The Cards You've Hidden, Been Dealt & are on the Table

Chapter Five-Christian

Hey guys how are you doing? So here we go a new perspective. This is Christian the eldest brother.

I'm not sure of a song that fits this chapter if anything comes to mind for you please let me know via comment or messaging me. For now though let's play "Six Feet Apart" by Luke Combs. It is a song about COVID and I heard it earlier today so why not.

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     Right now I'm in my office with Diego talking between business and just brotherly conversation. I'm the head of the American Mafia and we live in a small town in New Jersey. When my parents married then moved from Pennsylvania to New Jersey and started their family here and moved the location of our headquarters here as well.

"So have the Greeks signed the deal yet or are we still waiting?" Diego inquired wondering about our recent attempts at a peace treaty with them. They started trying to mess with our shipments and getting in our way out of nowhere and before a war started we reached out with contact and attempted a peace treaty. The Greeks have a syndicate set up in New York and have been screwing with our shipments often with the help of the Canadians as well. Although we are a mafia we try to stay out of the bloody and bad stuff but sometimes you can't help it.

"No not yet but they still have another week before I'm going to inquire again and we haven't had any trouble since it was sent out so I don't know where we are." I want this problem resolved and they haven't been fun to deal with thus far.

At this moment my phone starts to ring and I see that it is Vincent so I answer it and place it on speaker for Diego to hear as well.

"Hey Vince how's it going? Did it go well over there?" Vince, Trev and Marc are out for some business regarding our legal stuff. We own a lot of hotels, restaurants, casinos and businesses in general as well as the mafia stuff. We do a lot of smuggling and stuff for our illegal businesses like vehicles, fake and real art, technology, artifacts and antiques and natural resources and stuff like that mostly. However we still have things like weapons that we get from our Italian allies who are our family. In this world even if your not in the drug, weapon and other businesses like that you still need to protect yourself.

"Ciao fratello. Assicurati che tornino tutti a casa e presto saliamo sull'aereo. Dobbiamo parlare tutti." Comes from the other line ignoring my questioning completely. (Hello brother. Make sure everyone is home by the time we get back we will be boarding the plane soon. We all have to talk.)

"Why? What is going on that you need us all there? Is everything okay? Why are you coming home early?" What is going on here? I send Diego a look questioning if he knows what is happening and he just shrugs his shoulders looking as confused as I do.

"È una sorpresa, ciao." With that he hangs up and leaves me hanging before I can question him further. (It is a surprise, bye.)

"I wonder what that was about?" Diego muses.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Let's go round up the boys and wait for them to come home. I think Antonio and Benjamin are with their friends so will give them a call." I start as I begin to stand.

"Sounds good to me. I'll call them now." Diego replies as he too stands and we make our way out of my office in our home. He fishes his phone from his pocket and calls one of the boys.

"Hey Di! What's going on?" Benjamin's voice rings through the speakerphone.

"Hey Ben, I'm here too. I just got a call from Vincent saying they are coming home tonight and should be home in a couple hours with a surprise." I respond before Diego gets the chance.

"Why what's going on? Do you not know what the surprise is or is it just a surprise for us younger ones?" Ben questions. "Oh and nice job hijacking Diego's phone Chris."

Before I can respond to my jokester younger brother Diego cuts in, "no we don't know what it is just come home in like an hour so we're all here and settled in by the time they're home, alright?" Diego ever the peacemaker.

"Oh hello rightful caller nice to hear from you. Yeah sure I'll tell Antonio and we'll be home in about an hour. See ya later I'm going to go tell him and enjoy our hour, ciao." With that he hangs up knowing I would have made some comment at him in return.

"Alright that settles it we'll hang around for a bit and then when Vince and the rest get home we'll meet up with them I think we're done with work for the rest of the day however." Diego decides as we make our way to the kitchen I'm assuming to get a snack and maybe start dinner.

"Sure that sounds good to me."

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A couple hours later and it is about time that the rest of our brothers should get home. Diego, Benjamin, Antonio and myself are all waiting in the living room while dinner is cooking and not needing to be touched for maybe another half an hour before it is ready, so we're all just sitting around talking.

Soon we hear the door open as footsteps then follow although it seems that there are an extra two to the supposed to be three and when I turn around I can't believe what I am seeing and I hear a gasp come from my left, an 'oh damn' from my right, an 'it can't be' from behind me and finally from my own mouth in a whisper mixed sigh...

"Finally."

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929 words 12/27/20

So what did you guys think?

We've now met all the brothers but Antonio.

I'm sorry it was a little short but like I said I don't want to switch POVs mid chapter.

Also sorry about the cliffhanger, maybe. Maybe not. Okay I'm gonna go hide now. So with that if you guys need or want me feel free to private message me or email me at booksandmusicgirl27@gmail.com

Have a good day/night guys!