The Beneveti Mafia

2

I was about half way through the second block to my apartment when I started to feel like I was being followed. 

I looked behind me to see that no one was there.

"Hmm" I said quietly to myself.

Was I by myself?

I quickened my pace to get myself home sooner.

I could feel eyes on me.

I turn around one more time, stopping in my tracks to really make sure if someone is behind me.

"H-hello?" I say, a little unsure of myself.

Nothing.

Am I being paranoid?

I can see my apartment building from where I was standing. I breathe out a sigh of relief.

I get to the entrance of my building, putting in the code to open up the automatic door. My hands feel shaky. I clicked my code to enter the building(my birthday real original) and I heard the buzzing noise of the door opening.

I shoved open the door and make my way up the stairs going two at a time.

Time for a lil cardio?

Finally I reach the fourth floor.

I get to my door, and as I'm about to unlock my door, I feel a pair of hands go around my eyes.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I screamed as I grabbed the strangers arms and fling their body over my head. I quickly put them in an arm bar trying to thrust my hips up to bend their arm back. I'm hoping I break this son of a bitches arm like a twig.

"Brynn! Brynn! It's me!" I heard a muffled familiar sound under my thigh.

"What?" I poke my head up to see my boyfriend!

"James!! You scared the shit out of me!" I let a sigh of relief.

"I just wanted to surprise you!" He said getting up from the ground rubbing his elbow.

"I'm sorry but you know that I'm a walking deadly weapon." I explain using my hands in a karate chop motion.

We enter my apartment and see that there are my favorite flowers on the counter. Daffodils. I approached the flowers to see a little card attached.

I pick up the card and read what was typed out onto the tiny piece of paper.

"Brynn." I heard James' voice in my head even though he was standing right behind me.

"These past three years have been the greatest of my life. Will you do me the extreme honor of being my wife?" I read the note not even realizing what was going on. My heart sank down to my feet. Was I ready to get married? Did I want to start a life with this man? Would he be a good husband? Would I be a good wife?

I turn around on my heals to see him on one knee with the most gaudy, blinged out ring I had ever laid eyes on. To be honest, not really my style.

I stood there staring at him. I had no clue what to say! I don't know?

It's been like two minutes of me staring at him and I can tell in his eyes he's starting to get impatient.

I grab his face in my hands and kiss him on the lips to reassure him. (More like to reassure myself.)

"So?" He questions while slightly pushing the boxed ring towards me.

"Can I think about it?" I whisper hoping he doesn't get mad at my answer.

I can see the disappointment in his eyes but then like a flash of light came anger. LOTS and LOTS of anger.

"CAN YOU THINK ABOUT?!" He shouted in my face once he got up from one knee.

"I spent all this money on flowers and a ring and all YOU can say is 'can I think about it?'" He mocks me on my answer.

I felt small. I felt stripped from my strength and power. I had no control over the situation and it wasn't making my decision any easier.

"You know Brynn? Sure. Sure, you can think about it!" He stomps over to the door of my apartment. "IN HELL!" He screams his last words to me for the night, as he slams the door shut, making a picture frame of us fall and shatter.

I pick up the frame a shards of glass that scattered everywhere. I look at the photo of us. We took this photo at time square. We were so happy then.

Before everything.

Before he became consumed with his work.

He has been a cop for 5 years now and it's not easy work. He leaves every day to the unknown and I'm sure that has to be stressful. Not knowing if you'll come home that day can really take a toll on your mind.

He was top of his class with the highest test scores and athletic ability. His superiors loved him and praised him. Then he became a detective. Which wasn't bad at first. He came home happy, stress free, and loving.

But then he was put on a case.

The case that changed everything. He had to track down a mob boss, but not just any mob boss.

The mob boss.

Mauro Beneveti.

The infamous Mauro Nazario Beneveti.

My parents used to tell me stories about the Beneveti family when I was young to get me to practice my martial arts.

It took James a long time to get any sort of lead on Mauro Beneveti. Once he did, it went down hill from there.

James was so hungry to get leads on the Beneveti mob that he only became a sergeant to intimidate the people he questioned.

He transferred precincts when the detectives under him started to lose respect to his authority.

I don't blame them. Every waking moment he had he would obsess over what 'new lead' was pointing him in the right direction to finally catch Mauro. Most of the time I had a feeling he was making them up.

I feel like all we would talk about is how the case is going and who gave him what information. I was so sick and tired of hearing about Mauro Beneveti.

I know more about Mauro Beneveti than my own boyfriend!

Maybe this is good. Maybe we need some time away from each other.

Maybe he'll figure out that I'm more important than some stupid case.