Mafia King's Daughter

Chapter 9

Ravyn's POV:

It's been a week since I got my tattoo. The bandage has been off for a few days now and I love the way it looks and it's healing perfectly. I find myself wearing more crop tops and low skirts or jeans just to show it off more. I know my dad still hates it but I don't think it's the tattoo he hates but with the way I got it and where it is placed. Every now and then I see his jaw clenching in anger at the thought of what Drake had to do. I guess, for Drake's life, it's a good thing he doesn't know about my n****e piercings.

Dad hasn't really cared too much about my haircut but mom on the other hand threw a fit. Let's just say, she hates it. She feels that the design I had shaved on the sides is an indication of me falling in with the wrong crowd. She understands my need to express myself but I guess the cut was going a little too far this time. I love the way it looks and it is so much easier to take care of and I don't have to really do anything with it.

I have also completed another week of homeschooling. Just a few more days left and one more year and I can graduate. That is, if I finish. I would much rather grow my talent, and maybe do something with it, I just don't know what I would want to do. It's not like I would ever go to college and make something of myself anyway. It seems like whenever I try to be that good girl that my parents want, I always seem to find myself out after curfew doing something that they would yell at me for. Like now, standing on the roof of one of the buildings with a can of spray paint in my hand as I draw a flower morphing into a dragon with fire coming out of its mouth as it destroys everything around it.

I've never really been one to draw my name in bubble letters all over the town like some of the small gangs in the area. They do it to mark their territory. I do this to add character to the buildings. To give the walls personality and a voice. Or, like my therapist always use to say, my art was my voice, telling my story. Maybe she was right, maybe I am trying to speak through my drawings, like this dragon freeing itself from its flowery cage only to have to fight to keep its freedom.

I shake the can a few more times before I reach over and do a touch-up on the shadowing effect of the flame coming from the dragon's mouth. Shading and dimension have always been my favorite part of creating an image. The different techniques used depend on what you are using to create the image along with the final three-dimensional look it gives the image.

I set the can down and reach for the flood light I have on the roof of the building beside me that is lighting up the area that I am working on when I hear the sounds of stones getting moved under the steps of at least two people. I flip the switch on the light to turn it off as I look off the side.

"Ray, you know that if you want to mark in our territory, you're going to have to become part of our gang." I hear the familiar voice of Juan De'Angler, a member of the Bloodlust gang, with one of his pathetic groupies.

"What do you want, Juan?" I asked him as I stood straight to stand my ground.

"You, Ray, of course. To recruit you." He told me and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I've told you before, I'm not interested in your childish games," I told him and he just shook his head.

"Now, Ravyn, is that the way to talk to an old friend?" He asked me with a chuckle and a smile.

"You were never a friend, Juan. Just some wannabe gangster. You will never become anything with your small liquor store robberies and home break-ins in the poverty-stricken areas of town." I told him and he just gave me a smile.

"Tsk, Tsk. Is that all you think we do?" He told me as he shook his head and moved his pointer finger in a side-to-side motion.

"If you were big game, do you really think my father would allow you to continue your elementary pranks?" I asked him and he just laughed.

"You're father doesn't care about any of us as long as we don't interfere with his work, legal or illegal." He told me and I just stayed silent.

"He will if you harm a hair on my body." I reminded them a few seconds later and he just looked at me with his smile.

"We aren't here to fight. More like an offer." He told me.

"You join us and you will be able to paint all you want anywhere in our territory." He offered but I knew that there was more.

"And if I don't?" I asked him.

"Then, deal with the consequences every time we catch you marking up our lands." He told me as his face hardened.

"Sounds more like a warning than an offer," I told him.

"Doesn't have to be...that is, if you make the right choice." He continued as if he was doing some kind of persuasive speech.

"You're choice will never be the right choice, nor the choice I would ever choose," I told him and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Is that your answer?" He asked me.

"Always will be," I responded back to him.

"Then, until you change your mind..." He said as he waved his hand towards me.

The man next to him who was at least two inches shorter than Juan's six foot started to walk towards me with a sinister smile on his face as he cracked his knuckles. I rolled up the sleeves of my jean jacket that I had on over my halter top that appeared to wrap tightly over my breasts and continued around to my back with a fake tie. Not exactly the best outfit to fight in, but at least I was wearing a pair of low-ride jeans.

"You really think a tiny little girl such as yourself is going to be able to defend herself from me?" He asked me with a laugh as I moved my feet into position to give a stronger, more balanced stance.

He took his first swing at my face and I ducked. My fist went straight into his gut, causing him to cough in pain. Just after my hit, my foot came out in front of him just as he stumbled forward, causing him to trip and fall to the gravel roof.

"You i***t!" Juan shouted as I spun quickly around with my foot and kicked the man in the face with my boot.

I could already feel the tightness in my chest but I continued to fight it. Trying to keep my breathing steady to keep the attack from taking over. I have to try not to do too much in the way of offense but instead stay as much in defense as I can. Easier to control my breathing and keep my asthma at bay.

He tried to stand up quickly with his fist coming up in hopes of hitting me in the face but I leaned back, missing the hit by maybe an inch. I took my elbow and hit him hard in the face, causing him to fall once again to the ground with blood rushing out of his nose.

Before he had a chance to regain himself and before I could get back into position, I was pushed hard in the back, sending me forward into the gravel. I put my hands out to catch my fall, scraping them on the stones as I hit, resulting in a gasp of pain exiting my lips. I hissed out in pain as a hand grabbed a fist full of my hair and pulled me up from the ground.

"Did you really think I came here with only one other man?" I heard Juan somewhere behind me as I glanced as much to the side as I could to see who it was that had a hold of me.

Another man, taller than the last one, had a hold of me by my hair. He tugged on my hair, causing me to cry out a little in pain and forcing me to completely forget about my controlled breathing. The wheezing started to show in my breathing as it got harder to pull in the oxygen.

"I also know about your asthma, Ravyn, and if you aren't careful, I will make sure you can't get to your inhaler as it continues to restrict your breathing," Juan told me as I looked at him with rage in my eyes.

My wheezing was more than loud enough for anyone within a few feet from me to know that I was having difficulties but I held strong with my hands on the man's wrist that was gripping my hair as I worked at not showing my weakness to Juan even if he could hear it.

I stood there and watched him as his smile grew just before his fist came up and hit me hard in the face. I cried out as the pain shot through my face. Before I had a chance to take another breath, his other fist came up and hit me again from the opposite side.

"Get away from her and put your hands up to where we can see them!" I heard a man shout from somewhere in the darkness of the rooftop.

The man who had a hold of my hair pushed me hard. I fell to the ground faster than I could react and I hit the stones hard on my arm and shoulder, scrapping them up in the process.

"Next time I catch you marking up my territory, there will be no warnings, no chit-chat," Juan whispered into my ear before he and his men took off running.

I fought through the pain and through the weakness my body was starting to feel from the lack of oxygen making its way into my lungs to crawl the few feet to my bag. I grabbed it with shaky hands and opened it. I was so consumed by my breathing that I never heard the sounds of the many footsteps as they ran closer to me. All I cared about was grabbing my inhaler. I reached in and grabbed it. I had it in my mouth within seconds, breathing in the medicine as soon as I pushed it. I could feel my lungs calming down instantly.

"Ravyn Kendricks." I heard a masculine voice as he grabbed my arm and helped me off of the ground.

I looked at him along with the other police officers that were surrounding me. Not a single one of them had Juan or one of his men, only I was the one caught. My damn asthma once again, my weakness, kept me from being able to flee the scene.

"Out after curfew, vandalizing the market wall with graffiti..." The officer started to tell me.

"Who says I did this?" I snapped at him.

He took my left hand and lifted it to the flashlight, revealing all the paint dust that blew back on my hand as I painted the wall.

"One of these times, you're going to do something that the fear of your father won't be enough to keep you out from behind bars." The officer continued to tell me as he pulled me with him towards the door to exit the roof.

Any other person, minor or not, would be getting thrown in jail right now but because of who my father is, that is enough to keep them from locking me up. Instead, they are just going to drive me back home like they have numerous times over the years. Usually, the officer by the name of Elijah Carter was the one to catch me and take me home. Here lately, I haven't seen him...anywhere. It's almost as if he moved or was transferred to a different station or no longer patrolling this area.

As usual, they just walked me to one of the police cruisers and put me in the back seat. Them, knowing who I am, kept my bag with them. I guess they've learned over the years that you can't be too careful around one of us Kendricks. We tend to have weapons on ourselves. Even I have a dagger in my bag. Depending on the outfit that I wear, I tend to have other weapons on me. I guess I should have had one a little more accessible tonight. Might have kept me from getting my face beat in.

I watched from the backseat as their cruiser came up to the drive and stopped at the guard shack. They have to show their IDs and badges to the security. They also have to wait while the security plugs in their badge numbers to verify that they are who they claim they are. You never know in this life if the person coming to your house is who they say they are.

When they finally got the okay, the gates opened and they drove onto the property. The lights in the house were dark. Probably because it was about two in the morning. My parents think I'm home right now. They were in bed an hour before I snuck out. Our security may be really good but I've lived here my whole life and I know how to get out without getting caught.

The officer got out of the car when we stopped in front of the front entrance, and opened the door for me. Just like every other time, I got out and he took hold of my arm as if he thought I was going to take off. Yeah, like I would get away anymore now that they have me on the property and all the security knows that I'm here and is watching from afar. Doesn't help any that there are two guards by the front door watching every move that we make.

He pressed the doorbell button and waited. It usually takes a few times of pressing the button before either my dad or my mom get woke up. If it's my mom, she will make sure my father is with her. She won't come to the door at this time of night by herself.

After four times of pressing the button, the lights in the front entrance came on, indicating that someone was finally awake. I just stood there, angered like I always am from getting caught. The door opened and there stood in front of us, my mother and my father. I could see the disappointment and worry on my mother's face and the anger on my father's. I wasn't sure if it was because I snuck out and is getting brought home by the police again, or if it is because I got into a fight...again.