Mafia Betrayal

3

Kate is walking home. It's late at night, but she doesn't fear being bothered. This area is controlled by her brother's gang. They all know her and no one will mess with her. Not after what happened to her three years ago. 

Her brother damn near went crazy when she was almost killed. No one wants to see that happen again. No one wants to be on the receiving end of his vengeance. Dustin was always one to watch out for, but when Kate was injured he became far worse. The only one that could still talk to him like before is Kate. He'd do anything for her, including die.

Kate gets lost in the memories of years earlier and she blames that on the reason she doesn't see the body until she trips over it.

Even after three years she can't stand the touch of a man. So when she finds the man is still alive she does something she hasn't in years, she helps him up.

The man is barely conscious, but he does manage to keep his feet with her help. He holds his hand over his side that is bleeding badly.

Kate and the man stumble up the stairs to her door. She awkwardly searches for her keys and opens the door. She helps the man to her bed before calling for her friend.

Her friend is babysitting her son and brings him home, but when she sees the wounded man she rushes back out of the house. Her friend lives just two doors down and so is back fairly quickly. Kate had been holding some clean towels over the wound, the man too faint to do so himself any longer.

When she sees the tattoo of the Fire bird her breath comes harder and shallower. Kevin's mafia. Damn what is he doing here? She turns on the lamp to add extra light to the room and she inhales sharply. Aaron Shapiro, the new mafia boss of the Fire birds. Why the hell is this happening again?

Her friend, Angela, also happens to be a nurse practitioner for her  brother's gang.

She helps Angela clean the man up, sew him up and bandage him. She takes his phone and gun and puts them away.

"Angela, you can't tell anyone, not even Dustin what happened." That's not fair and Kate knows it. Angela and Dustin have been dating on and off for over a year now. Angela is crazy about Dustin, but Dustin isn't ready to settle down yet.

Angela looks at Kate hard, "You know who this is?" She makes the question sound like a statement though.

Kate looks away from her friend and at the now sleeping man, "Yeah, Aaron Shapiro, the mafia leader that took over after Kevin was killed." Kate hears Angela inhale sharply.

"If he dies, there will be war here." Angela says faintly. Never before has anything mattered so much. She reviews in her mind to make sure that she didn't forget any steps that will mean life or death for the stranger on the bed.

Kate shrugs, "We've done the best we can. If worse comes to worse, I'll fire the house. The body will be very difficult to identify."

"Mommy?" A little voice is heard and a little boy comes running into the room. Angela excuses herself and takes the bloody items away.

Kate picks up her little boy, she wishes she didn't have to work and could stay home with him full time, but she doesn't want to be dependent on her brother. He's done so much for her already.

"What is it little man?" Kate asks softly not wanting to bother the man in her bed.

"I had a bad dream." The little boy answers tiredly. He's already rubbing his eyes and falling back asleep.

Neither of the two had realized that the man had awakened. He looks at the child in the woman's lap and his eyes open wide. The child looks just like Kevin when he was that age.