The Mafia Queens

Chapter 33- Introductions (Again)

Paulo's POV

 As we pulled up to the warehouse, I couldn't help but notice the way CJ nervously played with the cufflinks on her white shirt, or how her hand would momentarily reach for the knife concealed on the inside of her suit jacket. She was panicking, to say the least. 

It wasn't hard to tell that the daunting idea of facing some of the biggest powers in the Diaz mafia was getting to her head. Pushing the door open, I slid it back to allow the rest of the gang to get out. Brody and Adrian chose not to join us at the meeting, as they 'had better things to do'. 

Next to our van, Dennis parked his sleek, black sports car, stepping out to stand next to CJ. Placing a reassuring hand on the small of her back, he led her inside, us in tow. Entering the warehouse, I was surprised by the sheer number of people in the room. We knew that the mafia's connections were extensive, but it still caught us off guard.

Despite the fact that there was only a fraction of the total number of men in the gang stood in front of us, they managed to take up the entire lower floor. Following Dennis up the stairs, we came out onto a balcony. I reached my hand out for Maria's, telling her to stay near to me. 

She had insisted on coming, as she is technically part of the gang, and wished to catch up on what she had missed out in the time she was gone. No matter how much CJ and I had insisted that she stay back, she was far too stubborn and naturally played on CJ's soft spot for her. The condition was that she had to remain close to me at all times.

"Silence!" CJ shouted over the commotion, her voice barely audible over the thousands of men below. Cracking her neck, she pulled her handgun out of her slacks, firing it three times at the ceiling. Slowly, the yelling downstairs lowered in volume to a quiet hum. 

The aura of authority CJ had was apparent to anyone who watched her. Even the slightest movements: the adjustment of her tie, the tightening of her ponytail- screamed of the power she held. Slightly behind her, Leo stood stoically, an expression of protectiveness plastered on his face. We- Dennis, Mike, Iago, Maria, and I- stood in a semi-circle at the back of the balcony.

Finally, our leader spoke up.
"For those of you that don't know," her voice echoed around the room, "I am CJ Dickson, daughter of Alicia Díaz and Andrew Dickson. And I am your new leader." As soon as she finished her sentence, the room erupted into chaos. The screams and shouts directed towards her were deafening.

Through all this, CJ's face remained as impassive as ever. Pulling her lip ring into her mouth momentarily, she appeared deep in thought. Exhaling displeasedly, she fired her gun at the ceiling again, forcing their complaints to stop. 
"Anybody who has a problem with my leadership can feel free to fight me for the title."

"CJ," Leo hissed, "What the hell are you doing?"
"What my grandfather would've done. What our grandfather would've done." Honestly, I was shocked that she was ready to fight so many people, but not so surprised that the most violent way to resolve the issue.

Below, the crowd had shifted to clear a small area in the centre of the room, where many men were attempting to push their way into.
"Okay, then," our leader began to remove her blazer, "I guess we're doing this right now."

Removing her suit, CJ was left in a sports bra and yoga pants, and had grabbed trainers from the bag she had brought with her.
"You seem slightly too prepared for this," I joked, referring to her outfit change.
"What can I say?" she replied, smirking, "Men are too predictable."

☆☆☆

CJ stood in the middle of the makeshift 'ring', with Leo and Dennis. The tension in the room was palpable. Standing on the balcony, I watched as the three interacted with men that wanted to try their luck against her.

Having seen her fight multiple times in person, as well as watched her illegal fights online, I was certain that she would win against the majority of those who had issues with her. However, my greatest concern was after she became tired, at which point I was unsure if she could still fight as well.

Maria, on the other hand, had only seen her girlfriend fight once or twice and was terrified for her life. I had tried to reassure her that CJ would be fine, but even I wasn't sure of my own words.

Hearing shouts down below, I leant over the railing, seeing that the first fight had begun. It was hand-to-hand, no weapons, so the two of them in the ring were circling each other, waiting for the first punch to be thrown. CJ, being as confident as she is, aimed first, landing a solid right hook on the other guy's nose.

Growling in anger, he reacted by throwing a punch at her stomach, yet she had already moved behind him. Kicking his knee, she threw him off balance, before landing another kick to his side, causing him to fall to the ground. Standing on his neck, I saw her say something to him, before stepping away, unscathed, allowing him to leave the ring. 

Another cocky man stepped forward. He looked almost identical to the first guy, so I guessed they were related, and this guy wanted revenge for how she had humiliated his relative. Reading his lips, I surmised that he either called her a 'bastard' or 'mustard'- you never really know with these people. 

This time, her opponent threw the first punch, which she avoided effortlessly. I mean, the guy had no form. It was like he'd never thrown a punch before! Since he'd left his side unguarded, CJ planted a kick to his ribcage, partially winding him. 

Angrily, he aimed his fist for her skull, which was slightly below his own, due to his towering height. Spinning away, CJ dodged his punch, throwing an uppercut, which made a satisfying crack as it hit his chin. Cheering, I shouted encouragements at her. 

Out of nowhere, he pulled a blade out of his pocket. Maria screamed in a mixture of shock at fear, spotting the knife before CJ. From the twitch of her neck, I could tell that she was resisting the urge to check on Maria, but she too had realised what the man was holding. Keeping him within her vision she circled him.

Leo looked as though he was about to intervene, however, he was shut down by Dennis. It was clear what he was thinking- CJ had to do this herself. She lunged at the man, ducking under his arms, barrelling into his stomach. She succeeded in knocking him into the ground, but the steel of his knife dragged along the side of her neck, deep enough to draw blood.

Without flinching, she grabbed the wrist of the hand which held the weapon, driving her elbow into the inside of his arm, making him reflexively release what was holding. Pushing him to the ground, using her built-up adrenaline, she straddled his midriff, holding his own blade to his neck. 

The entire room fell silent. 
"Give me one good fucking reason why I shouldn't slit your throat and let you choke on your own blood," she demanded through gritted teeth. 
"I- I-" he stuttered, "I have a family."

"You know, I've never been one for family," she shook her head, pressing the metal further into his neck.
"Please."
"You didn't seem so keen on self-preservation when you first pulled this out. What's your name?"
"Vasquez. Rico Vasquez," he grunted rudely. 

"Would you have spoken like that to Drew, when he was in charge, Vasquez?"
"No..." he began but was interrupted by CJ pushing the knife hard enough into his neck to draw a small amount of blood.
"Then why, pray tell, are you speaking like that to me?"

"You do not deserve to be in charge. Women are too weak-"
"So, you also had a problem with my mother, Alicia, being in charge?"
"No, she was married to a strong man. He was not weak." CJ ran her free hand down her face in annoyance.

Turning towards us, she gave me a pointed look, gesturing with her head towards Maria. I nodded in understanding, pulling my sister ways from the edge of the balcony. 
"What-" she started.
"Just come with me."

Behind us, the sound of a blade against flesh, followed by screams, was audible, but I kept walking, taking Maria with me.

A/N- slightly longer chapter as an apology for not uploading, but, then again, Paulo's POV. Also, women in suits is my agenda