The lost Mafia prince

22

"Sounds.....nice." I said still looking down at the fashion magazine in my hand. Blake was busy apologizing for jumping Liza at the birthday while Ben just chuckled.

"It is....she had this nice ass and....." He stopped when he saw the expression on my face.

"I don't care Blake." I sighed. He seemed worried and wary.

"Are you still mad at her?" He asked pleadingly. I turned completely to stare at my eldest brother and smirked.

"Her? No...you? Yes." I confirmed and stood up to go to my room.
"Oh come on Arnold, I was drunk...it was the wine." He pleaded. I scrunched my face in disgust.

"Trust me Blake that should be the list of your worries right now." I said knowingly. I knew how clingy Liza could get in a relationship. It was one of the reasons her past ones didn't work out. I just hope Blake won't mind that, considering he is in the mafia. I entered my room and changed from my pajamas. The twins got back home late the previous night or should I say early that morning, after their little escapade with the helicopter.

Dad had said we let them sleep in so that they could rest,not like anyone could wake up Chris or Cain anyway. I hurried downstairs to the dining room. I didn't have a good appetite since the hospital and I realized how the family treated me almost like glass. Like I would break anytime. I did not think much of it though, I was a bit happy now that I had a family and that was OK with me. At the dining room everyone was talking over each other and dad and Jacob weren't there yet. I felt like I knew why but I did not want to think about it.

The atmosphere however did not seem to affect Dennis who sat quietly staring at one spot on his plate. I realized no one else noticed so I walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked at me startled but I only smiled.

"Hey, could you help me move the new cooler I ordered in my room?" I asked. He looked at me suspiciously and so did his twin.

"Why not ask Blake or Ben? They are the oldest?" Asked Daniel and I gave him a glare as I insisted.

"Well moving doesn't need the oldest, it needs the strongest." I said sweetly still glaring at Daniel who scrunched up his face in confusion and pouted in a cute way. He looked at me and then at Dennis for a while and his eyes lit up. For a twenty year old, Daniel was quite childish.

"So you mean Den is stronger than Blake and Ben?" He asked and the whole room went silent as Ben and Blake stopped talking and turned to us. I bit my lip in frustration. Ben and Blake were to take over as the next Dons of the mafia, questioning their strength and position could lead to a lot of regrets. Everyone stared at me and waited for my response. I could see Blake's eyes had darkened. He was getting angry. I still had to get Dennis alone so I took a deep breathe and with the most confident tone I could muster, I nodded.

"Yeah, I mean exactly that." I clarified and Dennis looked at me shocked like I was an alien but I only smiled at him and before anyone could react, I was dragging Dennis hurriedly upstairs to my room. I let him enter first, then I entered and locked the door.

"Where is the cooler then?" He asked suspiciously. I shrugged.

"There is no cooler." I said calmly. Dennis sighed. And sat at the bed as if exhausted. I sat beside him.

"So whats up?" I asked him and he smiled.

" You never let things pass without noticing, do you?" He chuckled and took his head in his arms. I shook my head no as Dennis looked up at me.

"You know how dad always wanted us all to do cool careers with a good reputation?" He asked and I nodded. I knew dad valued education. "Well, I don't want to be a doctor, I lied to him and he wants us to go back to campus next month and I promised myself that when I come back I'll tell him the truth." He said almost in a whisper. I was now very interested.
"What truth Den?" I asked using his short form. He smiled at that.

"I don't want to go to campus, I want to be a tattoo artist. I used all my savings to build a tattoo studio and its official opening is tomorrow, but I don't know how dad will react." He sighed. I smiled at him and took his hand in mine."Do the others know?" I asked. He shook his head no.

"Only Daniel, he found the building structural designs in my journal." He said seemingly annoyed with his brother's nosiness. I smiled and held his hand tighter.

"I think he will be very proud of you. After all, he is a mafia Don." I laughed. Dennis turned to me.

"Really? You think so? I wanted to tell them at dinner." He said now excited again. The tense atmosphere lifted as I nodded.

"That would be great, I know everyone will be so happy you found your passion." I said smiling. His eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

"Thanks Arnold, you really are a Miguel, we always stick up for each other." He said hugging me. I do not know why but that statement made me smile so hard. It was nice to be considered part of the family. I wanted them all to love me and I hoped they would. I had never been loved or hugged growing up, it was always insults and apologies that were worth nothing since mom still did what she said she wouldn't. I couldn't imagine what they would do if I told them I had been sexually abused. I'd just keep that as a secret for the time being.