All in his head

thirty two

Tate

The next week is filled with all of the men from the meeting coming to the apartment to figure out the plan. 

Adrian is hellbent on keeping me in the loop and telling me what's going on. He even went as far as to drag me out of bed at 3 in the morning to bring me to a meeting at the warehouse. Which I didn't enjoy at all.

After I had a headache and a bad mood the next day, he would just brief me what was going on if I missed the meetings. But I couldn't really careless where they were at in prepping for their blood bath, I just wanted to know if the man behind their efforts is actually my brother and how the hell he is still alive.

I've sat on the news for a week and I still can't figure out how in the world it was possible. 

I watched my brother take his last breath, I remember trying to find his pulse and feeling nothing. I vividly remember the EMTs giving me a heartbroken look when they also couldn't find a sign of life and took his tiny body away in a sack like he was nothing but trash. 

His death is seared into my mind, it haunted my nightmares for years. 

It doesn't make sense how he could have survived, how our father could have gotten his hands on him. And turn him into a powerful mafia leader at such a young age. He should be in high school trying to figure out what he wants to do after high school, not planning revenge on his sister. 

"Hey princess, ready to go?" His voice pulls me from the endless questions racing through my mind. His voice somehow calmed the madness in my head, Adrian made it all seem not as important. That even with my insane family drama, I shouldn't be concerned. He had it under control, he is going to keep me safe.

I nod to his question nod and grab the stack of towels from the cabinet.

He grabs the bag from the table and smiles down at me. "I can't believe I agreed to this" He mumbles, I laugh and interlock our hands. 

"Yeah well, you said yourself that you were going to make today special for me amidst the craziness." I retort, he hums and leads us out of the apartment and gets everything into the car. 

I can't help the smile that makes it way onto my face as Adrian starts driving to our now decided special spot. He shakes his head and tries to look annoyed as we leave the city and drive down the familiar backroads. 

I've always hated this day, the day my living hell began and the day it set me free from it. My birthday wasn't something I liked, my mom always tried to make it special and like a normal kid's birthday. But out circumstances didn't allow for anything of the sort.

This year, I didn't even realize today was my birthday until Adrian had told informed me of his plans for the day when I woke up. 

Including I got to decide everything we did and he couldn't say no.

And he has told me multiple times before his hatred of the ocean and anything having to do with the ocean. The only reason he even goes to the beach with me is for my safety.  Or that's what Adrian has told me, and just for that comment alone he is going to learn to surf today. 

He is going to learn everything today, first starting with waxing the board. Which I don't think he even knows that was a thing. God knows how he has been in California his whole life and never learned a single thing about surfing. 

"You are far to excited for this Princess, you are underestimating how much I hate the ocean" He says as we start to see the small cottage by the drop off. I shrug and look over at him.

"And you are underestimating how badly I want you to know how to surf. I agreed to let you teach me how to fight, and I hate violence but I'm not whining about it." I respond, he scoffs and pulls into the parking lot.