Alice Avery
"That's not funny." I said without thinking. I had yet to even attempt to process what he had just said so I resorted to not believing him, pretending that it was some hilarious prank.
"You're right, it's not funny, it's very serious actually." Something about the tone he spoke in made me nervous. The conversation that was soon to occur wouldn't be one filled with insults and immature behavior, it would be a different, complex conversation. Frankly, it was one I didn't want to have.
"If you die then I have to take you position in the -- the Mafia?"
"Yes," he answered. "You're my only child, my only heir."
I held my head in my hands. "I only found out a week ago that you were in the Mob. Now you're telling me that I'm next in line? I should've known from the start you should've told me when I was a kid, I'm not ready for--"
"Yes you are, you're more than ready."
I was more than overwhelmed, there wasn't a word to describe how I was feeling. I wanted the ground to swallow me up. "I'm so confused," I whispered.
"It's simple--"
"It's far...from simple." I interrupted him, "you are confusing me."
"How?"
"Your mind games still work. You tell me how weak and stupid I am but you go and put all this faith in me."
"You aren't weak, stupid maybe but not weak."
"Thanks for the compliment," I scoffed.
"You're ready, I'm glad you'll be taking over. You're very similar to me, you got your mother's looks but you got my mind."
"I don't get it," I said. "When you came to Las Vegas you told me you'd kill me. How-"
"I get hundreds of death threats a day, got a lot of people wanting to kill me. Now you, you need to learn how to take a death threat, princess."
I smiled at how bizarre that sounded. "So my entire life was one big test?"
He nodded, "I mean not entirely but in a sense it was."
"Did I pass, Professor?"
He grinned, "you did."
My head felt ready to combust, I wanted to pass out so I wouldn't think. "What if I don't want any of this? What'll happen?"
"I don't know." His answer shocked me. "I don't know what'll happen, but we won't have that problem because you want this. Alice, I don't want anyone else running this after me except you."
"Why? You shouldn't trust me, why are you leaving this all to me?"
"Because you've got my blood running through your veins."
It seems my life was already planned for me. "Did you only have me so I could take over once you die?"
"I never wanted children, your mother did, I didn't. I knew I wanted a family member to eventually replace me, you were the only answer. You were born for this, to take over."
He had decided my purpose in life, my only purpose in life was this harsh business. I was put on earth for it, it's the only reason Vince wanted me. "You understand I'm completely clueless when it comes to all of this. I have no idea what you do or how you even do it."
"You'll learn quickly, it won't be hard for you." He sounded so sure of himself, so sure of me. He seemed to have no doubt in me. I found myself slowly falling back into his tricks, I wanted him to be proud of me, I wanted to impressive him, I wanted his approval.
