Her City of Death | ongoing

chapter one

I've always relatively enjoyed funerals. Then, overlooking my mothers grave, I was not a fan of them. Marrying into a Mafia has never been a smart decision, only one begging for death. But that wasn't the case this time.

She's dead because of me, because I decided that I wanted to leave the protective custody of our base to feed the ducks by the lake, because I decided to drag her along with me, despite her protests. She was right. There will always be someone after us as long as we were affiliated with my father. I love him, but I would never be safe.

That's why I left. I bought a fake passport from a street vendor in Paris, I faked my own death, and I fled to New York. I felt guilty, leaving my father at such a vulnerable time, I knew he needed me - I needed him too. Mama was dead, and I was gone, he lost the two most special woman in his life in the span of a week.

He lost more than that, he lost his heiress.

I take a deep breath as I step onto the balcony of my penthouse, it's been five years. I'm no longer the eighteen year old girl who chose to run instead of stay and fight. I still have nightmares from that day in by the lake. I still remember watching my mothers blood run down the stream, the screams that escaped my chapped lips and the tears that streamed down my rosy cheeks.

The cold wind breezes across my face, my fiery red hair flickering against the orange sunset. Five years since I lost the most important person in my life.

"Ro?" Nicholas asks, making me turn my head to face him. "You spaced, what's going on in that head of yours?"

I sigh, "Nothing important. Continue - Amy did what?"

"She never stops complaining. The roast was too dry, I can never keep my earbuds untangled. Fuck - yesterday, she said the flowers I bought her were too floral." He groans, dropping his head into his hands. "I can't keep doing this, Ro."

"Then break up with her, Nick. She clearly has no respect for you." I laugh, "You do realize that you aren't required to have a girlfriend, right?"

He glares at me, "Yes, I realize that, Aurora."

"And we all know you're desperately in love with Beth. You're fooling yourself terribly with all of these flings, it's embarrassing." I lean against the railing, he stays quiet and I take the chance to change to subject. "Do you ever think about jumping?"

"From your fiftieth floor penthouse apartment that should be way out of your price range as a waitress but we never question how you afford it?" He grins, bumping his shoulder against mine, "No, I haven't."

"I have," I tell him, "All the time. Letting go of everything and just ending it all."

"Your suicidal tendencies are starting to make me want to push therapy." He watches me. He's right to say that, I moved to New York to survive - to live. But ever since I have, all I've wanted to do is die. "Last month you scared the shit out of me, Aurora, I know we never talked about it, but you could have died. Hell, you almost did."

"I know." I mumble.

"You stood in front of Beth and threatened that man. He had a gun pointed directly at you and you didn't beg for your life, you taunted him." He whispers, "You wanted him to shoot you, didn't you?"

"You have no idea what I've been through, Nicholas. So before you question my intentions, keep in mind that my past is still a mystery to all of you." I straighten.

"I know, I wish you would trust me enough to confide in me. I love you." He smiles sadly at me and I falter as he continues, "We all do, Ro, we will always have your back. Just like you have ours."

"I trust you more than anyone in the world," Aside from my mother, but she isn't on the world, is she, Aurora? "I do, okay? But some things are supposed to remain burried."

A buzz emits from the intercom in the living room, "That must be Beth, Drake, and Roni buzzing in." Nicholas mutters and I take that as an opportunity to escape this conversation.

"Good talk," I grin, pressing the speaker on the intercom, "Let them up, Jeffrey."

"Aurora, come on. I'm here for you." He sighs.

I open my mouth to say something but I quickly stop myself, offering him a head shake instead. I love Nicholas too, but I can't open up about my past. What would I say? Hi, I'm Aurora, your best friend for the last five years but my last name is actually Berkeley and not Thomas and I basically killed my mom. Oh, and my daddy's a rich mafia leader and I stole a good portion of his money to stabily fund myself and this super expensive penthouse. Him and all of France think I'm dead. Want to hear my accent? I think the fuck not.

Moments later, my apartment door swings open, Beth's blonde hair comes into view as our other two friends follow her bubbly steps. "Hi Nick, Rory!" She smiles, pulling me into a hug despite my harsh protests.

She moves onto Nick as I wave to Veronica and Drake. "Beer's in the fridge." Veronica laughs and immediately makes her way to my fridge.

"Falcon's are playing tonight," Drake grins at Nicholas who rolls his eyes.

"We're watching the Saint's game." Nicholas hisses.

"Oh, hell no, a new episode of Grey's is streaming tonight. Neither of your stupid testostrone induced choices are interupting the mid-season finale." Veronica snaps from the kitchen, and a loud laugh erupts from Beth's lips.

"Roni is right, you're both outvoted. Rory's on our team." Beth points her finger at them as Veronica rejoins us in the living room and plucks the remote from Drake's hand.

"I never," I start before realizing I'd much rather watch Grey's Anatomy over a NFL football game. "Yeah, sorry boys, you're outvoted. Plus, my TV, my rules."

"Fuck, why don't we ever hang at Roni and I's apartment?" Drake scoffs, plopping onto the couch.

"Because Rory's the rich one." Nicholas winks at me before sitting next to him.

"And stop calling it our apartment, you're crashing until the fix the flooding or whatever." Veronica rolls her eyes. "You know, you should really be crashing in one of Rory's spare rooms and not on my couch."

"He can't." I say abruptly, causing them all to shoot me weird looks, "I have really bad nightmares, I'd scare the shit out of him with all my screaming."

+++

Hours later, my friends are all cleared out of my apartment and I'm picking up all the empty beer bottles and pizza boxes. My phone rings and I furrow my eyesbrows at the unknown number, choosing to decline the call.

It rings again and I answer, "Hello?" I ask distractedly.

"My little girl? Is that really you?" My eyes widen at the rushed voice coming through the phone. I tense. "Aurora, mon cheri?"

"Daddy?" I whisper.