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1695 Words
David looked over at the girl sitting on the exam bed. She'd woken a few hours after passing out, hysterically begging for her father. As soon as the Ativan Ambrosia administered took effect, Erika was finally able to voice her concerns without freaking out. Though he felt concerned for her, he was more interested in getting to the root of the issue at hand. "Why haven't you asked about your mother?"
Erika shook her head. "She's dead. Greta pushed my mother over the stairs in her last trimester, and it killed her. It almost killed me. She never fails to remind me of how unwanted I am, though."
"Your brother is blaming you for his lost chance with my son," David told her.
Her eyes, a pale, seafoam green, closed as reality and realization crashed into her. “You're Jaxon's father?"
"You're fine, Erika. He's vouched for you, and so have Markus and Lukas Roberts, so you're safe. You go to school with my boy and Luke, so they know you a little better than the rest of us," David replied. He leaned back, relaxing his posture. He was tasked with the worst job according to his own morals. Questioning the girl to find out what she knew and if she posed a threat based on her skills was something that had to be done, however.
She sighed, lying back on the bed. Looking around, she realized that she wasn’t in a cage or a cell. Rather, she was in some kind of medical place she didn’t recognize. “Where am I?”
"You're in the mafia’s private infirmary. Our boss wanted you checked over without the hype. Tell me, did your brother ever hurt you in any way?" David asked, guiding her attention back to the task he was given.
"I gave him a concussion for trying to feel me up once. When Greta found out, she told me to take it like my w***e mother did.” She stopped, glancing nervously at the man in front of her.
“Excuse me?” David asked, his anger rising at her words.
Swallowing, she continued, “Whenever he wanted something, she just gave it to him. If it was mine, she made me hand it over only for him to break it on me. He would do and say things just to get me in trouble, then laugh about his mother going ape-s**t on me over nothing. He learned not to mess with me after the frying pan incident, though."
David stopped writing in the notebook to glance at her with gentle, understanding eyes. "Erika, you have the right to charge them both with abuse."
"I know, but I’m not going to bother. If the mob is involved, let them deal with the fallout. I’m washing my hands of the situation," she snorted with a laugh.
Confusion flickered deep in David’s hazel blue eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Whatever happens after today, they are no longer my problem. I tried to warn them, but they didn’t listen, so now they can rot in the graves they dug for themselves. I wish I could legally get away with murder. Not even murder. I just want to torture them the way they tortured me all these years,” she said softly. "I’m a little hungry."
Right on cue, an elderly woman walked into the room with a tray in her hands. "Ambrosia sent food for our guest, Master Marks."
"Set it down on the table, Mallory," David instructed as he put his book aside.
The woman smiled at the young woman, "Did you need anything else, dear? Some hot tea, maybe?”
Erika shook her head as she looked at Mallory in stunned silence. As soon as she was gone, the young woman asked, "What does it take to join you guys?"
David blinked. "Join us? Why?"
Erika uncovered the food and dug into the meal like it was her first in ages. "I'm tired of living in fear of her killing me the way she killed my mother. I'm sick of feeling like a prisoner in my own home even though I’m older than my i***t brother."
"Talk to the boss or the boss's boss," he replied jokingly.
Nearly choking on her food, she stared at him. "But I thought he led the nation's largest, most well-connected mafia?"
"Yeah, he does, but it’s his wife you need to worry about. Cal’s a nice guy, but he’ll gift-wrap you for her if he feels like you’re a threat. See, there are children under eighteen here, including the boss’ four youngest kids. Therefore, this place is a modern fortress built by his father to protect the innocent lives that rely on us," David explained.
Again, the door opened, and an auburn-haired woman walked in. "Good, you're eating. Your name’s Erika?"
"Yes, Ma'am," the girl replied.
"Age?"
Swallowing her food, Erika answered, "Twenty-one."
"You shot your brother to protect someone you hardly know,” the woman snapped, her ire evident. “Why?"
David chuckled under his breath, "You don't waste time, do you?"
"Can it, Peanut Gallery," Ambrosia snapped. She eyed Erika. "Answer me."
Confusion gave way to courage as Erika shook her head. This woman treated her earlier and was nice about it, but now she seemed like someone had pushed one too many of her buttons. "Honestly, I would do it all over again if I had to because Jaxon didn't deserve what Jonah did to him. Jonah is obsessive, and he's actually a lot more dangerous when someone denies him what he wants. He goes from stalker to unhinged because his mother raised him to believe he was allowed to take what he wanted, when he wanted it, and no one could do anything about it."
Ambrosia's mouth curved into a smile. "Are you willing to put your life on the line to work for us? We need more women around here with strong moral backbones. I'll give you a moment to think."
"I don't need to think about it, Ma'am," Erika replied firmly. "I know Karate, and I'm a decent shot. I'm even willing to be Jaxon and Lukas's guard while we're in school, too."
Smirking, the woman turned to David. Handing him a piece of paper as she took the book from his hands, she said, "Get her settled while I talk to Callum. Call this number for her, too. See you in an hour."
"Absolutely," the man answered as he rose to his feet. Pulling out his cell, he dialed the number. Handing the device over, David watched the girl put it to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Erika,” she heard her father exclaim. “Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
Holding back her pain, she did her best to lock down her emotions. Forcing a smile, she calmly told him, "I'm fine, Dad. Really, I’m okay.”
Ben breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God for small favors. Erika, I'm so sorry you suffered all these years. I'm divorcing Greta. She went on a rant, and I found out some stuff I didn’t know before. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I was so worried when Don Callum took you away when he left, but I’m grateful that you’re not in danger."
"Dad, I'm joining the Veiðimenn," the girl said softly. The line went quiet, but she could still hear him breathing. "Dad?"
"You're a woman now, an adult. You have the right to make your own decisions," he replied. His voice was strained, but she knew that having his world come crumbling down around him was likely the cause.
Erika relaxed. "You aren't angry?"
"No, sweetie, not at you, at least,” Bennett replied. “Will you still come visit me?”
"I… I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen now, but I’ll be in contact again." She saw David nod in response as she glanced at the brunet. He tapped his watch, letting her know that time was almost up. "Dad, I have to go now. The big kahuna is coming to see me."
David snickered as he took the phone from her hands. “Well done. Nice to see you can handle social cues. Callum is actually coming to see you, though.”
"Am I allowed to live at home?"
“That’s a question for him, not me,” he answered, handing her a bag. “These are clothes my daughter thought you could fit into. The bathroom is over there; we have to get gone, so go get dressed, and be quick about it.”
Forty minutes later, he guided her to the office. Introducing her, he advised Callum of the call and her decision to join their ranks. The blond looked at her, sizing her up as his wife handed him the folder she was holding.
“He’s dead, you know that, right?” Callum asked. When she didn’t react the way he thought she would, he raised a brow and leaned back in his chair. “Don’t you care that I basically killed your brother after you shot him?”
Lifting her head, she made sure he saw that there was a small smile on her face. Her eyes were lit with a fire he hadn’t seen since he told the kids they would begin training, and the amused, deadly gleam that reflected in her pale green eyes told him she wished she’d been the one to end her brother’s life.
Finally, she shook her head. “My only regret is that I didn’t get to him first. It’s one thing for him to attack me, but to go after a teen whose only fault was saying no? Nah, I’m good. Wish I could have watched, though.”
Trace snickered from his chair. “Luke says you’re the mother hen of their study group, and the boss lady says you want to join us. Cal, I think setting her up to guard the boys would be perfect.”
“Declan,” Callum looked at his brother-in-law. “Take her to the Underground. Let’s act on that idea.”
“Understood, Sir.”
- Writer
