The Mafia and Her ✔

Chapter 12

"Verena," I heard someone call from the other side of the room, and I tossed around in my very comfortable bed—no sudden sharp pain. My wounds were healing slowly but surely, and I could not be happier.

"Yes?" I tried to get up, but the covers were wrapped tightly around my body, making it impossible to release myself.

"It's one in the afternoon, and we need to go," Izan said grumpily, and my eyes widened, sleep long forgotten. I was meeting his Mafia today.

"One? Shoot!" I stopped what I was doing and cleared my throat, cursing my luck in censored words. "Izan..."

"What?" came his sharp reply. 

How charming.

"I need help." I could feel him sigh behind the door, and I rolled my eyes. Not a second later, he entered the room and saw me wrapped like a burrito. His expression told me he had so much to ask, but nothing came out. "Well, you see-"

"I don't care," he cut me off and grabbed one end of the thin blanket. Without warning, he shrugged it off, and I went flying on the floor. He didn't look sorry at all, rather happy, if I dare say, but I didn't satisfy him by crying my balls out because it did hurt.

Not that I have balls down there. 

I meant up in my face: my eyeballs.

I simply smiled, knowing it irritated him, and I stood up. "Thank you!" I said cheerfully, and he ignored me and left the room.

"Ten minutes, or I am leaving without you."

~~~

"Shut up!" he groaned for the millionth time as I sang at the top of my lungs. I kept turning the radio on when he turned it off until he gave up. My voice sucked, and I enjoyed annoying him—payback for this morning... or afternoon. 

"Finally," he breathed once he parked near a big building, assuming it was the Mafia headquarters. They were filthy rich, more than my dad or Heath.

Sucks to be them.

"They can be vulgar, but they mean well, most of them," he warned as we literally marched inside. I nodded, not knowing what to expect. I followed him like a lost sheep and grabbed the back of his shirt when he quickened his strides. I had little legs. 

Thankfully, he did not shrug me off and slowed his pace after seeing me struggling to keep up.

"Welcome back, boss!" One man said with an emotionless face, and I frowned. He looked like a Carlos. I met an expressionless Carlos once, and the name seemed fitting.

Izan stopped before the man and nodded. "Carlos," he acknowledged. 

I gasped.

"No freaking way!" I yelled, grabbing other men's attention.

Where did they come from?

They're big.

"What?" Izan asked, and everyone waited for me to speak.

"I was just thinking he looked like a Carlos guy since he didn't have any visible expressions, and his name turned out to be Carlos. This is priceless!" I explained without really thinking, earning chuckles from two men. 

Izan was not impressed, and Carlos looked deadly, ready to skin me alive. "On second thought, you do have expressions. Nice to meet you, bud," I added and cowered behind Izan's back, hiding me from their view—perks of being short.

"I hate her," Carlos decided, and my smile fell.

"What? No! I swear I am nice. I just talk a lot! I don't mean half of what I say most of the time. Well, I do, but it depends on the person. I'm digging my own grave, aren't I?" I asked, and the men nodded.

"You're giving me more reasons to hate you."

I shut up. Not really. "Well, in that case, I too h-ha- nope. I can't hate a person I just met."

"I see you got us an interesting one, boss," a very tall man, who seemed to be older than the rest, commented, and I smiled at him. If it were not for the creases on his forehead and his graying hair, he would pass as twenty-five.

I smiled at him and said, "I am a very interesting person. Nice to meet you. My name is Verena Amaryllis." They glanced at Izan the moment I said my last name. "Oh, you hate my dad, right? Don't worry. I'm indifferent toward him, which is worse than hate in my books. Feel free to have whatever emotions toward him," I clarified, finally sitting on a couch next to Izan, who didn't want to be in this room.

So, he's grumpy around other people, too. 

It's not just me!

"Well, in that case, I like you. My name is Juan, and you're too skinny, dear. Why don't I cook you something?" The one who said I was interesting suggested, now known as Juan, and I perked up at the mention of food. 

It was true I could survive on little amounts, but I did enjoy a good meal whenever I had the chance.

I smiled and replied, "Juan, that would be a wonderful idea!" He walked to the open, clean, and big kitchen. This building was more of a house than a headquarters, and I loved it. "How old are you? You look 30, if not less."

"Boss, I fucking love her," Juan yelled from across the room, and I chuckled. "I'm forty. You're now my favorite person, Verena."

I was thrilled to be someone's favorite. That never happened before. "You have a weird name," a different man stated, and I saw Izan glare. He was probably in need of a bathroom. "But it's beautiful. My name is Jose," he introduced himself, and I admired his freckles. He was attractive. They all were handsome, each with their unique features. 

I probably looked like an uncooked chicken.

"Thank you, and nice to meet you!" Jose was very friendly, and I relaxed as I ignored Carlos' deadly glare. "And you are?" I asked the last man, who had not said a word yet. He looked observant and calculated, making me uneasy.

"He has selective mutism. Can't speak in certain situations. We rarely hear his voice, but he's nice. His name's-" A quiet voice cut off Jose's sentence, and I looked at the source.

"Zulimar," the last man said, and I beamed at him. If he has selective mutism, then I was more than honored to hear his voice for the first time. 

The rest looked shocked, even Izan.

He sighed. "She even made you talk," Izan commented, and I smiled proudly.

"You're just jealous," I replied smugly.

~~~ 

29.12.2023 

She's quirky but not stupid. I love her. What do you think? 

Oh, and in case I don't upload another chapter today, Happy New Year, everyone. 

I hope your 2024 will be filled with happiness, good health, and success!