Secrets II - The unforeseen

Chapter one

Addison’s POV

“I can’t believe he said no again,” Gabby complained stomping her foot on the ground.

“I told you he wouldn’t let me go,” I sighed. “You know my dad. Why else do you think he enrolled me in this school?” I asked referring to the all-girls school behind me.

Mom had insisted that I went to the same school as Damien, but my dad had other plans and me being a daddy’s girl would just about agree to anything to make sure that he didn’t pull his hair out from worrying. Having him worry about you was like being all the FBI's most wanted list. Everyone was watching your every move.

And by everyone, I meant everyone.

“Yeah, I do, and thanks to him, my dad enrolled me here too, which I’m not complaining about considering that you are here,” she quickly added as she saw the look, I was giving her. “But you’re almost eighteen Addy, he can’t keep locking you up at home like you’re some kid,” she said sounding annoyed.

I am so very thankful that Uncle Luca decided to let Gabby go here too, otherwise, I would have been all by myself. Not that I minded being alone, it was just nice to have someone who knew you and wasn’t afraid of you. The downside to being who I am was that either people were too scared to approach me or the people that did approach me, only used me for money. Most of the people at this school knew who I was in order to keep people at bay, but anywhere else, no one knew of me. My dad had made sure of that to ensure my safety.

“He is not locking me up,” I defended. “He is just being very protective?” I more asked than stated.

“How about overprotective instead,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “It looks like Damien is late once again, huh?” she said, taking in the sight of the empty parking lot space where he would usually park.

“Don’t worry Gab,” I smiled. “I will make it to the next one, I promise and yes it would seem so, not that it comes as a surprise.”

“You promise? isn’t that a little too big of a promise to make considering who you are related to?” she snickered.

“No,” I stated. “I will make it.”

“If you say so,” she chuckled just as a car pulled up. “Chad’s here I’ve got to run,” she said with an apologetic look in her eyes.

“See you tomorrow,” I laughed as she ran towards the car.

“See you!” she yelled back before getting in.

I sighed as I sat on the steps to the entrance. My brother Damien was late to pick me up yet again and every time he was late, my dad would get pissed, not so much at Damien as he would at me.

Not that I could do anything about Damien being late, but he would get mad because of the things that could have happened to me while I waited. Gabby was right in that department. My dad was overprotective when it came down to me. His worry was an endless spiral.

The sound of a car horn snapped me out of my daze.

“Come on! We don’t have all day!” Damien shouted through the window.

I rolled my eyes at him as I got up from the stairs and made my way to the car. I don’t know what had happened to us, but we were once so close compared to now. We couldn’t be apart for more than a few hours before we would start missing each other. But someplace along the way, we lost that connection to one another. Damien didn’t seem to notice, but I did, and it bothered me and what nagged me the most was that he didn't seem to care. I believe it was when he began training with my dad. After that, he changed. He was no longer the smiling carefree boy he was when he was little. He became a completely different person, a person I no longer recognized and I think that whatever cruelty he had witnessed was the culprit.

I got in the car and buckled up, not saying a word as I simply stared out the window.

“Hello to you too,” he said with an eye roll. “Not even a thank you for picking you up?” he asked.

“Are you serious?” I laughed. “You are late, again, which means that when we get home it will be me who gets to hear for it.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” he said.

“I’m not being dramatic Damien,” I stated. “I’m just stating the facts.”

“Whatever Addison.”

I just looked at him not even knowing what to say before focusing my gaze back on the window. How could someone go from being the most caring person in the world to this?

When we arrived home, I was out of the car before it even stopped fully. I walked up to the front door and was greeted by my mom who was surrounded by flowers.

“Hey honey,” she smiled.

“Hi mom,” I said.

“How was your day?” she asked looking up from the flowers she was setting on the small marble table near the door.

“It was fine,” I smiled. “Uhm, what are you doing?” I asked as I watched her fiddle around with the many bouquets.

“I’m trying to make it look nice for the return of your Uncle Dario,” she sighed. “But the flowers seem to have a mind of their own,” she chuckled.

“Do you want me to help you?” I asked.

“No, that’s fine dear, don’t you have some homework that needs to be done?”

“No, I finished it all in class,” I shrugged. “When is Uncle coming?” I asked.

“Tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll go to my room now, but I will be down for dinner,” I smiled.

The thought of my uncle coming made me smile. He was the only one along with Uncle Luca that ever let me set foot in the warehouse. My dad was so unbelievably pissed at them when I figured it out, but it was so worth it. They believe like me, that I should know about the family business instead of being kept from it so I could learn not only how to protect myself but also to detect when something was off. But of course, in the end, it was my dad’s call and he had said no.

“You do that,” my mom said halfway back into her own little bobble as she held up two different kinds of flowers in front of her.

“By the way, the lilies would go well with the tulips,” I yelled from the stairs.

“Thanks, honey!” my mom shouted in the distance.

I shook my head at my mom. I loved her so much but sometimes she tried a little too hard to make everything perfect for everyone else. I had told her so many times to relax a little from time to time but seeing as she was the wife of a mafia boss, my dad, that was hardly something she could do.

“Addison?” my dad yelled after me as I passed his office.

Speaking of the devil.

I stopped in my tracks and breathed in before I made a 180 and walked to his door.

“Yes, dad?” I asked in the doorway.

“Come in here for a moment,” he said not looking up from his papers.

I gulped and walked in. I took a seat in front of him and put my hands in my lap waiting for the inevitable.

“I heard you had to wait alone again, is that correct?” he asked eyeing me quickly before looking back down.

“Yes,” I sighed.

“Next time, call me,” he said not caring to look at me.

“And then what? You’ll get one of the men to pick me up?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“You know dad, you could just let me drive myself, that would be a lot easier, and it would save us all a lot of trouble,” I pointed out even though I already knew the answer to that.

“You’re not going to drive yourself, Addison,” he said shaking his head. “We have talked about this so many times.”

“Yes, and every time you say no and the next day, Damien is once again late to pick me up which means that the second, I get home, I will sit here in this chair like always,” I exclaimed.

“I don’t appreciate that tone young lady!” my dad said warningly, still not looking at me.

“And I don’t appreciate being treated like a kid!” I half yelled which finally made my dad look up from his papers.

His eyes softened a bit as he took in my frustrated face.

“Listen here Addy,” he sighed. “I’m not trying to treat you as a kid. But you are the princess of the Italian American mafia, which means…”

“Which means that a lot of people are out to get me to get to you, I am well aware of that,” I interrupted him.

“Yes, so I’m just trying to keep you safe,” he stated.

“You’re not just keeping me, safe dad, you’re acting like I’m some sort of prisoner,” I said. “Damien and I are the exact same age and yet he gets to drive a car by himself, he doesn’t have a curfew and he is allowed to train with you, and actually work in the family business along side of you!”

“That again?” he asked.

“Yes! That again!” I said angrily. “How is it that he is a part of everything and I’m just… You act like I’m a nobody like I’m a stranger who isn’t allowed in the inner circle!”

“Listen here, we have already had this discussion plenty of times and I am done having it with you!” he snapped. "Besides, you are a girl. This line of business is not for someone like you and you should not spend your time worrying about this stuff."

“Wow,” I said while shaking my head. “Thanks.”

I got up before he could possibly say anything else and left the office. I ran to my bedroom and closed the door. I love my dad. I have always been a daddy’s girl and I probably always will be, but this just wasn’t fair.