The Rules to Redemption

Chapter 47: Ruined

*insert emotional speech about why I disappeared and blame it on the cat.*

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When Damien gave me the keys to the Mafia I assumed that my duty would be running high profiled missions yet here I am, sitting at a desk in his office listening to stupid problems from his people and dictating what the course of justice may be.
I mean, I know that I was once a lawyer (once being for about a month before I got kidnapped, forced to take an omertà and shipped to mafia land to avenge my father who isn't really worth avenging) but this isn't fun at all.

I sighed palming my forehead as I fell back in Damien's desk chair that I almost sink in. It's comfortable, I'm going to steal it.
"Would you like me to send the next person in?" Damien's second in command asks me.
He has a name, I just can't remember it so I call him Gargamel because he fits the aesthetic.
"Sure." I shrug not wanting to hear any more first world problems.

A women walks in, she appears to be in her late 40's and I recognise her from some of the mafia gatherings that Damien likes to hold on occasion. She is one of those born into the family and I'm assuming had her own family within the Mafia.
"What can I do for you?" I ask.
She sighs, "my husbands cheating on me."
So therapy is part of my job?
"So...divorce him and take all his money?" I raise my eyebrow.
She looks at me as if I am not getting something. "He is pretty highly ranked in the Mafia, I just need your permission to kill him so there are no problems later down the line." She adds.
Oh right. "Yeah, go ahead." I shrug carelessly.
"Tell him that I called him a slut before you do it."

She smiles content, walking out happier than she arrived.
"Should I send anoth-." I cut Gargamel off with my hands because I can't do it anymore.
"Just tell them yes to whatever." I enlighten him which is probably going to cause long term problems for Damien and possibly a few wars but violence is fun.
He nods leaving but before he does I ask him to find my brother and force him into a room with me.

I had came back from the hospital a few days ago. Marcello has been AWOL which everyone can understand, Damien had someone ensure his safety from a distance but asked to not be told his location because he knew Marcello wanted to be at a place that we couldn't corrupt  and we had to respect that.
Damien would be returning from the hospital soon, he recovered much quicker than usual though my mother was adamant that I don't visit and I'm not one to challenge my mother.
And lastly is Malachai who might I add, can't even stand to breathe the same air as me right now. It's been days of living in the same house and I was yet to see him, I almost died and I haven't even seen my damn brother.

It's Malachai for fuck sake. He's always there. When I broke my knee in fifth grade, he snuck out of school to visit me in hospital because he didn't want me to be alone. When he started high school and I was still in middle school he would pass me food through the school gates if I was hungry. He's always ensured that my world turned on its own axis yet for some reason I almost die and he isn't there.
I know he blames himself for not taking me disappearing seriously but he must know that I'd forgive him if there's even anything to forgive.

For some reason this past week I have felt more lonely in this house than I did tied up in that cage with an unexploded bomb ten feet away from me.
Why? Because I have people at my access but this time they're choosing to stay away.
This time I can't blame it on Slavi for locking me away, I blame it on myself for keeping secrets that hurt people and acting impulsively enough to hurt people.

I notice Gargamel return and smile when I see him push Malachai through the threshold closing the door to give us some space.
"I'm going to kill that huge fuck." My brother mutters.
To be fair he was like 7ft, muscular and...scary. My brother had no chance against him.
"Malachi. I've been expecting you." I speak only I sort of left Marcello's cat in the desert therefore I was stroking the air whilst saying those lines. It wasn't as impactful as I hoped.