The Raven
1362 Words
Riley's Pov
"How could you?" Aunt Katniss screams at her senseless daughter while pacing around the breakfast table. "I have spent years perfecting my precious reputation and you go partying with criminals? How can I ever recover from this disgrace?" she whines, pacing in front of the breakfast table.
I told her about the kind of party Freya's friend took us to last night after making it back here safe. She got too worried that I chose not to tell her about the deadly scene I witnessed on my way back. But now it sounds like all she was concerned about is her good reputation that Freya could have ruined.
Freya looks up from her phone with a calm expression. "If you weren't so flustered over nothing you would know that five of Lord Gregory's mafia men were killed last night outside of Lucave hotel. The news say that something important got stolen," she announces in an excited voice.
Panic takes over her mother's face, the skin of her face wrinkling in ways it never did when we were informed of my mother's passing.
"Who could have done that? The Armani family? Those f*cking Italian monsters!" she curses.
Why does the killing of cruel mafia men enrage her so much? I am sure there are good, deserving people who also died last night. Why does the media only care about the wicked? They never reported my mother's death.
"The police say it was one man that killed them," Freya informs.
"That's a joke!" her mother scoffs. "Lord Gregory's men are some of the most dangerous there is in this city. A single man could not have killed five of them unless he was invisible," she adds, still seething with range for some unknown reason.
"He wasn't invisible," I hear myself say before thinking. If the killer was invisible I would not have noticed his hot, muscular body. Why did he have to be a criminal?
"Of course I know he wasn't invisible, no one is," aunt Katniss snorts. "I am just questioning the probability of a lone man killing five of the most dangerous mafia men in this city," she elaborates.
"But that's exactly what he did. They were harrassing a defenseless family and he shot them all dead. I luckily saw it all on my way back here," I inform.
"What?!" both the mother and daughter exclaim in shock.
"You saw it? How come you didn't tell me last night?" aunt Katniss questions.
"I didn't want to worry you more as I was sure that Freya would make it back safe," I answer.
"You do not get to decide what is not important for me two know immediately. Now tell me how it happened," she demands.
"The mafia men were beating up a father right in front of his kids, demanding that he pay his debt to their master. Then they began dropping like flies. Their shooter didn't show himself until the last was down. He took something from the last man's pockets," I narrate.
Aunt Katniss appears horrified, even a lot more than the men that were killed.
"It must have been the Raven!" she exclaims.
"No it wasn't a bird," I correct.
"The Raven is this city's most feared assassin. He has killed many mafia men and no one has ever seen his face. No one knows his real name either," Freya reveals.
There is excitement in her voice which makes her sound like she is speaking about an urban legend. Of course any other person would not have taken out those Mafia men so easily. They deserved it though. And so does those that killed my mother.
"Why do people call him the Raven?" I ask.
"Because he is as cunning and scheming as a Raven. You know that Ravens mimic the sounds of wolves to lure them towards a potential prey so that they can steal the meat after the carcus is open. The assassin you saw does something similar. He lures those he wants to kill to his trap by pretending to be someone they would want to kill," she explains.
The man sounds clever. If I had his skills and courage I would hunt down those that murdered my mother and take my revenge. It's not like the police are actually searching for her killers. The only justice she might get is if I become brave enough to find her killers and torture them the same way they did to her.
"Did you see his face?" aunt Katniss asks. She sounds desperate, like her life depends on it.
"No. He had a mask on," I answer.
"Did you see the item he stole?" she asks.
Her concern over the matter is strange. Why would she care about what was stolen from heartless mafia men?
"I didn't see clearly. It was dark," I answer.
She paces a little longer before lturning to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" Freya asks.
"To clean up the mess you made before it taints my reputation. You should hope that father Knightwood will be kind enough to grant you another chance at redemption," her mother retorts.
Does she have to tell the priest? Freya made a confession just yesterday. I doubt the priest would find out she messed up without being told by her mother.
Freya waits for her to leave before turning her attention towards me. "Did you have to be such a snitch?" she asks in annoyance.
"I had to explain why I returned here alone in the middle of the night," I explain while shrugging my shoulders.
She nods. "Tell me more about the assassin. What was he really like?" she asks.
"You promised to tell me everything you know about the Mafia of this city. I will tell about the assassin once you do," I demand.
"Fine. You already met Lord Gregory last night. He is the only Mafia lord in the north of the city. The Armani runs a huge part of the south, while the Disciples rules the rest of it and the west side as well." she tells.
"The Disciples?" I ask, astounded by the name.
"Yes. Unlike the other mafia the Disciples have some moral codes and are incredibly organised. No one has ever seen their leader. They call him The Shadow. But not even they have seen his face. All we know is he is filthy rich and merciless," she explains.
My mother was killed in the south of the city. It could have been the Armani or the so called Disciples. Neither had a reason to harm her. If the Disciples have any moral codes, then it might have been the Armani that did it. I cannot be certain though.
"Now tell me about the assassin," Freya demands. "Was he tall? Slender? Or attractively muscular?"
I give her the video I recorded last night and she watches it several times.
"I want him to come kill me," she says in an amorous tone.
I take my phone back and we make more jokes about the gorgeous assassin and how her mother was so concerned about the dead mafia men. We talk about who might have killed my mother until her mother returns hours later, still looking quite anxious.
"I have spoken to father Fellon Knightwood. You will both be volunteering to work at the cathedral for the next two weeks," she announces.
A fresh smile graces Freya's face while I shake my head in protest. My last meeting with that hot priest didn't end very well. It would be embarrassing to meet him again, without a veil between us. Hopefully he didn't tell her any of the things I told him. He has an obligation to keep everyone's confession a secret.
"Why do I have to volunteer as well? I left that party even before anyone noticed I was there," I complain.
I have the urge to point out that I am not her daughter either. So my shame is mine alone to bear. It wouldn't ruin her precious reputation.
"Father Knightwood insisted that you volunteer as well. I suggest that you do not disrespect his wish," she replies.
- Writer
