The Unknown Family

Vito

XAVIER

A sting of betrayal washed over me as I watched Liv run down the corridor.

Leaving me with her oldest, deadliest, Mafia Don of a brother.

The large oak door was pulled open at a forceful speed, revealing a black suited Vito standing in the doorway.

"Xavier." He states. His voice sending a feeling of dread to the pit of my stomach, his tone cold and unwelcoming. "Take a seat."

I entered the charcoal coloured room, taking a seat in the brown leather sofa, opposite what is clearly Vito's brown leather armchair, both adjacent to the roaring fireplace.

Vito poured himself a whiskey, before holding out an empty glass, silently offering me one.

"I can't drink with my meds." I politely refuse, getting comfortable in the soft seat.

"Good lad." He smirks, once again silently, telling me it was a test.

After putting the glass lid back on the crystal whiskey bottle, he brought his glass in his hand as he took a seat in his arm chair.

"So, how's the stitches?" He asked, motioning down to my shirt covered chest.

"Healing nicely." I answered, my voice confident and steady, while I was internally dying.

"Good." He said, critical eyes never leaving mine as he took a sip of his drink.

"Why am I-"

"Your sister."

He cut me off, in a way I was never going to anticipate.

Gloria?

"My sister?" I spoke quietly, a strain in my chest.

"Yes, Gloria." He replies, "I was hoping you would tell me about her. If you are comfortable of course."

I stayed silent.

Why would Vito want to know about my sister?

She's been dead for almost six years now.

"Why?" Was all I said.

He let out a sigh, before standing up. My eyes followed him as he approached his file draw and took out a large red folder.

On the top, it was labelled Gloria Ramirez

He placed the file down on the table in front of me, than sat in his seat again.

"This... this is why." He tells me in a solemn tone.

I took the file in my shaking hands, nervous eyes raking over the title over and over again.

Till I opened it.

Gloria Ramirez

Born, 12 June 1998
Died, 27 February 2016

Black hair. Green Eyes. 5'3

Married to Angelo Gionatti.- Alive.

The file continued on different photos of Gloria. All up until the days she was married to that animal. Every single one, she had a smile on her face.

It then showed photos of her in high school. All with one person stood next to her.

"You knew her?" I asked, eyes shooting up to meet Vito's.

He nodded his head in response, expecting me to say more. When I didn't, he continued, "I didn't start school till a year after I was meant to, since there was a mafia war. Then, I got held back for fighting too much. Then your smart ass sister got moved up to my grade.

We became friends, then best friends, then a couple. All until your cunt of a father decided to marry her off."

The venom and hatred in his voice was pure. No amount of force could reckon with the pain this man was carrying as he spoke.

"The day she told me what was going to happen, she begged me to find a solution."

"Did you?" I asked quietly.

"Yes.

We got married three hours later at city hall.

But your father didn't care, he tried killing me many times, till he gave up and married her off anyway. She continued to visit me after she was wed.

I've got to give it to her, she hid the bruises extremely well, and didn't show she was in pain.

When she got pregnant, she stopped visiting, not wanting to put a risk to the baby.

I never saw her again."

That's when I realised what was in front of me all along.

When I was younger, I'd always see her sneaking out the house or sneaking someone around. And every time I caught her, I made a silent promise to tell no one.

I thought she deserved some happiness, and she was clearly getting it with who ever she was with.

"It wasn't Angelo's baby." I muttered.

"No. It wasn't." He replied, agony in every syllable he spoke.

It was Vito's baby.

"Why show me this? Why approach me with this information half a decade later?" I questioned.

"Before she died, Gloria made me promise to protect you and your family. I've always done it from a distance, since it was too painful to do it any other way.

But now, the roles are reversed and you are dating my sister. I thought you deserved to know my connection to yours." He answered me, finishing his glass of whiskey.

I kept flicking through the photos in the folder, admiring every single one of them, till I reached the end.

"Did you ever kill him?" I finally asked the question that had been circling in my head.

"I've been waiting for you." He answered, a deadly smirk on his face, "now all we need it Carlos."

With a sharp intake of breath, I explained my situation with my brother.

Not once did he interrupt me, just listened closely.

By the time I had finished, I felt that same weight off of my chest from when I told Liviana what happened.

"Well, seems like we're due a trip to Spain." Was all he said.