Chapter 3:
1550 Words
Chapter 3:
Ariana Miles
"Goddd !!" I whined out lowly in frustration at the blaring alarm.
Lina and I were the only ones in the crew's building at this time of the day.
It was six eighteen am.
We live here, and as payment for rent and feeding, we have to clean, cook and run errands.
Lina is Craig's mistress, he has also drummed it into our subconscious that she is also paying for a roof over our head with her body.
‘Scumbag !’ I scoffed in my head.
Our situation leaves me perpetually sad.
I am depressed ten out of ten times.
This living condition isn't the best, but it isn't the worst either.
I sighed as I silently stared up at the ceiling.
It offered no inspiration whatsoever, we were completely on our own. And we have been on our own for years now.
Lina and I used to constantly talk about running away, but that takes intricate planning and money, which we don't have.
She doesn't encourage such thoughts anymore, still, I dream about it all the time. My dreams are so frequent, I sometimes think that we had actually run away.
The shock when I wake up to the same ceiling, leaves me feeling like I'd been hit by a bike.
Sometimes I'm in an alternate world where I kill these f*ckers over and over and over again and teach them a lesson, they would never forget.
Other times, I fantasize about poisoning them with the food Lina cooks. But where's the wisdom in that?
The Marchetti's would come for us, not because they love Craig, no.
It would be because of their reputation.
Gangs and Mafia families are of diverse origins and sizes (small or big), so as long as you matter to them, then you are either under their protection or their allies.
Ofcourse allies have a better standing with them.
The Marchetti's are like the United States of the Mafia world. Their reach is unbelievable.
I have heard so many stories about them.
Their leader is referred to as the Uno, as in Numero Uno.
He is actually treated like the president.
The stories I have heard about them are surreal, almost unbelievable.
But I know there is a good amount of truth in some.
Lethal crew are mostly bottom level protection for the Marchetti's.
We are small and have no earnings to give the Marchetti.
But the crew runs money errands for them.
The Marchetti's are not your typical drug cartel.
They are what people describe as a power cartel.
They are also the best at laundering your money.
If a Mafia family is worth its salt, then they have banked some of their money with the Marchetti's.
Being as wealthy as the Marchetti family is a dream that I am scared to have, their wealth is obscene and mostly unchecked.
Dreams are good, but they are mostly just what they are, dreams. Because unfortunately for me, I wake up to the same room, the same f*cking square patterns in the ceiling, the same f*cking ugly faced crew members, the same hopelessness, the same black souls and the same nightmare, every freaking day.
I hate my f*cking life.
I hate it !!
I hate it !!
I hate it !!
I screamed and screamed out in my head, revolting silently as I lay stiffly on my bed.
My eyes stung with unshed tears and I tried to stop them from falling.
But, like my life, I failed at that as well
I wiped them away angrily.
I was tired of crying pitiful tears, they served no purpose.
The stubborn tears kept spilling down from the side of my eyes and wetting my pillow, as i laid down on the bed, wishing that I could just close my eyes, open them again and find myself and my siblings in another world.
A world where our parents were with us and we lived in penury, in a small house with a white picket fence or in wealth in a mansion with chauffeur driven cars.
I wanted things I could never have, wished for miracles that weren't possible.
I needed a change, I knew I could never have. I feel like I am trapped in an ugly snow globe.(But I have never seen an ugly one)
There is nothing pretty in the mafia world, but there are people who lived beautiful wonderful lives, and even if it was just for a moment. At least they were happy.
I would kill without remorse, just to have such moments with my family.
Finally, I huffed and sat up in bed.
Today's duties fell to me.
Anytime Craig roughed up my sister, all duties fell to me. But then again it's been two days since Craig hit Lina.
I dragged myself out of bed, quickly showered, brushed my teeth and styled my hair.
I chose an oversized deep navy blue joggers set, with white crocs to go with it.
I grabbed my back pack and went to check up on Lina.
But she wasn't in her room, that meant she's downstairs making breakfast.
I smiled in both relief and excitement, because that means I can get back to focusing on school and my events.
I attend an exclusive private school.
Shocking right?
Yes, Craig made sure I attended the same school as his kids and the rest of the state's richest kids. Not because he cared, nope.
He makes me organize parties of any kind for them, and I also supply the best drugs.
So yeah, I'm popular in my school because I deal, but only in the tiniest quantity and I only supply to an exclusive list of clients at school as long as they agree to some conditions.
Addiction is not something I can prevent but overdosing is something I can stop.
So I make my clients swear an oath to me and their fellow clients about dosage and all.
I handle their parties and ensure they get their regular checks from my Craig's doctor.
Overdosing is bad for business, so is addiction, I prevent the first and fight the second really hard.
Our brand of drugs are extra expensive, coupled with the parties, I rake in almost a million a month, sometimes more for Craig.
Asides that, I am your typical blonde seventeen year old, I just turned seventeen. (But would be eighteen soon.)
Lina and Nathan are my step siblings, same father but different mothers. That's why they both have black hair and I am blonde.
When I was younger, I fancied myself pretty, but not anymore.
Pretty people do not have the kind of life I have. There is nothing pretty about me.
Although, Lina would give her life and Nathan's, to swear that I am the prettiest girl she'd ever laid her eyes on.
She thinks I would make a super model, or one day be crowned miss universe.
I scoffed bitterly at her pipe dreams.
I am damaged goods and soon I will be damaged beyond repair.
Yeah, maybe I am pretty, I really can't say.
I have thought about the many ways my life would or could go and no scenario turns out good.
Once I graduate next year and can't rake in as much money as I do for Craig, what happens next?
I used to love school, I used to look forward to it but that was when It was my escape from my horrible life, I even joined the wrestling team and led them to the state championship.
But after roughing up Craig's son and his friend for trying to bully me.
Craig found a better way to use my talents and ordered me to leave the team. I still train though, but I do it on my own without the team.
I got out of the tiny apartment and made my way down the stairs.
The aroma of toast, eggs, bacon and pancakes filled my nostrils as I neared the kitchen.
"Good Morning Lina" I said colorlessly.
"Good morning.
"Breakfast?" she greeted and asked but I just stared at her motionlessly.
My face frozen between disgust and despair.
She knows I rarely take breakfast.
Mornings were my worst time of the day, mostly because I always wake up to the reality of our trashy lives.
I ignored her question and ask one of my own.
"Feeling better today?"
"Yes and I know how much you hate cooking." She said drily.
I took an English pear, from the fridge and headed towards the exit.
"Try to relax and enjoy school today okay?" She called out after me.
But I didn't respond.
I knocked on the door and one of the men opened it to let me out.
I quickly looked around the compound for any sign of my brother Nathan, but there was no such luck.
Nathan, works with the crew as a crew member, but we were separated when he turned fourteen.
He lives with Julian, the second in command, in charge of the crew's operations.
He gets one approved visit a month.
He can't runaway and leave us behind.
We can't do the same either.
It's the worse kind of caging and blackmail there is, to use ones sibling, to keep them in check.
- Writer
