My Mafia Princess

TWO | Dave

ATHENA RUSSO:

I lied. I lied about everything. I told the police that a man killed my father. Not me. I told them that someone snuck into our home and shot him and left.

I hid the gun. I left the house and threw it in the lake near my house and came back and called the police.

Dave sits in front of me in the station. He's a police officer but he also used to be my father's best friend.

He looks at me with pity, "I'm so sorry Athena."

I look away from him.

"Athena?"

I look up, "Sorry?"

"Hey, it's okay to be upset. You can cry on my shoulder. People say it's muscular and strong but actually, it's really soft."

I ignore him and replay the scene in my head. It replays again and again. I've killed my father.

After a few minutes of silence, I ask , "Did he leave anything for me? Like money?"

"You were taken as a kid," he blurts out.

Hold on what?

My body leans forward. "What did you just say?" I was taken as a kid? He scratches the back of his neck, "That your "father" and your "mother" kidnapped you from your real family."

I look at him in disbelief. He looks away nervously. "You know what Dave. For a policeman, I really thought you could do better with bringing up news like this."

"Look I'm nervous. You're an unpredictable kid. You end up here every week."

He's right. I'm always at the police station just to get away from home. I'll do anything to get away from home.

I roll my eyes, "So where am I going? To my grandparents, I've never known about? To my cousins, I've never met? To my parents, I got taken from?"

"Well we did–hold on aren't you going to cry or something?"

"Finish your sentence," I snap. He looks taken back, "Right... Anyways we found your birth family, your eldest brother has taken full custody of you."

"Why my brother? Why not my parents?"

He looks away.

"They're dead, aren't they?"

He holds back a laugh, "I'm sorry. I laugh at bad situations all the time, I can't help it."

"How did you even get this job?"

He rolls his eyes, "Moving on, you'll live with your brothers—"

"Brothers as in plural?"

"Are you failing English?" He asks concerned. "No, I'm just making sure I heard you right," I defend myself.

"Well, you have six brothers."

I throw my head back, "God I'm gonna jump off a cliff one day. Just watch."

"Make sure you do a flip. Now they live in New York City. You'll be going in their private jet soon they want you as soon as possible," he pauses, "I said that wrong. They want you back as soon as possible because they love you and you better be grateful because they are rich."

"Are you asking me to give you money?"

He smiles innocently, "Maybe?"

"You have your retirement money or something like that, don't you? I'm sure you can wait."

He looks offended. "A social worker will be here to take you."

I gasp, "You have social workers, working at like what six in the morning? How cruel are you guys?"

"They're for kids like you."

"Oh makes sense."

He leans back in his chair and looks at me sadly.

"Don't look at me like that."

Dave smiles sadly, "I really am gonna miss you kid, I mean who else am I gonna pick up from all those street races, and let me clear with you, you are really good at those."

"Thank you."

"Just don't get trouble over there with those Americans."

"You just don't want me to replace you, don't you?"

He looks at the ground and nods, "Yeah. And that too."

The door opens and a woman walks in and stands beside Dave. "I guess I need to go now," Dave says before standing up and pulling me into a soft hug. His hand strokes the back of my head. "I don't think no kid will be able to replace you know."

I chuckle, "I know that. I'll be back soon before you know it. I'll get you all off your lazy asses, just wait and see."

He slowly pulls away and ruffles my hair, "You're old enough to know that doesn't give your new family a hard time, it's not fair on you, especially since you need that type of family. And they need you." He then leaves.

The social worker smiles at me, "Hey hun, I'm Josephine."