the wisps of smoke that were coming out from his house now turned into a dark cloud of smoke. His house was on fire.

Marvin and his gang members roared into a peal of sickening laughter.

“That’s what you get when you cross the line, Vigo. And you know what? This house wouldn’t be the only thing we're going to take from you. We’ll make sure we take everything that matters to you, from you. So beware, Vigo.” Marvin said, and before Vigo could do anything, he and his guys disappeared.

Vigo was left helpless. He shouted for help, but no one was there to help him. He couldn’t possibly take off the fire alone, without anyone’s help. A few minutes later, after the house might have been completely ruined, people started gathering, asking questions like how the fire started and stuff. Vigo couldn’t even answer them. The only thing he had in this life was being burned down, thanks to Marvin and his gang members. What was he going to do now? Who was he going to run to?

In between the crowd of people that had now gathered, Vigo could make out Lily approaching him. She looked torn and aggrieved.

“Vigo!” she said as she hugged him tightly. Hot tears slipped out of her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Vigo couldn’t even say a word. He was so numb with shock to utter a single word. The way everything happened so fast, in front of his eyes, had driven him into a total state of shock.

“I was at home when I was told that your house was on fire,” Lily sobbed. “How did it happen?” She pulled out from the hug and looked at Vigo who was still dazed.

“I-I don’t want to talk about it,” Vigo managed to say without even looking at Lily.

Lily held Vigo’s arm. “I understand,” she said in a soft voice, leaning more closely on his arm.

Vigo couldn’t bear to lose any other thing to Marvin and his gang members. He knew, that they’d still come for him and they would want to take anything that belonged to him or anything he cared about.

Deep down, he knew they might come for Lily next. She was now the only person he had left, the only person he cared about. He was now a danger to both her and her family.

The right thing to do now, he thought, was to stay away from Lily and her family as soon as possible.

Carefully, Vigo tugged his hands away from Lily’s grip. “I have to go,” he said.

“Where?” Lily asked, confused, following Vigo behind. “Where are you going to, Vigo?”

Vigo stopped and looked at Lily. “Promise me you would take care of yourself and your parents.”

“What’s going on, Vigo? Why are you sounding like this? Is everything okay? Tell me, Vigo.”

“I-I…. I have to go.”

“Where?” Lily asked. She was already freaking out and she didn’t understand why Vigo was acting all strange.

“Lily, I know you would not take this well, but I think I have to leave this place.”

“What? Vigo, no! You can’t leave. You can’t leave this place. You can’t leave your job. You can’t leave me!” Tears began to slip down Lily’s eyes. Her heart felt like it was about to be torn apart.

“Lily,” Vigo said. “I have to go. I have to. I’ve talked with that Connell guy, and I’ve agreed to his offer. I can’t stay here anymore. I can’t stay with you anymore. I’m a danger to you. I’m a danger to your family.”

“Danger? How, Vigo? We’ve lived almost all our lives together and now, you’re a danger to me?”

“You don’t understand, Lily. Marvin and his guys are after me and they’ve sworn to make my life miserable. I have to leave.”

“Were they the ones that lit your house on fire?” Lily asked. Her face was gleaming with tears.

“Yes, Lily. They did and trust me, they wouldn’t stop at anything until they see that everything I have comes crumbling to pieces. That’s why I have to leave. I don’t want them to hurt you. I don’t want them to come for you and the rest of your family, okay.”

“Vigo,” Lily said as she sniffled. “Please, don’t go. I beg you. There’s no one else I have in the world except you.”

“I know, Lily,” Vigo said. “But that’s the more reason I should leave, to protect you. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Lily broke down into tears. She couldn’t stand seeing Vigo go. She had lived with him all her life, and there was no way she could cope without him there.

Lily wiped her tears with the back of her palm.

“Where are you going to? She asked, her voice cracking as she spoke. She was angry at Vigo now, angry at the fact that he wasn’t listening to any of her pleas, and worse, she was angry at herself for caring so much about him, for loving him so much. Did he not see that she needed him at this moment? Did he not see that she was in love with him?

“I’m going to Mexico.”