House of Cards

Chapter One - Charlie

4:20 am - Washington DC

The sun isn't even out yet, the alarm blares in my ears, my eyes are still closed, and I snooze the alarm. It was too fucking early for me to function. The smell of those decaying bodies inside the room next to mine was a fucking pain in my ass. My eyes open with a frown on my lips as I slowly sit on my bed, my hair a mess and my shirt all wrinkled. I needed a shower. No, I needed a fucking coffee. I would call Yelena and get her to make me an Espresso but she was busy with Ava. Ava.. Ava. The 5-year-old I found in Hunts Point in NYC a year ago, god knows why she was there in such a fucked up place. I should've called Rowan to pick her up instead I took her home. Why? Because of those puppy eyes and the bruises on her body. I was already too tired and fucked that day, and I pitied her. All I could do when a child was hurt. I wasn't nice, nowhere near nice.

You lie. You manipulate. You kill. You victimize. You control.

I find pleasure in other people's pain. Sadistic behavior but I've tried to change, and to say the least, I've only changed myself a little. I got up, removed my shirt, and threw it on the floor, leaving with me my black sports bra and my trousers stuck on my body. I had a fresh small scar over my shoulder and one just above my stomach. My body was pretty tired, the exhaustion and fatigue from last night completely taking over me as I stretched my body. My muscles flexed and my stomach grumbled, fuck. I should get something to eat.

Creak.

"Yelena," I spoke dryly, my back to my door as I was almost about to enter the shower. I didn't expect Yelena to wake up early, she was never an early bird. "Aunty Charlie.."  That voice. It was like a faint whisper, a little sweet and soft whisper from a child. What was she doing here? She wasn't supposed to be here. "What are you doing here, Ava?" I asked with a sigh as I dropped my shoulders and turned my face slightly to see her. She was an innocent child, a lovely one. She had big black doe eyes, soft wavy hair, slight freckles across her nose, and a small body with pink PJs. "I had a nightmare, I didn't want to wake up Aunt Yelena and I heard creaking from your room.." Ava tried to explain but I cut her off with a hand gesture. "You can be anywhere in his house, Ava, but remember what I told you. Don't come upstairs, yet you still never listen." I walked closer to her and kneeled until I was at her height. "And you should be asleep," I whispered as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Ava stayed silent, the nervousness clear in her eyes, I could taste her fear. With a little nod, I narrowed my eyes and held Ava's tiny and soft hands. "Don't fear me little one," I mumbled and then caressed Ava's soft hand. Affection. I never was good at it, I was pathetic in that area but Yelena's motherly nature did help in some way, I should give her some credit. "I won't hurt you. At least not yet." I tried to joke but it made Ava feel more nervous and scared as she moved back to the slightest, her body tensing. "Aunt.." She whispered scared as I held her hand slightly tightly and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "I'm kidding, Ava. I won't hurt you, never." I whispered and caressed her hand again. She sighed in relief and closed her eyes as my lips were still pressed onto her forehead, this felt weird. Affection.

"Now. Go back to Aunt Yelena and sleep tight in her arms, she'll take care-"
"No! I want to sleep in your bed for now.. I want to be with you!" 
"Ava."
"Please."
"Ava."
"Please? Just until it's 9 am! I promise I won't pee on your bed."

A chuckle escaped my throat as I ruffled Ava's hair and nodded. "Whatever you say, sunflower. I'll be in the bathroom taking a shower. If anything happens, scream. I'll be right out." I muttered. Ava hurriedly ran to my bed, wrapped around my blanket, "Oh, and aunt." She called out and I looked at her before closing the bathroom door, raising one eyebrow. "Please bandage those scars." She spoke softly and closed her eyes. I nod and close the bathroom door. Thanks, sunflower.

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- 6:18 am -

"We can't keep Ava with us, not anymore," I spoke dryly, leaning back on my chair. Yelena stopped poking the fork at her egg yok as she looks at me with dead and serious eyes. "Do not fuck with me, Charlie." Yelena's voice came out much harsher than I thought it to be but that just made me much more stubborn about my argument. "I'm not fucking with you, Yelena. We're not letting Ava stay with us anymore." I stated.

"She's a distr-"
"A distraction? Charlie, enough with your pathetic excuses. You're always at work, you barely come back home. Ava doesn't see you all the time, and you don't see her. She isn't a fucking distraction." Yelena's eyes narrowed at me as she stabbed her egg yolk with the fork. I haven't seen Yelena mad in ages, it was a sight honestly. Who knew the sweet and honey-like 49-year-old woman could be a hot-headed bitch? I let out a loud sigh as I glared at Yelena, if it weren't for her raising me, I would've shoved bullets down her throat. "See her or not. She's a child and I'm not letting a child die because of my fucking mistakes." I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm taking care of her, Charlie!" Yelena argued back. "I raised you without dying, I can raise Ava-" "No you can not, Yelena." I slammed my hands on the table, standing up.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Calm down, Charlie. Get your shit together.

"Ava isn't some girl from a fucked up Mafia heritage like me, Yelena," I spoke. "I was different. Ava certainly wasn't born in a household where people died every day. She wasn't born in a place where her parents fucking killed each other for money and fame." I snarled, my fists slowly clenching tight as I gripped the table cloth, my nails ripping through it slightly. I needed to calm down, I couldn't snap at Yelena. "Charlie." Her voice rang through my ears but I didn't respond, instead, I gave her a pinned glare, not choosing to move or speak. "Charlie." Her voice rang again. "CHARLIE." This time a scream and I snapped out of my trance, the pent-up frustration leaving my body as I relaxed my shoulders, leaving the table cloth. "Fuck." I muttered. "Fuck. I'm sorry, Yelena." I sighed deeply and fell sitting on my chair, my head falling back as I took a deep breath in. 

Three minutes of silence. Three minutes of fucking silence and it felt so disturbing. All the fucked up and miserable memories flooded in like a flame of fire, crawling inside my brain and tearing it apart yet again. The past, the present, and the future. They said the past made the present, and the present made the future. Here I am, sitting on a fucking chair, in front of my maid, the woman who raised me. I was the leader of my mafia for fuck's sake. The woman who grew up with the blood of her parents on her hands. Yelena's voice snapped me away from my mindfucking trance and pulled me back into reality. "I'll call Rowan. He'll take Ava for some days until you get back to your senses, Ava will be with Rowan. I'm not letting go of Ava, Charlie." Yelena's sentence finished off with a soft, yet cold tone as she patted my shoulder and left.