The Mafia Heiress

*** The cold was biting, numbing me perfectly as I sped down the freeway on my Ducati Speed bike- my baby. One of my most prized possessions. It was one of the first machines I had gotten my hands on and it had certainly been love at first sight. Father believed that I was running from my demons, speeding away from them. And he wasn't wrong...Sometimes, I completely destroyed speed limits, went beyond what was considered sane just so I could try and outrun the voices, the nightmares, the absolute anguish that runs through my veins every single waking moment and the urge to destroy everything and everyone around me who dares to come up against the Familia... He claimed that it was impossible to rid myself of the monster he had nurtured within me. The monster that now protected the interests of our organization. The monster he set upon his enemies and grinned wide like the Mad King he was as I destroyed them all, ripped them to shreds and bathed in their blood. When I offered their heads on a platter for their betrayal and their uprising against his absolute rule over the criminal underworld. He isn't wrong... I am a monster. My brothers and I, we are the Horsemen who rule the underworld in the shadows and enforce our father's will... Even now, I was on that same mission. It was an important night for me. A night that would ensure my induction into the ranks of my Father's organization. Although I had done multiple jobs for the Familia before, killed many in the interests of my Father- I was still an enigma to many. I was still the principessa of the Cosa Nostra- bound by the old laws. To many of the old bastards chosen to sit in my father's council to uphold the old laws in this new age, my fate was to strengthen the Marchesi family through a fitting marriage. To unite the Cosa Nostra with yet another powerful ally. To pop out babies and become an obedient housewife. Well, my Father had a different idea altogether and made me into a weapon. He resented the old laws, chose his legacy over the outdated rules. He moulded me into a monster, a woman who was feared more than revered. No man would be brave enough to approach me, let alone lure me out of the shadows that had become my home... It was a move that I was grateful to my father for. He considered me an equal, unlike the council members. The only problem was the growing dissidence in our ranks. Although our Father was the Mad King, ruler over not only the Cosa Nostra but the Criminal underground, the council of his Underbosses also beheld power and sway with those who still stuck with the old laws. The Familia's one flaw- we were too traditional for our own good. My brothers had ascended to become Made Men with no issues or otherwise. They had made our father proud, became true Princes of the Cosa Nostra. Nobody would have dared rival their rise. They were the future of the Cosa Nostra. My ascension had, however, come with controversy. The male dominated Cosa Nostra of old- Made Men so deeply entrenched in their misogynistic ideals that the mere thought of a woman becoming one of them was a source of absolute chaos. Of course they would have done anythingt that my Father wanted. They feared him too much to go against him. If he asked for their acceptance, for them to deal with my presence in their ranks, they would have complied. Only, their loyalty and respect would not be mine. And those were two amongst the most important currencies in our world. This was a problem that would grow into insurgency- an uprising. My Father could not allow the Cosa Nostra to be weakened, least of all from the inside. He, therefore, found a solution. A mission that would ensure all of the doubters were silenced. Those who did not believe I deserved to stand beside my brothers as the future of the Cosa Nostra and the criminal underground would witness, first hand, the skill that had been honed by my father. Until now, many had heard only rumors. Tonight, they would get a glimpse into the shadows that my brothers and I worked in. I manouvered my bike into a dark alleyway few blocks from my set target. I had scouted the location for weeks since Father granted me my mission. Nothing could go wrong. This was the most important moment yet, one that had earned me a glimpse into beyond the impenetrable wall that the Mad King always had on. Our conversation before my departure had been short but I had gotten the message loud and clear. Failure was not an option. Not only was my worthiness to stand beside him on the line but the mission itself was too important to be compromised. My brothers had simply granted me their usual words of affirmation. They trusted me. They knew my skill and what I was capable of. We had worked together since we were old enough to be broken by Father's harsh training. We understood each other in ways that other people never could. They knew I would succeed. They gave me the strength to push myself. I would stand beside them, be worthy of their respect and their confidence- even if it killed me. We were born of blood and chaos. We are the enforcers of the Familia- the Laws of Old and New. We are the Future. I strapped my bag on my back, ensuring that everything was in place before grabbing the sleek, black case that housed my chosen weapon for the mission of the night. I melded with the shadows, the cloudy, night sky supporting my stealth as I silently broke into the warehouse I had scouted for weeks before as the perfect location to set up. The building was empty, the security cameras already disabled weeks prior by one of my twin brother's devastating computer viruses I had borrowed specifically for this day. The owners of the building had no chance in hell to restore it in the timeline set for my mission. The place was now deserted, their operations moved somewhere else entirely which left the entire building to me. I moved quickly, silently up the stairs to the very top and out to the rooftop that offered a perfect view of the warehouse district and my intended target. I glanced at my watch, noting that my timeline wasn't too far off. I needed to set up, begin my mission. With sure steps, I posted up at the edge of the building, setting down my back pack as well as the black case that I opened to reveal the perfect weapon for my mission. The gray sniper rifle glinted under the light of the half moon, the customised detailing on it courtesy of my brothers bringing a small smile to my lips. It was a Barret M95, a favorite of mine despite the fact that I wasn't a big fan of long range battle. Trained to be an assassin from a young age, our father ensured that I was unmatched in close quarters combat and a love for combat knives had bloomed as a result, if my home collection was anything to go by. But this is different...this is an assassination that cannot be traced back to the Familia. This is a clean kill, a great contrast to my usual proclivity for gore... Father rarely put my sniping skills to work, choosing instead to keep it a guarded secret that I was as good as I was, enough to rival many in the criminal underground- including my brothers. His insistence on keeping this particular hit silent and clean was his own way of commissioning me to work, ensuring I understood what I needed to do. He could offer no direct guidance and neither could my brothers. This was my task for the official ascension. It was all on me. Which means if I screw this up, there will be no backup. I have to keep this tight, make sure I get it done... I assembled the weapon, allowing the task to get me into the right headspace as the darkness within me begun to swirl. The monster was lurking, ready to devour its enemies and my body came alive with a dark kind of energy, an urge for blood that had me smirking in the darkness as I measured the air pressure and observed the altitude. The constant figures pleased me to no end, a reflection of what it had been over the weeks I had spent observing it from this very place. "Its showtime." I murmured, hunkering down as I took my spot and begun to mark all of the assailants I would be taking down, calculating the risk of every move before settling on the perfect method of execution for all. Taking a deep breath, I watched as my target arrived with two other men, each settling into a meeting with a foreign arms dealer who was not supposed to be on our territory. They had all received a kill order from my Father, their transgressions no doubt quite grand to garner his attention. "Okay, Rhea...breathe." I murmured, inhaling deeply before I begun the exectuion. My rifle had a silencer, ensuring that all my targets never saw their deaths coming. The beast within me swirled and grew even more as I efficiently took down all of their guards. Blood splattered across the sidewalk as they fell one by one, neither one of them gaining the chance to raise the alarm and alert the main target. I turned the scope once I finished sniping the guards, noting that my main targets were still righ where I left them, neither one of them seemingly aware of the blood bath I had enacted downstairs. "Good. Makes this easier." I muttered, reloading before I prepared to do the most crucial part of my mission. The four men seemed to be deep in discussion that seemed somewhat heated. My finger hovered on the trigger as I lined my gun with the arms dealer, ready to pull the trigger and end them all when one of the men who had arrived with my target turned towards the window and right into my direct view. His face was familiar, making me pause as I assessed him and tried to remember where I had seen him. You can't do that now, Rhea...Focus! I could literally hear my father screaming at me to stay on target and with good reason as the next events flashed by almost in slow motion. The arms dealer pulled out a gun, shooting one of the two men my main target had come with before he turned the gun on the familiar man and my main target. My instincts instantly kicked in, all hesitation gone as I pressed the trigger just as he did so. His shot was deviated, though, landing on the familiar man who crumpled to the ground as the arms dealer went down, dead from my head shot. My main target barely had time to compose himself before I unloaded yet another round, taking him down with a headshot as well. The mission was over and yet I couldn't help but linger on the room, now silent after my assault. I knew I needed to clear out before reinforcements came- which would take some time once the dead guards didn't check in with the main unit- but something about the unexpected turn of events didn't sit well with me. My phone vibrated in that moment, flashing my twin's name and signalling the end of the jamming software I had uploaded on systems within a four block raidus of where I was- a precaution to ensure no calls were made to the main unit. "Well done, sorellina. Everything looks clear from here. Father and the old assholes are very pleased and already popping champagne. Your ascension ceremony has been scheduled but we'll talk about that when you get home. Right now, you need to make sure you clear up." I nodded, scanning my environment after packing up everything. Once I was satisfied I had left no evidence behind, I swiftly begun to make my way towards the rooftop exit and down the stairs to the main one. "I'm leaving now. Where's Guerra? I thought he would be there with you?" I stated, refering to my older brother. He was always the first to check in and ensure I was fine on my solo missions. He took great care to protect my twin and I. We were not known to be caring or cognizant of normal emotions but we always looked out for each other, no matter what. We understood the importance of blood ties that kept us going. Kept us together. "He's on the phone outside, checking in with the men at home and Mom. We'll talk when you get home, okay? Don't get killed, otherwise I'll have to come drag you out of hell." I scoffed at his last statement, the two of us chuckling at the words we always told each other before we each hanged up. I slipped out of the warehouse, making my way towards my bike when a voice I didn't expect to break through my thoughts called out to me from the darkness of the alleyway. A voice that shouldn't be this close to death and destruction. A voice that always seemed to chase the demons away, to sate the monster and have it return to its cage. The only voice that reminds me of the sliver of humanity that still resides within me... "Moya malen'kaya devochka...I'm so happy you're safe." I turned instantly, coming face to face with my mother, the woman I resembled completely. The woman who loved my brothers and I even when we did not deserve her light and radiance. She was the belle to our father's beast, the Queen of the criminal underworld despite the fact that she was shielded from the gory parts of it. "Mother...What the hell are you doing here? How did you Know I would be here tonight?" I spoke urgently, scanning the surroundings behind her and the deserted streets. It was midnight, definitely not safe for her to be out and about, especially on thsis side of the city. There was a reason why the warehouse district was used for many nefarious dealings. I also don't like that she's here, so close to the c*****e and bloodshed I just enacted... "I'm sorry, moya lyubov'. but we do not have a lot of time. I need to get you far away from your father. You cannot go through the initiation ceremony. I can't let him take you away from me too. My heart can't handle it..." Confusion coursed through me as I took in her tear stained cheeks and her watery gaze that seemed to behold so much anguish and despair. "Mama...what are you...." I stepped forward, needing to comfort her and understand her words but my movements were faletered as a cloth was wrapped around my nose and mouth. My fight instincts kicked in, preparing to disarm the assailant but my mother's hand gripped onto my own, stopping my movements instantly as her anguished face came into focus before me. "I'm so sorry, my little one. I knew this was the only way to get you to come with me...." Her voice faded, her face became blurry as my body begun to give in to the chloroform. Darkness engulfed me momentarily, my body struggling to fight against it as it had been conditioned. My body fought against the effects of it, my addled mind capturing certain moments as I felt my body settle in what seemed like the back of a car. My brain shut down momentarily before regaining itself again, noting my mama's voice as she spoke to the blurry looking driver. "Turn the car around, Mother...If you do this, Father will have your head. Even you are not protected from his wrath." I found my voice, breaking through their conversation as my mother turned towards me. She looked like an angel under the light of the passing street lights, her platinum blonde hair that I had inherited from her, loose around her shoulders and resembling a halo. I wanted to reach out, to hold her hand as i always did whenever Father was not around, to bask in her goodness. I can't let her do this...If Father finds out she tried to run from the Cosa Nostra, none of us can protect her....Father will have his vengeance on everyone involved and my brothers will be broken if they lose us...they will spiral and the darkness will be their only solace... For the first time in a long time, I felt true fear course through me. There were too many consequences to consider... Mother was silent, the only sound coming from her being sniffles. I hated when she cried. It always broke something within me, brought me a crippling kind of sadness and despair. "Mother, please...Don't do this..." I begged her, my voice cracking as the emotions and the grogginess from the drug coursed through me. "Its amazing how cognizant she still is...She's truly terrifying.." A male, accented voice muttered, no doubt coming from the driver. I wanted to respond, to tell him to shut up whilst I spoke to my mother, whilst I tried to save not only her life and mine but his as well. Our Father would make him suffer, make him regret ever helping her or being in her presence. "Ivan, stop." Mother's voice came through, trying to silence the driver who seemed to shrug and continue the drive in silence. My gaze focused on the woman who birthed me, who tried to help us become more human. She watched me too, her sadness and guilt deep within her beautiful eyes. Never could i have anticipated that it would be the last time we would get to communicate so deeply with each other. The gunshots came first as 'Ivan' swerved the car and begun to drive defensively. My body was alert, my brain screaming for me to get up. To shake it off and protect our mother. I could hear her beyond the ringing in my ears as the gunshots threatened to surge beyond my grogginess. The shattering of her window broke through the ringing, pushing my body into overdrive as I reached out to my mother just as she reached out to me, covering my body with hers to protect me. "No! Stop! What are you doing?! Stay down!" I begged her, praying to whoever was listening to keep her safe. My body was too weak to buck her off, to push her behind me so that I could protect Her. But she hung on tight, even when the car begun to spin violently, even when our driver released a string of curses and struggled to control the crash I knew was coming. I braced for it, finding the strength to hold my mother close as the deafening sound of metal crunching surrounded us, the rolling jarring us apart as the ringing returned with a vengeance and my mind grew even foggier if that was possible. I begged my body to stay awake, my eyes to focus in the darkness of the crashed car. My head was pounding, the smell of copper filling my nostrils and crawling up my throat. Panic mixed with fear threatened to paralyse me, to knock me out but I fought it with everything in me, begging to know if my mother was okay. I could hear her voice from somewhere nearby, even when my body gave in from the events of the night. Three words rang in my mind as my consciousness begun to fade. Her words, spoken over and over again. I wanted to hold onto it but my brain begun to go blank, darkness engulfind every crevice within my mind. Left only with anguish deep in my soul, a thumping in the back of my brain and a searing pain in my heart. I. Love. You... ***