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It's dark, save for the moon casting a light into the room. It's desolate in here, the leaking roof making way for the sound of dripping rain water on the cold floor. The door slams against the wall as it's thrown open, the menacing figure looming over my nine year old body.
"Venga (Come)," The voice booms throughout the empty room.
Except it's not empty, I'm seated on a rickety bed, a tray of food on the floor beside me. A reassembled firearm is on top of my pillow, my name carved into it with the knife hidden under my pillow.
With the gun in my small hand, my bare feet move toward the sliver of light that casts a shadow on the figure. Taking my free hand into his, the figure leads me down the hall to another dark room.
Only this one has an occupied chair in the center of it. Security is in each corner of the room, brandishing weapons by their sides.
The man on the chair looks up, eyes meeting mine in an instant.
I jump in fear and the figure hits the back of my head in response.
"Niente paura, figliolo (No fear, son)." He says. "Uccidilo."
Kill him.
Kill him.
Kill him.
My hands shake as I lift the gun. The man in the chair chuckles upon the sight of me. I want to pull the trigger before he can damn me. I want to run away. Vie for a normal childhood far away from here. Find joy in a place where I'm not forced to kill a man because of the mural I painted on my wall yesterday.
But no.
My hesitation allows for the words to come from the man's mouth. "Pensi che ti riprenderai e diventerai quest'uomo testardo e pronto a combattere ogni sua battaglia, ma lascia che ti dica una cosa, ragazzo (You think you'll recover and become this headstrong man ready to fight his every battle, but let me tell you one thing, boy.)"
He smirks, blood dripping from his teeth, "Sarai troppo danneggiato per valere qualcosa nella vita (You'll be too damaged to amount to anything in life.)"
Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.
I pull the trigger.
•••
"Three safe houses down." Nico relays as he marks off the locations on the map. Adriano sits in the corner of the room, counting out the money from our most recent deal with Ghost's main weapons dealer. "Six more to go."
Angel is sharpening his knife across from me and glances up to our eldest brother, "Just nine safe houses? Talk about amateur hour."
Beside me, Remi arches a brow and sips her glass of water. I did promise that she could sit in the next meeting.
She leans back in her seat and looks at the map carefully, "Where are you planning to set up the meeting?"
"New York. It makes him feel better if we meet on his turf — makes him feel more confident." I tell her, circling the rim of my glass of bourbon with the tip of my finger.
She nods in understanding but furrows her brows, "And what if he refuses to meet with you?"
Adriano arches his brow considering he had the same question.
"He won't." I reassure, "He's too desperate to refuse help from the Mafia. Millions of dollars down the hole with his houses gone, out of all of his dealers, trapped."
"Okay." She bites her lip, "I'm in."
Everybody stops. The machine Adriano is using stops, Adriano himself pauses while tying another band, Angel stops sharpening his knives, Nico's finger pauses on the screen. And my brows shoot up so fast, they practically kiss my hairline.
"You're in what?" I ask.
She glances up, looking at each of us, "I'm in the plan. You take me with you to New York."
"No."
She looks at me, "What do you mean no?"
I huff, "I mean no. You're not leaving safety for revenge."
Remi scoffs and crosses her arms, "I don't remember asking for permission."
"Remi." Nico tilts his head and she looks at him.
"So just because I'm not some brawny macho man like you guys, I can't go fight my own battle?"
"It's not that —" Adriano contends but she cuts him off.
"Then what is it?"
I cut in. "Remi, once he evens sees you, this entire plan could go to hell."
"But weren't you planning to trade his dealers for me and Jori? If he already knows I'm with you, what difference does it make to show my face?"
Angel scoffs, "Are you on a suicide mission?"
"No, I just want to take back what he stole from me." She deadpans, "My sanity."
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wellllllllll shiiiiiiiitttttttttttt, do y'all think remi should go for that revenge?
