The Mafia's Affair ( #4 in the Mafia Series )

twenty

{ Andrea's POV }

Mafia woman have always been strong in their own way, I wouldn't say anyone of us has been stronger than the other. Off the top of my head from what I was told - Tori was a force, she was underestimated but lived for the thrill and pain, she always proved everyone wrong. Reia was a flower made of iron, beautiful and innocent but very smart and unbreakable. Both of them are living outside of the mafia now, but their history in it helped change the mafia into what is today, and what it will be in the future.

Then there's Roslyn.. who is strong, smart, and unapologetic. She's an assassin who didn't want anything to do with the mafia, but she was born into it, escaped it, and ended up back in it when she married who happened to be my brother.

And that's just three of the women...there was many more such as Angelina, Elena, Vera, Annika, Sabrina, and now there is Isabel and Charlotte. All different in there own way, but they are all equally strong.

I'm just as strong.
But I'm not a force.
I'm not a flower.
I'm not made of iron.
I'm not unapologetic.

And as I step into the training mat with Chan, I'm reminded that I'm not like the other women.
I'm not like the men either. Because I have a completely different story, and that is okay with me.

————

"To start off Nicolás and Andrei will spar. Then Andrea and Chan." Ander announces as he hands wooden sticks to Nicolás and Andrei.

Andrei seemed more brutal in his way of sparing, but Nicolás was not only quick he is taller, and more muscular. The sparring lasted a while.
Until Nicolás won by taking Andrei surprise, and knocking him to the ground with the wooden stick to his throat.

"Well Andrei is dead." Chan says

Now I'm seeing why he's married to the very bold Isabel. I smile and reply back "It seems so."

Andrei looks a little disappointed, but he still shakes Nicolás's hand to show there isn't any bad blood. They do it after every match in training now to show respect. Ander makes it mandatory, because it was one of Artemis's rules.

Artemis said how you could respect someone who couldn't show you respect in training.
If they can't shake your hand after a training session, then they can't be trusted in battle. It sounds harsh, and a little off, but I've come to believe it to be true.

————

"Andrea, Chan..you're up." Ander says

Chan and I walk up to the mat. Nicolás and Andrei passed us the wooden sticks they had.

"Good luck." Nicolás says handing me his

I give him a slight smile and a nod.
Then Nicolás and Andrei walk over to Ander just right off the mat to the side.

"Begin." Ander says strongly sounding like Artemis, I take a deep breath and close my eyes, I feel my whole body relax.

With my eyes shut I hear some of them talking, but I can hear Chan walking towards me hesitantly. He swings at me with his, I block. He hesitantly swings again, and I block it. That went on a few more times. I could tell he was confused, and frustrated by his breathing and steps.