𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 ( 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐧𝐞)

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞 - 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

If you can't go back to your mother's womb, you'd better learn to be a good fighter.

  ~Red Azalea~

𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚

"Are you sure you can handle it?" My father asked for the third time, a deep worried furrow on his forehead.

"It's okay if you cannot," Uncle Rom mumbled, "we can handle it for you," my father added

I shook my head. "We can manage it," I said, my voice stable, convincingly. It's been two hours since the patriarchs came in, one of which we stayed enclosed in the same office where we had a conference calls hours ago after our family was shot at.

We were all there. The children, our mothers who had stood their ground not to be excluded from the meeting, and the bodyguards.

"It's not a good idea." My mother's troubled voice came into the room in a soft tone.

"It's their choice, Tesoro." my father told her. He was seated at the edge of the conference room near where Uncle Raph sat, an unlit cigarette dropping at the corner of his mouth that his voice came out muffled when he spoke.

"That doesn't mean it's a good idea," Aunt Mia retorted, he arms across her chest, on her right sat Lia's mother, looking pensive, but her gaze remained fixed on Uncle Raph as if she wanted him to convince us not to do as we had decided.

But Lia and I were not going to change our mind. This was our legacy, if we were going to inherit it, it's time we introduced ourselves in the only way those people understood. By showing courage, confidence and a little cruelty.

"We could go with you," Nic countered, but almost everyone in the room said no.

It was decided, albeit begrudgingly, that Lia and I would deal with it.

"We need to speak to Lia and Luca alone." Uncle Raph announced. Everyone jumped to their feet, scraping of chairs as they stood, and murmurs filled the room, but our moms stayed put.

"You too..." The three men said.

"Whatever you say to them can be said in front of us." my mother said. "No, it can't." Uncle Raph said, his voice gentle yet decisive.

"You're different from your children. We understand your fear, objections, hesitation. The dread and anxiety that is about to take over your entire body until you see them return back, unharmed. But this is their battle too, if you want them safe for a long time, this is the chance to show our enemies that our children can indeed defend themselves. Their chance to establish their reign."

"But this is too dangerous. I mean the three of you can take care of it this one time." my mom argued "Sure we can, but there will be a next time. When do you think is enough time for them to handle something like this?" The women fell silent, none of them was willing to voice the only answer they could accept—never.

I knew how they felt—their angst. I would too if I were a parent.

"We don't want them to go. Believe me when I tell you, we are afraid as you are." Uncle Ralph stood, pacing across the room, his hands behind his back. "But we cannot say no. It's their right to decide, our job is to guide them, and we will."

After fifteen minutes or so, our mothers agreed to leave. None of us said anything for a while after they left, the silence only underlined the tension in the room. Lia sat beside me in stillness, her breath soft, he hands clasped together on her lap. I knew she was a little worried, and so was I. It is human nature to be anxious when one is about to be in the same room with the people who want them dead. We were no different.