MAFIA KING

5. L A R I E N E

Kick. 

Punch. 

Double Punch. 

Kick.  kick. And…

“Ow!” This hurts. This hurts like a b***h. What the heck did I get myself into? Why did I agree to do that again? 

Oh, yes because of Rick. Because I love Rick and want to be the perfect queen for him.

“You are not protecting your face properly, bambola.” Marissa’s authoritative voice boomed at me. I looked up at her from my crouching state taking my breath and she just looked perfect as always.

She had her hands resting on her hips as she looked down boringly at me. This seemed as a piece of cake to her while I am here could barely stand as beads of sweat soaked every inch of my body. Marissa on the other hand had nothing. Her sports b*a was still dry while her bare torso glistened under the sunlight toned and all. 

“I-I am tired.” I breathed out.

“What a pathetic queen she is.” I heard a murmur from my side followed by a couple of giggles and knew exactly whose voice was that. There was no other than the intimidating Sofia. 

“Talk again, Sofia, and your pathetic a*s will be right under my foot.” Woah! Didn’t think Marissa would stand up for me and talk in english too? I thought for her I was nothing but a small bug to crush.

“Whatever.” I heard Sofia mumble then she began her training with her fellow mafia members again. 

We were in the east side of the gardens where it was designated for training in the open air. I was startled when I found Marissa waiting for me right outside Rick’s and I’s room for us to start training. And what surprised me more was that there were dozens of mafia members already on the platform including Martina who was training with one of her male cousins at the moment.

“Now, get up, bambola,” Once again I gained Marissa’s attention. “One more time and then we will take a break.” She took her fighting stance as I nodded and straightened up. I can do it. “Now, show me how you can punch and kick and pay attention how I protect my face.”  I nodded again as I took my fighting stance as well that Marissa taught me.

Today, she was to teach me how to protect my face and throw punches and kicks like the beginner I am just to get used to it and strengthen my muscles. Of course, that’s all after she made me work my butt off in  the gym until I couldn’t feel my muscles anymore. We have been training for an hour or so now and I have no idea where Rick is. Was he still asleep? I don’t know, really. I have been trying to avoid him since we arrived here- two days ago. And so far it was going okay as he was busy god knows what while I was busy hanging out with Martina and Bianca or playing with Lily who is surprisingly getting really well with the kids around here even though it is a bit hard for her to communicate with them. Yet she seemed popular among them and enjoying her stay here so far.

“Again, bambola,” Marissa pushed me with her arms but unlike the previous times I didn’t fall on my butt allowing Sofia and her friends to mock me. “Throw it harder and concentrate!” I nodded at that as I fisted my palms.

“You can do it, Lariene!” I heard Martina’s encouraging voice and that was enough to boost me up. She probably just finished or is taking a break.

I threw another punch at Marissa and it hit her arms that were protecting her face then pushing me with them. Goddamit, this woman has an arms of an iron. Every punch or kick I throw I am the one who gets hurt while she never even flinches.

Not giving up, yet, I lifted my leg and kicked her in the stomach but she caught it and did this weird thing she does when she twists my leg and drags me to her. “Fight ba--” She was going to say something when we heard a yell then she was snatched away from me.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” It was Rick.

Wasting no time, he came to stand before me as he checked me for any injuries asking me if I was okay. He was also dressed in some training clothes.

“What do you think you are doing?” Marissa snarled at him while Valerio held her back by the arm. This woman seems like a ticking bomb and that scares the hell out of me. I wish I would never get on her bad side.

Rick faced her while taking a protecting stance in front of me. Why does he always feel the need to protect me? I looked around us and noticed the neighbouring trainees also stopped and were watching the commission going on. Some of them looked at me with mockery and disgust. And I understood them. They see me as a fragile American girl who is always being protected by Rick. They can never respect me or view me as their mafia queen and maybe they are right. I am so damn weak and haunted by some memories and demons that cannot get rid of. On top of all of that, Rick isn’t helping with his constant rescuing tactics and treating me like I am going to break any minute now. I don’t mind his protectiveness but I need to prove myself to these people, the same as he does.

“I am preventing you from hurting her anymore.” Rick yelled at her.

“Hurting her?” Marissa scoffed. “We are training and to achieve something she definitely has to get hurt or she will stay weak and die in no time.” See? Nobody has faith in me. I always thought I was strong in my own way after enduring that a***e all these years but guess I was wrong.  I am just as weak as everybody portrays me to be.

“And who said she will be training in the first place? I told papa, Lariene won’t take part in that shit.” 

“You decided.” Everyone quieted as their eyes gazed at the source who dared to speak up and was asking for a death wish to interpret the mafia’s children. “But, I didn’t.” Oops, it's me.

Slowly, Rick turned to face me and I could see the shock and hurt mixing up on his face. I felt bad but I had to do it. He can’t just decide everything for me. “What?”

“You heard me.” I said and noticed the proud look Marissa was shooting me. Her student toughening up. Not really but it’s something, I suppose. “I agreed to your father’s orders to make me train with Marissa two days ago in his office.”

“B-but...why didn’t you tell me?” His hands came up and rubbed my shoulders soothing my nerves. Even after I spoke up to him and interrupted his argument with his sister he is still gentle and caring as ever with me. “You know you don’t have to and I would have done anything so that you won't do it.” and that’s the problem. I don’t want him to get hurt. That is enough. We both know they would have beaten him up again if he went against his father and I did not want that. I want them to respect him and accept him as their don. I know he is struggling but he is good at hiding it from me so that I won’t worry.

“I know but I want to.” I held his hands in mine. I couldn’t avoid him any longer with him being sweet and all like that. It is not his fault. Nothing of what happened two days ago was his fault and this Sofia b***h won’t play with my mind anymore. Rick chose me, he loves me and not her. I have him, she doesn’t. “This will be good for me. I need it and you know it.” I smiled softly at him while our hands intertwined together. “You trust me?”

He looked hesitant by my decision but nodded nonetheless. “Of course, I do.” He pecked my forehead. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. Please take care.” I nodded as I buried my face in his chest, my arms circling his torso while his did the same.

“We have to train, loverboy.” Valerio’s voice chanted and I heard Rick curse. s**t! I forgot we weren’t alone.

Goddammit! We made that whole scene in front of everybody. I could feel my cheeks heating up already from the embarrassment but then I remembered Sofia being one of them and my embarrassment was switched with smugness. I pulled away from Rick and searched for her to find a nasty scowl disturbing her beauty. I simply smirked and felt like such a badass when she clenched her fists in anger. Ha! Take that b***h. Rick is mine.

“Coming, you asshole.” Rick mumbled. I really don’t get their relationship. Like are they friends or enemies? I know they were but not anymore. Martina told me everything already but then again sometimes they act like they are friends. They act like kids who are mad at each other and both are wronged but none of them want to be the bigger person and take the first step. “See you at lunch.” Rick pecked my lips in a chaste kiss then jogged away with Valerio.

Marissa looked at me with her arms crossed while everybody else scattered to continue whatever the hell they were doing. Marissa just looked at me. Like she was studying me? I don’t really know, this woman is hard to figure out sometimes. I can never know with her.

“Thirty minutes.” She said. My brows furrowed in confusion and she seemed to pick up as she elaborated. “Thirty minutes off and we will be back here from where we left off.” I nodded, even though she was already gone spending her thirty minutes break doing whatever the hells she pleases.

“That was so romantic!” Martina jumped on me from the side, her bubbly vibes engulfing me. “You two are really cute together.” She handed me a bottle of water and I gladly took it screwed open.

“Thank you.” I lifted the bottle up to my lips and noticed the glares Sofia is still shooting me. This is so high school s**t even though in high school I was more bullied than having to endure this kind of drama. 

Martina and I took a seat under a tree to rest our sore muscles. Martina was going on and on about me and Rick and how we are perfect together when I cut her off with my question. “What was Sofia to Rick?”

I could feel her body tense from beside me which increased my anxiety towards this whole ordeal. I glanced at her and she positioned her body to face me as her face turned serious. 

“You really want to know?” She asked. “I mean you could get hurt or sad.” She pouted adorably as she picked up on the grass we were sitting on with her fingers. “And I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I won’t, I promise.” Liar. “I already know Rick loves me.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” She looked admiringly at me with her smile widening by each second. “Okay.” She cleared her throat. “I will tell you.” Here we go. “So, Sofia is the daughter of the right hand man of the mafia king and since we were young, Sofia had always had a thing for Rickardo.  We basically grew up together -all the mafia children around here- we are like this huge family but don’t share the same blood.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“Rickardo never took interest in her. In fact he has been a player as long as I can remember.” I smiled at that because that’s what his friends used to tell me. I was glad that no matter what happened Rick still reserved his playful side and I hope he stays that way. “But when they turned 14 I guess they got together. They were those golden couple at school if I remember correctly. Everyone envied them especially Sofia who would be the next mafia queen and let me tell you to this day she still aims for that position.” Martina rolled her eyes at that.

“I sense you like her that much.” I pointed.

“Who would?” She made a gagging sound. “She is a b***h who thinks she is better than everybody else.”

“Who is still trying to take Rick back.” I said.

“Yeah and that.” Martina nodded thoughtfully. “But you she can’t. I know she can’t. Everybody knows that Rickardo has eyes for you and only you.”

“Maybe…”  I looked anywhere but her. 

“No, no, no maybe.” Martina dragged my attention back to her. “If Rickardo really liked or even loved Sofia he would have never left her and ran away from all this mafia s**t. He would have stayed for her but he didn’t. Not to mention, that he didn’t leave you. He brought you here with him and I believe he had a big fight with uncle about not leaving you.” 

“I never knew that.” I gasped.

“Yeah, nobody really knows but I know everything.” She shrugged proudly.

“You really do.” I chuckled at that. “You are like the gossip bank in this place.”

“True that.” She flipped her hair. “But don’t worry, Lariene. Ricardo really loves you. Do not make that b***h Sofia play with your head. Rickardo didn’t even give her the day of the light since he came back and she is so frustrated by that because she feeds on attention. So, you really don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Okay.” I nodded even though there was still something bugging me. Something I was still afraid of. Something that I wished no one ever found out about especially Sofia who I believe would use it against me. Especially that this something is already known by the mafia king himself and that freaks the hell out of me. I just hope he doesn’t tell Rick anything. At least until I tell him myself.

“Bambola,” And that’s my cue to hell. “Time is up. Let’s start.”