MAFIA KING

6. R I C K A R D O

“Hay, our Italian boy!” Ben’s booming overexcited voice filled the chilly air in the hidden area of the gardens close to the forest. “Guys, Rick answered!” I laughed at Ben’s stupid face flashing my screen.

“Rick!” I could tell that was Crispy’s voice. “OMG! Its really you! You grew up a lot.” Yep, it’s her silly a*s and annoyingly beautiful face.

“Hey, Crispy, missed me?” I winked at her charmingly like always even though I knew it never succeeded on her.

“Pfft, noway!” She dismissed me with her hand. “I am having too much peace to miss you.” Yet, her overly emotional eyes that rarely showed us what she felt said otherwise.

“I didn’t miss you either.” It was Jason's voice whose face soon popped up.

“Hey, you asshole, that’s my phone you invaded!” Ben sneered from behind Jason probably trying to steal back his phone. 

“Yeah but I am the one who suggested calling him.” Jason shrugged.

“Actually it was me who suggested this.” Adrian’s voice could be heard but I wasn’t able to see his face probably because Ben’s and Jason’s annoying faces were taking over the whole screen as they fought on the phone.

“No!” Jason scoffed, getting distracted now by Adrian leaving the phone to Ben in the process. 

“Ha! p***y!” Ben said trumphily but Jason was too busy to pick up the insult.

“Yes.” Adrian said as a matter of fact.

“I will let you enjoy this scene man.” Ben smiled cheekily at me then swiped to the back camera so that I could see both Adrian and Jason quarrling like the stupid wimps they are.

 I could see Jasmine sitting on the couch while eating popcorn while viewing something on the laptop that was perched on Clara’s lap. While on the other couch sat Mia whose arms healed better than I can last remember. She was sitting beside Jane who just sat there gazing at the tv screen. Her stomach got bigger than I last saw her but she still seemed like a soulless body since Damon’s death. Finally, I could also see Blake walking back and forth as he seemed to be in a heated discussion on the phone in a dark corner in the room. If I was there, I would have spied on him along with the little vixen, Abagail who hid in the shadows eavesdropping on him. God, how I missed them! I missed them so much and this normal goofy life that I wished I still could take part in.

“What the heck are you talking about?” Adrian’s voice brought me back to the situation in hand. “We were saying how much we missed Rick and I said ‘hey why not call him?’ then you all agreed, so, basically, that’s my idea.” makes sense.

“Well, but I was the one who suggested facetiming him.” Jason crossed his arms over his chest proudly. “Hence, it was my idea.” hmm, makes sense too.

Adrian shook his head repeatedly trying to make sense of the situation. “What kind of bullshit is that?”

“The kind of bullshit you are too busy denying.” Jason retorted.

“You are such a fool!” 

“And you are a dorky geek.”

“You are a wimp.”

“You are an asswipe.”

“You-you.. are a peasant.”

“Ha!” Jason scoffed. “That’s the best you could come up with.”

“Oh, I will show you the best I could come up with then.” The next thing I know they both were on the ground looking like they were cat-fighting each other.

The phone’s screen started becoming blurry as if the person who was holding it could barely hold it upright and I think I can guess it was that Ben was laughing his a*s off on these two stupid shits. Hell, I was cracking up like a mad man here only seeing them through that shitty screen.

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” Abagail ran out from her layer to encourage the commission. “Oh, hey Rick!” she saw me through the phone screen and waved.

“Abby!” Blake the clueless finally noticed her and sneered at her.

“s**t!” She mumbled as Blake started staking toward her with fire in his eyes for eavesdropping on him. “Gotta run!” 

“You are so dead!” He called after her.

“Hey, who wanna bet on Jason and Adrian!” Ben called out.

“I bet on Jason for sure!” I said. “100 bucks!”

“Thanks for having faith in me bastard!” Adrian said in the middle of throwing popcorn at Jason from Jasmine’s bowl.

“You are welcome geek.” I winked at him even though he was too busy fighting with Jason.

“100 bucks for Jason anybody else?” Ben continued with his job.

“I bet on my husband too.” 

“Stop being so cheesy crispy, his name is idiot.” I called for her and she simply flashed me the middle finger.

“Then I bet on my fiance.” Jasmine said with determination.

“His name is geek, Jass!” Again I said. What’s up with these people and labels?

Jasmine scoffs as her eyes concentrated on the screen. “Say the guy who calls his girlfriend queen.”

“It’s simply the translation of her name.” I shrugged in response.

“Stop being cheesy, Rick.” Mia threw back my words at me. 

“Aww, look he is blushing.” It was now Clara whose face suddenly took over my whole screen. 

“REally?” Ben rushed out. “Let me see!” He swiped the camera and now his big fattass face flashed my whole screen. “Oh, yeah he is so blushing.”

“Whipped.” Abagail’s face suddenly jumped on the screen then disappeared.

“Get here Abby!” I could hear Blake’s yelling. “We shall have a long talk on privacy.”

“Hey, I want to make fun of Rick too, show me his tomato face.” Crispy whining voice said.

“Then move your a*s and come see it.” Ben said.

“Why don’t you bring it to me?” Here we go again. I know how that would end.

“Looks like we will have another bet.” I heard Jasmine’s mumbling and I couldn’t agree more. I just wish I was there in the moment.

As they started arguing, I noticed Valerio coming back with two bottles of water and sandwiches. He was soaked wet as me from all that training we did, both of us with bare torsos.

“Rick, if Mia and I fought who do you think would win?” Ben swerved my attention back to him and away from Valerio.

“Obviously, Crispy.” 

“You assh--”

“Bow down to me, bitches.” 

“Stop being so dramatic, Crispy.” I laughed nonetheless on her dramatic a*s that was bouncing on Ben now whose phone fell on the floor. I heard the clearing of a throat from beside me and knew who it was. 

“I w-- oh, who is that hottie?” Goddammit, Crispy!

“What hottie? Me?” Jason said finally done with his fight with Adrian as they both laid on the floor.

“Pft, no!” Mia said as a matter of fact and Jason shot up at that. “That Italian hottie.” She pointed behind me and I could hear Valerio’s chuckle.

“grazie bellezza.” And, of course, Valerio wouldn’t pass this opportunity to flirt. [trans: thank you gorgeous.]

“Damn, his accent.” Now the three girls -Mia, Jasmine and Clara- stole the phone from Ben.

“He isn’t even that hot.” Ben said, only his eyes appearing from behind the girls’ heads. 

“I didn’t know that Americans are that envious.” cue the awws from the girls as his hand ran through his damp hair.

“Okay, this call is over.” Jason’s annoyance could be noticed which made me laugh. “Bye, Rick and will call you later.”

“When you are alone!” Adrian added stressing on ‘alone’ resulting in Valerio to laugh.

“No, why, we still didn’t get to kno--” But the call was already cut.

Valerio laughed his a*s off as his butt kissed the grass beside me. “ Your friends are easy to mess with.”

“I know.” I smiled at all the memories we shared while taking the wrapped sandwich from him. “I used to annoy the hell out of them.”

There was a moment of silence which didn’t settle right with me. After taking a bite from that amazing sandwich, my eyes lifted to see silent Valerio with hard eyes looking anywhere but me. “That’s who you replaced us with.” and by us I know he means him.

“I didn’t replace you with anyone, Valerio.” There was no need to beat around the bush. The both of us are well aware of the c***k that I cause in our friendship. “I left you and you know very well why.”

“Yeah, to become a p***y American.” He snarled at me. “Who seems to be talking in english all the time as if it's his mother language.” 

“I know I hurt you, Valerio. I am well aware of the mess I put you in after my abrupt leave b--”

“No, no I don’t think you are aware of any s**t, Rickardo.” He stood up not caring to finish his sandwich. “You have no idea what kind of s**t you put me through when you decided to up and leave. Let’s not forget the little stunt you pulled on me. You tricked me and left me to face their wrath, his wrath!”

“Valerio…” I gulped. I never thought about it that way. I only thought of myself and how I wanted to run away from this place as fast as I could. I never thought how what I did to Valerio would affect him or what I will put him through with them.

“Save it.” He picked up his shirt. “You are 8 years late anyway.” He then turned away ready to leave. “I think we are done for the day. We couldn’t do much anyway with your messed up leg from that explosion.” Then he was gone.

I watched him storming away from me until he disappeared from my sight. What happened to him that made him hold that kind of grudge? What exactly did I leave him to deal with? I need to know because whatever it is, it left a big fat a*s scar on him and I think I know who exactly would help me. Unfortunately.

§§§

“cosa vuoi?” [trans: What do you want?]

“Hello to you too, dear sister.” I pushed her with the door open and made myself welcome on her bed.

“mettiti comodo, perché non lo fai?” Marissa crossed her arms over her chest as her dangerous green eyes glared at me. [trans: make yourself comfortable, why don't you?]

“Why, thank you.” For the sake of annoying her, I replied.

“You can’t even note the sarcasm, American boy?” She rolled her eyes at me then took a seat on the black bean bag in her white and black themed room.

“I want to ask you something…” I decided to just hit the subject. She looked at me with her eyes boringly urging me to continue, I hope. “About Valerio.” I could see something flash real quick in her eyes before she hid it. Now she was giving me her full attention. “Oh, now that got your attention.”

“sta 'zitto!” she threw a magazine at me. [trans: shut up!]

“So, uhmm, what happened to him after I left? After…” I cleared my throat. “After I did what I did to him.”

“I think you already have a good idea of what happened to him, Rickardo.” She said, her eyes narrowing at me. I know she among others are judging me for what I did but they could never understand. 

“Yeah, but I want you to tell me.”

“I can’t tell you that. It’s not my story.” She said. “But just know he suffered a lot and has the scars to prove it emotionally and physically because of your doing.”

I nodded at that, my eyes not able to meet hers. She was judging me again like everybody else in this place. And I am so sick of taking these judgments. Back in America, I was never judged, I was always popular and had my way around people. Everybody wanted to be me or befriend me but here they just scattered away from me. “Why ask me though?” Now, I looked at her. “What?”

“I know there is something going on between you two.” I smirked knowingly.

“bene, ti sbagli.” She tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “There is nothing going on.” [trans: well, you are wrong.]

“Ahaa..” I just smirked. Even though I haven’t been around for long, I still know my sister. I know how controlling she is and who is one to flee away from relationships or anything to do with emotions. Kind of like Roberto, if I came to think about it.

“Really!” She straightened. I ignored her simply nodding my head as I went up to leave. “stiamo solo scopando.” [trans: We are just f*****g!]

I groaned. “For god’s sake Marissa, I didn’t need to know about that!” I glared at her while her eyes just looked at me with victory.

“I know but you annoyed me first.” little minx.

“Ciao, minx.” My hand twisted the doorknob.

“What does that mean?” She called after me however another voice stopped me from replying.

As soon as I opened the door I found people running with guns and Valerio almost bumping into me. “Valerio?” Marissa said warily. He looked distressed.

“sotto attacco.” He rushed out and immediately I noticed the way Marissa ran to fetch one of her many guns and pistols. “il don e la donna sono …” 

[trans: under attack… the don and the queen are…]

He didn’t have to continue as it dawned on Marissa and I.

Under Attack. The boss and queen. Papa and mama.

Then I heard her scream. “Lariene.” I ran to where the scream was coming from even though my burned leg wasn’t helping much.

I was down in seconds to find Lily sobbing in Leonardo’s arms whose g*n was pointed at the culprit for that chaos with Roberto clutching his b****y arm in front of him while also pointing his g*n to the person holding my queen by the neck with his g*n on her forehead.

“Finalmente, Rickardo.” His s******c voice roared in the room while Lariene’s blurry eyes met mine. “ora la festa potrebbe iniziare.” 

[trans: Finally...now the party could begin.]

“Dominico…” I warned through gritted teeth. I never thought he would do that and betray us like that. “lasciala da sola!” I demanded my fists already clenching.

[trans: leave her alone!]

“Dovrei?” he pretended to be thinking it through. “non la penso così.” Then we heard the deafening sound of the gunshot as blood scattered around us followed by Lily’s agonizing scream. [trans: Should I ? I think not.]