I get off my car and open the trunk of my black Honda to get all of my shopping bags. I walk towards the door where I'm greeted by one of the many tall men with suits in my house.
"Welcome back Ms. Garcia."
"Hope, Jose, just call me Hope."
He smiles. "Welcome home Hope."
"Better," I smile at him. " Thank you Jose."
I go into my room where I place all of my bags and start taking out the clothes when I hear 2 knocks on my door before it being opened.
"Hi rubia can I come in?" Diego peeks in his head revealing his black hair and big dark brown eyes.
"Of course come in." I say folding a shirt as he walks in sitting on the corner of my bed.
"How was shopping?" He asks looking through my bags.
"It was good. Found some pretty cool stuff and stop going through my bags, you might find something you don't want to see." I say pushing his hand away.
"Ew Hope." He exclaims making me laugh.
"I'm kidding."
"Whatever, how is Mar?" He asks and I give him a 'really?' look. "What?" He complains.
Diego has had a crush on my best friend Mariana for the longest, but of course she doesn't know.
"Until you don't grow a pair to tell her how you feel, I'm not telling you anything about her."
"Wow no Hope, you can't do that to me come on."
"You come on Diego. Just tell her how you feel, she might feel the same you never know." I say convincing.
"Wait? Are you insinuating she likes me too?" He asks excited.
"No don't be putting words in my mouth. I said to talk to her and you'll go from there." I say trying to stay away from the situation. It's true, I don't know if Mar likes Diego or not, I have never asked because if she doesn't, I wouldn't be able to keep it from Diego and I don't have the heart to hurt him. Diego is also my best friend, he is like a brother to me, we practically grew up together, and this way if he is unsure of her feelings it's all on him and not me.
"Anyways your dad was asking for you, I think he wants to see you."
"Oh ok, is he in his office?" I ask and Diego looks down.
"No he's at the w-."
"Oh yeah, I'm not going there."
"Hope.."
"No don't Hope me Diego, I'm not setting a foot in that place. You know this, my dad knows this. Why would he want to see me there?"
"He's busy, he has some bus-."
"Don't tell me I don't want to know." I say and he rolls his eyes. "What?" I complain. "You know I don't want to know anything about the warehouse or the illegal business my dad does for a living. I am not interested in being a part of that shit."
"You do know you are your dad's only child right? When he decides to retire everything will go to you."
"Not if I don't want it."
"Too bad you're the only heir."
"What if he gives it to you?" I say and he laughs. "What? I'm serious. You're my dad's right hand, you know the business well and like it, you would be the perfect leader."
"Well I'm not blood related to your family therefore that's not possible. That's how the mafia is."
"Well fuck the mafia."
My dad is Rafael Garcia, the mob boss of the mafia in Spain. He has been in the business for years. He is respected and hated by many. Diego is the son of the man who was my dad's right hand since the beginning. He was killed when Diego was sixteen so he took his dad's position. He has been by dad's side unconditionally since then, he does everything and anything my dad orders him too. He is like the son my dad never had because he got stuck with, well, me.
After my conversation with Diego. I took a shower and cuddled up in my bed to watch a movie. I was 20 minutes into the "Kingsman" movie when the text ringtone on my phone goes off.
D🤍: your dad is here. His office.
H😈: KK going. Thanks.
I put on my sandals and run downstairs to my dad's office. I see the security has doubled and that only happens when my dad is at home. He constantly receives
many death treats, he has to be extra careful. I open the door to his office and find my dad behind his desk. He looks up and his hazel eyes meet mine.
"Hi dad."
"Hi sweetie, come in." He says and I walk inside his office and around his desk to give him a hug. "How was your day?" He asks as I take a sit across from him after the hug.
"It was good, i went shopping with Mar, and yours?" I ask and immediately regret my question.
My dad looks at me confused. "Do you really want to know?"
"No I don't." I say firmly.
My dad sighs and puts his pen down. "Hope all this time I've respected your decision of staying away from the family business but one day you're gonna have to take over."
"I've told you multiple times I don't want to. I don't want to be part of that world."
"One way or another you already are, just by being my daughter." He says walking around his desk and kneeling in front of me to be eye to eye. "It's your duty as my only child to continue the business. We also need to talk about the marriage."
"Marriage? What marriage?" I ask surprised. Is he really going to tell me he's going to get married? I didn't even know he had a girlfriend.
"Your marriage Hope." He says and I almost choke on air.
"What?" I ask standing up. "Have you gone mad? I'm not getting married. I'm just 20 years old." I argue.
"Women in the mafia get married at 18. If you haven't got married yet is because I hadn't found a good man for you."
"I am not a woman from the mafia though, I'm tired of telling you the same thing over and over. I don't want to be part of the darkness that's comes with this business, I don't want to have blood in my hands. I am not taking over the business and I am not getting married." I say firmly and walk towards the office door.
"Hope wait." My dad says and I stop. He puts his arms around me and I stand still. "Do you know why I named you Hope?" He asks and I shake my head no. "Because after losing your mother when she gave birth to you, and you were all I had, you were my only hope to a better life. I don't want you to be upset with me ok? I'm not going to talk about you taking the over the business anymore ok?" He asks and I nod.
"Neither about the marriage thing right?" I ask facing him and he gives me a half smile.
"No, not for now."
"Dad?"
"Hope I need to make sure you are going to be protected in case something happens to me, what's why i want you to think about marriage."
"Dad we live in a home where there's more security than furniture. I'm sure I'm fine. Plus i have Diego, we both know he would never let anything happen to me." I say and he sighs.
"Ok, we won't talk about the marriage thing either, just until you turn 21, then we'll have to talk about it, deal?" He says and I nod. Pff, I saved myself for now, i hope I'm able to do it again in a few months.
I go back to my room and jump back in bed. I am sure something happened. My dad has been a little paranoid lately. I didn't say anything but I noticed he had sent body guards with me when I went shopping with Mar, we have double security at home and he also doubled his personal security. I don't want to think about it, I don't want to know. I have an imagine in my head of my dad and even though I know he is in the mafia and he is a drug and illegal weapon trafficker, he's still my dad, I don't want to stain that image.
